Architecture (ARCH)
ARCH0100 SUMMER FAB: THINKING & MAKING
This summer fabrication program bridges and connects thinking of architecture with making architecture. Students experience in a short timeframe all phases of a complete architectural project; from initial design concepts through development and refinement and including realization as a full-scale construction site. By intertwining thinking and making a process of design from beginning to end, we convey understanding, crucial for designers, that making is a form of thinking. Project sites typically will be located in Boston, either campus or community based. Projects, typically conceived as temporary, will generally be small in size, scale or both. They might include, for example, installations (as within a gallery setting), furniture (including near-furniture or furniture-like elements), or site-specific interventions (either outdoors or within existing structures). Prerequisites: High School Summer Program (4 credits) Summer
ARCH1000 STUDIO 01
This foundation studio focuses on techniques of visualization and representation (freehand drawing skills and model making) as they pertain to beginning design. Students develop fundamental design skills through orthographic drawing (plan, section & elevation), perspective drawing, model making and diagramming. (6 credits) fall
ARCH1200 ARCHITECTURAL REPRESENTATION
The course serves as an introduction to the means used to produce architecture. It introduces fundamental representation skills and analytical techniques that designers use to understand the built environment and to communicate design intentions. Student engage in sketching from observation, drawing (analog and digital), digital image making, and modeling techniques as tools for documentation, analysis, representation, and visual communication. (4 credits) fall
ARCH1500 STUDIO 02
ARCH1700 ARCHITECTURAL MEDIA
This course advances students' fundamental knowledge of various media and fabrication processes used to generate, manipulate, communicate and produce architecture today. Building upon the representational skills and analytical techniques studied in ARCH1200, this course develops student's ability to use a wide range of digital tools for representation, communication, analysis, design visualization and production, and fabrication in an architectural context. Students are introduced to principles of workflow in a digital design environment and learn to think critically about the appropriate choice of analog and/or digital tools. Prerequisite: ARCH1200 or DSGN1000 (4 credits) spring
ARCH2000 STUDIO 03
This studio course explores conceptual design through a series of elemental architectural exercises. Topics pertinent to the student's concentration are addressed. Prerequisite: ARCH1500 (6 credits) fall
ARCH2100 HISTORY/THEORY 01
This lecture course surveys world architecture, urbanism and landscapes from the ancient world through roughly 1700 CE. Lectures shall discuss architecture as a form of cultural expression and in relation to the artistic, political, religious, scientific, technological, and social developments. (4 credits) fall
ARCH2200 BUILDING MATTERS: MATERIALS & ELEMENTS OF CONSTRUCTION
This lecture and workshop-based course surveys common construction materials and their properties, as well as their use in simple and hybrid systems of assembly. Particular attention is devoted to wood, steel and masonry systems. This course also introduces students to structural principles guiding vernacular construction, principles of building siting and orientation, and passive environmental building strategies. This course is cross-listed with ARCH7300. Corequisite: ARCH2000 (4 credits) fall
ARCH2222 AXP ARCHITECTURE EXPERIENCE PROGRAM
Students entering into the first semester of the junior year are required to register for the Intern Development Program (IDP) of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and establish an NCARB file number before the end of the semester. Prerequisite: enrollment in BSA program (0 credits)
ARCH2225 PRO-PRACTICE PREP
This non-credit course is intended to prepare architecture students for their first coop experience in a professional design firm. It consists of two online, independent learning components: 1) an introduction to professional contract documents; and 2) an introduction to the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Taken together, these two components provide structure and skills for students to compete in the job market and to succeed in the profession of architecture. (0 credit) spring
ARCH2500 STUDIO 04
This studio course explores architectural design through a series of problems increasing in scale, complexity and length throughout the semester. Prerequisites: ARCH2000 (6 credits) spring
ARCH2600 HISTORY/THEORY 02
This lecture course surveys world architecture, urbanism and landscapes from 1700 CE to the 1960's. Lectures discuss architecture as a form of cultural expression and in relation to artistic, political, religious, scientific, technological and social developments. (4 credits) spring
ARCH2700 ENERGY & RESOURCES IN ARCHITECTURE
This lecture and workshop-based course focuses on architectural methods for achieving visual, thermal and acoustical comfort in buildings using primarily non-mechanical means: climate, form, orientation, materials, and structure. Students will learn to analyze energy phenomena and understand energetic implications of a range of design strategies. Principles of sustainable resource management will be introduced. This course is cross-listed with ARCH7600. Prerequisite: ARCH2200 or CONM1200 (4 credits) spring
ARCH3000 STUDIO 05
ARCH3200 PASSIVE & ACTIVE SYSTEMS
This lecture and workshop-based course focuses on architectural methods for achieving visual and thermal comfort in buildings using both passive and active systems. Lectures and assignments address lighting, optimization fire safety, water and waste, and envelope systems in buildings. This course emphasizes the integration of spatial, visual and environmental performance aspects of building systems in medium-to-large-scale structures, where such systems may be a determinant of architectural form. Innovative environmental solutions will be illustrated throughout the course. This course is cross-listed with ARCH8250. Prerequisite: ARCH2700 (4 credits) summer
ARCH3400 STRUCTURES 01
In this course students learn how loads are applied and distributed, and how the analyze funicular structures, columns, beams, and trusses. Both the method of joints and the method of sections are used. Basic principles of strength of materials, structural mechanics and structural analysis are presented. Prerequisites: PHYS1000 or PHYS1250 (4 credits) fall, spring
ARCH3500 STUDIO 06
ARCH3600 Sustainable Design: From Concept to Implementation
Given the building sector’s significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, it is imperative to decarbonize our buildings, new and old, and to conserve resources. This paradigm shift will drive creative, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive design in the fields of architecture and urban planning for the foreseeable future. This course explores the overarching context of climate change and the urgency to holistically implement integrated sustainable design, identifying high-impact strategies, illustrated by real world case studies from the practice. The course highlights social inequities exacerbated by climate change, with consequences for the health and welfare of subjected populations. The course consists of a mix of readings, discussions, team research projects, and collaborative design interventions to address designing for a low-carbon future, water conservation, social equity and inclusion, ecology, health and wellness, economy, material resources, adaptive change, innovation and discovery. (4 credits)
ARCH3700 CONCENTRATION STUDIES 01
This course addresses introductory topics to the students' chosen concentration (Adaptive Interventions, Emerging Technologies, or Urbanism). Contemporary issues in the field are addressed through readings, discussions, analysis, writing and projects. (4 credits) summer
ARCH3750 CONCENTRATION STUDIES 02
This course addresses advanced topics pertinent to the students' chosen concentration (Adaptive Interventions, Emerging Technologies, or Urbanism). Contemporary issues in the field are addressed through readings, discussion, analysis, writing and projects. (4 credits) fall
ARCH3800 SPECIAL TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURE
Presents topics that are not covered by existing courses and are likely to change from semester to semester. Refer to the Class Schedule for a specific semester for details of offerings for the semester. (4 credits) fall, spring
ARCH3850 SPECIAL TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURE
Presents topics that are not covered by existing courses and are likely to change from semester to semester. Refer to the Class Schedule for a specific semester for details of offerings for the semester. (4 credits) fall, spring
ARCH3900 STRUCTURES 02
In this course students learn the structural properties of major construction materials and learn to design beams, slabs, columns and foundations in wood, steel and concrete. Topics include building codes and specifications, loads on structural systems, grids and pattern layouts, and soils and foundations. Prerequisites: ARCH3400 (4 credits) fall, spring, summer
ARCH4000 STUDIO 07 (URBANISM)
This studio course introduces topics of design in the urban realm. Students engage with complex issues and agendas, and develop proposals in response to the physical, cultural, and social contexts that inform design at the urban scale. Topics pertinent to the Urbanism concentration are addressed. Prerequisites: ARCH3500; and Urbanism concentration status (6 credits) fall
ARCH4025 STUDIO 07 (EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES)
This studio course explores the material nature of architecture, the craft of building, and the role of emerging technologies as they inform the design process. Students work with complex issues and agendas and develop proposals in response to physical, cultural, and social contexts that inform design across many scales. Topics pertinent to the Emerging Technologies concentration are addressed. Prerequisites: ARCH3500 (6 credits) fall
ARCH4050 STUDIO 07 (ADAPTIVE INTERVENTIONS)
This studio course focuses on design topics that engage contingent existing conditions. Students work with complex issues and agendas, and develop proposals in response to physical, cultural, and social contexts that inform design at the project’s scale. Topics pertinent to the Adaptive Interventions concentration are addressed. Prerequisites: ARCH3500 (6 credits) fall
ARCH4075 COLOR RELATIONSHIPS
This course introduces students to color theory. Through readings and exercises, students develop an understanding of how color relationships affect or perceptions of color. Works and writings by many artists are studied, with particular focus on the work of twentieth-century abstract expressionist painter and teacher Hans Hofmann. Using acrylic paint, students do a series of formal color exercises and painting projects throughout the semester, with a painting as the semester's final project. (4 credits) spring
ARCH4080 TIME, MEMORY + SILENCE: SEARCHING FOR THE SACRED IN ARCHITECTURE
This course explores how works of architecture function not only as physical forms but also as vessels of memory and emotion. It broadens the notion of sacredness beyond places of worship and rituals to include spaces of remembrance, the natural landscape, the home, and acts of service, while exploring how architectural elements such as light, scale, materiality, color, and texture contribute to the atmospheric character of a space. Through the study of architectural precedents, students analyze how built environments—whether explicitly sacred or secular—anchor themselves in a particular place, time, and cultural context, while simultaneously evoking a sense of timelessness or universality. These precedents, both enduring and ephemeral, encourage students to consider how fleeting spatial experiences can leave an indelible mark on human consciousness, shaping the way we perceive and interpret the world. (4 credit) spring
ARCH4100 CONTEXT ANALYSIS
As an integral component of the Berlin Study Abroad program, this course is based on the exploration of a number of contemporary and historic buildings by prior research and on-site study during travels to European cities. Students will explore a range of selected projects in two of more cities traveled to during the term. to understand their design and the culture and context that influence the architects and their work. Projects will be explored and analyzed by online research, on-site observations and documentation. (4 credits) fall, spring
ARCH5500 STUDIO 08
This studio course proposes design topics grounded in a research agenda that informs the design process. The range and scale of projects vary; students initiate a single original design project. Prerequisites: ARCH3500 (6 credits) spring
ARCH7000 GRADUATE FOUNDATION STUDIO 01
This studio for students in the three-year Master of Architecture program addresses graduate-level design topics. (6 credits) fall
ARCH7250 GRADUATE HISTORY THEORY LECTURE
This lecture course surveys world architecture, urbanism and landscapes from the ancient world through roughly 1600 CE. Lectures shall discuss architecture as a form of cultural expression and be presented in relation to artistic, political, religious, scientific, technological, and social developments. (4 credits) fall
ARCH7300 BUILDING MATTERS
This lecture-and workshop-based course surveys common construction materials and their properties, as well as their use in simple and hybrid systems of assembly. Particular attention is devoted to wood, steel, and masonry systems. This course also introduces students to structural principles guiding vernacular construction, principles of building siting and orientation, and passive environmental building strategies. This course is cross-listed with ARCH2200. Corequisite: ARCH7000 (4 credits) fall
ARCH7325 SPACE, SKIN, AND SURFACE
This history and theory-based seminar examines the operational principles of displaying objects and actions through architecture, with a focus on the framework of space, skin, and surface. Mechanisms of display are not only relevant for sharing cultural production (exhibiting artwork, housing performances, and installations), but are essential for commerce (displaying goods and services), marketing, and politics. The seminar analyzes the tensions between all three elements (space, skin, and surface), concentrating on displaying actions, objects, meaning, and the elements' real and virtual conditions. It also explores changing characteristics of “the architecture of display” through relevant texts, projects, and sites, examining and expanding contemporary discourse. (4 credits) spring
ARCH7350 2D + 3D MEDIA & PROCESSES
Requirement for incoming 3 year graduate students. The course introduces and applies fundamental manual drawing techniques and logics essential to the development of spatial and critical thinking skill sets and practice as well as digital 2D and 3D translations. (4 credits) fall
ARCH7375 AFFORDABLE HOUSING | SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
This seminar focuses on the political, financial, social, and design forces that influence the production of affordable housing, as well as the community agendas and development strategies that shape the outcome. Through readings and discussion, precedent studies, site visits, and guest speakers, students develop a detailed understanding of the principles of affordable housing development. Students also participate in the Affordable Housing Development Competition (AHDC), sponsored by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, as an integral part of this elective. (4 credits)
ARCH7500 GRADUATE FOUNDATIONS STUDIO 02
This studio focuses on techniques of visualization and representation (freehand drawing skills and model-making) as they pertain to beginning design. Students continue to develop fundamental design skills through orthographic drawing (plan, section and elevation), perspective drawing, model-making and diagramming. Fundamental digital skills are explored. General concepts of space, form, material and structure are investigated by using techniques in architectural representation and visualization in a series of design problems. Prerequisite: ARCH7000 (6 credits) spring
ARCH7550 GRADUATE HISTORY THEORY SEMINAR
This seminar builds on core themes and topics introduced in the Graduate History Theory Lecture, surveying world architecture, urbanism and landscapes from roughly 1600 CE to present. Graduate students concentrate on focused research and themes, critical writing and research at the graduate level is emphasized. Required for three year graduate students. Prerequisites: ARCH7250(4 credits)
ARCH7600 ENERGY AND RESOURCES IN ARCHITECTURE
This lecture and workshop-based course focuses on architectural methods for achieving visual, thermal and acoustical comfort in buildings using primarily non-mechanical means: climate, form, orientation, materials, and structure. Students will learn to analyze energy phenomena and understand energetic implications of a range of design strategies. Principles of sustainable resource management will be introduced. This course is cross-listed with ARCH2700. (4 credits) spring
ARCH7650 RACE, SEGREGATION & URBAN DEVELOPMENT
This urban history-theory seminar examines critical topics in the social analysis of American urban sites by exploring methods from historical and social theories and interrogating the construction of race and ethnicity in American cities. Course assignments encourage students to form their own theoretical, historical, or critical inquiry, and to question its applications in a spatial design or urbanist context. (4 credits)
ARCH7675 THE CLIMATE - RESPONSIVE BUILDING
Global climate change is an increasingly pressing concern for engineers and designers. Buildings are responsible for a large percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions and other toxins that pollute our environment and create ecological crises of increasing severity. The effects of buildings are greater than transportation, agriculture, and other well-known impacts. This course is an exploration of climate-responsive design strategies, ecologically sensitive material choices, advanced building envelope design, equipment efficiencies, and renewable resources that will ameliorate those environmental impacts. (3 credits) summer
ARCH7700 DESIGN IN THE CONTEXT OF MIGRATION
Global migration trends coupled with rapid urbanization are creating stresses to urban environments in the western world while hampering the progress of Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations for cities in the developing world. This seminar explores the drivers of migration and the resulting inequities faced by migrants due to the loss of cultural and social infrastructure and examines the role that design professionals play in addressing social justice. Students analyze and evaluate existing and new strategies for providing housing and community hubs (e.g., green space, libraries, community spaces that support youths at risk) for migrant populations, employing urban and architectural design solutions to bridge between established communities and refugees and asylum-seekers. (4 credits)
ARCH7750 RESTORATIVE COMMUNITY DESIGN
This graduate seminar examines the role of architecture and design in addressing spatial inequalities in our built environment. Restorative community design is an innovative field situated at the intersection of three established theoretical discourses: participatory design, restorative justice, and spatial opportunity. Participatory design advocates for integrating people's voices into design processes, while restorative justice promotes a sense of community togetherness to address spatial inequalities and heal harmful polarizations. Lastly, spatial opportunity synthesizes design techniques to support communities’ Right to the City. The seminar includes readings, lectures and discussions, and case study analyses from a global context. (4 credits)
ARCH7800 GRADUATE SPECIAL TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURE
Presents topics that are not covered by existing courses and are likely to change from semester to semester. Refer to the Class Schedule for a specific semester for details of special topics course offerings. (1 - 4 Credits)
ARCH7900 PARTICIPATORY PRACTICE
Architecture and design are tools to reimagine the ways in which we occupy the built urban environment. Design processes and decision-making, however, frequently leave out the needs and aspirations of real communities. This course is a project-based seminar workshop that examines design mechanisms for a diverse collection of needs, experiences, beliefs, values, and desires. Applied research methodologies promote different degrees of participation, ranging from basic consultation to community empowerment. While discussing the role of architecture and design in social practices, the course provides practical tools for integrating community voices into design processes, with the goal of collaboratively envisioning and creating new places. (4 credits) fall
ARCH7910 PRINCIPLES OF PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGN
This course introduces students to the principles of passive house design. Students learn these low-energy building design principles through designing a single-family house following the Passive House Institute of US (Phius) design protocols. Students are introduced to the energy-modeling software used for passive house evaluation. At the end of the course, students take final exams that, when passed, give them Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) accreditation from Phius.(4 credits)
ARCH8000 ADVANCED GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO 01
This design course focuses on the development of highly detailed design proposals, integrating knowledge of building materials and systems within the framework of well-articulated and advanced design intentions. (6 credits) fall
ARCH8250 PASSIVE AND ACTIVE SYSTEMS
This lecture and workshop-based course focuses on architectural methods for achieving visual and thermal comfort in buildings using both passive and active systems. Lectures and assignments address lighting, thermal optimization, fire safety, water and waste, and envelope systems in buildings. This course emphasizes the integration of spatial, visual, and environmental performance aspects of building systems in medium-to-large-scale structures, where such systems may be a determinant of architectural form. Innovative environmental solutions will be illustrated throughout the course. This course is cross-listed with ARCH3200. (4 credits) fall
ARCH8300 APPLIED RESEARCH & DESIGN 01
Focus on advanced studies Research & Design methodologies through a series of explorative projects & presentations. Methodologies & Strategies are explored so as to instill a clear understanding of advanced research at the graduate level. (4 credits) fall
ARCH8400 STRUCTURES 01
In this course students learn how loads are applied and distributed, and how to analyze funicular structures, columns, beams and trusses. Both the method of joints and the method of sections are used, Basic principles of strength of materials, structural mechanics, and structural analysis are presented. (4 credits) fall
ARCH8500 ADVANCED GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO 02
This design course focuses on the development of highly detailed design proposals, integrating knowledge of building materials and systems within the framework of well-articulated and advanced design intentions. Prerequisite: ARCH8000 (6 credits) spring
ARCH8650 FABRICATION METHODS
With a focus on making as a means of applied research, graduate students work with both manual + digital fabrication tools, techniques and fabrication methodologies. Design and Applied Research will range in scale and scope from the making of artifacts to prototyping to one to one scale manufacturing. (4 credits) spring
ARCH8700 APPLIED RESEARCH & DESIGN 02
Applied Research & Design 02 focuses on visual methodologies through a series of explorative projects & presentations. Visual research methodologies & strategies are introduced through a series of case studies and precedents. Graduate level criteria & expectation are to be met. Prerequisite: ARCH8300 (4 credits) spring
ARCH8750 CONCENTRATION STUDIES
Concentration Studies offers topics pertinent to Urbanism, Emerging Technologies or Adaptive Interventions with an emphasis on relevant models of research within the selected discipline of the concentration. Contemporary issues in the field are addressed through readings, discussions, analysis, writing and projects. Prerequisite: ARCH7000 (4 credits) fall, spring
ARCH8800 STRUCTURES 02
In this course students learn the structural properties of major construction materials and learn to design beams, slabs, columns, and foundations in wood, steel and concrete. Topics include building codes and specifications, loads on structural systems, grids and pattern layouts and soils and foundations. Prerequisite: ARCH8400 (4 credits) spring
ARCH8820 THEORIES OF PRACTICE
Over the past decades, architects have engaged a wide range of approaches to conceiving and making buildings, or more aptly, to forming the theories behind their practice of architecture. The seminar will study and critique architects whose work illustrates a broad spectrum of contemporary outlooks. Themes will be introduced relating to the transformation of the discipline of architecture—from drawing to materials to site strategies and other philosophical approaches. These themes will be investigated through case studies of modernist, postmodern, and contemporary architects in comparison to historically important architectural texts and treatises. The seminar will emphasize critical thinking and analytical skills through extensive readings, in-depth seminar discussions, and student presentations. It will help students formulate and critique methods—graphic, verbal, and written—to present theories of their own as they embark on their own careers in practice. (4 credits) spring
ARCH9000 GLOBAL RESEARCH STUDIO
The studio addresses research topics and sites from a global perspective. Students frame an issue within a faculty-directed research and design agenda. During a ten-day travel period, students conduct site research and engage with on-site organizations and/or communities. Upon, return, students generate design criteria and conduct design tests through an iterative process. (6 credits) fall
ARCH9200 METHODS OF HISTORY, THEORY & CRITICISM
This course examines the theoretical underpinnings and methodologies pertinent to research in architecture. Students come to understand how researchers conduct architectural research, with the goal of preparing their own thesis agendas. Corequisite: ARCH9300 (4 credits) fall
ARCH9300 DESIGN RESEARCH
Students prepare the groundwork for their thesis project through research and development of an architectural program, site analysis, and design methods that support an original design project in ARCH9500. (4 credits) fall
ARCH9500 THESIS STUDIO
ARCH9600 PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES
A comprehensive study of architectural practice, including project management, financial planning, organizational structure, scheduling, marketing, legal issues, and the roles and responsibilities of design professionals. Prerequisite: M.Arch or senior status in the B.S. Architecture program (4 credits)
ARCH9700 THESIS SEMINAR
This course provides a supportive context within which a student establishes the foundational understandings, develops the methodological frameworks, and tests the conceptual directions with the greatest promise of advancing the work of the graduate design thesis. This course expands the design research curriculum of prior semesters and supports the ongoing development and production of a thesis publication in coordination with the work of the Thesis Studio. Prerequisites: ARCH9300 and Corequisite ARCH9500. (4 credits) spring