Second Year

As sophomores, the focus is on “how we build,” with an emphasis on “how we ought to build.” Ideas of permanence, environmental sustainability, long-term utility, physical accessibility, beauty and legibility are given high priorities. These criteria are examined from environmental and social perspectives. Students also focus on the tension between the continuity through and circumstance of time and place. The concept of the typological spectrum that contains the urban, building, and structural elements of the city and its architecture is at the heart of the design studio’s philosophical direction. The relationship of nature to human endeavors and habitat is examined through environmental concerns, as well as observing how nature provides the common reference points for architectural expression through time and place.

Courses include a greater introduction to architectural history, building technology, and structural mechanics alongside University core course requirements. Students also take Beginning Italian to prepare for the third year, which is spent entirely in Rome.