University of Virginia
ER-12: Sustainability Immersive Experience

The University offers several sustainability-focused immersive experience programs. On-Grounds: ecoMOD is an interdisciplinary design/build/evaluate research project at UVA, striving to create sustainable, prefab housing units in partnership with non-profit partners. Students participate in coursework, site visits, hands-on construction, and post-occupancy evaluation. http://ecomod.virginia.edu/ Off-Grounds: The Morven Summer Institute is an intensive summer academic program rooted in interdisciplinary place-based learning. The Summer Institute is a collaborative institute involving faculty from UVA's School of Architecture, College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the Office of Summer and Special Academic Programs. Designed for people with interests in sustainability, design, food systems, and ecology. http://www.uvafoundation.com/morven/summerinstitute/ Overseas: The University offers several sustainability-focused study abroad programs. These include: Sustainable Europe: The course is designed around a sequence of three interrelated modules and will contrast trends, planning and policies in sustainability, sustainable urban development, and sustainable urban transport in Europe and the USA. http://www.studyabroad.virginia.edu/ Falmouth Field School in Historic Preservation and Falmouth/ecoMOD5/Design/Build Seminar: The field school engages many aspects of the practice of preservation in the culturally diverse and economically complex context of the Caribbean. The field school participants and ecoMOD team members work together to construct an addition to a historic wood-framed home in Falmouth while the home is being preserved. The design will provide an indoor bathroom and a new kitchen for the home, and emphasize efficient water collection and use. http://www.arch.virginia.edu/falmouth/Site/Home.html