Architectural education at Illinois extends far beyond the state of the art studios in Temple Buell Hall. Graduate studios solve design problems that address complex issues of culture and geography, investigate traditional and emerging building technologies, integrate complex programmatic requirements, and recognize the needs and desires of diverse users.

Through the East St. Louis Action Research Project, architecture students and faculty work with colleagues from landscape architecture, urban planning, and other departments to provide design assistance in East St. Louis, one of the poorest communities in Illinois. In recent semesters, students have worked with community members on neighborhood plans, community gardens, and a low-income housing development.

M. Arch students also have the opportunity to participate in summer studios in Italy and France or exchange programs with the Technische Universität München in Germany or the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. The China Program, offered every-other summer, is run by Professor Emeritus Jim Warfield, consummate global traveler and expert on vernacular architecture. This program offers incomparable access to the rich architectural heritage of eastern China.

Our program challenges students to connect with professionals in Chicago and New York, assist low-income communities in southern Illinois, spend the summer in a foreign country, or explore world heritage sites in remote regions. At Illinois, studio is only a starting point.