Sustainability in interior design education has evolved over the past decades from being introduced in a single specialized course to becoming a fully integrated component across the curriculum. CIDA incorporates sustainability as a core concept throughout all standards, requiring that students understand the impact their design decisions have on the environment. According to CIDA Professional Standards 2024, “Significant disciplinary themes such as environmental sustainability; diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; human behavior, health, and wellbeing; design principles and theories are integrated throughout the Standards” (https://www.accredit-id.org/professional-standards). For example, students in an Introduction to Interior Design course may be introduced to LEED and WELL rating systems while students in a Lighting course are learning how building orientation and window size influence the amount of energy needed for artificial lighting, and students in an Advanced Design course are re-visiting past projects to more fully incorporate sustainable design strategies. Many interior design students at Auburn choose to take an elective course which prepares them to take the LEED Green Associate exam and have that credential on their resume when applying for entry-level positions.

The interior design profession is part of a much broader sustainability movement that is also reflected in college education. When interior designers consider sustainability, it is natural for our first thoughts to go to material specification and daylighting; however, it is important to understand that sustainability at its core refers to “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland Commission, 1987, http://www.un-documents.net/our-common-future.pdf). Sustainability education is represented in diverse areas outside of interior design programs on university campuses. At Auburn University, students in any program of study may earn a minor in Sustainability Studies, and the broad range of courses available for this minor illuminates the wide-reaching nature of sustainability. Students may select courses in hunger studies, cultural sustainability, political science, biomass engineering, soil and crop studies, natural resource policy and more. Additionally, many universities have centralized offices of sustainability giving students the opportunity to participate in sustainable activities, for example collecting food from commercial kitchens on campus to redistribute to hungry students that helps to fight hunger and prevent food waste.

As an interior design educator, each new cohort of students inspires me as I see their passion develop for sustainable design. Many interior design students hold sustainability as part of their core values before they even begin interior design studies, and others develop this passion as they take courses that introduce them to sustainable design concepts. Regardless of where interior design students’ knowledge regarding sustainable design stands as they begin college, sustainability is now a core component of interior design education in all CIDA-accredited programs. Young interior design professionals graduating from CIDA-accredited programs will enter the field with an understanding of basic sustainable design principles and how their design decisions fit into a broader global picture.