Getting from LA to the Bay Area by bus or train can be surprisingly expensive and time-consuming compared to getting around the east coast (I don't know where you're coming from) Rideshares are a good alternative. There usually are plenty of people doing the drive up the 5 posting on craigslist.

If you're interested in how brain research can inform architecture, you would probably be better off at an arch school that's part of a big research university rather than one that is attached to an art school or is free-standing. Reserach universities like Berkeley, UCLA, and USC have resources and academic communities that will make it easier for you to do the kind of work you're interested in.

I don't know a great deal about UCLA or USC, but I do know that Berkeley is much more flexible with its M.Arch cirriculum than most schools, and they like students with interdisciplinary interests.

loremipsum, I'm starting an March I program this Fall with an undergrad major in Neurobiology. I'm inspired by your interest to connect the two. UCLA has a large brain research center, The Brain Research Institute, that encompasses many departments, however, I'm not sure about architecture.

I spent a couple summers in the Gonda Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center, a simple and well-designed Venturi building on the campus. UCLA might be worth looking for this.

Also, Caltech in Pasadena has a brain imaging center performing research on functional brain mapping. Unfortunately, they don't have an architecture program, but it's local to LA.

Thanks for the information!

I will be in LA July 10th-14th and SF July 15th-19th

Can we get around using public transportation between the schools in LA or SF?

In LA you should probably rent a small car, especially if you want to visit Cal Poly. In SF you can take the BART from SFO to Berkeley and the MUNI to get around the city.

@Michael Bergin...which school did you end up going to?

Berkeley

@Michael Bergin, this thread came up when I searched "Berkeley"... I just got informally admitted (which was a suprise, I did not seriously think I would be accepted), and am now trying to get a better feel for the culture of the school. Do you like it there? Can you give me any sense of what the place is all about? Obviously I've already done a lot of research, but I don't know anyone personally who has gone there so anything would help. At this point I am debating between Berkeley and Michigan.

@mikaelam.


i went to berkeley for undergrad in architecture. berkeley is DIVERSE. at times, wacky. the small town feels overcrowded at times and it is hard to find seats at doe library or moffitt cafe during midterm/final season. but, CED's library usually has seating, thank god.

since it is so diverse, and if you are proactive, you will most likely find like-minded people to hang out with.

wurster, college of environmental design's building, has 8 floors if i remember correctly, the topmost floor usually reserved for grad studios.

the best part about berkeley is that they appreciate all sorts of people there. people are very respectful to one another and usually pretty nice...all around town. open minds are very welcomed. but then again, there is a very conservative segment of the population that runs the joint. like i said: diverse.

Hello Mikaelam,
Congratulations on your acceptance, I was one of the graduate students who reviewed applications and the portfolios were truly impressive. Michigan and Berkeley have a lot of similarities at this point as the former chair of UM is now at Berkeley (Tom Buresch) since Fall '10. He seems to be having a solidifying effect on the program which I have heard has been more fragmented in recent years. We are hiring a lot of new faculty and are in the process of upgrading and expanding the CAD/CAM lab (I hear things about robotics as well). Much of the new faculty seems to be centered on either sustainability or programming (simulation tools in particular). I believe that the program is much smaller than UMich. In regards to the post above we do have a really great studio space on the 8th/9th floors of Wurster Hall that overlooks the SF bay, mountains, golden gate bridge, Oakland and SF skylines, I also have more room than I really need (I am spanning three desks right now). I had a good idea of what I was getting into before I came here and Berkeley was my top choice for its research focus and independent student-centered approach. There is a great diversity of faculty here at this point where you can almost pursue anything you want within architecture and have some great support for it. Dual degrees are very common (MLA, MCP), in-state tuition comes in after a year and the 'Graduate Student Instructor' position is more rewarding than at any school I have ever seen (full tuition, stipend and health insurance). In addition we have a great working relationship with firms in San Francisco... last Wednesday my studio pinned up at SOM which was amazing (half of their principals were present), we are heading to China (school funded) in 10 days for our studio competition. Most people in the program are really fun, brilliant, and enjoyable people to be around which to me is the most important aspect...

Highly recommend attending the open houses for both schools so that you can get a feel for the area and the program. Feel free to contact me if you have more specific questions... mbergin [at] berkeley [.] edu