College of Environmental Design

Design the Future

The College of Environmental Design (ENV) connects people, places and the environments in which we live, work and play. A leader in design excellence, its programs use the rich creative economy and cultural capital of Southern California – and its geographical advantage as a global gateway for trade and ideas – to educate and train future designers to shape the future of the built and natural environments with resiliency, inclusivity and justice.

ENV offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture, landscape architecture, urban and regional planning; undergraduate degrees visual communication design and art history; and a graduate degree in regenerative studies. The college also manages the University's two professional galleries, the W. Keith & Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery and the Don B. Huntley Gallery; the Neutra VDL House, designated a National Historic Landmark; and the ENV Archives-Special Collections. 

What is Environmental Design?

Environmental design studies the relationships we have with the built and natural environments, and the ways human interactions affect the surrounding environment. We encounter expressions of environmental design in our daily lives: the buildings in which we dwell; the green spaces we enjoy; the cities and roads we traverse; and forms of visual design that translate and deliver complex ideas.