Critical Practice
Courses
48-332 Architecture Explorations: Teaching and Learning *
9 units
Instructors: Lyons
In this course, students will learn about effective strategies for teaching architecture and the built environment. Topics include the cognitive differences between novices and experts, instructional techniques, and goal alignment. As part of the coursework, each student will implement these teaching strategies to design and teach a lesson. Elements of developmental psychology, learning theories, and classroom practices will inform the architectural education lesson. Teaching and learning techniques can be generalized for communication with clients, practice, and the community. 48-452 Real Estate Design and Development
6 units
Instructor: Mingo
This course will introduce the Real Estate development process and explore the interdependence of development drivers and the design process. Classroom learning, exercises and guest-lectures will introduce students to the concepts of market and financial analysis, as well as the basic techniques of budgeting, proforma development, and valuation. Parallel to this investigation, students will evaluate real world developments and interface with the development professionals that executed them to learn how development drivers shaped the development process and decision making. Students will study how market demand, tenant requirements, site constraints, and available capital affect feasibility, and through this the ultimate design solution. The semester?s effort culminates in the execution of a mini-development project. Students will work in teams to complete a basic market analysis, program evaluation, schematic design, construction and development cost estimate, proforma analysis, and a determination of financial feasibility. Development practitioners will interface with student teams during this mini-project to offer ?real world? guidance on student schematic designs and feasibility analysis.
48-497 Thesis I
6 units
Instructors: Clifford, Arscott, Lubetz
48-453 Urban Design Methods
6 units
Instructor: Hutzell
This undergraduate lecture course introduces urban design history, theory and methods. It is a required supporting course for the Urban Laboratory design studio, and similarly examines urban design at multiple scales: city form and networks, neighborhoods and block structures, streets, public spaces, and urban building typologies. Key issues introduced include the emergence and evolution of urban design as a discipline, economic, social and political factors affecting the contemporary city, and environmental sustainability at the urban scale. A wide variety of cities, projects, proposals and methodologies are examined. Assignments include readings from seminal texts, quizzes, and a final examination. 48-550 Issues of Practice
9 units
Instructor: Folan
The examination of central and contingent conditions that inform the structure and content of contemporary professional practice in architecture. Emphasis will be placed on establishing critical awareness and broad understanding of the mediating factors that inform the intelligent resolution of architecture and construction. Theory, case studies, analytical exercises and representational investigation will be utilized as a means of developing knowledge in the contractual, legal, fiscal and representational contexts requisite for the fulfillment of the architect’s social contract.