Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation

BS Sustainable Architecture+Engineering

Main content start

Sustainable Architecture+Engineering Major

Stanford’s Sustainable Architecture+Engineering major integrates architectural design with engineering in developing sustainable strategies for the built environment. 

Through a rigorous sequence of studios, students learn design methodologies that merge spatial thinking with innovative engineering technologies. These hands-on courses teach students to speculate, investigate, measure, and solve as they confront the complex problems of an urbanizing world with finite resources.

Objectives and Outcomes

Students will learn how to think critically and innovatively through a sequence of project-based studios. To envision a more sustainable future, students will tackle problems at multiple scales, from the craft and assembly of building elements, to design in the urban realm. Students will develop the design, technical, visual communication, and digital modeling skills needed to address a range of current and future architectural and engineering problems, building upon a strong historic and theoretical foundation. Harnessing research projects in a range of laboratories, students will learn how architecture integrates structural and mechanical engineering, building performance, and material sciences in formulating sustainable solutions. 

Our program embraces the joys and challenges of inquiring, testing and solving through making as we mine the potentials between architecture and engineering. Through participation in our program, students will receive strong mentorship, develop strong skill sets, and graduate with the ability to generate high-impact solutions to our planet’s pressing environmental challenges.

The Curriculum

The undergraduate Sustainable Architecture+Engineering curriculum includes core coursework to be taken by all declared majors that provides a broad introduction to the major areas of architectural and engineering design with a focus on promoting sustainability in the built environment. Through the studio sequence and elective courses, students gain a breadth of design experience while also developing depth in specific topics of interest, which range from building performance and energy, earth systems, sustainability, structures and construction, history/theory, urban studies, to fine arts. The curriculum culminates in a capstone design experience to be completed by all majors.

Careers

The Sustainable Architecture+Engineering major lays a foundation for a broad range of careers including architecture, structural engineering, construction management, environmental engineering, sustainable design, and urban planning.

Preparing for Graduate Study 

This major is not an ABET-accredited engineering degree, nor is it designed to lead directly to professional licensure in architecture or engineering. To become a professional architect or engineer, additional graduate training and practical experience is required.

Sustainable Architecture + Engineering

This undergraduate major is available for all students. It grants a degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a specialization in Sustainable Architecture & Engineering.  

Architectural Design

This undergraduate major is available for students who enrolled at Stanford prior to Fall 2023-24.  It grants a degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a specialization in Architectural Design.  

Requirements for the Sustainable Architecture+Engineering major are provided in the Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs

Requirements for the Architectural Design major are provided in the Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs

Contact Us

Iro Armeni
Iro Armeni, Director
Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment & Energy [Y2E2] Building, Room 233
Stanford, California 94305
iarmeni@stanford.edu 
Catherine Gorle
Catherine Gorlé, Director
Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment & Energy [Y2E2] Building, Room 395
Stanford, California 94305
gorle@stanford.edu 
Glenn Katz, Associate Director     
Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment & Energy [Y2E2] Building, Room 265     
Stanford, California 94305     
glkatz@stanford.edu 
Beverly Choe, Associate Director      
Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment & Energy [Y2E2] Building, Room 265      
Stanford, California 94305      
beverlychoe@stanford.edu 
Ethen Wood, Associate Director    
Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment & Energy [Y2E2] Building, Room 265     
Stanford, California 94305    
ejwood@stanford.edu 
Geoffrey Tuttle, Administrative Associate   
Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment & Energy [Y2E2] Building, Room 242    
Stanford, California 94305   
gwtuttle@stanford.edu 

All general program inquiries can be sent to:  architecture@lists.stanford.edu