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Traversing Geographies

Traversing geographies 1∕2 next, by anuj daga.

This thesis aims at situating the architecture produced in contemporary India in the rapid and transitory field of images and media across the globe. The title, In the Place of Images presents thus, a subtle contradiction. While the notion of ‘place’ is borrowed from the German philosopher Martin Heidegger, who understands it as a primal location through which a being operates and locates oneself in a particular physical setting, technology and media have brought this relationship into dialectic with image production. By challenging the fixed idea of ‘place’ with the flow of ‘images,’ one recalls the categories of the ‘scapes’ given by anthropologist Arjun Appadurai, which restructure the conception of the world through flows of technology, media and capital instead of the established cartographic boundaries. In the process of architectural design, different formats of media from this fluid space get tied together, and morphed into physical reality – a “place” of sorts – in unexpected ways.

How does architecture become the medium, an instrument through which such scattered imaginations touch ground in a country like India? How do these floating processes actualize into a tangible object? What new vectors of space or spatial orientations do they produce? This thesis will closely consider the processes which inform the design of buildings in this contemporary mass mediated environment and manifest themselves in the visually charged field of the present. I shall argue that the speed with which information, ideas and people circulate today has changed the fundamental perception as well as construction of place. At the same time, it has trapped architects (as well as the public) into fragments of multiple worlds that restructure our very own associations with the notion of place. Four lenses resulted out of viewing of the material in the perspective of mobility, and were used as the chapter-themes, namely ‘misreadings,’ ‘misprisions,’ ‘confluences’ and ‘leakages.’ The formulation of these lenses, or themes helped in drawing the attention of the research closer to the otherwise hybrid, illegible environment. They help to scrutinize and unpack the ways in which circulating images find expression in built architecture in Indian cities.

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Starting with the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) graduating class of 2002, the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library and YSM Office of Student Research have collaborated on the Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library (YMTDL) project, publishing the digitized full text of medical student theses on the web as a valuable byproduct of Yale student research efforts. The digital thesis deposit has been a graduation requirement since 2006. Starting in 2012, alumni of the Yale School of Medicine were invited to participate in the YMTDL project by granting scanning and hosting permission to the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, which digitized the Library’s print copy of their thesis or dissertation. A grant from the Arcadia Fund in 2017 provided the means for digitizing over 1,000 additional theses. IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE YALE COMMUNITY AND NEED ACCESS TO A THESIS RESTRICTED TO THE YALE NETWORK, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR VPN (VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK) IS ON.

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Starting with the Yale Physician Associate (PA) Program’s Class of 2020, the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library and the Yale PA Research Program have collaborated to publish the digitized full text of PA student theses on the web as a valuable byproduct of Yale student research efforts. Please review the Terms & Conditions in the left-hand column in order to avoid copyright infringement.

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• Research-Based Thesis Program

Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, Director of M.E.D. Studies

The Master of Environmental Design program is a two-year research-based program of advanced architectural studies culminating in a written thesis or independent project. This full-residency program leads to a degree of Master of Environmental Design (M.E.D.). This is a nonprofessional degree and does not fulfill prerequisites for licensure.

The program is intended for students, including postgraduate and mid-career professionals, who seek an academic setting to improve scholarship and research skills, to explore a professional or academic specialization, and to sharpen critical and literary expertise. The program provides foundation for a career in writing, teaching, curatorial work, or critically informed professional practice, and may, in some cases, provide a basis for future Ph.D. studies in architecture and related fields. During their studies, students are encouraged to take advantage of the School’s programs and resources, including teaching; symposia; and curatorial, editorial, and archive research projects.

The M.E.D. program is aimed at qualified applicants with a graduate or undergraduate degree in architecture or other disciplines who exhibit a strong capability for and interest in independent research. The main criterion for admission to the program is a well-defined research proposal for independent study that engages one or more of the study areas listed below. The proposal should outline a study plan that the candidate can accomplish in four academic terms and that can be supported by faculty expertise available to students in the M.E.D. program.

Applicants interested in the M.E.D. program are encouraged to contact the program director and/or other committee members to discuss their educational goals and proposed research topic area well in advance of the application deadline. An interview is not required, but is strongly recommended.

For more information on the M.E.D. program, its history, and current and past thesis projects, visit “M.E.D.” under Academic Programs at http://architecture.yale.edu .

Areas of Study

Environmental Design is broadly defined as the study and research of the aggregate of objects, conditions, and influences that constitute the constructed surroundings. Those studying in the M.E.D. program are encouraged to understand the larger cultural and intellectual factors—social, political, economic, technical, and aesthetic—that shape the environment. The M.E.D. program fosters an interdisciplinary approach to architectural research, which takes advantage of the extensive array of resources at Yale University.

The program supports research at the intersection of theory and practice. The three areas listed below indicate recent research topics as well as the scholarly expertise of students and faculty in the M.E.D. program. Students are encouraged to engage in a wide array of methodologies, tools, and topics.

History, Theory, and Criticism of Architecture and Urbanism: History and theory of architecture and urbanity; architectural criticism; history of building types; study of design methods; contemporary architectural culture.

Ecologies and Economies of the Built Environment: Study of the ecological, economic, and cultural forces that shape the environment; globalization and its effect on built landscapes; infrastructures and settlement patterns; urban geography; notation and mapping techniques.

Multimedia Research: Digital media as a tool and subject of research; use of digital tools in fabricating building components and visualizing data; study of network geography and infrastructure.

Visual Studies: Visual communication and representation; exhibition technologies and curatorial strategies; role of various media in shaping architectural culture; notation and mapping techniques; design research.

Course of Study

The program of study is a combination of required classes, electives, and independent research. A total of 72 credits is required for completion of the M.E.D. program, allocated as 18 credits each term. A minimum of 21 credits is assigned to electives and 6 to the required M.E.D. courses. A maximum of 45 credits is assigned to independent research (3092a or b). The electives and course distribution are determined in consultation with the student’s primary adviser and the director of the program.

Course Requirements for the M.E.D. Program

M.E.D. students are required to take a course in research methodologies (3091a) in the fall term of their first year and a course in architectural theory (3022b) in the spring term of their first year. All other course work is distributed among electives chosen from School of Architecture and other Yale University courses. (See descriptions of courses in the M.Arch. curriculum as well as in the bulletins of other schools of Yale University.) All M.E.D. students are required to take 3092a or b each term to develop their independent project.

Note: Design studios offered in the M.Arch. program are closed to M.E.D. students. Exceptions are considered only if the design studio is directly related to a student’s research, and are subject to approval by the M.E.D. program director, the dean, and the studio instructor.

M.E.D.: Total Requirement: 72 credits

Summer Preparation Courses for Incoming M.E.D. Students

In the week before the beginning of the fall term, the School offers two preparation courses that are required for incoming M.E.D. students.

• 1. Summer Digital Media Orientation Course. This half-day orientation covers accessing the School’s servers, use of the School’s equipment, and the School’s digital media policies and procedures.
• 2. Arts Library Research Methodology Course. This course covers research methodologies and tools specific to the M.E.D. curriculum.

Advisers and M.E.D. Program Committee

Students work closely with one or two advisers on their independent project. Advisers are primarily drawn from the School of Architecture faculty; additional advisers are drawn from other departments at the University as appropriate to the field of study. The following faculty members serve on the M.E.D. committee, which reviews all independent work each term.

Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, Chair

D. Michelle Addington

Karla Britton

Peggy Deamer

Keller Easterling

Dolores Hayden

Alan Plattus

Academic Rules and Regulations

Four terms must be spent in residence. Under exceptional circumstances, and with permission of the dean and the School’s Rules Committee, students may apply for half-time status (9 credits per term), after successful completion of the first term (18 credits). The in absentia tuition fee is $250 per term. Additional procedures and restrictions for the M.E.D. program can be found in the School’s Academic Rules and Regulations section of the School of Architecture Handbook. This handbook is available online at http://architecture.yale.edu/handbook .

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Architecture Writing Guides

WHAT EXPERT RESEARCHERS KNOW

Few buildings have had single books written about them, so expert researchers know to conduct searches for the architect's or firm's name and across the professional and popular literature for information about a particular building. 

Buildings are often categorized as subjects in library catalogs, which helps locate materials quickly. Remember to select  Subject Browse  when entering your search terms in  Orbis . Try these tips:

• Search under the full name of the building in direct order: Ex: " Guggenheim museum ". If the building has a different official name (e.g. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum), you will be re-directed to that listing, and, if there is more than one building with a similar name (e.g. Museo Guggenheim Bilbao) you will be presented with possibilities from which to choose. 
• You can also look for the building by its location: Ex:  Bilbao (Spain)
• Or enter a related term for the building, such as what it contains: Ex:  Rare book libraries  (to find the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library on Yale's campus.
• If the building has had more than one name, try all the possibilities: Ex:  Pan Am building  is now known as the MetLife building.
• If the building is known by its address, try both the numerals and the spelled-out version of the address: Ex:  154 East 89th Street  vs.  One Fifty-Four East Eighty Ninth Street
• If the building is not likely to be the subject of an entire book, try using broader categories such as "churches" or "apartment buildings", in combination with the other tips, to locate books that might have a chapter or section on the building of your research.

To find citations for articles in journals, start by looking up the building in the  Avery Index to Architecture Periodicals

Starting Your Research

Types of Resources

Books : Look for books when researching an architect, movement, or broad subject. Sometimes called "monographs", books can include bibliographies, footnotes, and indexes and often includes numerous images.

Arts Databases (Journal Articles): Look for articles in databases when you are researching a more contemporary/timely topic and more narrowly defined topics. Articles tend to be more closely focused on an argument, theory, or specific topic. Articles can be found in popular magazines (e.g,. AIA's Architecture) and can be peer-reviewed by experts, meaning extra vetting of information. Indexing in databases like the Avery Index allows simultaneous searching by subject across hundreds or thousands of magazines and journals.

Newspaper Articles : Published quickly and frequently, often documenting a particular place, easy to read

Biographical Information : Quickly look up an architect's nationality, birth and death dates, titles of major works, writings, etc.

Primary Sources: Present first-hand accounts and direct evidence, as in correspondence, diaries, or photographs

Dissertations and Theses: Find out which topics current and past scholars have researched extensively, look at their bibliographies for additional sources

Image and Video : Documentary visual evidence

• Evaluating Sources

What's the Best Resource?

• Building Types Online Includes case studies by experts, architectural drawings, and photographs of the buildings. Browsable by building type, urban context, morphological type, context type, and author.
• Primary Sources on Architecture @ Yale

Arts Librarian

Primary v. Secondary Sources

Secondary sources  interpret and analyze primary sources. Because they are often written long afterward by parties not directly involved (but who may have special expertise), they can provide historical context or critical perspectives. Secondary sources routinely include pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources.  

Depending on the subject, newspaper and journal articles can fall into both categories. For example, Paul Goldberger's architectural review of the new Citi Field and Yankee Stadium in New York is a primary source, because he is commenting directly on a current event, whereas an article surveying the history of New York City stadiums would be considered a secondary source.

Primary sources   present first-hand accounts or direct evidence. They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented, and can also include autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories recorded later. In the case of architects and architecture firms, this includes drawings, office records, and personal papers. At Yale, architectural archival materials are held in  Manuscripts and Archives  at the Sterling Memorial Library. Also consult the guide  Primary  Sources on Architecture @ Yale .

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Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:

Joan k. jackson papers.

The papers include Joan Jackson's masters' degree research, her masters' thesis, correrspondence, presentations, grant applications, and publications, and a scrapbook documenting her successful career at University of Washington. The second part of the collection documents her role as a Class A Trustee (i.e. non-alcoholic) of the General Study Board of Alcoholics Anonymous from 1983 to 1992, incuding her presentations and publications.

Yale University Master of Fine Arts Theses in Photography

The collection consists of over 300 individual MFA theses in photography from 1971 to the present.

Yale School of Drama Master of Fine Arts Theses

This collection contains thesis projects submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at the Yale School of Drama.

Art, architecture, and art history theses and projects, Yale University

The materials consist of research papers, theses, and projects by students in art, art history, and architecture programs at Yale.

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School of Architecture 2024–2025

• Yale University Publications /
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History and Theory

Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen and David Sadighian, Study Area Coordinators

This study area explores the relationship between design, history, and theory through a broad range of courses in which the analysis of buildings, cities, landscapes, and texts supports the articulation and criticism of fundamental concepts, methods, and issues. Historical and contemporary projects and writings are studied in context and as part of the theoretical discourse of architecture.

For entering M.Arch. I students who have not had significant prior architectural training, the preliminary course ( ARCH 1000 ) introduces students to key ideas and concepts of architectural history and theory. All M.Arch. I students are required to take a course in architectural theory ( ARCH 3011 ) in the first term, followed in the second term by a required course on architectural history ( ARCH 3012 ).  

In addition, M.Arch. I students must satisfactorily complete one elective course from this study area that requires one or more research papers of at least 5,000 words. With the exception of courses in which a student elects to do a project in lieu of a research paper, or courses whose descriptions specifically indicate that they do not fulfill the History and Theory elective requirement, all elective courses in this study area fulfill this requirement. Provided a 5,000-word research paper is required, the elective courses ARCH 4222 and ARCH 4223 also fulfill this History and Theory elective requirement, although those listed from the Urbanism and Landscape study area cannot be used to satisfy both the History and Theory and the Urbanism and Landscape elective requirements. 

For the M.Arch. II program, a sequence of two post-professional design research seminars is required ( ARCH 3072 , ARCH 3073 ). These focus on design as research and build to an individual project within a larger themed symposium in the final term of the program.

Required Courses

ARCH 3011a, Architecture and Modernity: Theories and Projects   Staff

Challenging the familiar binary of theory versus practice, this survey course explores how architectural theory activates new ways of imagining and making the built environment. Weekly lectures introduce an enduring theoretical subject (e.g., Form, Representation) and map the historical forces that have shaped that subject’s development across contexts. Course lectures and readings are paired with project presentations by design faculty, who will draw connections between theoretical speculation and applied practice. These dialogues will address the ever-changing contours of the present-day profession and its body of ideas, terms, and knowledge. Moreover, cognizant of the activating potential of theory, this course asks how architecture might engage urgent issues pertaining to climate change, social justice, and the legacies of colonialism.   3 Course cr HTBA

[ ARCH 3012, Architecture and Modernity: Sites and Spaces ]

(Required of first-year M.Arch. I and M.E.D. students; available as an elective for M.Arch. II students.) This course seeks to question modern architecture and historiography through the lenses of both colonialism and decoloniality. Colonialism and the power structures that sustained it have deeply affected architecture across the globe and left a pervasive mark on the histories of architecture in use to this day. At the same time, forceful and resilient counter-cultures emerged throughout colonized, and later postcolonial, nations which engendered extraordinary architecture and critically aware historiographies that continually challenge the universalist pretensions of western modernity. Our agenda is a historiography that does not speak from the center alone but from the “margins” as well---a diverse, inclusive account that rejects hegemonic narratives and practices. Deconstructing binaries, it engages in self-reflexive critique, works to pluralize authorship, and brings analytical rigor to bear on its main task: to uncover the persistence of Euro-centered modes in the production of architectural knowledge even in the supposedly postcolonial present; and to suggest other interpretive models.   0 Course cr

ARCH 3072a, Design Research I: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives   Ana Duran

(Required of and limited to first-year M.Arch. II students.) This introductory class familiarizes students with a new skill set: how to conduct applied design research seen through the lens of each of the research perspectives taught in the program. In the process, students begin to develop their own research questions.   3 Course cr W 9am-10:50am, W 11am-12pm

[ ARCH 3073, Design Research II: Methods Workshop ]

(Required of and limited to first-year M.Arch. II students.) This seminar requires students to explore an assigned theme based on urgent contemporary issues in architecture and urbanism, both through individual projects and as a group. Students also select thesis projects adjacent to the course theme to take into the subsequent post-professional seminar and post-professional design studio.   3 Course cr

ARCH 3091a, Methods and Research Workshop   Jordan Carver

(Required of first-year M.E.D. students; available as an elective for M.Arch. I and M.Arch. II students with permission of instructor.) This course introduces students to methods of architectural writing and research, laying the groundwork for an advanced research project. By investigating various text genres, such as surveys, journalism, manifestos, scholarly essays, critical essays, and narratives, this course studies ways of writing about architecture, urbanism, and the environment. Recent debates concerning the relationship between architectural history and theory and the questions about disciplinary and interdisciplinary boundaries are explored. Working toward a substantial research paper requirement, students are introduced to hands-on research through a series of library and archival workshops. Limited enrollment.   3 Course cr HTBA

ARCH 3092a, Independent M.E.D. Research   Jordan Carver

(Required of and limited to M.E.D. students in each term; credits vary per term, determined in consultation with the director of M.E.D. Studies.) The proposal submitted with the admissions application is the basis for each student’s study plan, which is developed in consultation with faculty advisers. Independent research is undertaken for credit each term, under the direction of a principal adviser, for preparation and completion of a written thesis. The thesis, which details and summarizes the independent research, is to be completed for approval by the M.E.D. committee by the end of the fourth term.   3 Course cr Th 2pm-3:50pm

Elective Courses

ARCH 3105a, Capital Building: Histories of Design and Accumulation   David Sadighian

  3 Course cr W 4pm-5:50pm

[ ARCH 3106, Circa 1600 ]

  3 Course cr

[ ARCH 3107, American Architecture and Urbanism ]

ARCH 3108a, Domo Ludens: Modern Art and Architecture at Play   Michael Schlabs

The notion of play occupies a special place in the history of modern art and architecture. Theorized in the 19th century by Friedrich Froebel as fundamental to the process by which children learn, play would form the basis of Froebel’s kindergarten, now a model for early childhood education worldwide. The aesthetic intensity of Froebel’s program would likewise contribute to a variety of radical educational projects in the 19th and 20th centuries, including the Bauhaus. Later, Johan Huizinga’s seminal meditation on the “play element in culture,” Homo Ludens, would provide an intellectual foundation for a number of 20th century aesthetic and political movements, among them the Situationist International. Finally, a generous focus on play has recently reemerged within the discourse on a range of 21st century art and design practices, characterized by a shared focus on participation and performativity, as in the work of Rirkrit Tiravanija and Lottie Child. This course, then, explores the place and problem of play in three ways: as a critical framework for understanding the aesthetic qualities of the human environment; as a mode of experience, giving meaning to that environment; and as a working method employed by artists and architects as a specific form of practice.   3 Course cr T 9am-10:50am

ARCH 3240a, Spatial Concepts of Japan: Their Origins and Development in Architecture and Urbanism   Yoko Kawai

The seminar explores the origins and developments of Japanese spatial concepts and surveys how they help form the contemporary architecture, ways of life, and cities of the country. Many Japanese spatial concepts, such as ma, are about creating time-space distances and relationship between objects, people, space, and experiences. These concepts go beyond the fabric of a built structure and encompass architecture, landscape, and city. Each class is designed around one or two Japanese words that signify particular design concepts. Each week, a lecture on the word(s) with its design features, backgrounds, historical examples, and contemporary application is followed by student discussion. Contemporary works studied include those by Maki, Isozaki, Ando, Ito, SANAA, and Fujimoto. The urbanism and landscape of Tokyo and Kyoto are discussed. Students are required to make in-class presentations and write a final paper. Limited enrollment.   3 Course cr W 2pm-3:50pm

ARCH 3252a, Landscape, Film, Architecture Landscape, Film, Architecture Landscape, Film, Architecture   Fatima Naqvi

Movement through post-1945 landscapes and cityscapes as a key to understanding them. The use of cameras and other visual-verbal means as a way to expand historical, aesthetic, and sociological inquiries into how these places are inhabited and experienced. Exploration of both real and imaginary spaces in works by filmmakers (Wenders, Herzog, Ottinger, Geyrhalter, Seidl, Ade, Grisebach), architects and sculptors (e.g. Rudofsky, Neutra, Abraham, Hollein, Pichler, Smithson, Wurm, Kienast), photographers (Sander, B. and H. Becher, Gursky, Höfer), and writers (Bachmann, Handke, Bernhard, Jelinek). Additional readings by Certeau, Freytag, J.B. Jackson, L. Burckhardt.   3 Course cr Th 9:25am-11:15am, W 6pm-8pm

ARCH 3267a, Semiotics   Francesco Casetti

Digging into semiotics tradition, the seminar provides analytical tools for “close readings” of a vast array of objects and operations, from verbal texts to all sorts of images, from cultural practices to all sorts of manipulation. Semiotics’ foundational goal consisted in retracing how meaning emerges in these objects and operations, how it circulates within and between different cultural environments, and how it affects and is affected by the cultural contexts in which these objects and operations are embedded. To revamp semiotics’ main tasks, after an introduction about the idea of “making meaning,” the seminar engages students in a weekly discussion about situations, procedures, objects, and attributes that are “meaningful,” in the double sense that they have meaning and they arrange reality in a meaningful way. Objects of analysis are intentionally disparate; the constant application of a set of analytical tools provides the coherence of the seminar. Students are expected to regularly attend the seminar, actively participate in discussions, propose new objects of analysis, present a case study (fifteen–twenty minutes), and write a final paper (max. 5,000 words). Enrollment limited to fifteen. Also FILM 833 . Students from Film and Media Studies and the School of Architecture have priority: they are asked to express their choice by August 25. Students from other departments are asked to send the instructor up to ten lines with the reasons why they want to attend the seminar by August 26. The seminar is aimed at bolstering a dialogue that crosses cultures and disciplines.   3 Course cr T 2pm-3:50pm

[ ARCH 3290, Body Politics ]

COVID-19 underscores how public health and environmental justice are intimately related. This seminar explores the urgent need for transdisciplinary teams representing design, science, and the humanities to create safe, hygienic, accessible, and inclusive spaces that accommodate all bodies, including people of different races, genders, religions, and abilities that fall out of the cultural mainstream. Through in-depth analysis of everyday spaces—homes, workplaces, hospitals, museums—we look at how the conventions of architecture, transmitted through building typologies, standards, and codes, have marginalized or excluded persons who fall outside white, masculine, heterosexual, able-bodied norms. After analyzing each of these sites in their cultural and historical context, students generate innovative design proposals that allow a spectrum of differently embodied and culturally identified people to productively mix in a post-pandemic world. Limited enrollment.   3 Course cr

[ ARCH 3299, Independent Course Work ]

Program to be determined with a faculty adviser of the student’s choice and submitted, with the endorsement of the study area coordinator, to the Rules Committee for confirmation of the student’s eligibility under the rules. (See the School’s Academic Rules and Regulations.)   3 Course cr

[ ARCH 3300, History, Historiography, Avant-Garde: Reading Manfredo Tafuri’s The Sphere and the Labyrinth ]

Is the concept of an avant-garde still viable in architecture today? Or should it be consigned to the dustbin of modernist ideas? When did the avant-garde originate and how should its history be written? Manfredo Tafuri’s The Sphere and the Labyrinth: Avant-Gardes and Architecture from Piranesi to the 1970s was initially published in 1980. It remains the only sustained effort to define and historicize avant-garde theory and practice specifically in relation to architecture. The seminar undertakes a close reading of Tafuri’s rich, rewarding, and difficult book, beginning with the challenging methodological introduction, “The Historical ‘Project,’” and traversing a series of critical episodes from the eighteenth century to the late twentieth. Open to Ph.D. students and others with a strong background in architectural history.   3 Course cr

[ ARCH 3301, Four Urban Thinkers and Their Visions for New York City: Mumford, Moses, Jacobs, Koolhaas ]

The seminar is constructed as a debate among the ideas of four urban thinkers whose influential contributions to the discourse of the modern city were shaped by their divergent responses to New York City’s urban and architectural development: Lewis Mumford (1895–1990), Robert Moses (1888–1981), Jane Jacobs (1916–2006), and Rem Koolhaas (1944–). In counterposing their respective arguments, the seminar addresses issues of civic representation and environmentalism, infrastructure development and urban renewal policy, community and complexity, and the role of architecture in the urban imaginary. The focus is twofold: on the contribution of the “urban intellectual” to the making of culture; and on New York’s architectural and urban history. New York has been called the capital of the twentieth century. By reassessing the legacy and agency of these visionary thinkers, the seminar not only reflects on New York’s evolution over the course of the last century but raises questions about the future of cities in the twenty-first century. A selection of historical and theoretical material complements seminal readings by the four protagonists. Each student is responsible for making two case-study presentations and producing a thematically related term paper. Limited enrollment.   3 Course cr

ARCH 3302a, Tall Tales   Ife Vanable

Architecture is a body of fantastic lies. Speculative and projective, architectural production corrals, traffics in, and concocts imaginaries; its histories and theories are steeped in myth and regimes of mythmaking. This course provides space to interrogate the particular, ongoing, and mutating narratives, fictions, and myths perpetuated around the design, development, and material realization/construction of high-rise residential towers from the turn of the century to the start of what has been referred to as the Reagan era, alongside the various political, financial, and social agendas that motivated their development. The course aims to nurture modes of recognition of “housing” as critical loci where architectural form, federal and state power, municipal interactions of zone (zoning envelope, building volume, and air rights), finance, body, law, rhetoric, aesthetics, real estate development, and conceptions of racial difference come into view. The course reckons with typology and the seeming difficulty with imagining subjects racialized as black holding a position up in the sky.   3 Course cr T 11am-12:50pm

ARCH 3303a, Urban Century Theorizing Global Urbanism   Vyjayanthi Rao

From the beginning of the twentieth century to the present, urbanization has gradually come to dominate political, economic, social, and cultural landscapes of the contemporary world. To be urban was to be modern, and the development of modern social theory relied on using the city as its research laboratory. Two decades into the twenty-first century, features of urbanization such as density, resource extraction, environmental degradation, and intense social inequalities appear to be ubiquitous across different geopolitical conditions. This course presents students with a range of theories that attempt to make sense of the variegated and intersecting conditions that define contemporary urban localities. Building on the understanding offered by these theories, we conclude with an exploration of emerging positions, concepts, and propositions that enable new ways of understanding the centrality of urbanism within a world dominated by uncertainty, speculation, and dystopia.   3 Course cr W 2pm-3:50pm

[ ARCH 3315, The Challenge of the Classical ]

This course examines the problem of “the classical” in its contemporary context—not only as an exercise in the study of architectural history, but also as an attempt to come to terms with the claims of history upon the present, and of the present upon history. Recognizing that the unusually vivid architectural images that have impressed themselves upon the public imagination of America over the past few months are only the most recent evidence in a longer list of charges, the course examines accusations of Eurocentrism and elitism, of obsolescence, irrelevance, and historical naivete, and associations with totalitarianism and whiteness, along with questions of language, tectonics, and sustainability—aiming to introduce a range of new voices into a conversation that is, today, more critical than ever.   3 Course cr

[ ARCH 3318, The Media of Architecture and the Architecture of Media ]

ARCH 3319a, Race and the Built Environment   Jordan Carver

This seminar investigates the many architectures that participate in state and racial formation. That is, how spatial constructions—including infrastructure, housing, borders, segregation, taxation, and policing—supported by the state are integral to processes of racial hierarchization and how racialized subjects are managed and controlled. The seminar focuses on the American context, but the definition of American boundaries is open to interpretation and contestation. We look at American expansion and political history to see how inequalities have been historically constructed and how they continue to persist. We analyze American internal and external imperialism, militarism, and securitization to better understand how the nation’s myriad spatial entanglements structure life and social relations. The seminar reads a broad set of texts including Madison, Locke, Aimé Césaire, Frantz Fanon, Cedric J. Robinson, Katherine McKittrick, Sylvia Wynter, Michael Omi and Howard Winant, Cheryl I. Harris, Aileen Moreton-Robinson, and others. We engage with current discourses on race and architecture and link them to discussions on media, politics, and the contested project of the American nation. Students develop a semester-long research project locating a state-backed spatial strategy of their choosing and unpack the social, political, and racial histories and futures of their chosen subject.   3 Course cr Th 11am-12:50pm

[ ARCH 3322, Mutualism: Spatial Activism and Planetary Political Solidarity ]

[ ARCH 3323, Design Intelligence, or Stupidity: Reconfiguring the Human Machine Interface in the Age of AI ]

[ ARCH 3328, Latin American Modernity: Architecture, Art, and Utopia ]

Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, architects, planners, landscape architects, artists, and designers understood and reacted to the specific conditions of their historical and geographical place within Latin America. In this way, they developed new yet fluid relationships with those and which each other that produced work ranging from the individual work of art, to buildings, cities, and possible utopias. How this production was made, theorized, and developed expresses alternate conceptions of and reactions to the specific forms of modernity developed there. The goal of this course is to engage in broad dialogues with historical case studies throughout Latin America during this period that show how the creation of ideas, works, space, and place was part of a critical practice with/in “alternative modernities;” self-conscious and original, yet operating under a progressive spirit.  We look at the self-reflexive practices and negotiations within/through modern art, architecture, and utopias in Latin America—as operations of vernacularization, transculturation or creolization, denaturalization, and deterritorialization—as fundamental works, problems, and didactic exercises intent on producing new knowledge and directions central to its socio-cultural development and to its architectural and artistic expressions.   3 Course cr

[ ARCH 3329, Writing and Criticism: Architect as Author, Architect as Subject ]

This course examines the relationship between practice and publication in architecture. Its foundation is a survey of architecture criticism over the last century. It also considers how a select number of architects have written about their own work and that of other practitioners; the focus in this section is on those architects who use writing not for its descriptive or promotional value but as a critic or historian might, which is to say as a means of sharpening or expanding their own architecture or of reframing or even unsettling their place in the profession or larger culture. Class discussions focus to a large degree on the intersection of these two tracks: the process by which the architect moves from subject to author and back again, and what is gained (and perhaps sometimes lost) by that traffic.   3 Course cr

Electives outside of School of Architecture

Courses offered elsewhere in the university may be taken for credit with permission of the instructor. Unless otherwise indicated, at the School of Architecture full-term courses are typically assigned 3 credits; half-term courses are assigned 1.5 credits. Students must have the permission of the History and Theory Study Area coordinators in order for a course to count as a history/theory elective.

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Archinect's tips for students preparing for thesis reviews and studio critiques

What comes to mind when thinking about studio crits, guest juries, thesis reviews, and final presentations? For some, it's a blend of adrenaline, panic, fatigue, and perhaps a hint of excitement. Of course, everyone prepares differently and has their own "method to their madness," but it's important to realize that crafting a strong presentation is a mental and physical balancing act.

Academic coverage is an essential aspect of Archinect's editorial lineup. Beyond our exclusive interviews with education leaders and showcases of student work , our special Archinect Tips section consists of an array of handy guides that can help you feel prepared for your presentation.

So, students, whether this is your first presentation as an undergrad or a seasoned fifth-year moving on autopilot, it's easy to forget a few things. Below, we have gathered a list of tips and references to get you through the next few weeks.

Before we get into the logistics of presentation prep, however, let's start by working from the inside out with a few helpful reminders.

Reminder #1: Take a breath, and give yourself moments of pause

Regardless of whichever point you're at during your presentation prep, remember to provide yourself with a moment of pause. As I stated before, there is plenty of adrenaline, (likely) caffeine, and emotions fueling you at this point, but giving yourself a mental moment to recalibrate will never hurt.

When prepping for a presentation to be critiqued and reviewed, it isn't just about the external variables that make it successful but your mental state as well. Whether it's 30 seconds of breathing or going for a quick walk, allow yourself some alone time away from your project to go back to it with a fresh perspective.

Reminder # 2: Pacing goes a long way

Between balancing deadlines, getting your files ready for the printer, fabricating your model, and figuring out how to articulate this project you've been working on for months, everything can feel overwhelming and heavy. However, a helpful reminder when prepping for anything is to pace yourself. A lot can be accomplished in a day, but there's a difference between segmenting your workload into manageable chunks versus cramming to finish everything at the 11th hour. The idea of pacing can also be applied to presentation-giving, which we'll cover later in this article.

Reminder # 3: Listen to your body, and take care of it

The notion of staying hydrated, eating, and making sure you don't cut yourself with an Olfa blade because you've pulled your third all-nighter are things I remember hearing during my time in the studio. If you're one of those people who mark any of the items I've listed above, just remember, don't be an unnecessary martyr for your project. Suffering to make sure your project is perfect isn't something to show off as a shiny merit badge. Echoing my sentiments from Reminder #2, pace yourself and create a routine that helps your body perform the best way possible. This also goes for hygiene. Doing simple things to make you feel refreshed can go a long way. You don't have to be an architecture fashionista, but feeling good during a presentation can be as simple as wearing an outfit that makes you feel confident and your best self. Sure, you may not be presenting during the Venice Biennale, but as my mother used to tell me: "There's no shame in dressing up for yourself."

Reminder # 4: Being part of a studio is being part of a community

When preparing for a big presentation, it's easy to think in the singular. "I need to do this" or "I'm behind on that," but don't forget that you're not the only person in the room. What makes studios and final presentations exciting is that you're going through these experiences with a group of people who understand this environment. So don't be afraid to ask for help and help others. Granted, it's important to be mindful of other people's time and not use them. But if you need an extra pair of eyes when pinning up, or if you need help carrying your extremely fragile model from across the room, ask. (Note: Also, make sure you have push pins! You can never have enough.)

Helpful Presentation Tips

No one knows your project better than you, so don't be afraid to own it. It's easy to get in our heads about saying the wrong thing or using over-inflated architectural jargon that can sometimes do more harm than good. Instead, take a few lessons from our past Archinect Tips coverage on presentation-giving AND how to handle architecture critiques.

Tip #1: Clarity builds strong communication

What I mean by this is people who are viewing your project for the first time can only understand what they see. While beautiful visuals and models are only one part of crafting a solid presentation, be sure to rehearse what you're going to say. In our previous editorial feature, The Architecture Student's Presentation Roadmap , Archinect's Sean Joyner carefully outlines points to consider when presenting. From "building a plan of attack" to focusing on "quality over quantity" — having a guide to reference is helpful.

One of your goals as an architecture student is to develop ways to communicate your ideas verbally and visually. Let's be clear, public speaking isn't everyone's favorite, but don't aim for perfection — aim for clarity. When sharing an idea or narrative, keeping things simple and concise can go a long way. Read more about the topic of clarity in Archinect's, Complexity over clarity? What happens when we try to sound too "smart."

Tip #2: Don't "wing it"... write down your thoughts and practice

Some students might say they "strive under pressure," and there are those who don't. Regardless of what type of student you are, be realistic by giving yourself your best chance at success, starting with writing things down. Not only does this help with staying organized, but it can keep you grounded in your thoughts. As I've stated before, you know your project better than anyone else, so organize your talking points in a way that is clear, concise, and specific to your project.

I often notice students incorporating specific phrases they hear from peers and instructors and using them during their presentations. While sometimes these phrases can be applied, they can undermine the uniqueness of your work and the narrative your project is trying to create.

Tip # 3: Be mindful of "architecture speak"

Materiality. Aperture. Contextuality. Intersectionality. We're all familiar with these "buzzwords" that we've heard professors, guest lecturers, and architects use to explain their work. While there is validity to these terms and their complexity in specific scenarios, it's not something you should use as a crutch to explain yourself and your project. The goal shouldn't be to "sound smart." The goal is to be clear.

As I mentioned in Tip #1, you're sharing your work with a group of people who have just learned about your project. Remember to communicate your work to your audience, not confuse them. Read Archinect's How to Face a Jury in Architecture School if you want to explore more ways to communicate with a jury.

Tip #4: Find your voice and presentation rhythm

If you're someone who knows public speaking isn't a strong suit, that shouldn't hinder you from finding ways to turn a "weakness" into a strength. As you plan out your presentation thoughts and rehearse, grow comfortable with finding your voice. Before the big day, get comfortable with hearing your voice. Confidence comes from within. It comes from acknowledging who you are and that what you can offer is worth sharing.

In school and professional settings, it's easy to think there's only one way to be an effective communicator, and that's to be loud. In my experience, I've learned that's quite the opposite. The most successful presentations and speakers are the ones that come from individuals who are comfortable with the information they're about to share. While this skill develops over time, it's important to be comfortable with your own voice and not to rush when speaking. When practicing, understand that you have control over the pace and rhythm of your presentation. The more you rehearse, the easier it becomes when speaking in front of a group or jury. Remember, a strong presenter is someone who knows they have something to offer. So when prepping for your talk, remember that your voice does matter, and you have something to offer.

Tip #5: Jurors are humans and so are you

This particular tip can be applied to both students as well as guest critics and jurors. We've all seen and heard tales of thesis reviews and studio critiques gone awry, thus instilling an unnecessary fear from students who are trying to share their work with others. Students, remember that these guest jurors are people just like you. They were once students like you. They're not "icons" who demand perfection and this idea of " architecture's hero-worship ." It's also important to remember that these guest jurors and critics aren't the only people present during your presentation day. You're not amongst strangers but friends, studio mates, colleagues, and instructors as well.

If you walk into a space with the mindset that you're beneath someone or don't have as much to offer (especially as a student), I'd suggest tossing that idea in the trash. Thesis reviews and presentations are made to help facilitate an environment where constructive feedback is given, applicable discussions can be fostered, and student work can be celebrated.

*A friendly reminder for guest jurors and critics: These student presentations aren't about you. As an academic and design professional with years of expertise, your role is to provide constructive feedback by asking questions and providing comments that help students not embarrass them or inflate your own work. You remember what it was like to be a student presenting. Be a good guest.

Have advice for students during thesis reviews and presentations? Share your constructive thoughts with us below in the comments section.

Similar articles on Archinect that may interest you...

Kudos on a very good topic and list.  Timely, too: I wonder if remote learning hasn't buffered some of the stress of in-person presentations over the last couple of years.

The last items are particularly helpful, in my opinion.  

• It's important to do your very best, but also to keep things in perspective.  What might seem like a negative review is not the end of the world.  Look for lessons, and move on.
• Guests and jurors should remember this is about the students , not their own egos.

Nam Henderson

I recommend not trying to argue with the reviewers.  If at all possible responses should be limited to what you were thinking/trying to accomplish.  Reviewers may be critical, that is what they are there to do.  If you need to clarify a misunderstanding, that is fine, but please don’t think you are going to win an argument, nor should that be your goal.  Worst  case you can respectfully disagree.

Great post.

I graduated in '05 and one of my roommates (Both also Architecture Students) got a copy of Adobe premiere (A video editing program) in our 5th year. We did the last 3 or 4 of our Final Presentations as 10 to 15-minute movies. It worked out extremely well.  After you have been up for 3 days straight, it basically eliminated the opportunity for someone to cut in and ask a question that totally derails your presentation. It also gave us the opportunity to Say what we wanted to say, point by point in an entertaining way (which also really made our presentations stand out from everyone else's). Then we could just take questions at the end. 

My $.02, think outside the box and find a way to catch people's attention and keep them engaged.  

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