Sustainability is no longer an afterthought in the industry: it’s an integral aspect of design that clients seek when they hire interior designers. This is why interior design and architecture firms are now hiring sustainability specialists. NYSID’s MPS in Sustainable Interior Environments (MPS-S) is a post-professional program structured to prepare design professionals to assume leadership roles in developing sustainable interior spaces. The two guiding principles of the program are designing resilience to climate change disruption and designing well-being—that is, creating spaces that help people fare better in terms of health and happiness. Director David Bergman, founder of the architecture firm DavidBergmanEco, and author of “Sustainable Design: A Critical Guide,” shares his view on the program.

What sets NYSID’s program apart and what do you love about directing the program?

NYSID started this program a decade ago, before sustainability was mainstream, so it’s a unique and developed program—perhaps the only one of its kind. The fact that the students come here specifically to study sustainable interior design means they already know the significance of this growing field and want the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of it in order to apply it in their work post-graduation. Many are also working toward their LEED or WELL accreditation, and the program helps them prepare for the exams. Another aspect that makes the program successful is its relatively small enrollment. This allows the students to have close working relationships with our faculty, all of whom are leaders in sustainable design. One of the (many!) things I enjoy as the program director is getting to select and work with this incredible faculty. Along with that is the opportunity to tune the program to the evolving needs of sustainable interior design and the firms that are looking to hire our graduates. It’s an exciting time for this field and having this program at NYSID means we get to participate in—and sometimes lead—the evolution of sustainable design.

How is the MPS program working online?

This year, we have an almost equal number of on-campus and distance-learning students. Though the program has always had students come here from all over the world, now it’s easier for students who cannot physically be here to enroll, and that has further increased both the diversity of the students and the variety of interests they bring. The challenge is in making distance learners feel as integral to the program as the local students. Web conferencing software has been an essential part of that, allowing the students to fully participate in classes in real time—synchronous learning as opposed to asynchronous. We recently procured some new video conferencing equipment that better allows distance students to see and hear everyone in the classroom. The equipment is able to detect who is speaking, even if it is several people at the same time, so the camera can simultaneously show those people rather than just a view of the classroom or the instructor. Another way we’re integrating distance students with the local students is by pairing them up so that team projects include both online and in-person partners. This has the added benefit of preparing students for situations they might encounter in the expanding world of the virtual office.