B.Arch CurriculumFree, forever
A tribute to Amogh N P
Environmental Studies in Architecture
The living systems a building sits inside, and the duty that places on a designer. From ecosystems and energy flow, through India's natural resources and its astonishing biodiversity, to pollution, the environmental laws — and finally the architect's own subject: sustainability, climate, the urban heat island and energy efficiency.
Course byAmogh N P· Architect & interior designer
The syllabus
5 units · 5 liveTranscribed from the official B.Arch syllabus. All 5 units are live as full interactive lessons — with original diagrams, a live calculator and a self-assessment quiz.
Unit 1 — Environmental Studies & Ecosystems
LiveDefinition, scope and importance; ecosystem structure and functions; energy flow, food chains and food webs, ecological succession; ecosystem types — forest, grassland, desert and aquatic.
Unit 2 — Natural Resources
LiveRenewable and non-renewable resources; land resources, degradation, soil erosion and desertification; forests and deforestation; water resources and over-exploitation; alternate energy sources.
Unit 3 — Biodiversity & Its Conservation
LiveLevels of biodiversity — genetic, species, ecosystem; biodiversity services; India's bio-geographic wealth, hotspots and mega-diversity; threats; in-situ and ex-situ conservation.
Unit 4 — Environmental Pollution & Acts
LiveAir, water, soil and noise pollution — causes, effects and control; nuclear hazards; solid waste management; the role of the individual; India's environmental laws and case studies.
Unit 5 — Architecture & the Built Environment
LiveSustainability — social, economic, environmental; climatic influences; climate and the urban built environment; the urban heat island; energy consumption and energy efficiency.
Course outcomes
What you will be able to doUnderstand the structure and functions of ecosystems — energy flow, food chains and ecological succession.
Analyse the types of natural resources, their use, and the impacts of land and water issues.
Evaluate biodiversity levels and conservation methods, with a focus on India's biodiversity and its threats.
Understand the causes and control of pollution, and be familiar with the environmental laws.
Assess the impact of architectural practice on sustainability and energy efficiency in the built environment.
Apply environmental understanding through site study and research on a real ecosystem or building.
The author
Amogh N P
Architect, interior designer, and creative polymath. Studio Matrx began in his notebooks — his vision of design made honest, useful, and open to everyone. Its Academy is written and taught in his memory, and free, forever.
More about Amogh →Design with the living world in mind.
Ecosystems, resources, biodiversity, pollution and the law — and then the architect's own duty of sustainability. Read the five units, try the energy calculator, and test yourself.
The curriculum is free, forever