Archinect - News

Autodesk donates $5 million to help fund Howard University's Design and Make lab

2024-06-18T12:58:00-04:00

This month, Autodesk announced a record-setting $5 million donation to the College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) at Howard University, a gift it says is meant to ensure the school's new state-of-the-art Design and Make lab will be operated with the most cutting-edge software and other technology the industry has to offer.

What is now the largest such gift in the CEA's history precedes the launch of a new lab within the CEA this fall. Howard says the lab is intended to encourage K-12 learners towards careers in the STEM fields and will be augmented with the integration of the hands-on A World in Motion® (AWIM) PreK-12 STEM program sponsored by the SAE Foundation.

“Howard is a leader in graduating Black engineers, and this gift will expand our ability to provide our students with the best and latest resources throughout the course of their education here. This is increasingly important to us as competition for entry-level jobs continues to increase and as the need for tech and...

New 'Architecture for kids' podcast shares resources on the best engagement practices for children

2023-08-22T15:20:00-04:00

A new podcast series aimed at enhancing educators’ ability to teach architecture to school children is now available thanks to a collaboration between the UK's Built Environment Trust, Thornton Education Trust, and the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University.

Hosted by Architecture for kids CIC founder Antonio Capelao, the ten-episode series engages with various practitioners, academics, and other experts in design education who are working at the field's leading edges with the long-term goal of encouraging wider participation in the built environment from a young age.

The producers share: "These short and to-the-point podcasts hope to improve the interplay between the fields of the built environment and education as we share knowledge between the practitioner, the creative, and the primary school teacher. Exploring how to prepare children and young people for economic, environmental, and societal challenges, and for their professional lives according to today’s needs an...

Explore SCI-Arc's 2023 Summer Programs for high school students and adults

2023-05-10T14:15:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by SCI-Arc, an Archinect School Partner

Registration for SCI-Arc's landmark summer programs Making+Meaning (M+M), Design Immersion Days (DID), and Introduction to Digital Design (IDD) are open.

Open to creative individuals, inspired professionals, and current college students and graduates, Making+Meaning is a four-week career exploration and portfolio-building summer studio program that introduces students to architectural experimentation and transformative design techniques in a unique and lively studio setting.

From July 5 - July 28, 2023, Making+Meaning will expose participants to a wide range of tools and techniques that integrate digital representation, architectural design, and fabrication methods, culminating in a public exhibition where students present their design work and receive feedback from noted architects and design professionals. College students, professionals, and students looking to apply to graduate architecture programs may register.

F...

Staffing shortages lead to a suspension of summer school activities at the Bartlett

2022-06-30T12:10:00-04:00

Weeks after issuing a public apology related to an independent investigation into decades of misconduct by its faculty and staff, the Bartlett School of Architecture has announced the cancellation of its summer school program owing to last-minute staffing shortages.

The Architects’ Journal is reporting the decision to halt instruction for certain summer classes as it grapples with the fallout of the investigation, which this month led to the suspension of several individuals named in the investigation. UCL had promised more actions would quickly follow at the time.

A five-day course for students aged 16–18 was supposedly called off as full refunds have been issued to the students who enrolled prior to the July 4th start date. HomeGrown Plus, a nonprofit aimed at increasing diversity in the field of architecture, said it was disappointed by the news, which meant that its 10-student opportunity program would also have to be canceled.

Previously: Former students complain of racism and ...

UCL issues an apology and published report on the decades-long investigation of misconduct at the Bartlett School of Architecture

2022-06-09T19:09:00-04:00

A resolution has been provided in the saga at the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture that has made waves in the press since first coming to light last year.

The institution has now issued a formal apology in response to the independent investigation into educational practices and environment that permeated at the school for decades.

UCL says it is also in receipt of the recommendations for improvement put forth in a recent investigative report created by independent consultancy Howlett Brown using a survey of more than 300 former faculty and students. As was expected based on previous reporting of first-hand accounts, the respondents in their survey detailed a frightening and toxic culture of abuse, racism, bullying, and even sexual harassment occurring at every level. Accordingly, the school has announced it will be removing several faculty members from student-facing administrative duties in addition to setting up a new working group that will help further adapt the recommended ...

UC Berkeley’s successful environmental design summer programs are back on campus

2022-05-03T16:15:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design

The College of Environmental Design (CED) at UC Berkeley was the first college to combine architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning in one entity. This happened in the 1950s, and throughout the years, students have benefited from CED’s interdisciplinary approaches, as well as the strengths of the college’s individual departments alike. For example, CED has been consistently placed in the Top 10 QS ranking in the category Architecture & Built Environment.

In 2022, the CED Summer Programs are in their ninth year and continue to build their success upon the unique tradition and achievement of the college. Summer Program participants consistently give the programs and their instructors excellent reviews. Additionally, CED Summer Programs alumni have been admitted to graduate degree programs at Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, UCLA, Yale, and last but not least, UC Berkeley.

The faculty a...

“Is studio culture for everyone?” asks Virginia Tech's architecture director

2022-02-01T12:00:00-05:00

Architectural educator, critic, and author Aaron Betsky has published an editorial reflecting on the value and failings of the studio culture in architecture schools. Betsky, who is Director of the School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech, published the piece on Architect Magazine, the journal of the American Institute of Architects, under the title “Don’t Kill the Design Studio — Make It Better.”

From the Archinect podcast archive: Banal Sex Mansion: talking about sex and architecture with Aaron Betsky, on Archinect Sessions #62

Betsky’s piece explores the question of whether the studio culture in architecture schools is “productive, efficient, or even fair” in its current format; a question to which Betsky categorically answers “no.” Much of Betsky’s argument centers on the high financial cost of an architectural education relative to many other degree programs, including the need to high-spec laptops, drawing and model material, and travel expenses.

Archinect Feature:...

The Cooper Union is looking for a new dean following Nader Tehrani announcing his resignation

2022-01-21T13:27:00-05:00

Editor's Note: Details of this article have been updated as of January 24, 2022.

The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at the Cooper Union has announced its search for a new leader after current dean Nader Tehrani, who was appointed in 2015, shared his leave and completion of tenure as dean. Over the past seven years, Tehrani has worked with the institution to expand on the Cooper Union's academic goals and culture during his tenure. In my recent phone conversation with Tehrani, he shared: "I've completely loved my time at the Cooper Union."

Tehrani's tenure followed the resignation of former dean Anthony Vidler in 2013 and Elizabeth O'Donnell serving as acting dean during this interim phase. In 2019, the school announced Hayley Eber as the new Assistant Dean of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. Tehrani shared with Archinect: "No matter who the next dean is, they are going to have an excellent partner."

Prior to him joining, the Cooper Union was already undergoing in...

Searching for the right architecture academic program? Don't miss upcoming information and open house sessions this November and December

2021-11-11T15:21:00-05:00

It's that time of the year when prospective students hone in on their architecture school picks. Continuing with Archinect's coverage of academic news and features, we've created a list of upcoming undergraduate and graduate open houses and information session dates to help your school search.

Are you a high school student looking to pursue a career in architecture? Are you a recent graduate aiming to pursue a Master's degree? Or do you know someone who wants to explore what an architecture education is? Below is a list of upcoming virtual open houses and information sessions from 14 US-based architecture, landscape architecture, construction, and urban planning programs.

Do you need portfolio tips or looking for ways to freshen up your CV? Don't forget to check out our Archinect Tips section to stay up to date on how you can stay prepared and ready for your application submission or interview.

Temple University (Tyler School of Art and Architecture)
MLA Program Date: November 11, 2...

London School of Architecture has found its new school head and executive chief

2021-03-05T16:04:00-05:00

In July 2020, Will Hunter, founder of the London School of Architecture (LSA), announced his plans to step down from his chief executive position. Launched in 2015, the school aimed to provide "alternative routes to architecture." Hunter, the former Deputy Editor of The Architectural Review, was ambitious with the school's founding starting with 30+ postgraduate architecture students during the program's first cohort.

Archinect spoke with Hunter in the Fall of 2015 as a guest on our Archinect Sessions podcast. During our discussion with him, he shared his goals and intentions for shaking up architectural academia in the UK. Quoted during his interview with the podcast team, Hunter explained that he wanted to develop "a 'cost-neutral' model of architecture education, where students work part-time – for pay equal to the cost of tuition – while also attending courses."

The LSA's first graduating cohort (2017) Image courtesy of LSA Instagram

Since then, the school has grown into a thri...

AIA|LA organizing desk loan initiative to benefit students without high-speed internet

2020-07-30T14:13:00-04:00

As students face increasingly dire circumstances for the coming fall semester, the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA|LA) chapter is working to connect local architecture firms with students who need quiet and reliable places to do their work.

Cognizant that local schools will likely operate on fully remote teaching schedules for the coming semester, the group's Desk Loan for Students effort seeks to share the overabundance of workspaces available at local firms that have opted for work from home arrangements with students who lack workspaces at home or find themselves without high quality internet connections.

AIA|LA asks, "Does your office have an extra desk and a fast Internet connection that could be utilized by a student? A good work environment can make a big difference and help students work more effectively and successfully."

Center for Architecture creates #architectureathome activities for kids

2020-05-04T13:33:00-04:00

To help parents and kids get through the stay-at-home period, architecture institutions like the ASLA and firms like Foster + Partners have created fun activities to keep everyone busy and creative!

Known for their K-12 public learning programs, the Center for Architecture has found a way to help kids develop new skill sets while instilling the importance of learning about the built environment.

Image courtesy of Center for Architecture

The Center for Architecture partnered with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development to create #ArchitectureatHome. These online resources provide fun family activities that explore ways kids can learn about architecture at home. From "How to make a Blueprint Drawing" to the "ABC's of Architecture," these activities keep young minds stimulated.

Each activity comes with downloadable PDF content that parents and educators can use for classroom exercises and fun at-home activities.

Faculty members from Cornell's architecture department develop virtual reality program for popular video game company Epic Games

2019-06-27T13:56:00-04:00

Faculty in the Department of Architecture have received a cash gift from Epic Games Inc. in support of their work on Virtual Places, a project that is adapting the company's virtual reality (VR) gaming engine, Unreal Engine 4 (UE4), for architectural and urban design.

Three Cornell professors used virtual reality to create and expand on their research project Virtual Places. The study of architecture and video games is a growing focus. Within academia and practice, VR is a tool which helps unpack architectural ideas for learning as well as creating visualization possibilities for clients. Epic Games Inc., a video game and software development company known for creating the popular online game Fortnite, selected Professor Henry Richardson, Assistant Professor Timur Dogan, and Assistant Professor of the Practice Martin Miller as winners of a cash prize out of a pool of invited finalists for the international competition.

Image of Rockerfeller Center - taken from Virtual Places: Real Time Experiential Design and Visualization of Urban Spaces. Image courtesy of Cornell AAP

According to Richardson, "Virtual Places was launched this spring with a research seminar called Gaming Architecture. Both upper-class undergraduates and graduate students 'stress t...

8 featured architectural internship job opportunities across the country, from Seattle to New Orleans

2019-05-16T15:14:00-04:00

Continuing with our internship roundup, we've gathered 8 internship opportunities available across the country. From Seattle to Boulder, Houston to New Orleans, firms are seeking the right candidate to grow with their team through summer internships as well as full-time internship opportunities.

Madison Alpine Garden by Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape. Image by Andrew Pogue

Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape seek a Summer Intern
Location: Seattle, WA
Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape is seeking a designer intern to work with our practice in Georgetown. Founded in 2012, our work is based on the belief that buildings and landscapes can be combined into one interconnected whole. Candidates must be currently enrolled in or completed a professional degree in Architecture. The interdisciplinary nature of the office includes both architecture and landscape project types, from small structures to large public spaces. Current projects include: new residences, multifamily housin...

Pratt Institute's Immersion Studio teaches professionals and students to explore the fundamentals of architecture

2019-05-01T13:32:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Pratt Institute

This architectural fundamentals course is taught by the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design faculty and is geared toward professionals and students interested in attending graduate architecture school. Through a series of studio sessions, lectures, and technical workshops, the studio introduces students to a series of design approaches to conceptualize architectural investigations using the most current techniques in visualization and methods of fabrication.

Image courtesy of Pratt Institute

Students receive one-to-one technical instruction on digital modeling, drawing representation, rendering, CNC milling, 3D printing, laser cutting, and robotics.

The work will culminate in a design exhibition with invited Pratt faculty and documented in an individually developed portfolio that prepares students to apply for graduate architecture school. Note: Completion of...

ONE Lab's four-week summer program immerses individuals in coding, sustainable design, and digital fabrication in Brooklyn's Navy Yard

2019-04-25T12:29:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by ONE Lab Study Program

ONE Lab’s study program is a four-week long architecture and urban design studio focused on coding, sustainable design and digital fabrication. ONE Lab is a non-accredited, industry affiliated teaching and research collective based in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This hands-on, project-based school for ecological design lets students expand their knowledge through individual studio instruction, group tours of advanced manufacturing facilities, office visits and design theory lectures. Architects, Planners, Sculptors, Industrial and Landscape Designers are all welcome to apply.

The ONE Lab summer program will be held in a newly renovated space located at 19 Morris Avenue in Brooklyn. The Morris Avenue building supports a vibrant community of entrepreneurs from a wide-range of disciplines including robotics, rocketry, software engineering, architecture, urban planning and biotechnology. ONE Lab hosts a cutting-edge design curriculum in ...

'The question is not how we can educate architects but how can we make world citizens'

2019-04-23T17:16:00-04:00

“Yeah,” she says “the first woman director, I know, I know. But if we keep talking about it, this will never become natural [...] Gilabert is visible and audible in a way that previous directors of this chaotic little architecture school with an outsized global influence have not generally been. Mostly quiet men, they have managed the school through a repeat loop of terminal-looking financial, academic and intellectual crises, yet it has somehow survived.

After taking on the position as the new director of the Architectural Association in London back in March 2018 the exuberant and relentless architect, educator, and director recently shared her plans in an interview with the Financial Times.

Traditionally the AA School has been rooted in radical design as it continues to foster discourse and critical thinking towards the evolving pedagogy of architecture. The school's long list of notable alumni only adds to its rich history and direction as an institution. With Eva Franch i Gilabert leading the charge her tidal wave of ideas, opinions, and stimulating thoughts towards what the future of architectural education will look like is quite inspiring. A fan of bureaucracy and procedures she has dedicated much attention to creating a study of understanding the "internal business practices of architectural practices." Eccentric in her thoughts yet precise in her execution Gilabert does not shy from blending her disciplinary interests of ar...

Do architects make better video games? Cue Shedwork's Sable, 2019's beautifully anticipated video game

2019-01-11T19:20:00-05:00

Captivating audiences with their brief presentation at last year's 2018 E3 Expo, the game's development team Shedworks featured a strikingly captivating trailer that showed a world filled with beautiful desert landscapes, eye-catching color palettes, and of course beautiful renditions of towering architecture. Taking much inspiration from classic graphic artists like Jean “Moebius” Giraud and games such as 80 Days and Sunless Sea, the overall plot of the game revolves around a young character named Sable and her exploration of a world whose history is unknown. Sable's lead designer uses his architectural education to create a world that expressed a way for gamers and enthusiasts to understand architecture through exploration.

Sable - game play screen capture Image © Shedworks

When developing the game's overall concept lead designer Greg Kythreotis explains it was important to build something artistically evocative. Much of the game c...

Kent State University's Master of Architecture program fosters project-based learning to shape future leaders in design

2019-01-07T10:45:00-05:00

This post is brought to you buy Kent State University CAED

The Master of Architecture (M.Arch) program at Kent State University, College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) prepares graduates to be progressive leaders in the field of architecture by developing technical skills, professional knowledge, and design creativity through the exploration of project-based learning. The program fosters the refinement of critical design skills and offers opportunities for inquiry in architecture and related disciplines through comprehensive research.

Facilitated with cutting-edge technologies dedicated to critical design thinking, fabrication and experimentation, Master of Architecture program—as part of CAED’s vision, focuses on diverse disciplinary and interdisciplinary topics such as design-practice, history and theory, urban design, computational design, creative robotics, and interactive/responsive spaces.

Student Work - Design Studio - Image courtesy of Kent State Center for...

UC Berkeley’s new Master of Real Estate Development & Design program puts innovative design and sustainability at the center of real estate

2018-11-01T13:08:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by the University of California, Berkeley

In June 2018, UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design (CED) launched its unique 11-month Master’s program that revolves around a central mission: to build more sustainable, prosperous and equitable cities.

The inaugural class of 16 students bring wide-ranging national and international experience in development, architecture and planning practice, affordable housing, policy, and economics. Throughout the year, students build dynamic career networks and learn directly from distinguished developers, entrepreneurs, designers, and planners in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The program offers an especially competitive edge to students by providing a world-class education at one of the top research universities in the world. CED’s professional programs focused on the built environment ranked #1 among all public universities in the country, and Berkeley ranks #3 in the world in the area of architecture and the built e...

What You Don’t See

2018-09-18T19:06:00-04:00

Follow the intricate supply chains of architecture and you’ll find not just product manufacturers but also environmental polluters. Keep going and you’ll find as well the elusive networks of political influence that are underwritten by the billion-dollar construction industry.

In "What You Don't See," Brent Sturlaugson examines the supply chains of architecture to make the case that designers must expand their frameworks of action and responsibility for thinking about sustainability.

Unraveling the networks of materials, energy, power, and money that must be activated to produce a piece of plywood, Sturlaugson argues that "any full accounting of environmental, economic, or social sustainability has got to consider not merely individual buildings and sites but also the intricate product and energy supply chains that are crucial to their construction."

Registrations are still open for Architecture for Landscape!

2018-06-13T08:00:00-04:00

Registrations are still open for Architecture for Landscape, don’t miss the chance to get a scholarship for YACademy’s greatest innovation in architectural education!

Applications’ deadline on July 20th for a high level training course offering 110 hours of lessons, a 60-hour workshop, lectures and internship opportunities in internationally-renowned architectural firms like ATELIERS JEAN NOUVEL, SNOHETTA, HHF, DUQUE MOTTA & AA.

THE COURSE

From Stonehenge to Greek temples, architecture is the signature of humankind on landscape, the artificial element that has always been connected to the natural environment. Architecture and landscape are linked by a fundamental continuity that is now starting to fade, damaging the quality of the space we dwell. More than ever today, landscape is a precious heritage that architecture can and must enhance, while protecting it to pass it on to future generations: architects must not give up on working on landscape, instead they should be able to d...

UK Architecture students install giant, red picket fence in support of USSstrike

2018-02-28T14:13:00-05:00

Since last Thursday, thousands of educators and students across the UK have been protesting changes made to the pensions of university workers—a 40% cut to their USS pension scheme that the University and College Union says could cost staff up to half of their retirement income. The downgrade has unmistakably angered academics, with an estimated 45,000 lecturers across 64 universities going on a 14-day strike.

Oxford and Cambridge universities, some of the country's wealthiest and most well-established schools, have been at the center of the controversy, receiving much of the blame. The schools have backed policies resulting in the harsh cuts, and may have also had an overly skewed input in the survey that lead to the decision.

Image via Cambridge Defend Education Facebook page.

Yesterday, in response to Cambridge's unique role in the dispute, a giant, 8ft red picket fence was chained to the gates of the school, blockading the Sena...

Grounded Visionaries takes off with $15 million gift from Ronald M. Druker

2017-12-04T14:22:00-05:00

As a part of the Harvard Graduate School of Design's, Grounded Visionaries campaign, it has been announced that the school has received a $15 million gift from Ronald M. Druker (Loeb Fellow ’76) and the Bertram A. and Ronald M. Druker Charitable Foundation — the largest single gift in the school’s history.

Druker’s long-standing involvement in the development of the school goes back to him being one of the early inductees into the school’s prestigious Loeb Fellowship program, a time during which he first articulated many of the principles that define not only his projects but also his perspective on urban planning and design across the region.

Continuing from 1975 to 1983, Druker taught as a member of the school’s faculty in urban design. Cherishing his growing connection to the GSD, Druker established an endowment creating the Druker Traveling Fellowship in 1986. More recently, Druker has served on the school’s Visiting Committee, on the Dean’s Advisory Council, and as Chair of ...

Building Practice: Woodbury is Shaping the Future of Architecture

2017-08-28T12:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Woodbury University.

An architecture program should empower students to ask questions, reframe new problems and challenge the status quo. Woodbury School of Architecture (WSoA) is doing this by rethinking the student experience to better prepare our graduates for an ever-evolving professional world. With programs such as the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL), the Agency for Civic Engagement (ACE), the Real Estate Development (RED) program, and studio partnerships with professional offices, WSoA prepares students for a profession that they themselves will transform.

Programs in WSoA are evolving. So too is the path to professional licensure. Reports show that the average time from graduation to licensure is roughly seven years, and that is the average for candidates who become licensed. What is not shown is the number of architecture graduates who do not become licensed. Given the disparity between the numbers of graduates from professi...

Does architectural education "brainwash" students? Nikos A. Salingaros thinks so

2017-06-13T13:57:00-04:00

Recently I’ve come to the reluctant conclusion that architectural education does some very specific things to its students, and in remarkably short order: 1.) It disconnects them from their bodies....2.) It brainwashes them.

In a brief article on Common Edge, the University of Texas San Antonio's Dr. Nikos A. Salingaros lists five effects he's witnessed as a teacher on students, and they include disasociation from one's body, a certain brainwashing through abstraction, and an emphasis on insularity and novelty over the actual human experience of a building. As he notes:

Contemporary architecture is obsessed, to the point of arrogance, with “innovation.” But unless you’re trained to admire and revere it for its own sake (something architecture students are routinely taught), aggressive “novelty” often triggers negative reactions from everyone else: alarm, anxiety, even physio-psychological pain. Remember the poor Vitra firemen, unwitting victims of “cutting edge” architecture? That’s just the proverbial tip of the iceberg, as far as alienation and architecture are concerned. Once upon a time, shareable stories were embedded onto and into buildings. Today architects detach their stories and apply them inst...

Richard Blythe appointed as dean of Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies

2017-05-17T15:07:00-04:00

Richard Blythe will join the Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies (CAUS) as its new dean starting October 10. Blythe will replace A.J. (Jack) Davis, who served as the College's dean for 11 years. Davis will step down on June 30 at the end of his second term.

Prior to Virginia Tech, Richard Blythe was a professor and the dean of RMIT University School of Architecture and Design in Melbourne since 2012. Under his leadership, the RMIT School of Architecture Design acquired $6.8 million to support multi-university research alliances, particularly a grant from the Australian government to lead a 15-university Design and Architecture Practice project.

Blythe also lectured at the University of Tasmania for 14 years, while he was deputy head of the School of Architecture as well as the vice chancellor’s representative on the Tasmanian government’s Building and Construction Industries Council. He continues to work as a founding director to the architecture practice TERROIR ...

Norman Foster and RIBA announce 2017 "survival of cities" traveling scholarship

2017-01-17T13:03:00-05:00

For the tenth year in a row, RIBA and Norman Foster are offering a traveling scholarship in the form of €7,000 (an increase over last year's €6,000) to the destination of the winning student's choice. Students can't enter directly: RIBA and CAA validated schools are allowed to submit only one application each for one student by April 28th, whose merits will then be judged by a panel consisting of both financial backer Norman Foster and RIBA members. In a quasi-apocalyptic vein, the student's proposed research topic should "relate to the survival of our cities and towns and fall under one of the following themes:

learning from the past to inform the future
the future of society
density of settlements
sustainability
use of resources
quality of urban life
transport"

The full details of the application can be found here.

Robert A.M. Stern wins 2017 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion

2016-12-08T17:39:00-05:00

The AIA and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) deemed Robert A.M. Stern the 2017 laureate of the Topaz Medallion, the highest accolade bestowed to an architecture educator. The yearly award distinguishes an individual for their significant involvement in architecture education for at least a decade, and also for their widespread influential teaching.

Credit: Yale School of Architecture

Robert A.M. Stern was acknowledged for his dedication to architecture education throughout his 50-year career — from his buildings, his teaching at Columbia University and deanship at Yale School of Architecture, to his numerous books such as “New Directions in American Architecture”, his New York City architectural heritage series, and the recent “Pedagogy and Place: 100 Years of Architecture Education at Yale”. The Partners at Robert A.M. Stern Architects also promote emerging talent in awarding the $10,000 RAMSA Travel Fellowship every year.

Previous Topaz laureates include ...

Only one student enrolled in a Yale course about women architects, despite grievances against poor representation

2016-11-18T15:09:00-05:00

“This is not a position that has been strongly represented in this school historically,” [said Professor Kathleen James-Chakraborty, who believes] The crux of the issue is whether courses that champion diversity in architecture should be taught as optional, specialized seminars or integrated into the curriculum of the school.

Now with Deborah Berke as dean, the Yale School of Architecture is working to offer more courses focusing on women in architecture such as “Expanding the Canon: Making Room for Other Voices”, an optional seminar that would've been taught by visiting professor Kathleen James-Chakraborty. But only one student enrolled in the class “despite students voicing grievances about a lack of female representation”, the Yale Daily News reports.

James-Chakraborty questions if such diversity courses should become a requirement in the school's already rigid curriculum. Some female students say that YSoA still feels like “a gentleman's club”, and that the “student body is not well-primed to see the ‘radical nature’ of the course.”