Architecture

Overview

The Architecture program of Academy of Art University prepares the student through the process of critical thinking, designing, and making to provide meaningful contributions to our built environment through the practice of architecture and urban design. We work to develop each student's individual capacity through critical thought, rigorous exploration and personal design vision.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:

Design:

• Demonstrate development of design exploration and understanding throughout the program

Visual Communication:

• Visually communicate ideas through hand sketching/ drawing, including hand drawn concept sketches, design process sketches and diagrams
• Visually communicate ideas through architectural drawings (digital or otherwise): site plan, plan, section, elevation, and 3D representation
• Produce accurate physical models of design ideas

Written Communication:

• Effectively summarize the project and process in a well-crafted proposal and thesis book

Presentation Skills:

• Professionally present the thesis proposal and final project

Building Systems, Materials and Methods:

• Demonstrate understanding of material systems and construction details
• Demonstrate understanding of building systems (including structural systems, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems)
• Demonstrate understanding of environmental control systems
• Demonstrate understanding of building codes and accessibility
• Apply sustainability concepts in their project

Thesis Proposal Development:

• Clearly define the mission of their project
• Present research that defines the need and desirability of the project
• Provide a profile of the user group
• Comprehensively define and analyze the proposed site area and its context
• Present and analyze relevant precedents for the project
• Develop a general project concept related to the site analysis and program
• Effectively present the suitability of the proposed program on the proposed site
• Produce a spatial/ functional program online

Thesis Project:

• Produce a comprehensive architectural and building solution to the mission statement

Careers

Our students enter the profession well prepared, as we educate them to become critical thinkers and visionary designers with skills and experiences to carry them into their architecture career. We provide them with the knowledge and abilities necessary to investigate their ideas and transform their architectural visions into built reality. We strongly believe in our students’ potential to shape the future of the our environment as critical leaders in their field.

City and Urban Planner

Master planning environmental design decisions at the scale of a neighborhood, district, city, or region, architects can be part of an urban or design team improving urban environments.

Construction Manager

As construction managers, architects contribute their knowledge of building design and coordinate the design delivery of a project from conception to final closeout.

Design Consultant

Graduates from an architectural school are qualified outside of architectural practice, to consult across disciplines; from building envelope design, historical preservation, industrial design, furniture design, color, branding, business and product consulting, among many other possibilities.

Project Architect

Collaborating on large or complex architectural projects, project designers are crucial member of a design team.

Self-Employed Architect

Operating as a sole practitioner, firm principals run small to mid-sized offices sometimes in partnership with other principals. Firm principals are responsible for signing and stamping construction documentation sets, and must be licensed in the state in which a project is being built.

Sustainable Design Consultant

Specializing in sustainability-driven design projects, sustainability consultants may be architects or other design professionals.