As part of Archinect's 2024 Year in Review series, we're recalling some of the highlights of our academic coverage from architecture schools across the country and beyond. This year, we published important conversations with academic leaders about AI application in education, architecture’s role in climate change, and schools' impact on local communities.
AI, Climate, and Advice for the Next Generation: Watch Our Roundtable with SCI-Arc Program Chairs
Archinect hosted an insightful roundtable with four program chairs from SCI-Arc, diving into architecture’s most pressing questions. The discussion tackled AI’s impact on the profession, architecture’s role in climate change, overlooked issues, and advice for the next generation. The conversation offers valuable perspectives on education, practice, and the future of the field. Explore the thought-provoking dialogue in the full article and accompanying video.
Earlier this year, Brett Steele became Dean of the USC School of Architecture, embracing the role of leading a design school in Los Angeles, a global hub of creativity. Archinect interviewed Steele for the Deans List series, exploring USC's educational vision, student life, and LA's vibrant architectural scene. Dive into the full conversation for insights into the school’s dynamic approach and its connection to the city’s innovative spirit.
In September, Archinect spoke with Kate Wingert-Playdon, Senior Associate Dean and Director of Architecture at Temple University's Tyler School of Art and Architecture, for the Deans List series, exploring their holistic curriculum and student experience. The school emphasizes cross-disciplinary interaction across architecture, planning, and landscape while engaging community perspectives.
How Do We Teach AI? In Florida, One Architecture School Offers a Precedent
Architecture schools face exciting challenges as they adapt to AI's rapid evolution. Joseph Choma, Director of Florida Atlantic University’s School of Architecture, shared insights on these questions. FAU recently launched one of the nation’s first architecture programs requiring advanced AI training, preparing students to navigate the future of practice and redefine the architect’s role in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
Notes on Progress: Sixteen Women Discuss What It Means To Be Female in Architecture School
Women in architecture schools are making waves, with female deans now at the helm of prestigious institutions like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Cornell. Despite facing challenges, their leadership is leaving a profound mark on architectural education globally. In a May Archinect piece, writer Jamie Chan explored the progress women have made in architecture over the past few years and the areas where further change is needed. The tides are shifting, signaling an exciting era of influence and transformation for women in the field.
Organizing and Reforming Architectural Education: A Conversation With Tessa Forde
Archinect's October conversation with Tessa Forde explored her co-authored book, The Organizer's Guide to Architecture Education, and its vision for empowering architectural discourse. Forde emphasizes "organizing" as a unifying network of relationships spanning disciplines and scales, with architectural education as a transformative arena. She highlights its potential to enhance outcomes for educators, students, the profession, and the planet. Co-authored with Kirsten Day, Peggy Deamer, Andrea Dietz, Jessica Garcia Fritz, Palmyra Geraki, and Valérie Lechêne, the book serves as a guide to leveraging collective action in education to drive positive change across architecture and beyond.
Earlier this month, Archinect’s latest Studio Pin-Ups spotlighted three innovative studios at USC School of Architecture’s M.AARS postgraduate program. Guided by Julia Sulzer and Sascha Delz, the Adaptive P/Re-use studios tackled Los Angeles’ affordable housing and urban service challenges through creative reuse strategies and non-speculative housing models. The projects underscore the importance of sustainability, resilient design, zoning reform, and inclusive economic systems, offering bold solutions to pressing urban issues.
At Tyler’s Urban Workshop, Architecture Students Build With, and For, Underserved Communities
Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture presented the Urban Workshop Symposium, continuing its tradition of community-focused design and education. This dynamic event highlights innovative approaches to architectural education, fostering meaningful collaborations between students and real-world stakeholders. Through conversations and inspiring examples, the symposium demonstrates how architecture can empower communities while enriching student learning experiences.
ACSA picks 2024 Architectural Education Award winners
In February, the 2024 Architectural Education Awards celebrated outstanding contributions to teaching and scholarship in North America. Leading the honorees was Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, awarded the 2024 Topaz Medal for her exceptional impact as a professor at the University of Miami.
Earlier this month, the AIA’s year-end awards recognized three distinguished figures in architecture: Thomas Fisher, named the 2025 Topaz Medallion recipient for his leadership at the Minnesota Design Center; Bryan C. Lee Jr., honored with the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award for his work in Design Justice; and Raymond Post, awarded the Edward C. Kemper Award for his leadership in AIA.
Toshiko Mori to headline Pratt’s 2024 Legends gala
The Legends 2024 dinner and gala at Pratt Institute celebrated architect Toshiko Mori, alongside Class of 1970 alum filmmaker Charles Burnett, and industrial designer Marc Rosen in October. Mori, Harvard’s Robert P. Hubbard Professor in Architecture, joined the prestigious event following her recent Philip Hanson Hiss Award win.
Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture presents 2024 Annual Award winners
In March, the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture announced its 2024 Annual Award Winners, honoring eleven educators and two students for excellence in teaching and design education across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The awards celebrate significant contributions to the field of landscape architecture.
The Temple Hoyne Buell Center and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture announced the 2024 Course Development Prize in Architecture, Climate Change, and Society in February. The award recognizes innovative courses from ACSA-accredited programs, with one overall cash prize winner and three honorable mentions for outstanding contributions to integrating climate change into architectural education.
Be sure to follow Archinect's special End of the Year coverage by following the tag 2024 Year In Review to stay up to date.
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