BFA in Environmental Design

Design spaces of all kinds form the basis of the collaborative and experiential Environmental Design degree program at Otis College.

Otis College’s BFA in Environmental Design trains students to design the spaces where we work, play, sleep, and dream. We provide students with hands-on experience building full-scale projects so they can create viable pathways to inspiring careers and graduate work.

Environmental Design at Otis

Architecture (buildings), landscapes (spaces between buildings), and interiors (spaces within buildings) create complex design problems that students tackle with innovative solutions in this program . We train students to design any and all built environments, and offer travel, exhibition, and internship opportunities to develop critical thinking and provide vital real-world experience.

The Program

There are six comprehensive studios at the core of our Environmental Design curriculum, five of which address potential real-world projects sited in Los Angeles and other cities. 

Support courses present the materials and methods of building, landscape, and interior construction; physical and digital communication skills and media; and the history and theory of spatial design. In the final semester, students design, fabricate, assemble, and install a full-scale spatial environment as part of the College’s O-Launch exhibition of graduating student work.

Program Curriculum

 

Career Possibilities

Environmental Design graduates work in architecture, landscape, and interior design, and in such related fields as exhibition, lighting, water feature, and set or production design. They are prepared to design any and all built environments, including:

Many graduates go on to postgraduate degrees in architecture or civil engineering, or segway directly into becoming licensed architects through work experience and required examinations.

Environmental Design Faculty

Our faculty are active professionals and leaders in our department’s three fields—architecture, landscape, and interiors.