The objective of this course is to advance in the process of architectural design, and its social, aesthetic, programmatic, representational, and technical considerations. Students will design a school, or as we will refer to it, a learning infrastructure in a specific site and context. Our work will be informed by two significant matters of concern: the climate emergency and the challenge of achieving greater equity and diversity in society.

The studio will foster students’ ability to use the tools of architectural design to understand their design process, to develop decision-making skills,  and to form an architectural intention. Throughout the process, from conceptual modeling to design development, our work will be informed by research, and we will reflect on its meaning, significance, and values. We will take a holistic and integrated approach to building technology, and students will understand the critical and technical role of building systems in architecture.

The studio pedagogy is based on cultural awareness, technical concerns, sustainable approaches, and acknowledgment of communities and places. Beginning with precedent studies, speculations on context and site, and leading to a comprehensive and integrated architectural/building proposal, the studio promotes students’ capacities for investigative and iterative thinking and making.

To achieve its objectives, the studio will deploy a range of tools of architectural representation, selecting them for their capacity to elucidate ideas, communicate information graphically, evaluate design alternatives, and visualize the critical and technical integration of systems.

The design process is neither linear nor prescriptive. Students in the course are expected to employ a cyclic, iterative process of exploration, evaluation, prototyping, testing, analyzing, and eventually refining the work. The iterative design process leads to a holistic and integrated response to program, historical references, context and site, social and cultural factors, tectonic organization and expression, spatial and aesthetic quality, and building systems, materials, and environmental performance.