Architecture + Design Studios - School of Architecture

Architecture + Design Studios houses both the School of Architecture and the School of Design. One of the original UIC campus buildings designed by Walter Netsch using a geometric approach he called “field theory,” this unique structure contains studios, print labs, galleries, offices, and other creative spaces.

The School of Architecture understands architecture as a cultural practice, more like film, art, fashion, and literature than other professional specializations such as medicine, engineering, or business. It believes that architecture should anticipate, provoke, and challenge new ways of living and interacting instead of simply responding to needs. Architecture projects the stage for how people, objects, events, and environments can be connected or held apart, and it does so through a range of design media: not only building, but also drawing, writing, and other ways of conveying ideas, all of which students will experiment with as part of their education.

The School of Architecture offers two undergraduate degree programs as well as several graduate degrees. The four-year Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BSArch) is a comprehensive pre-professional education in architecture within the broader context of liberal arts study provided by the university. Consisting of an eight-semester studio sequence in architecture and urbanism supported by coursework in technology and theory, the program provides an intensive introduction to the discipline of architecture. The Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies is an upper-level undergraduate program that uses architecture and related design practices as a lens through which to understand the history of ideas and cultural invention. The school also offers a professional Master of Architecture, a writing-focused Master of Arts in Design Criticism, and a post-professional Master of Science in Architecture.

Architecture programs are centered on the studio, a type of class where students consider a different design problem each semester. The studio spaces make up the majority of classrooms in the building—they are where the curriculum comes together. Students enrolled in studio courses are assigned a desk each year for working and storing supplies. Studios are organized to encourage discussion among students and faculty; they are open and supportive spaces that enable risk-taking, continuous conversation, and intensive collaboration. The School of Architecture relies on its studio environment to contribute to its culture of curiosity, rigor, enthusiasm, and ambition.

All students in the School of Architecture have access to a staffed and fully equipped wood- and metal-working shop within the building. The Project Lab offers orientation and special topic workshops for students each semester. Students who complete training are also able to use the Fabrication Lab, or Fab Lab, which is home to laser cutters, a CNC milling machine, 3D printers, and 3D scanners, among other digital tools.

The Print Lab is open only to School of Architecture students and houses multiple plotters, or large-format printers, as well as color copiers. Students can download software drivers to print to these machines over the school’s wireless network. Tutorials and lab assistants are available to help with technical issues.