"Even Sound Changes in Darkness," PSU's Jeff Schnabel on Seizing Opportunity Where It Exists

2019-12-02T09:00:00-05:00

Deans List is an interview series with the leaders of architecture schools, worldwide. The series profiles the school’s programs, pedagogical approaches, and academic goals, 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 Jeff Schnabel, Director of the School of Architecture at Portland State University, a 400-student program offering undergraduate and Master of Architecture degrees, including the possibility of an Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure track.

We caught up with Schnabel to discuss the school's ties to local design practices and initiatives, the importance of designing with darkness and night, and how the school is working to make architectural education more affordable for PSU's sizable first-generation student population.

The State of Debt and the Price of Architecture

2014-11-03T10:14:00-05:00

In the United States, around 40 million people currently hold student debt. This is a population that is greater than that of many countries. While, over the last 14 years, the average salary for young people has decreased by 10%, student debt has increased by nearly 500%. For most Americans, to become educated means to take on a relationship with banks that will last for years. But for young American architects the situation is even worse; the amount of schooling required to be able to practice professionally means taking on debt that you may be paying off for the rest of your life.

Archinect - Features

"Even Sound Changes in Darkness," PSU's Jeff Schnabel on Seizing Opportunity Where It Exists

The State of Debt and the Price of Architecture