Columbia is the place of exploration...wether it be digital simulation or physical material studies. Usually studios will start out with physical models or material studies and gradually go towards the digital world. The professors are generally open to many different modes and processes of design and because you will be entering at the third year of the program you will have access to all the best professors such as Holl, Tschumi, ect...
The infrustructure is surprisingly advanced, given the poor appearance of the facilities. Every student at your level gets a fast computer and their own studio work space...studios are tight thought. They have a full output shop with 2 3d printers (starch and abs plastic) laser cutters. The Avery Digital Fabrication lab has 3 cnc mills (one of which is 4'x8') and a waterjet machine to cut metal, concrete, ceramics, ect.
As an AAD student you are required to travel abroad in your final semester. Each studio builds a project around a certain international theme/site and goes there for one week before spring break. The school will of course pay for your travel to these places. Some past studios have recently gone to Dubai, Brazil, many places in China, Japan, Mexico, London, Ireland, Khazakastan, Russia, Casablanca, Buenos Aires Argentina, and many others.

The biggest thing about Columbia is the density of students, ideas and choices, there will be more choices than you will have time for...everything from design studios, experimental design labs, publication, building technologies courses, advanced fabrication studies, theory courses......

The library is a great tool that you will have a chance to utilize at any point and continue to have access to even after graduation. Don't worry, even if you don't use it during school, if you stay in NYC you can still access Avery as an alumni.

Columbia is an intense program and you will have limited time to see greater new york. There are small breaks between semesters and students usually break away from studios after the happy hour on fridays to spend time downtown. Some professors will force you to go out and see new york as part of your site exploration or as a requirement for your classes depending on where your project site is or what you are studying.

Finally, there are many opportunities to explore after Columbia. The name on your resume will catch the attention of many future employers because of the skill set you will be exposed to. In this way you will already have an advantage in the NYC job market that is extremely competitive. Some students continue to work with professors, stay involved with the school in some way or even teach at Columbia or at other schools in NYC. It all depends on what you want to focus on. Sorry this got so long and I'm sure your head is spinning right now. My best advice....go to the open house and see if its right for you. Good luck!!

thanks.....this helps..

The last thing i want to do as a novice archinector is start a redundant thread, especially about columbia. So I hope someone will pick up on this post. I have a couple of specific questions before heading to NYC to start the AAD program.

1. what is the extent of the "paperless studio" concept? i'm planning on bringing a tackle box of basic drawing/modelling/art supplies. (pencils, charcoal, scales, glue gun, etc.) but i'm assuming i could do w/o my 36"x48" borco drawing board, t-square, and cutting mat from undergrad. is there the space or need for any of that?

2. how long can i make it though the program w/o buying a laptop? i'm pretty computer savy but am rocking a G4 Emac from 2002. is it possible to get by on the machine they provide you or should i suck it up and buy something new?

3. will i be suprised by any of the software that is available or widely used. i want to touch up and be prepared before it get to school. i'm familiar with the basics: adobe CS, maya, rhino, 3ds, autocad. i assume/hope-to-God that sketch up and form Z are pretty irrelevent. is there anything else i should check out (revit, lightwave, maybe something weird that i don't even know about)?

4. similarly, how are the programs used in the context of the studio? will a proffesor insist on using a particular program to achieve certain methods or effects? is there some kind of workshop or required class (i hope not) to bring everyone to the same level.

5. does anyone have any recommended reading?

6. will it be at all possible to work, in any capacity, while doing the MSAAD? i'd prefer not to, and i know its discouraged, but it looks like i may need some additional income. any recommendations?

7. this is a leading a loaded/leading question, i guess, and probably not even an issue, but what areas should be avoided (for safety, length of commute, price, etc.) when looking for housing? i have a female roomate/fiance that will be working in midtown or downtown. and we all know what odd hours arch students are going to and from school.

i realize most of Manhattan is perfectly safe and there are many stereotypes/exaggerations that go along with it. i currently live in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington DC (one of the country's sketchiest cities) so i have a pretty high threshold for dealing with urban issues (noise, homeless, crazy people, pick pockets on crowded transit, loiterers, minding your buisness, i've never been mugged!). i've been to NYC a half dozen times in the last couple of years and have NEVER had a problem, but you just never know.

Ideally we want to be in UWS, Morningside, or Harlem/above CP, so i can walk to school. (Do these neighborhood designations mean anything to New Yorkers anymore?) our budget is $1500-1700/month. is this do-able? any advice would be helpful.

Thanks so much for dealing with the length. I do hope some people respond.

altairboy-
1) The "paperless studio" is no longer really conceived of as such any longer at Columbia; it is simply a studio that (generally) happens to be mostly in the computer (with some notable exceptions). That said, I would be surprised if there were other AAD students with a drawing board in their studio, and I'm not sure I've ever seen a T-square at GSAPP. This is not to discourage you, if these are the tools you prefer, but they certainly are not necessary in most cases and might seem a little exorbitant given the spatial considerations.

2) Computers: they provide the computers, which are usually quite good and have loads of software. The notebook can be very useful, but depending on your habits may not be necessary. But if you want a notebook, I would not advise relying on a six year old computer for the applications you'll be running.

3) Software... you're probably fine with that list, though some other studios might use other studio-specific softwares or scripting in one of those programs. But I wouldn't bother touching up in that area if you feel confident of your skills in those programs.

4) software part II: some studios use particular softwares, but (contrary to what might be expected) this is seldom for flashy effects, more likely for experimental applications of very particular and bleeding-edge programs (like, for example, a fluid modeling software that was used for a building in the East River in one studio in a previous semester). Required digital courses are generally taken care of in the earlier semesters of the MArch. Students in that studio picked up the new software as they went along, usually successfully.

5) read what you like. there isn't a canon of texts that will be generally useful at the school. (apart from the usual post-Deleuzian melange, whose usefulness is dubious at best.)

6) work at one of the school's facilities or programs (print shop, wood shop, lecture series, etc)

7) the neighborhoods you're discussing sound right. in terms of distance, the main break (for me at least) is whether I can walk it (morningside, west harlem above CP) or need to take public transit (eg. Wash Heights, midtown). i wouldn't worry about the danger or perception of danger, more whether or not you like the location and whatever else the neighborhood provides. Of course, you can get mugged most places if you try hard enough.

thanks. that helps quite a bit. it reaffirms most of what i was thinking. and don't worry, i'm not showing up at the GSAPP with my T-square, but i found it pretty effective, in undergrad, to bounce between media. looking forward to all of it.

Hello! I came across this thread today. I've been accepted to the MS AAD program at Columbia this year and I am undecided about whether or not to go for it. I'm very taken in by the program curriculum and its prospects for exploration but I also have questions - 1) I've never used fabrication equipment or 3D printers during my undergraduate years. Is this going to be a problem when I start the program or would i get help with it? 2) Are there opportunities for TAs or RAs during the program to get some sort of financial assistance? 3) is there any software that is frequently used during the program that I'll need to be fluent with before I start the program? 4) I'm not going to be able to make it to the open house on April 4th, just directly join in June. Is that going to be a problem or can I interact with the faculty once I get there in May? I take it that some of you here might have gone through the program earlier and could help me out with these. Thanks in advance!

Yikes. Never used digital fabrication equipment, you're not comfortable with current software, AND you can't be bothered to go to the open house where you can actually ask current students/faculty about the program in person?

None of this bodes well for your success in the program.

Oops. Wrong thread.