Jefferson's MS in Sustainable Design program

Congratulations to the MSSD Class of 2025! We are proud of what your hard work has accomplished. The design professions need your expertise! Saglinda and I wish you all the best!

The Resilient Cities & Communities Studio and Ecosystems for Resilient Communities courses are working with the Roxborough neighborhood to create a healthier, safer and more resilient streetscape this semester. They held their second charrette with members of the community and the Roxborough CDC and important guests from the Planning Department. It’s a real pleasure to work with Jacqueline Cusack (MSSD ’14) who is the Executive Director of the Roxborough CDC. Faculty: Saglinda Roberts, David Rouse

If projects like this sound exciting to you, and you’d like to earn an MSSD degree, we invite you to attend an upcoming information session or schedule a meeting with me. Sign up here. https://my.jefferson.edu/portal/events-gr-cabe

Jaswant Rao successfully defended his thesis this semester. It’s titled Integrating Circular Economy Principles in a Residential Mixed-Use Building in Roxborough. Congratulations Jaswant!

Dhara Thakkar successfully defended her thesis this semester. It’s titled UNSEEN GREEN – A Digital Platform to Connect People with Hidden Urban Green Spaces Through Sustainable Tourism in Detroit. Congratulations Dhara!

Aanchal Kanojia successfully defended her thesis this semester. It’s titled Regenerative Architecture: The Design of a High-Performance Building in Philadelphia Using Permaculture And Bioclimatic Design. Congratulations Aanchal!

It was a pleasure to chair a session at the ARCC 2025 Conference this week and see the innovative research presented. It was also exciting to see MSSD Student Sarah Rodovalho present her thesis The Design of A Holistic Community Chemotherapy Infusion Center In Philadelphia. Congratulations to Sarah, the other presenters, and to the ARCC President Barbara Klinkhammer on a successful conference!

Can an urban multistory senior care facility be net-zero? What are the limits to net-zero? This is what the studio explored this past semester in a real-world project where the limits of high performance buildings, urban heat island, community, and habitat were tested. I’m proud of the hard work and outstanding projects the students developed!

Last week MSSD students visited the Old First House in Philadelphia and heard directly from the developers and sustainability consultants. The project is an affordable mixed use building for the neighboring church that is also going for several certifications including Passive House. It was such an education to observe first-hand the building techniques and strategies, as well as to hear directly from Troy Hannigan, David Cohen, and David Salamon, RA, CPHC, LFA. Thanks to you all for making this such a fabulous experience!
Jefferson College of Architecture and the Built Environment

The new academic year is off to a great start! Last week MSSD students took a walking tour of Philadelphia, including visiting a LEED Platinum building, seeing great art, learning about the history of the city, and eating great food!

Monisha Ramachandran successfully defended her thesis titled, “Resilient Shelter Solutions: Mitigating Cyclone Disaster Impacts through Bamboo Housing in Vulnerable Communities”. Congratulations Monisha!

Hear directly from students about what makes the MS in Sustainable Design program unique. It’s about WHAT you learn, WHO you learn with, and HOW you learn. Impactful skills, innovative curriculum, award-winning faculty and experts, and friends and alums that change lives. That’s WHY the MSSD can help transform your career to make a difference.

Learn more here. There’s still time to apply!
https://bit.ly/4aXNAkB

Please share with others who may be interested!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMGh_D1TLb4

I am a Sustainable Designer Delve into the dynamic realm of Sustainable Design in this video! Sustainable Design is a comprehensive approach that goes beyond aesthetics, focusing on cre...