NEW SPRING SEMESTER OPTION AT ISDSI!

Sustainable Architecture and Design in Southeast Asia: Villages, Empires and Cities. A study-abroad program of the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute

This program focuses on architecture and design, and how the built environment can contribute to — or impede — sustainability. This program will examine both contemporary design and architecture as well as ancient Southeast Asian and colonial era architecture in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

During the semester students will study what traditional ecologically adapted buildings can teach us about sustainability and contemporary design, including learning to build with bamboo; study the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Ankor Wat (Cambodia) and Luang Prabang (Laos); and learn about urban sustainability, planning and architecture in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. This program is experiential and hands-on, including design, building and research.

Students will have an optional 6 week internship/independent research project during the summer.

Semester Courses

Thai Foundations: Thai Language, Society and Development: This intensive course focuses on the acquisition of the Thai language and understanding of Thai society and key issues in development. In addition to small intensive language classes, students study NGOs, sustainability, religion, ecology and the geographic context of development in Thailand. (Language/Sociology) (The language component continues through the semester.)

Villages: Vernacular Architecture of Southeast Asia: The course studies the “everyday” architecture of Southeast Asia — village houses of lowlanders, the diversity of upland houses, and the layout of villages. We will also study how vernacular architecture has adapted to the local ecology over generations, including the social and ecological context of their construction/design. Students will design and build with bamboo in this course. (Design/Anthropology)

Empires: Ancient and Colonial Southeast Asia: Distinct historical eras have left a legacy in the built environment and layout of ancient and contemporary cities. This course will examine both ancient Southeast Asia civilizations and colonial architecture, their historical context, and what they can teach us about contemporary sustainability. We will study the World Heritage sites Ankor Wat (Cambodia) and Luang Prabang (Laos). (Architecture/History)

Cities: Urban Design and Sustainability: Using the cities of Chiang Mai and Bangkok as our “classrooms”, this course will examine specific examples of sustainable design, how urban planning and architecture can contribute to (or detract from) sustainability, and what challenges there are for creating a truly sustainable city. Students will identify a problem of urban sustainability and work on a solution through design and architecture. (Geography/Ecology)

Optional Summer Course: Students who have completed the semester will have the option of a 6 week summer practicum or internship focused on architecture and design.

Details

• Location: Based in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, but with courses in Bangkok, Cambodia and Laos.
• Program length: 1 semester (17 weeks consisting of 1 week orientation and 4 month long block courses).
• Amount of credit: 18 semester credits (6 for Thai Foundations, 4 for each of the other courses)
• Eligibility / Requirements: Enrolled in a US college or university, minimum 3.0 GPA
• Application deadline: Rolling application deadline during the fall semester.
• How to get an application: For an application email [email protected], and include “Architecture semester” in the subject line.