Our location in the nation’s capital offers faculty and students unique opportunities to interact with local and national government as well as national and international institutions including foreign embassies, banks and museums. We are able to draw on the expertise within, and work with organizations such as The American Institute of Architects, the U.S. Green Building Council, the National Institute of Building Sciences, the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, we are in continuous contact with leading global architecture firms who are front and center in the sustainable design field.

The faculty teaching in our Master of Science in Sustainable Design program are recognized leaders in their field; in addition to their excellent teaching abilities they have well defined agendas that guide their research, publications, and service beyond the school. The large number of architectural and engineering practices in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region allows us to engage with local practitioners and draw on their expertise to offer coursework not usually offered in schools of architecture. We are committed to incorporating the most up-to-date software and teaching methods available into our coursework so that our graduates will be prepared for increasingly sophisticated professional applications.

In 2013, The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning participated in the Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition where we partnered with George Washington University and American University to design and build Team Capitol DC’s Harvest Home which was awarded first place in one and second place in three of the contest categories. We value practical applications of coursework and are committed to providing opportunities for hands-on experience. We also use campus buildings as case studies that we investigate, analyze, and make proposals as part of our course work. In addition we have an ongoing program for certifying our buildings under the LEED EB:O+M rating system.