Archinect - News

Shima Clarke appointed interim associate dean of Clemson’s College of Architecture, Art, and Construction

2023-12-20T11:39:00-05:00

Clemson University has announced the appointment of Professor Shima Clarke as the interim associate dean of undergraduate and graduate studies for the university’s newly formed College of Architecture, Art, and Construction (CAAC). Since August, Clarke has served as the acting associate dean of the college, which was itself formed on July 1st.

Clarke describes her top priority in the new role as being to oversee and coordinate all programs and activities in CAAC that support student experience, recruitment, education, retention, graduation, and placement.

Having joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 1998, Clarke achieved full professorship in 2013. Within the college, her research has focused on construction education, integrated project delivery, sustainability, structures, and construction safety.

Prior to serving as acting associate dean, Clarke was the director of con...

Clemson University names George J. Petersen as interim dean for new College of Architecture, Art and Construction

2023-04-25T12:59:00-04:00

Clemson University has appointed George J. Petersen, the Provost Distinguished Professor of Educational Innovation, as the interim dean of the newly formed College of Architecture, Art and Construction (CAAC). Petersen served as the founding dean of Clemson’s College of Education from 2014 to 2022 where he oversaw notable growth, increasing enrollment at the undergraduate and graduate programs by 37% and 105% respectively.

Prior to his work at Clemson, Petersen was dean of the Graduate School of Education at California Lutheran University. He also served as a faculty member at California Polytechnic State University, University of Missouri – Columbia, Bowling Green State University, and University of Evansville. His honors at Clemson include the Ralph D. Elliott Award for Exemplary Facilitation and Implementation of Innovative Programs for Continuing, Off-Campus and Distance Education and the Distinguished Research Award from the College of Education. He was also inducted into the H...

Joseph Choma will become the next Director of the School of Architecture at Florida Atlantic University

2022-04-01T17:46:00-04:00

Clemson University’s Joseph Choma has been announced as the next Director of the School of Architecture at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

Choma is currently the Director of the Design Topology Lab and has been the Director of Clemson’s Master of Science in Architecture program since July. Choma will take office effective July 1st and replaces Associate Professor Francis E. Lyn, who has been serving as Interim Director.

Earlier on Archinect: Joseph Choma explains why folding is important to the field of architecture

His work centers on material innovation, experimental construction methods, and the impact of complex geometries on the built environment. Noteworthy projects have included a recent studio exploring the application of his patented foldable fiberglass structures as shelter in the wake of natural disasters, an installation for the AIA’s Atlanta Emerging Voices competition in 2013, and the solo exhibition Object to Atmosphere for the Barbara Archer Gallery, also in Atlan...

Joseph Choma explores foldable shelters with his students at Clemson University

2021-12-20T14:24:00-05:00

Taking as the focus the possibility of his patented, foldable fiberglass technique for use in resiliency design efforts, Design Topology Lab founder Joseph Choma is once again breaking the mold on a typology that has become increasingly relevant in the era of intensifying natural disasters born out of climate change.

Choma is currently teaching a studio at Clemson that explores the potential of fully deployable shelters for disaster relief with foldable composites.

The Cone crease pattern. Image courtesy of Joseph Choma, Clemson University.

The studio was split into four parts. The first segment included analyzing the current state of deployable shelters for disaster relief, uncovering what he calls a significant gap between lightweight tents and more permanent dwellings made from prefabricated components. This gap resulted in people usually living in tents a great deal longer than originally anticipated. The challenge for his students then became to answer the question of how flat-p...

Joseph Choma explains why folding is important to the field of architecture

2019-05-08T16:27:00-04:00

Joseph Choma, founder of Design Topology Lab and an architecture professor at Clemson University, is pioneering work into the field of foldable structures and materials. For the past few years, Choma has been focused on developing a fabrication technique that allows fiberglass to be folded by hand.

While some might compare the technique to origami, Choma's work differs by embracing material and structural constraints. "Traditionally, origami is dominantly composed of hidden under tucked folds, which is not an efficient use of material or ideal for resisting structural loads," he explains. For Choma, the difference is that once a folded plane has a specific orientation to gravity and is considered to have material thickness with the intent of carrying loads, it is no longer 'just origami', but a folded structure.

Photo by Joseph Choma.

One would think folded structures have a long historical lineage within the field of architecture. However, most structures which we casually label a...

Joseph Choma demonstrates his nifty paperfolding technique for fiberglass

2017-07-11T20:20:00-04:00

In his latest design investigation, Joseph Choma, the founder of Design Topology Lab and an architecture professor at Clemson University, is helping shape up a future for fiberglass being used as a primary building material. Choma has been developing a fabrication technique that allows him to create structures by hand-folding fiberglass — a technique that he describes is as simple as folding paper.

Photo credit: Ken Scar, Clemson University

By selectively coating resin on fiberglass cloth, parts can fold easily along the fabric hinges, Choma describes. The process doesn't require any molds or fasteners, which could mean less production cost and less material waste. In developing the technique, Choma is driven by the belief that fiberglass will become a primary building material in the next decade, possibly replacing steel. Typically used as a secondary component, fiberglass is noted for its resistance to corrosion and to harsh elements like fire. Choma's technique indicates that it's...

With modern Charleston building off the table, Clemson looking to lease space for its architecture center

2015-07-20T13:15:00-04:00

Clemson University plans to lease space in downtown Charleston to house all of its locally based architecture and historic preservation programs until it decides on a permanent location. The decision comes about eight months after the university scrubbed plans for a contemporary architecture center at George and Meeting streets. The proposed building’s sleek design sparked a lawsuit by neighborhoods and preservation groups.

Previously: Clemson scraps its modern building plan

Quo vadis, Charleston architecture?

2015-01-23T14:15:00-05:00

Long accustomed to basing its reputation on the grandeur of its old buildings, the city now finds it almost impossible to agree on how to build new ones. In recent months, traditionalists have blocked efforts to introduce contemporary architecture in the historic core [...]. Modernists are rolling their eyes at new buildings that copy traditional styles, arguing that they pervert a record of architectural progress long documented in mortar and stone.

Don't miss these heated discussions on the subject matter:

NCARB awards $50K to Parsons and Clemson University for development of new integrative curricula

2014-11-07T19:57:00-05:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards have announced that the architecture programs of Parsons The New School for Design and Clemson University are the 2014 recipients of the NCARB Award. NCARB will award the schools a total of over US$50,000 to support the development of each school's proposed program, which explore new paradigms of integrating architectural practice and education.

The award is timelier than ever, in relation to NCARB's major announcements to expedite the architectural licensure and examination process in the U.S.

Program: Clemson University, School of Architecture - Clemson, SC
Proposal: “Graduate Program in Architecture + Health”
The project's mission is to advance healthcare facility design through the collaboration of architects, academia and members of the health care industry.

Program: Parsons The New School for Design, School of Constructed Environments - New York, NY
Proposal: “Student-Practitioner Partnerships in Building Performance Evaluation"
Although there is stronger emphasis on sustainability, instruction on performance measurement is lacking. Clemson's proposal addresses a new and critical opportunity for architecture students to improve the environmental performance of buildings through measurement.

Head over to Bustler for further details.

Get Lectured: Clemson School of Architecture, Spring '14

2014-03-24T12:56:00-04:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter/Spring 2014

Archinect's Get Lectured is up and running again for the Winter/Spring '14 term! As a refresher from our Fall 2013 guide, every week we'll feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current season. If you're not doing so already, be sure to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

Our next poster comes from the Clemson School of Architecture, with two lectures left in April for the season.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Lectures will take place at Lee 111 auditorium at 1:30 pm.

April 4
Rocío Pina, Carmelo Rodríguez / PKMN (PAC-MAN) Arquitectura - Madrid

April 18
Tom Leader / Tom Leader Studio - Berkeley, CA

Recordings of previous lectures can be found here.

For further details, click here.

Get Lectured: Clemson School of Architecture Fall '13

2013-09-26T10:22:00-04:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Fall 2013

Here on Archinect we recently launched "Get Lectured", where we'll feature a school's lecture series--along with their snazzy posters--for the current season. Check back regularly to stay up-to-date and mark your calendars for any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

Our list for today is the Centennial Lecture Series from the Clemson School of Architecture, who is celebrating its 100-year anniversary.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

All lectures will be at 1:30 pm at Lee 111 Auditorium, unless noted otherwise.

AUGUST

August 22
7 pm
Michael Murphy / MASS Design Boston
Special A+H at 45! Lecture. Fall Convocation.

SEPTEMBER

September 20
Betsy Beaman, AIA, IIDA, SEGD
Kimberly Stanley, AIA / Stanley Beaman & Sears, Atlanta

OCTOBER

October 4
Mark Carroll
Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Genoa/NYC

October 18
The Arch...