Architectural Studies and Design, A.S., Major #1755

This hands-on architectural studies and design program is built around a studio centric experience and the use of applied technology. The curriculum engages students with the intention of developing creative, functional, and programmatic problem solving abilities. Students are challenged to learn to make decisions in a culturally and environmentally responsive manner. They develop creative thinking and communication skills needed to explore and research diverse problems that influence architectural discourse. Creative design decisions are informed by historic and social influences as well as sustainable futures. This integrative program is concerned with designing, creating, improving and shaping built environments, and ultimately, celebrating the human condition.

Studio and critique space are located in the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center.  This Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified building is open to students 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  The building has wireless internet access, a computer-aided design lab, a shop, a laser cutter, photography areas, and copying/scanning/plotting machines. Three-dimensional printing is also available.  Software used in the architectural profession is easily accessible to students through the college network and in the computer-aided design lab. 

This design-based program is intended to prepare students to transfer and succeed in a professional or pre-professional baccalaureate program in architecture.  Graduates have transferred into architecture programs at the University at Buffalo, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cornell University, Syracuse University, and Pratt Institute, to name a few. Some graduates have chosen to continue their education in allied fields such as architectural engineering, architectural engineering technology, civil engineering, construction management, graphic design, interior design, and landscape architecture.  Other graduates have chosen to move directly into the architectural and design professions.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon Successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Translate abstract ideas to interpret information, consider diverse points of view, reach well-reasoned conclusions, and test alternative outcomes against relevant criteria and standards.

• Employ at a theoretical level, elements, forms, spatial relationships, examples, organization, circulation, sequence, proportion, scale and ordering principles to make clear three dimensional architectural ideas and concepts.

• Apply an architectural design logic that accounts for composition, order, analysis, precedent, experimentation, presentation, competition, independence and teamwork.

• Generate an analytical approach to the design process, and concept development, while considering implications for possible responses, problems and architectural outcomes.

• Employ the basic principles utilized in architecture, construction and building technologies, in the use of construction material products, components, and assemblies, based on their traditional and innovative characteristics and performance, including their environmental impact and reuse.

• Synthesize the principles of conceptualization, process, history, exploration, analysis, precedence, place, integration, sustainability, materials, construction compliance, creativity and imagination in response to architecture and architectural design in the natural and built environments.

• Use appropriate representational media such as traditional architectural graphic, modeling and digital technology skills and techniques to delineate, express and convey architectural ideas and concepts.

• Create technically clear architectural drawings and renderings that demonstrate knowledge of the conventional principles of architectural drafting and drawing to illustrate and identify the assembly of materials, systems and components.

Curriculum Requirements - 61 Credits

Suggested Course Sequence