Academy of Art University

Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) in Architecture

Undergraduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:

Conceptual Thinking and Process

• Communicate conceptual thinking verbally and in writing
• Articulate and extend conceptual thinking through diagrams
• Develop a rigorous material logic for model-making to test ideas
• Produce diagrams indicating critical analyses of relevant precedent buildings or the built environment recognizing the significance to the discipline of architecture
• Produce critical analyses of contemporary, historical, global precedents inclusive of buildings, urban planning, theoretical texts, or related arts applicable to studio projects and systems
• Develop a design identity which synthesizes critical thought, architectural intent, and urban design strategies by developing decision-making criteria substantiated by research
• Fundamental Design & Drawing and Making
• Develop criteria to generate and evaluate an architectural order and formal language
• Develop architectural proposals sensitive to the site context in scale and use based on research
• Produce architectural drawings with appropriate drawing conventions to convey spatial qualities and design intent
• Convey materiality in design projects based on an understanding of construction material properties
• Construct drawings and models with a high level of craft and attention to detail
• Presentation Skills
• Clearly explain and defend design projects in verbal presentations
• Create presentation boards, slides, and/or printed materials which exhibit logical sequencing and a hierarchy of information
• Develop effective visual communication strategies to convey information that build towards an argument
• Determine appropriate representation techniques to describe the spatial qualities and human experience of the design proposal
• Leadership and Community
• Demonstrate a commitment to community building and social equity through programming and organization of an architectural project
• Demonstrate sensitivity to diverse viewpoints of user groups in the design of a building
• Engage a collaborative process in the development of a design, with a range of design and engineering disciplines
• Demonstrate and articulate knowledge of professional practices and contractual conventions
• Integrated Design
• Conduct a user & programmatic analysis
• Communicate analyses of the urban and environmental conditions of a site with clear graphic devices
• Integrate sustainable and energy-conscious strategies into the design of a building
• Communicate analyses of environmental performance systems of the design with clear graphic devices
• Develop an energy-conscious strategy for the design of building envelope systems and material selection
• Integrate structural systems into the design of a building
• Produce technical documentation describing the integration of architecture and building systems
• Accommodate accessibility and life safety requirements in the design of a building

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
2. Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
3. Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
4. Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
5. Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
6. Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
7. Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.

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 careers.

City and Urban Planner

Master planning environmental design decisions at the scale of a neighbourhood, 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, colour, branding, business and product consulting, among many other possibilities.

Project Architect

Collaborating on large or complex architectural projects, project designers are crucial members 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.

Semester 1

• ARH 110: Studio 1: Conceptual Design Studio
  Core / 3 Units
• FND 113: Sketching for Communication
  Core / 3 Units
• LA 123: Design Philosophy: Aesthetics, Logic, and Ethics
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units
• LA 255: College Math
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units

Semester 2

• ARH 150: Studio 2: Spatial Ordering & Form
  Core / 6 Units
• ARH 170: Projective Drawing & Perspective
  Core / 3 Units
• ARH 180: 2D Digital Visual Media
  Core / 3 Units
• ARH 230: Color, Perception, and Space
  Major / 3 Units / Recommended for summer
• LA 108: Composition for the Artist
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units / Recommended for summer
• LA 271: College Algebra with Geometry
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units

Semester 3

• ARH 210: Studio 3: Site Operations & Tectonic Systems
  Core / 6 Units
• ARH 390: 3D Digital Modeling
  Major / 3 Units
• LA 219: History of Architecture: Ancient to Gothic
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units
• LA 293: Precalculus
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units

Semester 4

• ARH 240: Site Design & Mapping
  Major / 3 Units
• ARH 255: Studio 4: Assembly Building & Context
  Core / 6 Units
• LA 249: An Artistic and Intellectual History of the Renaissance
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units / Recommended for summer
• LA 292: Programming & Culture
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units
• LA 296: Applied Physics
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units / Recommended for summer

Semester 5

• ARH 239: Materials & Methods
  Major / 3 Units
• ARH 310: Studio 5: Assembly Buildings & Context
  Major / 6 Units
• ARH 320: Structures: Wood & Steel
  Major / 3 Units
• LA 319: History of Architecture: Modernity
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units

Semester 6

• ARH 330: Structures: Concrete, Masonry, & Tensile Systems
  Major / 3 Units
• ARH 350: Studio 6: Site Conditions & Building Performance
  Major / 6 Units
• ARH 399: Building Information Modeling
  Core / 3 Units
• LA 115: The Natural World 1: The Base Layer
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units / Recommended for summer
• LA 359: Urban Sociology
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units / Recommended for summer
• LA 429: Architecture Theory
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units

Semester 7

• AEL 399B1: Breadth 1: Music & Art Influences
  Humanities / 3 Units
• ARH 410: Studio 7: Tectonics and Structure
  Major/ 6 Units
• ARH 420: Structures: Systems Investigation
  Major / 3 Units
• ARH 430: Climate & Energy Use: Sustainable Strategies
  Major / 3 Units

Semester 8

• ARH 440: Building Systems: Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing
  Major / 3 Units
• ARH 441: Tectonics: Code Analysis & Building Envelope Documentation
  Major / 3 Units
• ARH 450: Studio 8: Housing & Integrated Design
  Major / 6 Units
• COM 208: Dynamic Aerial Imagery: Fundamentals of Drone Production
  Humanities / 3 Units
• LA 449: Urban Design Theory
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units / Recommended for summer

Semester 9

• AEL 399B3: Breadth 3: Language, Culture & Humanities
  Humanities / 3 Units
• ARH 475: Professional Practices for Architects
  Core / 3 Units
• ARH 510: Studio 9: Mixed Use Urbanism & Research
  Major / 6 Units
• ARH 529: From Theory to Practice
  Major / 3 Units

Semester 10

• ARH 550: Studio 10: Final Thesis Project
  Major / 6 Units
• GR 460: Senior Portfolio
  Humanities / 3 Units
• LA 435: The Power of Signs: Semiotics & The Visual Arts
  Liberal Arts / 3 Units