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.