Image © courtesy of CPPARC

While the notion of attending college has shifted over the years, many students look for programs that will provide a strong academic foundation and the tools to become successful professionals.

Choosing to pursue a bachelor's degree in architecture is no easy task. While the idea of becoming an architect is still an alluring profession, the intensity and rigor of an architecture program is  not for the faint of heart. According to Cal Poly Pomona Department Chair George Proctor AIA, "Many first-year students of architecture discover that while the discipline is demanding, it offers far more than common  preconceptions. A degree in architecture can open the door to a variety of career and professional opportunities. A degree in architecture is not like that of other  disciplines, is an amalgamation of many, and could be described as a structured liberal arts degree. Every studio offers students an opportunity to learn about both, the design of buildings and environments and, the people and contexts where the design will be built. Studio also establishes a pattern of life-long learning." 

To learn more about Pomona's undergraduate program, Archinect spoke with Chair George Proctor, Associate Professor and First Year Studio Coordinator Robert Alexander, and three current undergraduate students. Together we discuss CPP ARC's rich history, which makes the school a staple in Southern California architecture, and how the program's culture fosters both student and faculty growth.

Los Angeles County's Hidden Gem

California houses some of the best architecture programs in the nation. Ranging from public and private institutions, students looking to develop their architectural sensibilities and technical foundation have several options to pursue. However, located between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley is the city of Pomona, home to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and its Department of Architecture (CPPARC). Consistently rated among the best schools of Architecture in the U.S., CPPARC has 4000 alumni over its 50+ year history, shares George Proctor CPP Department of Architecture Chair. Yet, as a school with a rich history and successful student graduate rate, it hasn't received the media attention it deserves. Often confused with Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo, Pomona's program has stood as a strong institution consistently producing high-quality architecture graduates with a thirst for knowledge and application.

Proctor shares, "Alumni head many of the region's largest and most influential firms. Students in the program comprise one of the most diverse architecture schools in the U.S. owing to the campus’ location in the Los Angeles region. Faculty, who hail from across the globe, provide a diverse set of perspectives, and prepare individuals to make knowledgeable, thoughtful, socially and environmentally responsible contributions to professional practice." 

During our conversation, I was curious to learn about what makes CCPARC so different and what are some of the advantages of the school's context - being a Cal State, the program's history, and its impactful faculty and alumni?

Consistently rated among the best schools of Architecture in the U.S., CPPARC has 4000 alumni over its 50+ year history.

Alumni head many of the region's largest and most influential firms. Students in the program comprise one of the most diverse architecture schools in the U.S. owing to the campus located in the Los Angeles region.

George Proctor (GP): The program was founded by Richard Chylinski and Bernard Zimmerman in the 1960s within the Department of Environmental Design, in the College of Agriculture. In 1969-70 the architecture program was elevated to "Department" status and Ray Kappe and the crew that would eventually form Sci-Arc were brought in to raise the program profile and shape its direction. Austrian architect Richard Neutra also joined the faculty at that time to teach across several programs in the Department of Environmental Design.

Robert Alexander (RA): As the first year studio coordinator I get the chance to work with incoming freshman and transfer students  for the entire year and get a chance to know most of them pretty well. Because of this I have a great chance to see how they are adapting to the university, forming habits, and pushing themselves to continue to improve. The Studio culture and the opportunity for students to work together in one space has always been a major part of our program for both our students and faculty. Even though we’ve moved to remote learning, the support and energy that the students continue to offer each other is really amazing

Before the pandemic hit this learning environment was supported by the building itself. In a way sometimes architecture schools’ pedagogy comes a result of the facility the students are learning in. We’re so lucky at Cal Poly Pomona  to have a space that usually aides in fostering connections and collaboration between the students and also for faculty to be able to witness student growth across the different years of the program. 

What does CCPARC do differently and how does it push its students?

GP: Students are immersed into the culture of the studio and the workplace, a collaborative learning environment where skills of the individual are cultivated with input and support from faculty, professional guests, and student peers. In studio, theory and practice are joined in a hands-on approach to solving real-world problems – providing an advantage in a competitive job market. Practitioner-faculty offer professional insight and mentorships for students through a variety of studio subjects ranging from theoretical to the practical, generative to typological, including sustainability, building technology, long-span structures, education design, healthcare design, housing design, transit-oriented development, suburban transformation, and historic preservation.    

The curriculum is organized around the design studio sequence consisting of three years of core, upper division topic studios, and senior projects. The design studio may be the best example of the Cal Poly moto, “Learn-by-doing.” In the design studio, students grow to become thoughtful, creative, professional, and collaborative problem-solvers, cultivated through the program’s “studio experience.” 

Evidence that CPPARC runs a high caliber program can be found in the alumni who every year go on to a variety of Master’s degree programs at institutions like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Columbia. CPPARC faculty include a few alumni of both CPPARC and these institutions, role models for a substantial number of CPPARC students who are the first in their family to attend college.

RA: The first couple of years can be a bit tough for students, even for those who are academically very accomplished. We try our best to make the experience and studio exercises as fun as possible, but if design is not for the student it can be difficult to find the commitment required. Most students perceive this as a weeding out process. We don't really see it that way. We understand that we are a part of time in a student’s life that is often a major turning point in deciding what path they want to pursue. We are fortunate to be a part of a larger university where there are a lot of other options and opportunities should architecture not be the right choice for students. Even for those that graduate with a degree in Architecture this is often a gateway to other disciplines in environmental design or allied fields.

Pursuing Architecture and Being a Student in 2020

In addition to chatting with the faculty, I had the opportunity to connect with three current undergraduate students in their first, third, and fifth years at Pomona. Together they shared their experiences as B.Arch students, their biggest takeaways from the program, and what it was like learning during a pandemic.

What drew you to the B.Arch program at Cal Poly Pomona?

Addison O. Perry (First Year): The main factor that drew me to the B. Arch program at Cal Poly Pomona was its “learn by doing” approach. The program goes beyond just teaching students the necessary material to achieve a degree in architecture. It challenges them to get out there and “do” it. Just in our first week of studio, first-year started to create physical models that emphasized the different ways in which space can be made. Going into our second week, first year started to learn the basics of digital modeling in Rhino 3D. Now in our 11th week, first-year students are working on creating 3D digital models using various architectural elements that we have been studying throughout the semester. By taking a look at some of the first year ARC work, you can clearly see how successful CPP’s “learn by doing” approach is— even in this online learning environment.

I was drawn to the B.Arch program at Cal Poly Pomona because of the incredible student work that comes out of the architecture program. I am a transfer student from Pasadena City College so I knew that because I had a bit of extra experience in design, I would have to transfer to a school with a program that really uplifts and encourages design growth. - Carina Arias

Carina Arias (Third Year): I was drawn to the B.Arch program at Cal Poly Pomona because of the incredible student work that comes out of the architecture program. I am a transfer student from Pasadena City College so I knew that because I had a bit of extra experience in design, I would have to transfer to a school with a program that really uplifts and encourages design growth. I felt that the architecture program really embraced that. Furthermore, my dad is a Cal Poly Pomona alumni and majored in urban design, so I always felt inspired by him to continue working in a similar field.

Ayda Abar (Fifth Year): In the beginning, the “learn by doing” status of the polytechnic school was the determining factor, as well as the high ranking accredited architecture program. However, after being here for 4 years now, in addition to those initial reasons, I have discovered that when it comes to the value of education, Cal Poly Pomona is second to none. Also being so close to LA is a huge benefit, allowing us to be exposed to amazing architecture, as well as job opportunities through our alumni base. I have found that almost every architecture office around LA and Southern California is filled with CPP Alumni. 

I think remote learning has taught students the importance of collaboration. Remote learning really forces you to reach out to your peers if you have questions. It has shown that we as students can learn a lot more if we interact and collaborate. -Addison O. Perry

Prior to Covid-19 what was studio culture like? How has it developed during remote learning?

Perry: As a first-year student, I never got to experience the studio culture before Covid-19, yet I have an idea of what it would have been like. Despite the unexpected circumstances, the enthusiasm and social interaction in studio is still there in an online environment. Although we can’t interact in person, students in my studio have made the best of the situation. We’ve set up different platforms for communication so we can all help each other out and share ideas. Even though we aren’t meeting in a physical space, students and instructors have made the new online environment feel like a place where everyone can share their opinions and improve their work. Because everything has been online, we’ve focused heavily on our digital design skills. 

I can already tell that once in-person instruction resumes, first-year students will be ahead of the game when it comes to the digital realm. Remote learning has brought some new learning opportunities that I don’t think would have existed with in-person learning. Because we are online, we often meet with all the studio instructors and first-year students to discuss our work via Conceptboard (a digital workspace). This has allowed students to gain inspiration and new ideas from other first-year student work that we might not have gotten the chance to see in a physical workspace. On top of that, I think remote learning has taught students the importance of collaboration. Remote learning really forces you to reach out to your peers if you have questions. It has shown that we as students can learn a lot more if we interact and collaborate.

Abar: These past few years at Cal Poly, my favorite place has always been the IDC where most of the studios take place. I love the energy of students bustling around and seeing all the drawings pinned up and the models being built. Because all the studios are together, the studio culture is very diverse with different years all adjacent to each other, creating a sense of community. Having that openness in studio fostered the ability for students to walk around, directly or even indirectly learn from others, and be exposed to the different dialogues happening within those spaces. 

Now that we are remote learning, I feel we are craving that sense of community and interaction that our studio culture provided and it’s very easy to feel isolated. To fill the void, many students have “zoom work sessions” together, where we go on zoom and work for hours, sometimes in complete silence (minus our keyboard clicks) but also sometimes filled with conversation and questions, similar to how it would be in person in studio.

Arias: Sitting in front of your computer for several hours during studio can be rough, but the studio instructors I have had since COVID-19, such as Anton Schneider and Kip Dickson, have really been patient, engaging, and passionate about making remote learning a wonderful studio experience. It's wonderful to see how the faculty is very supportive of their students, especially during these intense times. All students are now learning how to complete work in an efficient manner while at home and away from studio. There are so many students struggling during Covid-19 and the stress from architecture is immense, so I'm glad that I have had such a great support system from faculty at Cal Poly Pomona. My close friends from studio and I also have multiple group chats online now where we can communicate and still help each other with anything. I'm grateful for all of that.

The Value of an Architecture Education

2020 proved to be a challenging time for many. Across industries everyone was affected by the impacts of a global pandemic, a civil rights movement, and the turbulent "leadership." However, if there is one thing the architecture industry did prevail in was the resiliency of its students as they navigated through a challenging year. Anyone who's attending an architecture program can attest to its stressful nature. However, despite its rigor those who graduate with an architectural degree are provided a set of tools that can transfer into a variety of professions. While each student shared their experiences, I asked them to share their biggest take aways from the program.

Perry: My biggest takeaway from the program thus far has been how there is no “right” or “wrong” when it comes to design. Along with all the skills and concepts I have learned within the past couple of months, the program has taught me that architecture is different for everyone and that is a good thing. What I mean is that all first-year students are given the same initial instructions for assignments, yet when you look at the final work that students have produced, there are no identical projects. I point this out to show how CPP ARC encourages students to pursue what they discover in their assignments and projects rather than just follow what everyone else does. As a result, you get to see some pretty amazing student work! It’s great that CPP ARC recognizes the importance of letting students explore the discoveries they uncover in their projects as that has helped me, and I’m guessing many other students, fully understand the thought process behind their designs.

Architecture is extremely demanding (especially right now during a pandemic), but in this program, I'm learning that there are moments we should have in the design process to have fun in experimenting with architecture, as long as there is intent and reasoning behind it. I'm very excited for what this program has to offer and hope I can continue to learn from my incredible peers and instructors. - Carina Arias

Arias: As a third-year student, the biggest takeaway from the program so far has honestly been to have fun with architecture and to trust the process. Obviously, that can be a bit tricky right now where third year is structure-based and there must be a high level of attention to abiding codes. This can restrict us from creating wild designs, but it doesn't mean we as students can't create beautiful architecture while also following rules, codes, and structure. In these situations, I tend to take projects very seriously and can be hard on myself by being overwhelmed with trying to make a project as "perfect" as possible. However, I am learning that mistakes are to be made to achieve a successful result. I'm also realizing that with the exercises and critiques from my instructors, the design process can evolve in ways that I wouldn't expect, but I need to trust that process and trust myself. Architecture is extremely demanding (especially right now during a pandemic), but in this program, I'm learning that there are moments we should have in the design process to have fun in experimenting with architecture, as long as there is intent and reasoning behind it. I'm very excited for what this program has to offer and hope I can continue to learn from my incredible peers and instructors.

Abar: The learn by doing and watching methods of the program has benefited me in more ways than one. It increased my problem solving skills, kept me engaged, and allowed me to become more independent and make my work very personal. The program encourages students to always ask questions but also find solutions through cycles of different processes and research with the guidance of our professors. As a fifth year student, and having the amazing opportunity to take incredible teachers, it really is the passionate and knowledgeable faculty that makes the program so great and my experience so fulfilling.