The first two years of the architectural studies program focus on introducing and developing a wide range of skills needed by every architect. These subjects are taught in large lecture courses with smaller discussion sections and in introductory design studios. Undergraduate students also explore a broad range of subjects through the flexible yet rigorous framework of the campus-wide general education requirements.

Early on, students are introduced to the fundamentals of building systems and structures, methods for researching historic precedents and emerging technologies, techniques for analyzing and communicating architectural ideas through drawings and models, and strategies for developing architectural solutions in response to complex requirements. Learning to “speak and read” the graphic language of architecture is central to these early courses and fluency is encouraged in a number of ways. Students also learn how to clearly present and explain their architectural decisions both orally and in writing.

Upper-level courses build on these earlier courses and focus on specific periods of architectural history, introduce technical methods for analyzing building systems and structures, and challenge students to develop detailed solutions to increasingly complex building programs. These courses also reinforce students’ abilities to communicate architectural ideas clearly through graphics, models, writing, and public presentation, to work successfully in teams, and to collaborate on complex projects.