Get your Bachelor's Degree in Building Performance and Environmental Design at Palomar College

You’ll be stepping into a field where design meets real-world responsibility. With the Building Performance and Environmental Design (BPED) Bachelor of Science degree, you learn not just how buildings look, but how they work, how they breathe, how they save energy, how they serve people & the planet. As climate change, tighter energy codes, and demand for healthier indoor spaces grow, there’s a real need for people who can design buildings that do more than stand.

This program gives you tools in sustainability, environmental systems, green building (LEED standards), building information modeling (BIM), and performance evaluation. You’ll work with technical knowledge and social/environmental awareness, so you’re ready to advise design teams, tackle climate challenges, and create spaces that are energy-efficient, comfortable, and resilient.

If you want a career where architecture, sustainability, and design align, and where your choices matter for the environment and community, then BPED is a path where you can make an impact and grow in demand.

With this degree, a range of design-and-performance roles open up. Depending on your interests, you could develop a career as a:

• Sustainability Specialist / Green Building Consultant

• Energy Efficiency Analyst for buildings

• Building Performance Modeler (using BIM and simulation tools)

• Certified Architect (assuming licensing path)

• Interior Designer with focus on environmental design

• Construction Manager or Contractor with emphasis on sustainable methods

• LEED / WELL / other green building certification roles

• Local Government / City Planning with climate & building policy focus

• Solar Designer or Renewable Systems Specialist

• Environmental Design Strategist, advising on health, daylight, ventilation, materials

In many roles you’ll combine tech skills (modeling, systems, environmental performance) with communication, policy understanding, and with creative design. You’ll be able to work for design firms, government agencies, NGOs, contractors, or even start your own consultancy.

Whatever your career goals, California community colleges can help put you on the path to success.