(Chicago, IL – September 7, 2005) - - Harrington College of Design will add two new courses to its fall curricula, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System, along with an Illustrator class. Both of the new courses are open to industry professionals.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is a survey course on the United States Green Building Design Council System, which rates the sustainability of a built environment. The class explores the structure of the rating system and prepares students for the LEED accreditation exam. The class is taught by Jana Edlebrock of Gensler, a LEED accredited designer.

"We added the LEED course due to the growing trend toward ‘green design,’" says Sue Kirkman, vice president of academics at Harrington. Green design involves the use of design methods, products and processes that minimize the ecological impact of design and construction upon the world.

Harrington also added Introduction to Illustrator to its fall curricula. This course will teach students how to use Illustrator software to develop presentation portfolios.

One of the nation’s leading schools in interior design, Harrington College of Design, located at 200 West Madison St., offers flexible scheduling for a bachelor of fine arts degree in interior design, an associate of applied science degree in interior design or digital photography, an interior design diploma and a kitchen and bath certificate program supported by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).

Founded in 1931, Harrington College of Design ranks no. 1 in Illinois according to the 2004 Almanac of Architecture & Design by Greenway Consulting. The college seeks to foster an environment that maximizes students’ intellectual and artistic potential. The majority of its faculty are practicing interior designers, architects, photographers and fine art professionals. Harrington College of Design is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), and the bachelor of fine arts in interior design is accredited by the Foundation for Interior Designer Education Research (FIDER). Harrington is also recognized by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

For more information call 312.939.4975 or visit www.interiordesign.edu.