Archinect - Features

A Bridge to Architectural Education: Exploring UCLA Architecture and Urban Design’s Summer Programs with Julia Koerner

2021-05-13T11:32:00-04:00

With summer right around the corner, high school students, young professionals, and individuals looking to explore new disciplines seek programs that spark their interests while learning new skills. With virtual learning practices adopted globally, the opportunity for students to participate in notable summer school programs from any part of the world is readily available.

This summer, UCLA Architecture and Urban Design's notable summer programs welcome individuals interested in exploring design and learning introductory skills in architecture in a new virtual format. By offering two programs created for high school students and adults, the Teen ArchStudio and JumpStart programs provide participants with a glimpse into studio culture at one of the leading public universities in the world in addition to earning University of California (UC) course credit. This year's summer program welcomes Assistant Adjunct Professor Julia Koerner as its newly appointed Summer Programs Director. Wit...

Using Optimism to Guide Online Education with Karl Daubmann, Dean of Lawrence Technological University College of Architecture and Design

2020-05-13T09:00:00-04:00

Archinect's 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 our latest installment, Archinect spoke with Karl Daubmann Dean of Lawrence Technological University College of Architecture and Design (LTU CoAD). What makes the university unique is it is one of four American universities that is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) to offer an online Master of Architecture degree.

During our conversation, Daubmann unpacks the program's decade-long experience in providing an online master's education. Together we discuss common misconceptions about choosing an online degree, online studio culture, and building trust with students. According to Daubmann, the beauty of the school's programming is in its ...

USC Architecture Faculty Share Insights on Virtual Learning

2020-03-27T12:24:00-04:00

As institutions of higher learning round out the shift to online instruction, architecture schools also have had to address the pivot. However, the tactile nature of architectural education lends itself to the curious case of duplicating the tactile benefits of studio digitally. There's no doubt schools of architecture across the country have risen to the task at hand. Archinect has even reached out to educators and students across our international community to learn more about the diverse experiences and approaches to this unorthodox learning model.

In this piece, I had the pleasure to connect with the faculty over at the USC School of Architecture to discuss everything from how they mobilized so quickly, solving this debacle of online learning in design to the challenges they faced along the way. While only a perspective of one institution, this exploration should prove valuable to students, professionals, and educators alike.

Discussing the role of jargon and difficulty with Harvard GSD's K. Michael Hays + Lisa Haber-Thomson

2017-06-09T10:30:00-04:00

Why are introductory architecture courses often packed with dense, off-putting jargon? It’s a question I didn't anticipate asking an esteemed architectural historian and current Harvard GSD professor, yet after I unintentionally offended K. Michael Hays by publicly airing my annoyances with jargon and difficulty as part of a recap of a review of his new online course, I realized that I needed to ask it. In fact, I owed it to the Professor; it’s unfair to criticize someone’s teaching style if one hasn’t thoroughly experienced it, although I've taken courses taught by others that used a similar approach.