Bachelor of Environmental Design

The Bachelor of Environmental Design (BEnvD) is a four-year pre-professional undergraduate degree focused on the design of built environments. The program prepares students for careers and advanced study in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and related disciplines. Students develop an understanding of the social, cultural, environmental, and technical factors that shape the built world and are well positioned to pursue professional degree programs at the University of Hawaiʻi and beyond.

BEnvD Curriculum

The BEnvD curriculum provides students with a foundation in design thinking, problem-solving, and architectural design through a combination of hands-on studios, lectures, seminars, and other interactive coursework. Together, these experiences prepare students to address complex challenges across architectural, landscape, and urban contexts through a problem-based approach that emphasizes systemic thinking, sustainability, community, and resilience.

The curriculum is centered on a sequence of design studios that progressively develop students’ abilities to observe, analyze, conceptualize, and design built environments. Through a series of increasingly complex projects, students learn to engage design issues across multiple scales, from individual spaces and buildings to broader environmental and community systems.

Select studios are connected to ongoing faculty research and collaborative projects with public agencies, community organizations, and other partners, providing opportunities to engage with real-world issues and stakeholders. The first semester of the fourth year offers flexibility for immersive place-based learning opportunities locally or abroad, while the studio sequence culminates in a capstone project that integrates the major areas of knowledge developed throughout the program.

Supporting the studio sequence are courses in history, theory, and criticism; landscape and ecology; materials and tectonics; environmental systems; professional practice; and other areas essential to environmental design, in addition to UH Mānoa General Education requirements.

Students also complete 18 credits of electives, allowing them to explore individual interests through advanced coursework and special topics that vary from year to year. Elective offerings may include advanced design communication, special topics in history/theory/criticism, computational design, design-build experiences, Hawaiʻi, Asia and Pacific studies, and other emerging topics in the design of built environments.

Student Learning Objectives

The BEnvD curriculum is guided by seven Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) that define the core knowledge, skills, and competencies students are expected to develop throughout the program.

Contact

For registration, advising and student transfer questions, please contact:
June Lee
Director of Student and Academic Services
junefl@hawaii.edu

For additional BEnvD program information, please contact:
Karla Sierralta, AIA, NCARB
Professor & Academic Director Bachelor of Environmental Design
karlais@hawaii.edu

Admissions

Admission to the Bachelor of Environmental Design (BEnvD) program is handled by the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) undergraduate admissions office.

Academic Opportunities

Semester Abroad Eligibility

In the fourth-year Fall semester, students may have the opportunity to enroll in a studio (ARCH 416) and associated electives abroad. Students planning to enroll in a Fall ARCH 416 studio abroad must meet the following requirements:

• Completion of all required coursework for Years 1–3 in the BEnvD program prior to departure.
• A minimum Architecture GPA of 2.5 at the time of application and enrollment.

Enrollment in ARCH 416 studio abroad courses is limited, with a planned capacity of 12-14 students per studio. Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor to ensure eligibility and timely progress toward degree completion.

Double Major Policy

Students who wish to pursue a double major while enrolled in the Bachelor of Environmental Design (BEnvD) program must meet the following requirements:

• Students must have completed at least 30 credits at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa or be entering their second year in the program before declaring a double major.
• Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
• Students must comply with all University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa policies regarding Multiple Undergraduate Majors and Degrees.

Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor. Students pursuing the BEnvD in addition to another major must consult with the advisor in their other program to ensure that the requirements for both programs can be completed within a reasonable timeframe.

Accreditation and Licensure

To practice architecture in the State of Hawai’i only, BEnvD graduates are able to pursue architecture licensure pending 5 years full-time lawful experience and examination provisions established by Hawai‘i’s DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (PVL). Students intending to pursue architecture licensure in the majority of other U.S. jurisdictions will require an additional graduate professional degree from a program accredited by the National Accreditation Board (NAAB) to meet educational requirements. Please visit the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) for specific requirements.

Professional Fee

In addition to tuition and standard university fees, all students are assessed a professional fee of $500 per semester. This fee supports essential, shared academic resources that are foundational to the school’s teaching, research, and professional training mission.

Revenue from the professional fee helps cover the operational costs, staffing, maintenance, and ongoing improvement of the school’s IT infrastructure and Fabrication Lab—resources that are integral to coursework and available to all students. These facilities function as core academic infrastructure and are not tied to individual usage.

Materials used for individual projects are charged separately and provided at cost.

BEnvD Instructors
AY 2026-2027

Full-time Faculty

• Simon Bussiere, Associate Professor
• William Chapman, Professor
• Martin Despang, Professor
• Felipe Igualt, Assistant Professor
• Yasushi Ishida, Assistant Professor
• Bundit Kanisthakon, Associate Professor
• Andrew Kaufman, Associate Specialist
• Ho Kyung Lee, Assistant Professor
• Laura McGuire, Associate Professor
• Wendy Meguro, Professor
• Kevin Nute, Professor
• Hyoung June Park, Professor
• Eric Peterson, Associate Professor
• Marc Roehrle, Instructor
• Cathi Ho Schar, Associate Professor
• Karla Sierralta, Professor
• Erin Voss, Assistant Professor
• Lance Walters, Associate Professor

Part-Time Faculty

• Kanani D’Angelo; Lecturer
• Todd Hassler, AIA; Lecturer
• Kelsie Quintana; Lecturer
• Makanakai Shipman-Ahlo; Lecturer
• Yvonne Szeto, FAIA; Lecturer

Student Work