The School of Design | Department of Environmental Design
Educational Philosophy and Goals to Promote Designers of the Future
The Department of Environmental Design focuses its education toward specific proposals that consider the relationship between people and the environment from the perspective of their interdependence. The faculty stimulates students' abilities to uncover solutions to recent areas of concern that include ecology, sustainability, natural resources, and cultural heritage. The program nurtures environmental designers who are capable of creating artistic architecture, vibrant urban areas, green spaces, and landscapes by integrating all possible expertise related to technology, human society, and nature based on our philosophy of design.
Educational Programs
The environment is an interdisciplinary subject, so we take a comprehensive and practical approach to what is commonly considered to be divergent fields; including architecture, urban design, natural settings, and landscape gardening. In order to enable students to study many domains in an integrated manner, we attach importance to fieldwork and design exercises. Students conduct a comprehensive study of the following three disciplines. First, in Environmental Studies concentration the aim is to acquire a solid philosophy as a designer, so students learn basic knowledge concerning nature, human behavior, and society, all of which are the base on assessing and discussing the environment. Second, in the Environmental Planning/Design concentration, students analyze what to design and how to design it in a real environmental setting, including communities, urban areas, architecture, natural settings, and historical relics in order to develop their creative abilities. Finally, in the Environmental Systems concentration, students study technology and social systems in order to discover the tools that supply the basis for designing a sustainable environment.
Prospective Students
The School of Design welcomes students who are especially focused on advancing their artistic abilities in the following areas:
*Students who have spatial imagination, have the willingness and capability to visualize spatial relationships such as room interior, open spaces, or landscapes.
*Students who have temporal imagination, have enthusiasm, and the capability of understanding what processes are needed to produce improvements to existing situations, and foresight into future innovation.
Requirements for Admission, the Selection Process, and Screening Standards
*The first-stage examination is a uniform screening method utilized by all departments.
*For applicants who take the Admissions Office Examination, we welcome highly-motivated students with distinctive personalities who have been enthusiastically involved in a wide range of activities, and who have gained meaningful experience beyond mere possession of basic academic ability. Therefore, we exempt such applicants from an individual scholastic test, and instead we select outstanding students through a screening of documents as well as the evaluation of the overall results of the National Center Examination, the test of practical skills and interview.
