This book documents the intersection of architecture and design with ecology, environmental history, policy, governance and law from the 19th century to today. It presents conflicting definitions and concepts of architects and designers and the parallel histories of their intellectual positions toward environmental throughout time.

There have been many accounts on the history of ecology and others on the migration of ecological thought to design and architecture practice. Yet, the work of a focused and expanded history of ecological design is much needed. This book presents conflicting definitions and concepts of architects and designers and the parallel histories of their intellectual positions toward environmental thought from the 19th century to today. To survey the formation of this field, the history of ecological design will be not be exclusively examined chronologically, but also in connected worldviews, each rendering evolving perceptions of nature, its relation to culture, and the occupation of the natural world by human and non-human subjects.