Archinect - Features

NYIT School of Architecture & Design's M.Arch Graduate Studio Explores 'Designing (Inter)Scalar Domains'

2023-08-01T15:05:00-04:00

Continuing with our Archinect Studio Pin-Ups series, we connect with Archinect Partner School New York Institute of Technology to learn more about its Fall/Spring semester M.Arch studio led by Marcella Del Signore, the school's Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Architecture, Urban and Regional Design.

The ARCH 802 Design-Research Studio "Designing (Inter)Scalar Domains" built upon the preceding M.ARCH 801 Studio from Fall 2020/21 and continued to focus on "interscalar design processes, translating research and design scenarios into the development and production/fabrication phase," asking students to "explore the continuity and interdependence of scales in their project proposals while emphasizing strategies that address micro and macro scales." The concept of 'interscalarity' served as a "methodological framework, investigating scalar relationships and the co-dependency of material, spatial, social, cultural, political, and environmental concerns."

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Understanding a City’s Image: Exploring New York Through the Spatial Experiences and Perceptions of Its Users

2023-03-31T12:45:00-04:00

For our latest installment of the Thesis Review series, we connected with New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) M.Arch graduate Jay Patel to discuss his project, Urbanary — Enjoy the City While Moving.

Patel explained that his work reflects the perception of urban spaces. He uses the city of New York as a reference to investigate "how a human-oriented city image is formed with people’s perceptions to design and define future cities and spaces." Patel's thesis project aims to explore a concept that "emphasizes how each urban location has a distinctive character that has been shaped by human interaction."

In our interview, he discussed his motivations for exploring the topic of architectural perception, urban usability, how Kevin Lynch's work influenced his research approach, and he shared his own path toward licensure in both India and the U.S.

Breaking Down Architectural Techniques With USC School of Architecture’s Foundational Graduate Studio

2023-01-13T08:30:00-05:00

Kicking off 2023, we've connected with USC School of Architecture to learn more about one of its graduate studios taught by instructors Ryan Tyler Martinez of Studio Ryan Tyler Martinez and Jimenez Lai of BUREAU SPECTACULAR.

For our latest installment of Archinect Studio Pin-Ups, we explore Graduate Studio 1: Form, Order, and Representation. This foundational studio focused on giving students with no previous architecture backgrounds an opportunity to gain "experience to foundational design concepts, disciplinary knowledge, and techniques for thinking about and developing fundamental architectural principles." Comprised of three studio projects and a field trip to Chicago, first-year graduate students could learn, explore, and apply these foundational design principles as they continue their studies.

UCLA AUD's M.Arch Research Studio Explores Speculative 'Future Histories' of Los Angeles

2022-12-15T13:57:00-05:00

The latest installment in Archinect's Studio Pin-Ups series presents graduate student work from one of UCLA Architecture and Urban Design (AUD)'s Research Studio Seminars. The studio, titled "Future [Hi]Stories of the City," is led by Kutan Ayata, AUD's Vice Chair, Associate Professor, and co-founder of Brooklyn-based architecture practice Young & Ayata.

This research-based studio encouraged M.Arch students to explore and document "speculative future histories of Los Angeles through the design of episodic instances. In pairs, students choose an issue that currently pressures and influences the development of LA; the task is to document the state and impact of these issues towards the Year 2062."

Exploring First-Year Student Work With Cal Poly Pomona's Architecture Foundation Design Studio

2022-10-27T11:41:00-04:00

Continuing with our new Archinect Studio Pin-Ups series, we showcase work from Cal Poly Pomona's Department of Architecture (CPP ARC) First Year Spring Studio. The ARC 1011A Foundation Design Studio is led by Studio Coordinator Robert Alexander (CPP alumn and coordinator of the Department of Architecture's First Year Design Studio) and Associate Coordinator Claudia Wainer (CPP ARC lecturer and Senior Architecture Associate at OWUI).

This course provides students with an "introduction to the process of design through studio projects addressing the role of process in the development of form. Focus on drawing and model construction as a means to seeing and understanding."

The University of Texas at Austin's Green Core Studio Explores Sustainable Energy Production in Residential Building Design

2022-09-29T12:35:00-04:00

Design studios are one of the core components of an architectural education. Through the guidance and expertise of dedicated faculty members, students are taught the skills and design perspectives needed to navigate architecture studios.

Studios encourage students to explore new ways to design, prototype, think, and build. To bring closer attention to architecture studios, their committed instructors, and the exciting work being developed, we present Archinect Studio Pin-Ups, a new series highlighting architecture studios focusing on new and thought-provoking topics.

To kick off the series, we dive into the University of Texas at Austin's Advanced Spring 2022 Studio - Green Core, led by Jing Liu (Visiting Professor and co-founder of SO–IL) and Claire Townley (UT Austin Alumn '19 and Associate Architect at Pollen Architecture & Design).

NJIT’s Hillier College of Architecture and Design Fall 2021 Super Review Showcases Civic Engagement and Climate Action

2021-12-17T09:30:00-05:00

For the Fall 2021 school term, the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Hillier College of Architecture and Design (HCAD) welcomed its students back to in-person learning. The College is comprised of the School of Art and Design and the New Jersey School of Architecture, a vibrant community of undergraduate and graduate architecture and urban design students and faculty. As the academic year comes to a close for the winter holiday Archinect was invited to sit in on the Fall 2021 Super Review which took place virtually on December 9 to learn more about the pedagogy and studios at Hillier College.

The review focused on the Master of Urban Design Studio and Bachelor of Architecture Option Studios, featuring presentations from seven studios. The virtual review was moderated by Associate Professor and Director of the School of Architecture Kelly Hutzell, Senior University Lecturer and B.Arch/B.S. Arch Coordinator Mark Bess, and Associate Professor and M.Arch/M.S. Arch Coordinator Gernot ...

California Architecture Students Celebrated Through Exhibition and Scholarship at the 2021 2x8:Assemblies Student Showcase

2021-12-03T15:04:00-05:00

California is home to public and private educational institutions that offer architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, and urban planning programs — not to mention the myriad of community colleges providing notable two-year programs. In 2002, the AIA Los Angeles and a group of LA-based architects, architecture faculty, and design collaborators launched the first 2x8 Exhibition at the A+D Museum in the Bradbury building. Fast forward 19 years later, the 2x8 Exhibition has become the foremost student-focused architecture exhibition and scholarship event in Los Angeles.

Archinect has been a frequent supporter and media sponsor of the 2x8 Exhibition and Student Awards Program. While last year's exhibition and awards ceremony was conducted virtually, the current iteration, 2x8:Assemblies, features a collection of outstanding student works, enthusiastic exhibition designers, and a community of supportive architects, design professionals, and visitors.

Woodbury M.Arch Student Highlights Armenian Culture by Using Architecture as a 'Tool to Reconstitute, Protect and Expose' Its History

2021-08-30T13:57:00-04:00

Continuing with Archinect's ongoing Thesis Review series, connecting with recent graduates allows us to amplify student voices as they share their experiences and final thesis projects. For this iteration of Archinect's 2021 Thesis Review, we connected with M.Arch student Maneh Tahmasian. A recent graduate of Woodbury School of Architecture, Tahmasian's thesis project "Through Thick and Thin" propels architecture's cultural and historical implications by highlighting the importance of recognizing "the old" to inform "the new" in Armenia.

She explains, "'Through thick and thin' is looking at the spatial aspect of the dome as a historical and cultural element of Armenian architecture. It does not describe the dome as it is, or have been understood, but as it could be reconstituting the matter into something: more powerful." Together we discuss the architectural and cultural themes found in her thesis. She unpacks the importance of heritage and how it can be used to challenge architect...

Tulane School of Architecture Graduates Reference Haiti's 2010 Earthquake to Address The Importance of Essential Infrastructure Design For Disaster Relief

2021-08-18T09:00:00-04:00

On August 15th, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. With news still unfolding, at the time of publication, over 1,400 people have been confirmed dead and over 6,000 injured. However, this isn't the first time a massive earthquake destroyed homes and impacted lives within the region. For this iteration of Archinect's Summer 2021 Thesis Review, we connected with B.Arch students Jorge Blandin & Joanne Engelhard. The duo from Tulane School of Architecture used their thesis project "A Developing Framework - Rethinking the Displacement Housing Crisis in Developing Countries" to explore how to approach essential infrastructure and affordable housing after a natural disaster like the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

Blandin and Engelhard's thesis project question the excessiveness within architecture and the disparity between accessible and functional architecture that also fosters community development and equity. The duo explains, "The 2010 earthquake in Haiti damaged and destroyed 295,000...

Woodbury Graduate Addresses the Importance of Water Infrastructure for California Droughts in Their Thesis WATER INFRA-CULTURE

2021-08-04T17:42:00-04:00

The Summer of 2021 has proven to be another challenging season. However, during this time, architecture students have continued to persevere. By adjusting, exploring, prototyping, and expanding their architectural perspectives, students have used the events taking place in their daily lives to push and challenge the issues facing the industry today. To learn more about these students and the work produced, we continue with our ever-so-popular Archinect Thesis Review series.

We begin our Summer 2021 iteration by connecting with Woodbury School of Architecture B.Arch graduate Khun Hein where he discusses his thesis, WATER INFRA-CULTURE. "Droughts are a significant concern in the present and future, which is exacerbated by ongoing climate change," shares Hein. "Extracting underground water from aquifers in desert conditions is necessary for humans to adapt to the changes we are experiencing in our climate [...] My thesis raises ethical questions and challenges our assumptions about it...

SCI-Arc’s Undergraduate Thesis Students Elucidate Their Final Projects

2021-05-26T09:00:00-04:00

Each year, Undergraduate Thesis at SCI-Arc prepares students to articulate, propose, and defend their ideas and positions on architecture as well as engage with professionals as peers and colleagues. As acknowledged by Undergraduate Program Chair Tom Wiscombe, “While part of our role at SCI-Arc is to produce new conceptual frameworks for our time, I would argue that in 2021, ideas without strategies for implementation are no match for the unprecedented ideological frameworks being literally built up around us. It is for this reason that Undergraduate Thesis is positioned precisely between ideas and how they ‘land.'"

SCI-Arc conducted an open discussion with its graduating undergraduate students to learn about their work and experiences during their final year. Together they reminisce and share how their time at the institution has provided them with an architectural outlook that has prepared them for what lies ahead.

Woodbury Graduate Jesus Montes-Herrera Uses Interactive Layering and AI to Create a Tower Responsive to a Pandemic

2020-09-25T13:41:00-04:00

B.Arch graduate Jesus Montes-Herrera of Woodbury University explored the possibilities of designing a tower resilient enough to withstand a global pandemic at a structural and performative level. In his thesis, The Xenophilactic Tower, Herrera explains the structure "introduces the topic of interactive layering as a protective skin. Concentrating on the manipulation of a variety of scientific experiments as the technical processes for form-finding." The result, Herrera tells Archinect, is that "in the event of a worldwide pandemic the tower may become the genesis of civilization. The intent is "to find the relationship between Hypertrophy and entropic spaces" using techniques such 3D printing, layering, and casting.

Despite a turbulent year with many challenges facing students across the globe, Archinect connected with the recent grad to learn about his thesis project, job prospects, the misconceptions he had about the industry as it faced a global pandemic.

Archinect's Spotlight on...

Parsons M.Arch Graduate Tommy Yang Converts New York City's Train Stations into "Nuanced-Topias"

2020-08-28T13:51:00-04:00

With New York City's train stations as the backdrop of his thesis, Parsons School of Design M.Arch graduate Tommy Yang explores architectural narratives embedded in built environment to develop The Nuanced-Topia: Insurgent Frameworks for Storytelling. According to Yang, "My thesis manifests as an assembly that hinges on spaces of opportunities engulfing the existing train structure, creating spaces for the day-to-day actors. It is a fable between existing sites and their artifacts of process, deriving from the clash of the urban grids and intersection of transportation arteries."

Archinect connected with Yang to learn about his thesis, how he transitioned during a time of remote learning, and what it means to be an M.Arch graduate during a pandemic. Yang's thesis project is the recipient of the Alpha Ro Chi Medal 2020 for Design Excellence and NYCxDESIGN Architecture Graduates Showcase.

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extraordinarily challenging year ...

SCI-Arc B.Arch Graduates Hongjian Qin & Chi Fong Wong Explore Post-Human Infrastructural Architecture in Las Vegas

2020-08-21T12:38:00-04:00

Using Las Vegas as the backdrop of their thesis exploration, SCI-Arc B.Arch graduates Hongjian Qin & Chi Fong Wong design a data center whose structure can adapt to its surrounding desert environment. By creating a "sustainable breathing facade" the structure, in addition to its surrounding energy facilities, helps establish "a new, horizontal corridor that is perpendicular to the Las Vegas Strip." Their design exploration unpacks the purpose of architecture during a post-human time.

Archinect connected with the duo to learn about their project's progress and how they transitioned the entire project to a digital format. The team also shares their thoughts on how the pandemic has affected the industry and architecture's resiliency as it responds to the turbulent events of 2020.

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extraordinarily challenging year for architecture graduates. Students were displaced as schools shut down, academic communities had to adapt to a...

University of Melbourne Graduate Naveen John Thomas Pays Homage to Australia's Indigenous Communities

2020-08-18T13:18:00-04:00

Pulling focus towards the history of aboriginal cultures in Australia, University of Melbourne M.Arch graduate Naveen John Thomas used his thesis "MEMORIAL REPRESENTATION REMEMBRANCE" to highlight the importance of incorporating culture and history within architectural design and narrative.

Thomas shares, "the recent events around the killing of Mr. Floyd in the US and similar reports from Australia regarding the percentage of imprisoned among the First Nation population, only reiterates the importance of acknowledgement of the past, living with that acknowledgement and respect in the present and planning for the future [...] The aim should be to make the architecture communicate. It should communicate the stories, the history, and the purpose." Archinect connected with Thomas to discuss his thesis project and his observations with how the pandemic has influenced Australia and the architecture industry as a whole.

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extra...

Unpacking Adaptive Reuse, Professional Practice, and Interior Architecture with RISD's Adaptive Reuse Program

2020-08-11T15:56:00-04:00

Unique to RISD's Interior Architecture Department (INTAR) is its one-year post-professional Master of Arts in Adaptive Reuse program. In this feature we take a closer look at the mission and goals for the students of Archinect’s newest School Partner. According to Interior Architecture Department Head Liliane Wong, "The program emphasizes the importance of understanding and respecting the context of the existing structure and making design interventions that contribute to the layers of history embedded in our built environment."

To learn more Archinect spoke with Wong, Graduate Program Director Stefano Corbo, and several current students and alumni from the MA Adaptive Reuse program to learn about their experiences and program takeaways. Together we explore the program's mission and how students are prepared to develop expertise in adaptive reuse, historic preservation, and architectural interiors.

University of Florida Graduates Mani Karami and Drew Kauffman Create Photobioreactor Facade Systems for Algae Architecture

2020-07-30T13:27:00-04:00

In their project Biokinetics, University of Florida School of Architecture M.Arch graduates Drew Kauffman and Mani Karami explore kinetic design systems as they apply to photobioreactor facade systems powered by algae growth. The duo, working under their project advisors Professor Lee-Su Huang (chair) and Professor Jason Alread (co-chair), experiment with a series of material studies to help create this new system.

They share, "With an emphasis on digital fabrication technologies including thermoforming, 3D printing, and CNC routing, Biokinetics advances the complementary disciplines of algae cultivation and facade design." Archinect connected with the two as they discuss the details of their research as well as their entrance into professional practice after graduating during a pandemic.

GSD Grad Yang Fei Creates Conceptual Renovation and Extension of 18th-Century Townhome

2020-06-29T12:45:00-04:00

Yang Fei is a recent graduate from the Harvard GSD. Archinect connected with Yang to learn more about his final thesis project, which was nominated for the 2020 James Templeton Kelley Prize at GSD. It is a renovation and extension project for an 18th-century townhouse located in the heart of old Montreal.

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extraordinarily challenging year for architecture graduates. Students were displaced as schools shut down, academic communities had to adapt to a new virtual format, end-of-year celebrations were canceled or changed dramatically, and now these students are graduating into an extremely challenging employment market. To support the 2020 class we're launching a summer series of features highlighting the work of thesis students during this unique time of remote learning amid COVID-19. Be sure to follow our 2020 thesis tag to stay up to date as we release new project highlights.

Kate Katz and Ryan Shaaban, Tulane University MArch graduates, Consider the Urban Grid's Relationship to Sea Level Rise

2020-06-26T12:00:00-04:00

Kate Katz and Ryan Shaaban are recent graduate students from Tulane University's 5-year M.Arch program. Together the two explore the impact of rising sea levels and alternative approaches to coastal city infrastructure. According to both students, their thesis "strives to change the perception of how we as humans relate to nature by accommodating the dynamic qualities of water into the urban grid network."

Archinect connected with Katz and Shaaban to learn more about their final thesis project, their experience transitioning to remote learning, and their thoughts on graduating during a global pandemic. Their project was selected to be featured in Tulane's 2020 Thesis Show and chosen as one of the top four presentations in their graduating class.

University of Washington M.Arch Graduate Michelle Hook on Using "Speculative Fiction as a Queer Tactic to Disorient and Deconstruct the Norm in Architecture"

2020-06-25T14:03:00-04:00

Michelle Hook is an M.Arch graduate from the University of Washington College of Built Environment. Archinect was able to chat with Hook and dive into her thesis project, "Step into my Queerhouse: Queering the Now/Future." Hook explores architecture's role in representation and how speculative fiction can help change the built environment's perspectives.

Hook shares, "...to construct a new architecture, one that may be inherently queer, speculative fiction becomes the tactic of world-building, free from the constraints and the framework of the normative. The final action of imagining, and therefore queering, creates the new world." She also discusses her take on finding a job during a pandemic and her plans for staying sharp as opportunities present themselves.

UCLA AUD Master of Architecture II Students Interrogate the Climate Risk of LA Real Estate

2020-06-23T09:00:00-04:00

Wenhan Dong, Linyi Zhang, and Xiyan Wang are students in UCLA Architecture and Urban Design's Master of Architecture II (M.Arch.II program). Archinect caught up with Dong, Zhang, and Wang to discuss their final project within the school's IDEAS - Urban Strategy program. Led by Associate Adjunct Professor Jeffrey Inaba, Gillian Shaffer, and David Jimenez Iniesta students unpack the city of Los Angeles and the effects climate change will have on land-use and development in the year 2050.

The research-based projects at UCLA's IDEA's campus, according to the educators, push students to not only conceptualize possible outcomes through data and prototyping but also foster solutions for possible futures in land use.

How Can Architecture Influence Office Routines? Princeton University Grad Domenica Massamby Explores Innovative Workspaces

2020-06-19T09:00:00-04:00

Domenica Massamby is a recent graduate from Princeton School of Architecture. Archinect connected with Domenica to learn more about her final thesis project, which explores how spatial characteristics can influence the typical routines of daily office life.

Tulane Graduates Isabella Zannier and Ana Rebeca Chu Research the Shelter Typology to Create an "Architecture of Liberation"

2020-06-18T09:00:00-04:00

Isabella Zannier and Ana Rebeca Chu are both recent graduates at Tulane School of Architecture. Below the pair share some images of their final thesis project, titled Architecture of Liberation.

Syracuse B.Arch Students Genevieve Dominiak and Hannah Michaelson Explore the Architecture of Toxic Ecologies

2020-06-17T09:00:00-04:00

Genevieve Dominiak and Hannah Michaelson are students in Syracuse Univesity's School of Architecture B.Arch program. Archinect was able to connect with Dominaik and Michaelson to explore their final project The Hive: Coalescence with Unlikely Companions.

Along with guidance from their thesis advisors Daniele Profeta, Greg Corso, and Kyle Miller, the two students pose the question "how can architecture foster this collision of two ecologies: the human and [American's] toxic subculture? Both Dominaik and Michaelson were recognized by their university and received the 2019 Academic Year Research Grant for their project as well as the 2019 Summer Research Grant for an additional research venture titled Today’s Mythmakers, Tomorrow’s Narratives.

Tulane Grad Yara Hantash Uses Subterranean Architecture to "Invert" Architecture's Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

2020-06-16T10:00:00-04:00

Yara Hantash is a recent graduate from Tulane University's undergraduate architecture program. Archinect was able to connect with Yara to learn more about her experience culminating design research through her thesis project during the coronavirus pandemic. Titled Involuntary Utopia, her exploration centers around the Isreali-Palestinian conflict and how architecture has become "an indisputable act of violence."

Yara takes us through her exploratory investigation of the possible solutions to the architectural problems created by what she has identified as an uninhabitable Jerusalem. Producing this project while learning remotely, Yara says she realized that the new focus on presenting her project virtually provided unique opportunities to craft a more "cinematic" narrative for her audiences.

Princeton Grad, Olga Zakharova, Considers Thesis "a Territory for One to Discover Future Areas of Research, Passions, and Career Interests"

2020-06-10T13:22:00-04:00

Olga Zakharova is a recent M.Arch graduate of Princeton University School of Architecture. Archinect was able to chat with Zakharova and learn about her experiences as a student who was graduating during the pandemic. Her exploration of urbanism and the historical organization of buildings, spaces, and landscapes emphasizes on the "industrialized past" of Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood.

Zakharova shares with us the focus of her thesis and the pivot points she made when adjusting her model-specific project to fit a digital narrative. One of the many students whose final year was impacted by the abrupt transition towards remote learning amid the pandemic, Zakharova offers a resilient perspective. "A thesis project is not just another studio project. I would say it is more of a territory for one to discover future areas of research, passions, and career interests."

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extraordinarily challenging year for architecture g...

SCI-Arc's 2020 Digital Spring Show: The Future of Showcasing Student Work Online?

2020-06-04T13:48:00-04:00

With COVID-19 challenging the nature of in-person events, architecture groups and schools have been forced to think outside the box with how they conduct these gatherings by pivoting to virtual events for online audiences.

Specifically within the academic context, online video platforms and community streaming services have aided in adjusting to this new focus on virtual interactions and gatherings. However, when it comes to highly anticipated school events like thesis exhibitions, spring shows, and graduation, is it possible to replicate the excitement of the IRL experience?

Deans List: University of Detroit Mercy's Dan Pitera and the Three Questions That Drive His Career

2019-08-30T09:00:00-04:00

The Deans List is an interview series with the leaders of architecture schools, worldwide. The series profiles the school’s programming, as defined by the dean—giving an invaluable perspective into the institution’s unique curriculum, faculty, and academic environment.

For this installment, Archinect spoke with Dan Pitera, newly appointed dean at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture. An influential leader in architectural academia, social justice practices, and community engagement in the city of Detroit, Pitera brings a passion for education and dedication to creating "practice-ready graduates." According to Pitera, "design is really an issue of social justice, which our School defines as the distribution of both advantages and disadvantages across the full cross-section of society."

The Architecture Student’s Presentation Roadmap

2019-07-10T11:54:00-04:00

If you’re an architecture student, then you’ve probably had to endure the daunting arena that is the critique, or the pin-up, or the review. Whatever it’s called for you, one thing is for sure: the quality of your presentations in school significantly impact how your work is received. Most students spend hours on their projects but then sell them short by not communicating them well to others. There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing you have a great project and not being prepared enough to help a professor or juror see that as well. Having a roadmap to guide you can provide just what you need to enter a presentation confident and ready for action. This is your roadmap.