Architecture (ARCH)

Courses

ARCH 1101. ACADEMIC SUCCESS SKILLS IN ARCHITECTURE. 1 Hour.

This is a required course intended to establish a solid overview of the School of Architecture and the architecture program for all first semester UTA students who intend to declare as an architecture major. Topics for the class include: critical thinking, presentation techniques, internships, attendance of exhibitions and lectures, navigating the advising process, portfolio review and techniques, and using the library and other university resource sources. Other topics may also be discussed. The course be taken only once for credit.

ARCH 1191. CONFERENCE COURSE. 1 Hour.

Independent study guided by an instructor on a regular basis. May be repeated for credit. Permission of the instructor and architecture undergraduate advisor required. Restricted to architecture-intended majors.

ARCH 1301. INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. 3 Hours.

This course introduces design disciplines, theories, movements, and factors that influence the built environment. Spanning a range of scales-from individual objects to entire territories-students will explore how architecture and its related fields both shape and reflect society. Emphasis is placed on understanding how cultural, political, economic, technological, and environmental forces inform the design and experience of the built environment. The course serves as a foundation for developing a critical framework for engaging with architecture and its broader contexts. Prerequisites: Department consent. Corequisites: ARCH 1501.

ARCH 1302. HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN I: FOUNDATIONS. 3 Hours.

This course surveys major developments in global architecture from prehistory through 1750, emphasizing the material, cultural, and social contexts that shape design. Students will engage critically with key buildings, sites, and historical texts to analyze how architecture and interior design ideas were developed, transmitted, and adapted across cultures. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 1301 and ARCH 1501 Corequisite: ARCH 1502.

ARCH 1341. DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS I. 3 Hours.

Design Communications I is an introduction course to analog and digital representation with emphasis on notational techniques of freehand drawing, proportioning strategies, and analysis. Students will also be exposed to physical and digital model-making, craftsmanship, file organization, orthographic and axonometric delineation, line weights, and digital documentation. Prerequisite: Restricted to Architecture-Intended, ARCH_UNIV, Interior Design-Intended and INTD_UNIV majors.

ARCH 1342. DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS I. 3 Hours.

Emphasis on concept development, problem identification and design fundamentals as applied to interior design. Development of design solutions based on information gathering, programming, and exploration of three-dimensional spatial relationships. Basics of interior construction, building components, and professional standards are introduced. Elements of color, light, and materials are explored through design exercises and digital communication strategies. Prerequisites: "C" or better in ARCH 1301, INTD 1341. Restricted to Interior Design-Intended, INTD_UNIV, Architecture-Intended, and ARCH_UNIV majors.

ARCH 1501. DESIGN STUDIO I: DRAWING + COMMUNICATION. 5 Hours.

Design Studio I explores spatial relationships through a variety of visual delineation and design storytelling techniques. This course emphasizes drawing and communication as vehicles for design inquiry. Prerequisite: Restricted to Architecture-Intended, ARCH_UNIV majors. Corequisite: ARCH 1301.

ARCH 1502. DESIGN STUDIO II: SPACE + FORM. 5 Hours.

Design Studio II introduces principles of space, form, and scale through experimental representation and visual narrative. This course emphasizes space and form as experiential elements that guide design decisions. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 1501. Restricted to Architecture-Intended and ARCH_UNIV majors. Corequisite: ARCH 1302.

ARCH 2300. MASTERWORKS OF WESTERN ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

Selected architectural complexes as representative of various periods of Western culture. Stresses cultural relevance rather than stylistic analysis. Intended as humanities elective for non-architecture majors.

ARCH 2303. HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE II: MODERNITY, MODERNISM AND CRISIS. 3 Hours.

This course surveys major developments in global architecture from 1750 to the end of the twentieth century, a period shaped by the rise of modern democracy, industrialization, and shifting cultural values. Lectures and readings frame modernity as a historical condition that affects the built environment, and modernism as a broad range of artistic and architectural responses, highlighting both Western and non-Western contexts. The course traces the emergence of modern architecture, its diverse trajectories worldwide, and the crises-social, cultural, and environmental-that have challenged its ideals. Prerequisites: "C" or better in ARCH 1302 and ARCH 2503. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisites: ARCH 2504.

ARCH 2304. HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN II. 3 Hours.

A global survey of architecture emphasizing the material and cultural context for design. Focused on the period from 1750 to the present. Prerequisites: "C" or better in ARCH 1301, ARCH 1341, ARCH 1342 or INTD 1342, and ARCH 2303. Sophomore standing in the program. Restricted to Architecture-intended and Interior Design-intended majors.

ARCH 2321. TECTONICS I: MATERIALS + MAKING. 3 Hours.

This course explores the properties, behaviors, and evolving applications of various building materials, construction systems, and fabrication processes through an emphasis on their role in historic, contemporary, and future architectural practice. Students will gain an understanding materiality through technical, aesthetic, and ethical lenses, with a focus on sustainability and ecological thinking. By integrating material experimentation with design thinking, the course fosters informed decision-making in architectural construction systems. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 1302 and ARCH 1502. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisite: ARCH 2503.

ARCH 2341. DESIGN COMMUNICATION FOR ENGINEERS. 3 Hours.

This course introduces engineering students to design communication skills. Content includes sketching, drawing, graphic layout, diagramming and an introduction to orthographic projections and perspectives. Media will be both analog and digital. Digital tools may include image processing software, graphic design software and computer aided design (CAD) software. Prerequisite: Restricted to AREN students.

ARCH 2391. TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

Selected topics in concepts, philosophy, and models of architecture and allied arts of design. Prerequisite: Department Consent.

ARCH 2503. DESIGN STUDIO III: ELEMENTS + MATERIALITY. 5 Hours.

Design Studio III creates, analyzes, and tests spatial concepts through hands-on making and exploratory drawing techniques. This course emphasizes elements and materiality as integral to the process of discovery, where making and drawing combine to investigate spatial ideas and conceptual development. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 1501 and ARCH 1502. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisite: ARCH 2321.

ARCH 2504. DESIGN STUDIO IV: ASSEMBLY + EVENT. 5 Hours.

Design Studio IV examines program and its relationship to form, materiality, and site through iterative design processes. This course emphasizes assembly and event as key components in shaping dynamic and meaningful architectural experiences. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 1501, ARCH 1502, and ARCH 2503. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisite: ARCH 2303.

ARCH 2551. BASIC DESIGN AND DRAWING I. 5 Hours.

Basic Design and Drawing I course, the first design studio in the Basic Studies Foundation, is an introduction to architectural design, basic design theory and methodologies relating to spatial abstractions and forms. The course focuses on heuristic thinking with an emphasis on process and making. Two- and three-dimensional studio exercises develop a sensibility to design fundamentals, architectural vocabulary and design decision based on analysis and critique towards process-based learning strategies. As a continuation to the first-year courses, the role of design communications is reiterated in drawing exercises focusing on form, color theory, texture, and spatial determinants, historical precedence, sketching, orthographic projection and modeling. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 1342 or INTD 1342, credit or concurrent enrollment in ARCH 2303. Sophomore standing in the program. Restricted to Architecture-intended, ARCH_UNIV, Interior Design-intended, and INTD_UNIV majors.

ARCH 3304. HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE III: ANALYSIS OF BUILDINGS, DRAWINGS AND TEXTS. 3 Hours.

This course examines key agendas and approaches to the creation and interpretation of 20th- and 21st-century architecture through in-depth analysis of a select number of case studies. Seminal works and texts serve as the primary focus, supported by references to significant alternative precedents. Emphasis is placed on close analysis of buildings, drawings, and texts as primary vehicles of inquiry, complemented by insights drawn from literature, art, philosophy, film, and other critical media. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 1302 and ARCH 2303. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisite: ARCH 3506.

ARCH 3322. TECTONICS II: FORCES. 3 Hours.

This course provides foundational knowledge of structural forces critical to understanding and designing architectural assemblies. Students are introduced to key concepts such as loads, moments, and equilibrium, with an emphasis on their application to structural building systems. By analyzing how materials and components behave under tension, compression, bending, and buckling, students develop the skills necessary to assess and design effective load-bearing structures in architecture. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 2321 and ARCH 2504. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisite: ARCH 3325 and ARCH 3505.

ARCH 3323. CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS. 3 Hours.

This course discusses the nature of materials and structural concepts to be used in the construction process. The principles and fundamentals of building construction materials and methods is evaluated, and the project development process and construction delivery systems are introduced. The course provides an understanding of building standards and codes; the impact of materials and buildings on the environment and human health, safety, and welfare; the material properties including structural properties of materials as well as performance properties and the major materials and construction systems such as light wood frame, mass timber, and steel and concrete frame construction. Prerequisite: ARCH 2552. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 3324. STRUCTURES I. 3 Hours.

This course is the foundation for all advanced structures courses in the undergraduate and graduate architecture programs. In an engineering curriculum, this course is offered in two separate courses referred to as: (a) Statics and (b) Strength of Materials, each of one-semester duration. the present course capsules the information yet is rigorous enough and covers all important topics in the two engineering courses including equilibrium of particles and rigid bodies, analysis of important structural load bearing items such as cables, beams and Trusses, Definition of Stress and strain and their role in structural design, cross-sectional properties of structural members and analysis of strength for the beams. Prerequisite: ARCH 3323, PHYS 1441 or PHYS 1443, MATH 1327 or MATH 1426. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 3325. TECTONICS III: ARCHITECTURE + THE ENVIRONMENT. 3 Hours.

This course examines the dynamic relationship between the built environment and natural systems through the lens of sustainability, ecology, and systems thinking. Students explore environmental influences on architecture at the city, street, and building site scales, with emphasis on passive and active strategies such as solar orientation, heating/cooling, ventilation, and site planning. Topics will be explored through case studies, spatial visualizations, and an analysis of relevant works and texts. Prerequisites: "C" or better in ARCH 2321 and ARCH 2504. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisites: ARCH 3322.

ARCH 3336. STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS FOR ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERS. 3 Hours.

This course covers the engineering design of various concrete, steel and masonry structural systems used in the construction of buildings. Building types vary from single-story commercial buildings to low-rise and high-rise buildings. Current building codes and project examples are examined from a fundamental structural engineering perspective, in which the rationale for the structural system is analyzed, calculations performed, and systematic construction design processes are developed for gravity loads and lateral loads from start to completion of each project. The project examples culminate with a detailed cost analysis based on current industry trends. Prerequisite: Restricted to CE_AENUCOL, CE_ARENINT, CE_ARENBS, and CE_AREPROB majors.

ARCH 3343. ARCHITECTURE COMPUTER GRAPHICS (DESIGN COMMUNICATION III). 3 Hours.

An advanced course to develop visual sensitivity and awareness of digital techniques to enable the student to study design ideas and present those ideas in the various design disciplines. Emphasis on the relationship of computer graphics with the design process. This course is offered as ARCH 3343 and INTD 2343, credit will only be granted once. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 3357. DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES - BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING FOR ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS. 3 Hours.

Introduction to Building Information Modeling (BIM); discussions of the roles and impacts of BIM in the design process, energy assessment, and facility management. The course includes creating building elements such as walls, windows, doors, roof, ceiling, stairs, ramp, and structural and MEP systems. Course provides an overview of BIM applications such as daylight and energy analysis. Prerequisite: AREN 2352. Restricted to CE_AENUCOL, CE_ARENINT, CE_ARENBS, and CE_AREPROB majors.

ARCH 3361. ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENT. 3 Hours.

An overview of sustainable design integrated with natural resource conservation. Prerequisite: ARCH 2552. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 3364. SITE DESIGN. 3 Hours.

The related site design process includes site planning pertaining to land use, case studies, siting of structures, codes, and topography. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 3505. DESIGN STUDIO V: PLACE + GROUND. 5 Hours.

Design Studio V investigates how architecture responds to and shapes the identity of place through contextual design interventions. This course emphasizes place and ground, situating design within the complex social, cultural, and environmental dimensions of the site. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 1501, ARCH 1502, ARCH 2503, and ARCH 2504. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisite: ARCH 3322 and ARCH 3325.

ARCH 3506. DESIGN STUDIO VI: SYSTEMS + CITIES. 5 Hours.

Design Studio VI integrates social, cultural, environmental, and spatial systems into a cohesive urban architecture proposal. This course emphasizes systems and cities with a strong focus on conceptual clarity and technical project development. Prerequisites: "C" or better in ARCH 1501, ARCH 1502, ARCH 2503, ARCH 2504, and ARCH 3505. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisites: ARCH 3304.

ARCH 3551. BASIC DESIGN FOR ENGINEERS. 5 Hours.

This course is an introduction to design communication (verbal and graphic), the process of design, architectural principles and the process of navigating the relationship between architectural design and engineering. Precedent studies introduce students to Architecture and two- and three-dimensional studio exercises develop a sensibility to design fundamentals and vocabulary. Prerequisite: ARCH 1301 and ARCH 2341 and restricted to AREN students.

ARCH 3553. DESIGN STUDIO: ARCHITECTURE I. 5 Hours.

The reiteration of basic design principles, formal ordering systems and spatial concepts toward the synthesis of simple building types, with application of materials, introduction of structural systems, rudimentary building systems, limited program, with preliminary understanding of site design, and environmental issues. Projects will investigate small scale institutional, civic, or cultural buildings set in cities of historical significance that respond directly to their context. Research and analysis of influential precedent buildings and cities, whether historical or contemporary will inform the design process and methodologies. Credit will be given for only one of ARCH 3553 or INTD 3553. Prerequisite: ARCH 2552 or INTD 2552. Credit or concurrent enrollment in ARCH 3323 and ARCH 3343 or ARCH 3364. Junior standing in the program. Restricted to Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 3554. DESIGN STUDIO: ARCHITECTURE II. 5 Hours.

A continuation of ARCH 3553 with an increased complexity and scale of projects which address buildings within urban contexts. Projects will incorporate design theory with technical, site and structural considerations. Research of local specifics as design imperatives will inform building and site integration, which respond to context. Projects will investigate and subsequently integrate rudimentary building systems including those for formal ordering, spatial organization, structural support, materiality, building assembly, envelopes, building services, life safety, and circulation, with a particular attention towards sustainability, accessibility, efficiency, and code compliance. Design communication will demonstrate understanding of project components by developing an encompassing set of orthographic projections Three dimensional models will test and communicate spatial intentions relating to the context addressing, proportion, massing, materiality, environment, and project character. Prerequisite: ARCH 3323, ARCH 3553, and ARCH 3343 or ARCH 3364. Credit or concurrent enrollment in ARCH 3324 and ARCH 3343 and ARCH 3364. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 3595. SELECTED TOPICS ARCHITECTURE. 5 Hours.

A transitional studio course to explore and present selected topics in architecture and design. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Prerequisite: Department consent. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture majors.

ARCH 4191. CONFERENCE COURSE. 1 Hour.

Independent study guided by an instructor on a regular basis. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor or the Architecture Undergraduate Advisor.

ARCH 4305. THE CITY OF ROME. 3 Hours.

History, topography, and monuments of the city of Rome and its environs from its legendary founding in 753 B.C. until the 20th Century. Urban form and architecture will be inspected in context of contemporaneous culture, with special emphasis on imperial and papal Rome. Prerequisite: Department consent. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design Majors.

ARCH 4306. URBAN DESIGN THEORY. 3 Hours.

Design theory and its application to the urban scale, as applied to historical and contemporary examples. Prerequisite: ARCH 2552. Department consent. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4307. THE LIFE OF CITIES. 3 Hours.

A look at a series of world cities by situating their architectural context, with a particular focus on the impact of 20th century modernism and postmodernism on city fabric. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 and ARCH 2304 and Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors, or Department consent.

ARCH 4309. MUSEUMS: HISTORY, CULTURE, DESIGN. 3 Hours.

This course investigates the historical and cultural forces driving the design of museums in the 19th and 20th centuries with special attention to the development of a diverse range of new museum types beyond traditional art and natural science museums. Field trips to local museum sites are required. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 and ARCH 2304, junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors, or Department consent.

ARCH 4310. SKYSCRAPER HISTORIES. 3 Hours.

This course considers the history of the skyscraper from multiple perspectives, seeking consensus about what a skyscraper really is. This course will allow students to begin to develop their skills in reading, writing, critical thinking, visual memory, and visual analysis using the history of architecture as a medium. Students will also develop basic research skills using primary sources to document architecture. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 and ARCH 2304, junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors, or Department consent.

ARCH 4311. TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURAL THEORY. 3 Hours.

Selected topics in concepts, philosophy, and models of architecture and allied arts of design with specific application to 20th Century problems. May be repeated for credit as specific topics vary. Prerequisites: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4312. WHAT MAKES A CITY: CRITICAL ISSUES IN ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING, AND URBAN DESIGN. 3 Hours.

This class is a critical exploration of the physical environment of the city, looking at a range of issues--mobility, housing, landscape, gentrification, sustainability, health-to understand how the built world shapes the way we live every day. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4313. THE ARCHITECT IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. 3 Hours.

Readings on the Culture of Architecture The focus of this course is to examine this social construct in the belief that critical self-reflection can assist in improving success within it. This examination will be conducted through readings in a collection of publications both historical and contemporary that offer critical insight into the professional/social culture of architects. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4314. HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION. 3 Hours.

Concepts and implementation of the restoration and preservation of historic structures and places, including archaeological, bibliographic, legislative, institutional, and physical parameters to the retention and adaptive re-use of significant architecture. This course is offered as ARCH 4314 and INTD 4314; credit will be granted only once. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4315. TOPICS IN THE HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN. 3 Hours.

Selected topics in architecture and the allied arts of design. Some recent topics include: Architecture of Texas, The Life of Cities, History of Architecture Theory, Developing World Slum Housing, Architecture and Politics, and Contemporary Architecture. Certain topics may be offered every second or third year. The course may be repeated up to four times as the topics change. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 and ARCH 2304, junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors, or Department consent.

ARCH 4316. MODERN ARCHITECTURE I. 3 Hours.

Development of 20th Century architecture from the origins of the modern movement in the 1890s until its diffusion in Europe and America in the 1930s. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors, or Department consent.

ARCH 4317. MODERN ARCHITECTURE II. 3 Hours.

Development of 20th Century architecture from the diffusion of modernism in the 1930s to the present day. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors, or Department consent.

ARCH 4318. ARCHITECTURE ON SCREEN. 3 Hours.

How do the things we watch shape our perceptions of architecture and the city? How do the environments in film and on television frame our vision, shape character, and convey themes? How are architects and other design professionals portrayed? What do they suggest about changes in the physical and technological world in which we live? This course explores those questions and others through screen history, from the earliest films to contemporary television and digital productions. Themes will include the dystopian city, suburbia, the evolving depiction of modernism, architecture as documentary subject, and the history of the city on screen. Students will explore these questions and will have to make their own short films. May be repeated for credit as specific topics vary. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4319. HOUSING PROTOTYPES: 1920s TO PRESENT. 3 Hours.

An extensive investigation of the many states of housing that architects and educators have encountered in the last 100 years. The course is organized through introduction, research, analysis, and case study of various housing typologies, unit design principles, density concerns, site, relationship of inside and outside, zoning and building codes, and new emerging housing building types. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 and ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4320. PERFORMANCE-BASED DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

An overview of Performance-Based Building Design (PBBD) in architecture and how clients' expectations are translated into performance requirements, how we describe performance objectives, how we define performance indicators, and finally, how we can quantify and assess building performance. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4322. ARCHITECTURE + POLITICS. 3 Hours.

This course examines how notions of national identity are expressed in parliament buildings and other important buildings of state. Throughout the course, questions about what constitutes national identity, capital cities, and how architecture is used as a manifestation of these political aspects will be addressed. Buildings within nations or subnational regions across six continents are examined, giving students a global understanding of these issues. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors, or Department consent.

ARCH 4325. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS I. 3 Hours.

Acoustics and illumination and their significance in the total design. Prerequisite: PHYS 1442. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4326. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS II. 3 Hours.

Climate controls, mechanical and electrical systems, and their significance in the total design. Prerequisite: ARCH 4325 or AREN 3331. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture, Interior Design, and Architectural Engineering majors.

ARCH 4327. TECTONICS IV: RESILIENT SYSTEMS. 3 Hours.

This course examines how societal, cultural, environmental, and economic values shape-and are shaped by-the design and construction of buildings, landscapes, and cities. Using a systems-based approach, students will explore resilience in the built environment through in-depth case studies, critical texts, media, and perspectives from leading practitioners. Emphasis is placed on resiliency, tectonics, material systems, and fabrication processes that investigate how the act of making reflects and influences broader architectural design trajectories and discourse. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 3322, ARCH 3325 and ARCH 3506. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisite: ARCH 4507.

ARCH 4329. TOPICS IN COMPUTERS AND DESIGN. 3 Hours.

Selected topics in the range and potential of digital computer applications in the design professions. May be repeated for credit as specific topics vary. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4332. ENERGY USE AND CONSERVATION IN ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

Basic concepts of the efficient use and conservation of energy related to architectural design principles. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4338. CODES AND REGULATIONS. 3 Hours.

A study of accessibility, building and energy codes and related regulations including the architects' responsibility for compliance. This course is offered as ARCH 4338 and INTD 3338; credit will be granted only once. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4339. DIGITAL FABRICATION METHODOLOGY. 3 Hours.

The history, theory, and methodology framing the discourse for parametric design and digital fabrication with an emphasis on digital fabrication techniques and introduction to parametric modeling software. Prerequisites: Junior standing in program. Open to ARCH and INTD majors.

ARCH 4340. MODERN + CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE IN MEXICO. 3 Hours.

This course examines notions of Mexican national identity as expressed through architecture. Part 1 looks at late 19th and early 20th century architecture during the Porfiriato, as well as that occurring shortly after the Mexican Revolution of 1910-20, including the critical role that cement played. Part 2 considers how the so-called First Generation of architects adapted and transformed Modernism in Mexico. Part 3 examines how the Second and Third Generations moved beyond Modernism, including. The course concludes with Mexico's "First Generation" of women architects as issues of gender are addressed. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors, or Department consent.

ARCH 4341. NOTATIONAL DRAWING. 3 Hours.

Seminar concerned with analytical drawing techniques and how to use the sketchbook as a tool and process for architectural production. Emphasis will be on cultivating drawing strategies that will heighten the ability to make observations through first-hand experience and record them with the correct conventions in order to enable recovery for future use in architectural design. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4344. CONCEPTUAL DRAWING. 3 Hours.

A seminar to explore the aspects of conceptual drawing for the architect and the relationship of design ideas in the drawing process. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4345. DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION. 3 Hours.

A workshop exploring video cartography using photography, animation, motion graphics and digital video. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4346. CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS. 3 Hours.

The techniques of building construction, the communication of technical information, and the process of preparing contract drawings for construction. Prerequisite: ARCH 3343. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4347. DIGITAL TECTONICS & PROTOTYPING. 3 Hours.

The use of digital technology in the architectural design process focusing on the research and fabrication of full-scale production of prototypes. ARCH 4339 Digital Fabrication Methodology is highly recommended. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4348. ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY. 3 Hours.

Basic photography for architects. The use of photography as an investigative and presentation device in architecture. Emphasis on composition and black and white technique. Prerequisite: ARCH 2552. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4349. PORTFOLIO DESIGN. 3 Hours.

Principles and techniques of producing an architectural/interior design portfolio and resume including graphic design, layout, typography, grid systems, model photography as well as use of layout and photographic software. Prerequisite: ARCH 3553, ARCH 3554. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4350. ARCHITECTURE, ENGAGEMENT + COMMUNITY POWER. 3 Hours.

Architecture, Engagement and Community Power will unpack the role of the citizen architect. It will examine participatory design processes that center community voice and shift existing power structures. In this country, constructed systems of oppression including racist practices, policies and financial systems have shaped the way our neighborhoods have developed. These acts have created inequities across communities that impact one's ability to thrive. Starting from the notion that all places are designed, and can therefore be undesigned, this course will explore the ways in which design processes can strengthen community power for marginalized communities. This course will encourage activism as an inherent quality in the development of an architect; encourage students to make connections between classroom learning and the larger community; require students to develop the skill to see and hear multiple voices; and encourage the development of visual, written, & oral communication tools. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4351. WILDERNESS: A CONDITION OF MIND. 3 Hours.

Changing conceptions of wilderness in Western thought, from ancestral prejudices to recent, revolutionary appreciation. Literary and visual documentation. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4352. HOUSING: FROM CAVES TO MANSIONS IN THE CLOUDS. 3 Hours.

This course examines the evolution of American urban settlements as they evolved from French, Spanish and English concepts of town-planning. The course begins with the Native American settlements in the American Southwest, particularly Mesa Verde and Hovenweep, followed by examination of the earliest European capital cities of Rome, Paris and London. Since the wholesale transplanting of European principles of town-planning traditions could not take root in the New World, distinctly American housing settlements evolved such as Savannah, Santa Fe, Taos and St. Augustine. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4353. HISTORY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

Development of landscape design from prehistory through 19th century with emphasis upon rural gardens and urban parks as representative of the social, cultural, and intellectual circumstances of the times and places in which they were created. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4354. CONVERGENCES: BETWEEN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

This course explores the convergences of artist methods of production with the processes of architectural practices. The course traces the work of leading filmmakers, both artistic and documentarian, whose professional leanings verge on the province of the architect. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4357. BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING & VISUALIZATION. 3 Hours.

To gain a working knowledge of Building Information Modeling software (Revit) and advanced 3D modeling software. This course is offered as ARCH 4357 and INTD 3357, credit will only be granted once. Prerequisite: ARCH 3343, INTD 2343, or INTD 3343; and Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4362. STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS IN BUILDINGS. 3 Hours.

An overview of various structural systems including those used in long-span and high-rise buildings. Numerical work limited to the explanation of relevant structural concepts. Prerequisite: ARCH 3324. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 4365. CATALYTIC MAPPING. 3 Hours.

An advanced theory elective course and workshop using the potential of mapping as a design, analytic and research mechanism for exploring complex contexts. Prerequisite: Junior standing in Architecture, Interior Design or permission of the advisor.

ARCH 4366. RADICAL URBANISM. 3 Hours.

An advanced theory course focused on the exposure to and critical analysis of some of the most radical, inspirational, and transformative urban design ideas and projects from Vitruvius to today. Prerequisite: Junior standing in Architecture, Interior Design or permission by the advisor.

ARCH 4367. HIGH PERFORMANCE FACADE SYSTEMS. 3 Hours.

Examines the role of the façade and building envelope as it relates to design, indoor comfort, energy and carbon usage, and overall performance through an exploration of materiality, assembly, and construction. The course also introduces the potential of generative technologies, smart materials, passive-active combinations, and integrated systems. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4368. GREEN DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION. 3 Hours.

Green building design, construction, and operation is an opportunity to reduce negative impacts on the environment, and the health and comfort of building occupants, thereby improving building performance. It provides cost savings to all tax-payers through improved human health and productivity, lower cost building operations, and resource efficiency. Green design and construction focuses on strategies and technologies to improve the energy efficiency and performance of buildings, and to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. The course emphasizes on different aspects of green building during all phases of a building's life-cycle, including design, construction, operation and decommissioning. All LEED categories are covered throughout the course and students get prepared to take LEED Green Associate exam by the end of the semester. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4369. TERRITORIAL STRATEGIES. 3 Hours.

Territorial Strategies focus on climate resilience of the built environment on the territorial scale. In Territorial Strategies, students explore how macro-level drivers of spatial (trans)formation impact micro-level strategies and actions in distinct climatic regions. Students apply a systems-thinking approach to map, diagram, model, draw, and visualize project outcomes, research findings, and data through various media. Prerequisite: Junior standing in Architecture, Interior Design, Sustainable Urban Design, or permission by the advisor.

ARCH 4371. FUTURE CITIES. 3 Hours.

Future Cities focus on climate resilience of the built environment on the urban scale. In Future Cities, students explore historical and contemporary concepts of ecological design and combine mitigative and adaptive strategies and actions for urban landscapes in the age of anthropogenic climate change. Students apply a participatory mixed-methods approach to map, diagram, model, draw, and visualize project outcomes, research findings, and data through various media. Prerequisite: Junior standing in Architecture, Interior Design, Sustainable Urban Design, or permission by the advisor.

ARCH 4372. ADAPTIVE TYPOLOGIES. 3 Hours.

Adaptive Typologies focus on climate resilience of the built environment on the architectural object scale. In Adaptive Typologies, students explore architectural objects, their characteristics, and their performative aspects as integrated parts of the urban ecosystem. Students analyze, transform, and develop hybrid typologies merging physical, digital, and biological concepts and apply a digital mixed-methods approach, utilizing analytical, representational, and generative tools. Prerequisite: Junior standing in Architecture, Interior Design, Sustainable Urban Design, or permission by the advisor.

ARCH 4377. SPATIAL [IN] JUSTICE. 3 Hours.

Through lectures and discussions, Spatial [in] Justice will provide students with historical perspectives on how American cities became segregated, the creation and lack of inclusivity of 'public space', and the architect's role within a socially engaged practice. The course will begin by studying key philosophies and theories of justice. Students will work with a community partner to produce a community engagement and development plan. They will research publicly available data and organize it into a package for the community and other stakeholders. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303, ARCH 2304. Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4382. URBAN DESIGN SEMINAR. 3 Hours.

The Seminar establishes a basic critical understanding, and a critique of urban design by reviewing its past, present and the future as an academic field and an area of practice. The seminar introduces urban design as a transdisciplinary specialization and professional endeavor that encompasses landscape architecture, architecture, city planning, and real estate to shape and influence the built environment primarily within urban context. Students actively present and lead informed discussions on topics such as urban form, urban landscapes, land-use patterns, population density, circulation, legibility, public art, environmental behavior and urban/rural interchange. Field trips are required. Prerequisite: C or better in UDES 4551, ARCH 3554, or approved equivalent. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course(s) GPA of 2.8. Department consent.

ARCH 4391. CONFERENCE COURSE. 3 Hours.

Independent study guided by an instructor on a regular basis. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor or the Architecture Undergraduate Advisor.

ARCH 4395. SELECTED TOPICS ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

Studio and lecture courses to explore and present selected topics in architecture and design. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Prerequisite: Junior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture and Interior Design majors.

ARCH 4507. DESIGN STUDIO VII: ENVIRONMENT + CULTURE. 5 Hours.

Design Studio VII embeds interdependent ecological, cultural, and technological systems within architectural explorations through a rigorous design inquiry process. This course emphasizes environment and culture as central drivers of design discourse. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 1501, ARCH 1502, ARCH 2503, ARCH 2504, ARCH 3505 and ARCH 3506. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required. Corequisite: ARCH 4327.

ARCH 4508. DESIGN STUDIO VIII: AGENCY + RESILIENCE. 5 Hours.

Design Studio VIII explores complex contemporary design challenges relevant to our rapidly changing world through experimental propositions that catalyze critical discourse. This course emphasizes agency and resilience as key frameworks for engaging with uncertainty and transformation. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 1501, ARCH 1502, ARCH 2503, ARCH 2504, ARCH 3505, ARCH 3506 and ARCH 4507. Restricted to declared Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 4556. DESIGN STUDIO: ARCHITECTURE III. 5 Hours.

Advanced architectural design projects integrating research on contemporary issues intrinsic to architecture. Prerequisites: ARCH 3324, ARCH 3343, ARCH 3364, and ARCH 3554. Senior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 4557. DESIGN STUDIO: ARCHITECTURE IV. 5 Hours.

Advanced architectural projects focusing on contemporary design issues that address topics extrinsic to the disciplines of architecture. Prerequisite: ARCH 3324, ARCH 3343, ARCH 3364, and ARCH 3554. Restricted to Architecture majors. Minimum 2.8 GPAs both cumulative and within the major required.

ARCH 4591. CONFERENCE COURSE. 5 Hours.

Independent study guided by an instructor on a regular basis. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor or the Architecture Undergraduate Advisor. Senior standing in program. Restricted to Architecture majors.

ARCH 4595. SELECTED TOPICS ARCHITECTURE. 5 Hours.

A transitional studio course to explore and present selected topics in architecture and design. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Prerequisite: Department consent.

ARCH 5101. COLLOQUIUM I: RESEARCH INTRODUCTION. 1 Hour.

This course introduces students to contemporary discourse in sustainable architecture, design, and technology. Research is framed as a critical and creative process shaped by theoretical perspectives, guiding students in defining questions, engaging with literature, and situating their ideas within evolving disciplinary debates. Students examine current conversations in sustainability and design theory, refining their early research directions through presentations and discussions with peers and faculty.

ARCH 5102. COLLOQUIUM II: RESEARCH PROPOSAL. 1 Hour.

In this course, students present their research proposal as a structured and defensible plan. Each proposal must clearly articulate the research question, methodological framework, and anticipated contributions to disciplinary discourse. The course culminates in a formal defense of the proposal before peers and faculty, emphasizing clarity, feasibility, and the ability to respond to critique. Prerequisite: ARCH 5101.

ARCH 5103. COLLOQUIUM III: RESEARCH DEFENSE. 1 Hour.

This capstone colloquium prepares students for the defense of their thesis. Students present completed research and demonstrate the ability to situate their work within the wider field. The course emphasizes scholarly communication, synthesis of findings, and effective oral defense in front of faculty and peers. Prerequisite: ARCH 5102.

ARCH 5191. CONFERENCE COURSE. 1 Hour.

Special subjects and issues as arranged with individual students and faculty members. May be repeated for credit as topic changes.

ARCH 5291. CONFERENCE COURSE. 2 Hours.

Special subjects and issues as arranged with individual students and faculty members. May be repeated for credit as topic changes.

ARCH 5301. INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

This course provides an introduction to design disciplines, theories, movements, and factors that influence the built environment. Spanning a range of scales-from individual objects to entire territories-students will explore how architecture and its related fields both shape and reflect society. Emphasis is placed on understanding how cultural, political, economic, technological, and environmental forces inform the design and experience of the built environment. The course serves as a foundation for developing a critical framework for engaging with architecture and its broader contexts. Corequisites: ARCH 5691.

ARCH 5303. HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY I: FOUNDATIONS. 3 Hours.

This course examines the global history of architecture from the earliest human settlements through the mid-18th century, tracing how urban forms emerged and evolved alongside architectural traditions across regions. The course considers major buildings, urban developments, and landscapes, highlighting the social, political, technological, and religious forces influencing their creation. Emphasis is placed on regional traditions, cross-cultural exchange, and the evolving role of architecture in different societies. Corequisites: ARCH 5301.

ARCH 5304. HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY II: MODERNITY IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT. 3 Hours.

This course examines the development of modern architecture and the modern city from the early 19th to the late 20th century through a global lens, tracing the theories and forces that shaped their emergence, evolution, and crises. Focusing on key movements, ideas, projects, buildings, and urban plans that characterized this era, students will engage with the theories that defined architectural modernity and the diverse movements and critiques that emerged from it. The course also examines how political, social, and cultural force-such as industrialization, technological progress, evolving ideologies, and global conflict-shaped architectural modernity across different regions of the world. Prerequisites: ARCH 5303.

ARCH 5305. CITY OF ROME. 3 Hours.

History, topography, and monuments of Rome and its environs from its legendary founding in 753 B.C. until the 20th Century, with special emphasis on imperial and papal Rome.

ARCH 5306. URBAN DESIGN. 3 Hours.

Urban design theory, method, and implementation using contemporary and historic examples.

ARCH 5307. THE LIFE OF CITIES. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5308. HISTORY OF URBAN FORM. 3 Hours.

The history of cities as physical form, influenced by political, economic, and social forces.

ARCH 5309. MUSEUMS: HISTORY, CULTURE, DESIGN. 3 Hours.

This course investigates the historical and cultural forces driving the design of museums in the 19th and 20th centuries with special attention to the development of a diverse range of new museum types beyond traditional art and natural science museums. Field trips to local museum sites are required. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 or ARCH 5303 and ARCH 2304 or ARCH 5304. Department consent.

ARCH 5310. SKYSCRAPER HISTORIES. 3 Hours.

This course considers the history of the skyscraper from multiple perspectives, seeking consensus about what a skyscraper really is. This course will allow students to begin to develop their skills in reading, writing, critical thinking, visual memory, and visual analysis using the history of architecture as a medium. Students will also develop basic research skills using primary sources to document architecture. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 or ARCH 5303 and ARCH 2304 or ARCH 5304. Department consent.

ARCH 5311. ARCHITECTURAL THEORY. 3 Hours.

A review and analysis of the concepts, philosophy, ideology, and models that promulgated 20th Century architectural design. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 or ARCH 5303, ARCH 2304 or ARCH 5304, and permission of the department.

ARCH 5312. WHAT MAKES A CITY: CRITICAL ISSUES IN ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING, AND URBAN DESIGN. 3 Hours.

This class is a critical exploration of the physical environment of the city, looking at a range of issues--mobility, housing, landscape, gentrification, sustainability, health-to understand how the built world shapes the way we live every day. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 or ARCH 5303, ARCH 2304 or ARCH 5304, and permission of the department.

ARCH 5313. THE ARCHITECT IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5314. HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5315. TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY. 3 Hours.

Courses to explore and present selected topics in architecture and related fields of the Ancient Mediterranean, the Classical World, the Middle Ages, the 19th Century, and the Non-Western Traditions. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 or ARCH 5303 and ARCH 2304 or ARCH 5304. Department consent.

ARCH 5318. ARCHITECTURE ON SCREEN. 3 Hours.

How do the things we watch shape our perceptions of architecture and the city? How do the environments in film and on television frame our vision, shape character, and convey themes? How are architects and other design professionals portrayed? What do they suggest about changes in the physical and technological world in which we live? This course explores those questions and others through screen history, from the earliest films to contemporary television and digital productions. Themes will include the dystopian city, suburbia, the evolving depiction of modernism, architecture as documentary subject, and the history of the city on screen. Students will explore these questions and will have to make their own short films. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 or ARCH 5303, ARCH 2304 or ARCH 5304, and permission of the department.

ARCH 5319. HOUSING PROTOTYPES: 1920s TO PRESENT. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5320. PERFORMANCE-BASED DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5322. ARCHITECTURE + POLITICS. 3 Hours.

This course examines how notions of national identity are expressed in parliament buildings and other important buildings of state. Throughout the course, questions about what constitutes national identity, capital cities, and how architecture is used as a manifestation of these political aspects will be addressed. Buildings within nations or subnational regions across six continents are examined, giving students a global understanding of these issues. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 or ARCH 5303 and ARCH 2304 or ARCH 5304. Department consent.

ARCH 5323. CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5324. STRUCTURES I. 3 Hours.

This course is the foundation for all advanced structures courses in the undergraduate and graduate architecture programs. In an engineering curriculum, this course is offered in two separate courses referred to as: (a) Statics and (b) Strength of Materials, each of one-semester duration. The present course encapsulates the information yet is rigorous enough and covers all important topics in the two engineering courses including equilibrium of particles and rigid bodies, analysis of important structural load bearing items such as cables, beams and Trusses, Definition of Stress and strain and their role in structural design, cross-sectional properties of structural members and analysis of strength for the beams. Prerequisite: ARCH 5323 or ARCH 3323.

ARCH 5325. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS I. 3 Hours.

Illumination,acoustics, climate controls, mechanical and electrical systems, and their significance in the total design.

ARCH 5326. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS II. 3 Hours.

Climate controls, mechanical and electrical systems, and their significance in the total design.

ARCH 5327. STRUCTURES II. 3 Hours.

This course is a continuation of ARCH 5324 with an emphasis on structural theory and systems in steel construction. It covers the design and investigation of structural steel. The course begins with a general introduction to structural behavior, strength, and modulus of elasticity of steel material. The elastic and plastic behavior of structural steel material is discussed, and the definition of yield strength is addressed as one of the main structural measures of steel material. Loads and load combinations are the next part of the course. This part describes how the gravity and lateral loads are distributed in a steel structure and what combination of loads should be considered for the design. To address the requirements of the design of structural members, simple methods of structural analysis are covered by which the internal moments and shear in members can be found. The course is continued by formulating and step by step description of the design of decks, beams and girders, open-web steel joists and joist girders as well as columns. Prerequisite: ARCH 5324.

ARCH 5328. STRUCTURES III. 3 Hours.

This course is a continuation of ARCH 5327 with an emphasis on structural theory and systems in concrete construction. It covers the design and investigation of structural concrete. The course begins with a general introduction to structural behavior, strength, and modulus of elasticity of concrete material. To ensure that the concrete has the required minimum strength, special field sampling and tests are necessary. Loads and load combinations are the next part of the course. This part describes how the gravity and lateral loads are distributed in a concrete structure and what combination of loads should be considered for the design. To address the requirements of the design of structural members, a simplified method of structural analysis is defined by which the internal moments and shear in members can be found. Course is continued by formulating and step by step description of the design of beams, columns, and footings in a concrete structure. Prerequisite: ARCH 5327.

ARCH 5329. TOPICS IN COMPUTERS AND DESIGN. 3 Hours.

Computer aided design, drafting and graphic techniques as applied to architecture. May be repeated for credit as topics change.

ARCH 5331. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE. 3 Hours.

Professional Practice prepares graduate students for the transition from academic training to the profession, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and ethical framework necessary for leadership in architecture. The course examines legal, contractual, and regulatory standards, as well as professional ethics, business operations, and firm management. Emphasis is placed on strategic decision-making, collaborative practice, and leadership within complex design and business contexts. Students explore the evolving roles of architects in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and socially responsible profession, including opportunities to advance sustainability, equity, and innovation in practice. Prerequisites: ARCH 5304, ARCH 5327, ARCH 5336, and ARCH 5694. Corequisites: Credit or enrolled in ARCH 5696.

ARCH 5332. ENERGY USE AND CONSERVATION IN ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

Basic concepts of the efficient use and conservation of energy related to architectural design principles. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

ARCH 5333. CONSTRUCTION II. 3 Hours.

Advanced construction assemblies and methods, including the principles of cost control. Prerequisites: ARCH 5670.

ARCH 5335. ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE II: MARKETING DESIGN SERVICES. 3 Hours.

A study of the strategies and methods for marketing professional services. Presented as case studies of architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture firms.

ARCH 5336. PROGRAMMING AND SITE DESIGN II. 3 Hours.

The course focuses on project programming and the technical aspects of site design. Prerequisite: ARCH 5670.

ARCH 5337. SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS. 3 Hours.

Soil classifications, field and laboratory identification, physical properties and load-bearing characteristics, retaining walls and foundations.

ARCH 5339. DIGITAL FABRICATION METHODOLOGY. 3 Hours.

The conceptualizing and making of objects lying outside the traditional scope of architectural practice, including elements of industrial and product design and the development of working prototypes.

ARCH 5340. MODERN + CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE IN MEXICO. 3 Hours.

This course examines notions of Mexican national identity as expressed through architecture. Part 1 looks at late 19th and early 20th century architecture during the Porfiriato, as well as that occurring shortly after the Mexican Revolution of 1910-20, including the critical role that cement played. Part 2 considers how the so-called First Generation of architects adapted and transformed Modernism in Mexico. Part 3 examines how the Second and Third Generations moved beyond Modernism, including. The course concludes with Mexico's "First Generation" of women architects as issues of gender are addressed. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 or ARCH 5303 and ARCH 2304 or ARCH 5304. Department consent.

ARCH 5341. NOTATIONAL DRAWING. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5342. DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS. 3 Hours.

Architectural drawing, perception, projections, and three-dimensional representation. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in ARCH 5591 is required.

ARCH 5343. ARCHITECTURAL GRAPHICS II. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5344. CONCEPTUAL DRAWING. 3 Hours.

Seminar to explore aspects of conceptual drawing for the architect and the relationship of design ideas in the drawing process.

ARCH 5345. DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION. 3 Hours.

A workshop exploring video cartography using photography, animation, motion graphics and digital video.

ARCH 5346. CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS I. 3 Hours.

The techniques of building construction, the communication of technical information, and the process of preparing contract drawings for construction.

ARCH 5347. DIGITAL TECTONICS & PROTOTYPING. 3 Hours.

The use of digital technology in the architectural design process focusing on the research and fabrication of full-scale production of prototypes. Completion of ARCH 4339 or ARCH 5339 Digital Fabrication Methodology is highly recommended.

ARCH 5349. ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO. 3 Hours.

Seminar concerned with goal toward the production of a personal design portfolio.

ARCH 5350. ARCHITECTURE, ENGAGEMENT + COMMUNITY POWER. 3 Hours.

Architecture, Engagement and Community Power will unpack the role of the citizen architect. It will examine participatory design processes that center community voice and shift existing power structures. In this country, constructed systems of oppression including racist practices, policies and financial systems have shaped the way our neighborhoods have developed. These acts have created inequities across communities that impact one's ability to thrive. Starting from the notion that all places are designed, and can therefore be undesigned, this course will explore the ways in which design processes can strengthen community power for marginalized communities. This course will encourage activism as an inherent quality in the development of an architect; encourage students to make connections between classroom learning and the larger community; require students to develop the skill to see and hear multiple voices; and encourage the development of visual, written, & oral communication tools. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 or ARCH 5303 and ARCH 2304 or ARCH 5304. Department consent.

ARCH 5351. WILDERNESS: A CONDITION OF MIND. 3 Hours.

Changing conceptions of wilderness in Western thought, from ancestral prejudices to recent, revolutionary appreciation. Literary and visual documentation.

ARCH 5352. HOUSING: FROM CAVES TO MANSIONS IN THE CLOUDS. 3 Hours.

This course examines the evolution of American urban settlements as they evolved from French, Spanish and English concepts of town-planning.

ARCH 5354. CONVERGENCES: BETWEEN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5357. BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING & VISUALIZATION. 3 Hours.

To gain a working knowledge of Autodesk Revit and 3D Studio Max. Prerequisites: ARCH 3343 or ARCH 5343 or INTD 3343.

ARCH 5361. ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENT. 3 Hours.

An overview of sustainable design integrated with natural resource conservation.

ARCH 5362. STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS IN BUILDING. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5363. DESIGN RESEARCH. 3 Hours.

Seminar directed toward the understanding of research methods and the programming of an independent design project, leading to the thesis substitute.Graded P/F/R.Prerequisite: Permission of Graduate Advisor.

ARCH 5364. SITE DESIGN. 3 Hours.

The related site design process includes site planning pertaining to land use, case studies, siting of structures, codes, and topography.

ARCH 5365. CATALYTIC MAPPING. 3 Hours.

An advanced theory elective course and workshop using the potential of mapping as a design, analytic and research mechanism for exploring complex contexts.

ARCH 5366. RADICAL URBANISM. 3 Hours.

An advanced theory course focused on the exposure to and critical analysis of some of the most radical, inspirational, and transformative urban design ideas and projects from Vitruvius to today.

ARCH 5367. HIGH PERFORMANCE FACADE SYSTEMS. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5368. GREEN DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION. 3 Hours.

ARCH 5369. TERRITORIAL STRATEGIES. 3 Hours.

Territorial Strategies focus on climate resilience of the built environment on the territorial scale. In Territorial Strategies, students explore how macro-level drivers of spatial (trans)formation impact micro-level strategies and actions in distinct climatic regions. Students apply a systems-thinking approach to map, diagram, model, draw, and visualize project outcomes, research findings, and data through various media. Prerequisite: Graduate level in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, and Public Administration and Public Policy majors.

ARCH 5371. FUTURE CITIES. 3 Hours.

Future Cities focus on climate resilience of the built environment on the urban scale. In Future Cities, students explore historical and contemporary concepts of ecological design and combine mitigative and adaptive strategies and actions for urban landscapes in the age of anthropogenic climate change. Students apply a participatory mixed-methods approach to map, diagram, model, draw, and visualize project outcomes, research findings, and data through various media. Prerequisite: Graduate level in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, and Public Administration and Public Policy majors.

ARCH 5372. ADAPTIVE TYPOLOGIES. 3 Hours.

Adaptive Typologies focus on climate resilience of the built environment on the architectural object scale. In Adaptive Typologies, students explore architectural objects, their characteristics, and their performative aspects as integrated parts of the urban ecosystem. Students analyze, transform, and develop hybrid typologies merging physical, digital, and biological concepts and apply a digital mixed-methods approach, utilizing analytical, representational, and generative tools. Prerequisite: Graduate level in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, and Public Administration and Public Policy majors.

ARCH 5373. HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY III: CONTEMPORARY THEORY. 3 Hours.

This course examines the key ideas, debates, and theoretical frameworks that have shaped architecture and urban design from the mid-20th century to today, with sustained attention to the societal and political contexts in which they emerged. Readings, lectures, and case studies trace the connections between design theory, cultural narratives, and power structures, emphasizing architecture's role as both a reflection of and a catalyst for social transformation. The course equips students to engage critically with contemporary architectural discourse and to situate their own work within broader historical, political, and cultural currents. Prerequisite: ARCH 5304.

ARCH 5374. HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY IV: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES. 3 Hours.

This graduate course explores critical approaches to the study and interpretation architectural and urban proposals, from the early 2000s to the present. Through in-depth analysis of selected theories, case studies, and critical practice proposals, students engage with emerging ideas that shape contemporary architectural discourse. Emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary perspectives drawn from literature, art, philosophy, film, and other critical media. Prerequisite: ARCH 5373.

ARCH 5375. ARCHITECTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT I. 3 Hours.

Architecture and the Environment I explores site as a central factor in architectural design, emphasizing topography, climate, and context. Students are introduced to passive environmental strategies, including solar orientation, wind, and vegetation, alongside larger-scale ecological and Landscape Urbanism concepts. Through case studies, critical readings, and discussions, students learn how projects integrate environmental, cultural, and spatial conditions, developing a framework to inform their own designs. Prerequisites: ARCH 5301, ARCH 5303, ARCH 5690 Corequisites: ARCH 5692.

ARCH 5376. ARCHITECTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT II. 3 Hours.

Architecture and the Environment II examines ecological design as a trans-scalar practice, connecting global sustainability frameworks with local architectural interventions. Students engage with systems thinking, urban infrastructure, circular economy, and participatory approaches to address climate resilience through both mitigation and adaptation. The course develops skills in life-cycle thinking, passive and active environmental strategies, and design performance evaluation, supported by case studies, critical readings, and discussions, alongside design-based inquiries. Prerequisite: ARCH 5375 Corequisite: ARCH 5694.

ARCH 5377. SPATIAL [IN] JUSTICE. 3 Hours.

Through lectures and discussions, Spatial [in] Justice will provide students with historical perspectives on how American cities became segregated, the creation and lack of inclusivity of 'public space', and the architect's role within a socially engaged practice. The course will begin by studying key philosophies and theories of justice. Students will work with a community partner to produce a community engagement and development plan. They will research publicly available data and organize it into a package for the community and other stakeholders. Prerequisite: ARCH 2303 or ARCH 5303 and ARCH 2304 or ARCH 5304. Department consent.

ARCH 5378. AI LITERACY & MACHINE LEARNING IN ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

This seminar examines the recent history, theoretical foundations, and contemporary applications of artificial intelligence in architecture, with particular emphasis on machine learning methods and their integration into design processes. Through readings, guest lectures, critical discussions, and hands-on computational experiments, students explore how AI informs and transforms architectural knowledge, design agency, and performance-driven processes, with a focus on advancing ecological and sustainable design objectives.

ARCH 5381. PRACTICUM. 3 Hours.

Internship program including work done through an approved architect's office, designed to give practical experience leading to a broader knowledge of the profession. Placement in offices must be approved, and in some cases may also be arranged by the school. Students may enroll in ARCH 5381 for half-time employment or ARCH 5681 for full-time employment. Students enrolled in Practicum may also participate in the Intern Development Program of the American Institute of Architects. No more than six total credit hours in Practicum are allowed for degree. Graded P/F/R.

ARCH 5382. TECTONICS I: STRUCTURAL CONCEPTS. 3 Hours.

Tectonics I introduces students to fundamental structural principles and systems, emphasizing their integration with architectural form and spatial organization. Students explore forces, equilibrium, and load paths through analytical exercises and design experiments, developing an understanding of how structure informs and enables architectural expression. The course fosters a conceptual and iterative approach, where structural thinking becomes an active component of design exploration. Prerequisite: ARCH 5690 Corequisite: ARCH 5692.

ARCH 5383. TECTONICS II: MATERIALS, FABRICATION AND ASSEMBLY. 3 Hours.

Tectonics I investigates the architectural potential of materials, fabrication techniques, and construction assemblies. Students engage in hands-on experimentation, prototyping, and material testing to understand how tactile, aesthetic, and environmental properties of materials inform architectural form and spatial experience. Emphasis is placed on exploring the relationship between making and design thinking, cultivating strategies that integrate materiality with conceptual and formal development. Prerequisite: ARCH 5382 Corequisite: ARCH 5694.

ARCH 5384. TECTONICS III: APPLIED STRUCTURES. 3 Hours.

The course introduces structural behavior, strength, and material properties, examining both elastic and plastic response and key measures such as yield strength. Students study gravity and lateral loads, load combinations, and their distribution within structural systems. Simple structural analysis methods are applied to determine internal forces, moments, and shear in members. The course includes step-by-step design of decks, beams, girders, joists, and columns, integrating analytical reasoning with constructability, material behavior, and architectural form. Prerequisite: ARCH 5383.

ARCH 5385. TECTONICS IV: BUILDING INTEGRATION LAB. 3 Hours.

Tectonics IV is the capstone of the Tectonics sequence, integrating building systems, materials, structural principles, and environmental strategies. Organized into modular units taught by multiple faculty and coordinated with ARCH 5673: Design Studio VII-Integrative, the course emphasizes passive and active environmental strategies and enables students to analyze and incorporate mechanical systems in their studio projects to complement passive design approaches. Prerequisite: ARCH 5384 Corequisite: ARCH 5697.

ARCH 5390. VISUAL STUDIES I. 3 Hours.

Visual Studies I introduces foundational techniques in hand drawing and model making. Students develop skills in orthographic projection, diagramming, perspective, and sketching, exploring the relationship between form, space, and material. The course emphasizes visual thinking as a tool for design development and establishes the basis for subsequent digital representation courses. Corequisite: ARCH 5690.

ARCH 5391. CONFERENCE COURSE. 3 Hours.

Special subjects and issues as arranged with individual students and faculty members. May be repeated for credit as content changes.Prerequisite: Permission of Graduate Advisor.

ARCH 5392. VISUAL STUDIES II. 3 Hours.

Visual Studies II introduces digital modeling and representation, focusing on the translation of conceptual design into digital form. Students gain proficiency with 2D vector programs and 3D modeling software, exploring how digital tools can communicate form, space, materiality, and design intent. The course emphasizes digital workflows as extensions of conceptual and visual thinking, building on foundational skills from Visual Studies I. Prerequisite: ARCH 5390, ARCH 5690 Corequisite: ARCH 5692.

ARCH 5393. VISUAL STUDIES III. 3 Hours.

Visual Studies III advances digital representation and computational design, building on skills developed in Visual Studies II. The course emphasizes advanced visualization techniques, including animation and interactive media, to communicate complex architectural ideas. Students then apply these skills in digital fabrication workflows, translating virtual designs into physical models and prototypes. Material, environmental, and structural considerations are integrated to support analysis, prototyping, and effective design communication, with flexibility to complement studio projects. Prerequisite: ARCH 5392, ARCH 5692 Corequisite: ARCH 5693.

ARCH 5395. TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.

Studio, lecture or seminar courses to explore and present special topics in architecture and environmental design. May be repeated for credit as topics change.

ARCH 5665. INTERMEDIATE DESIGN STUDIO. 6 Hours.

Advanced architectural design problems in programming, schematic organization, synthesis and design of buildings in their environmental context.

ARCH 5670. ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO. 6 Hours.

Studio course emphasizing the analysis and design of building aggregations within the urban context. May be repeated for credit.

ARCH 5671. INTEGRATIVE DESIGN STUDIO I. 6 Hours.

Introduces the design of a small to moderate scaled architectural building program. Focus on pre-design, site design, structural resolution, building assembly, building performance, detailing and materiality will be made through graphical identification, analysis, and evaluation. Additional considerations of codes, regulations, cost analysis, and life-cycle cost, are areas of emphasis informing the design process. Prerequisite: ARCH 5325 or ARCH 4325, ARCH 5327, and ARCH 5670. Credit or concurrent enrollment in ARCH 5357, ARCH 4357, or INTD 3357.

ARCH 5672. INTEGRATIVE DESIGN STUDIO II. 6 Hours.

Introduces the design of a larger-scaled architectural project with more complex programming requirements. Focus on the integration of environmental stewardship, accessibility, site conditions, life safety, environmental systems, structural systems, and building envelope systems will be made through graphical identification, analysis, and evaluation, and technical documentation. Project demonstration includes problem identification, contextual evaluative criteria, analyzing solutions, and predicting the effectiveness of implementation. Prerequisite: ARCH 5671 with a grade of C or above.

ARCH 5681. PRACTICUM. 6 Hours.

ARCH 5690. DESIGN STUDIO I: ABSTRACTION. 6 Hours.

Design Studio I introduces students to the architectural discipline through rigorous exploration of abstraction through space, form, and material. The studio operates as a laboratory for testing ideas through analysis, translation, and invention, with a focus on abstraction as a lens for conceptual and spatial experimentation. Emphasis is placed on conceptual frameworks that guide design decisions and the iterative processes that transform ideas into spatial propositions. Students engage architecture as a critical practice, situating their work between historical precedent, contemporary conditions, and speculative futures. Corequisites: ARCH 5390.

ARCH 5691. CONFERENCE COURSE. 6 Hours.

Special subjects and issues as arranged with individual students and faculty members. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of Graduate Advisor.

ARCH 5692. DESIGN STUDIO II: MATERIALITY. 6 Hours.

Design Studio II builds on foundational studio work, exploring how materials shape architectural form, space, and experience. Students investigate the expressive and structural potential of diverse materials, examining how materiality informs concept, tectonics, and spatial organization. The studio emphasizes iterative experimentation, making, and critical reflection, encouraging students to develop designs that emerge from both conceptual intent and material exploration. Through precedent analysis and construction studies, students refine their ability to translate ideas into spatial and tactile architectural propositions. Prerequisite: ARCH 5690 Corequisite: ARCH 5392.

ARCH 5693. DESIGN STUDIO III: CONTEXT. 6 Hours.

Design Studio III engages students in architecture within complex physical, social, and cultural contexts. Building on prior work in abstraction and material exploration, the studio emphasizes the integration of site, program, material, and urban environment. Students investigate how environmental, historical, and societal factors inform design, while exploring formal, tectonic, and structural strategies. The studio fosters iterative making, critical reflection, and precedent-informed inquiry to develop architecture that is conceptually rigorous and contextually grounded. Prerequisite: ARCH 5692 Corequisite: ARCH 5393.

ARCH 5694. DESIGN STUDIO IV: ENVIRONMENT. 6 Hours.

Design Studio IV explores architecture that responds to environmental, climatic, and socio-economic conditions. Students develop strategies that enhance energy performance, material expression, and site integration through iterative making, analysis, and precedent-informed inquiry. The studio emphasizes the integration of program, structure, and environmental systems to create architecture that is innovative, responsible, and socially engaged. Projects confront pressing social and environmental challenges, encouraging solutions that are both contextually grounded and forward-thinking. Prerequisite: ARCH 5693 Corequisite: ARCH 5375.

ARCH 5695. DESIGN STUDIO V: HOUSING. 6 Hours.

Design Studio V explores housing as a critical lens for understanding architecture's impact on society and the city. The studio emphasizes housing as a foundational element of urban design-where issues of density, ecology, and equity intersect. Students develop housing proposals that address social, economic, and environmental challenges while envisioning new relationships between dwelling, infrastructure, and the public realm to foster inclusive and resilient communities. Prerequisite: ARCH 5694.

ARCH 5696. DESIGN STUDIO VI: RESEARCH. 6 Hours.

Design Studio VI is a research-focused studio that allows students to explore architecture through faculty-led thematic investigations. Drawing on ongoing faculty research, students engage in speculative, experimental, and evidence-based design inquiry, addressing questions that span material innovation, environmental systems, social and cultural frameworks, and emerging architectural technologies. The studio emphasizes independent and collaborative research, iterative making, and critical reflection, encouraging students to develop original design proposals grounded in rigorous analysis and inquiry. Prerequisite: ARCH 5694.

ARCH 5697. DESIGN STUDIO VII: INTEGRATION. 6 Hours.

Design Studio VII is the culminating studio in the M.Arch sequence, where students synthesize design knowledge, technical skills, and analytical inquiry to develop comprehensive building-scale architectural projects. Students address complex programmatic, material, structural, and environmental challenges, including passive design strategies and active building and environmental control systems, through iterative design, critical reflection, and experimentation. The studio emphasizes integration across all aspects of architecture, preparing students to produce innovative, contextually grounded solutions and to communicate them clearly and professionally through visual, oral, and written media. Prerequisite: ARCH 5384, ARCH 5376, ARCH 5694, ARCH 5695, and ARCH 5696 Corequisite: ARCH 5385.

ARCH 5698. THESIS. 6 Hours.

Students pursue either a written thesis or a design thesis project in sustainable design, theory, or technology. A comprehensive summary is required that demonstrates scholarly rigor, methodological clarity, and disciplinary relevance. Each thesis must advance knowledge by formulating a clearly defined research question, applying a sound methodological framework, and producing a critical synthesis of findings. The completed work is submitted as a substantial and coherent document or project that reflects academic literacy and contributes meaningfully to the field. Prerequisites: ARCH 5102 Corequisites: ARCH 5103.

University Catalog

University Catalog

Architecture (ARCH)

Courses

Print Options