Recommended Courses for First Years

Students who are interested in the architecture major typically enroll in Architectural Design: Systems and Materials and/or Architectural Design: Environments and Mediations in their sophomore year. While prospective architecture majors may still apply for these courses during their first year, we won't admit them unless there is space. Similarly, our required lecture course, Modern Architecture in the World, is recommended for the sophomore year as a companion course to the first two studios.

For first-year students who are interested in architecture and design, we offer the following course, which requires an application on the first day and is only open to first-year students:

ARCH UN1010 Design Futures: New York City
How does design operate in our lives? What is our design culture?  In this course students will examine the many scales of design in contemporary culture—from graphic design to architecture to urban design to global, interactive, and digital design.  The format of this course moves between lectures, discussions, and collaborative design work to field trips in order to engage in the topic through texts and experiences. The work of the course involves discussion, writing, visual commentary, and group design projects.

Additionally, first-year students who are unable to get into Architectural Design: Systems and Materials and/or Architectural Design: Environments and Mediations may apply for our studio course for non-majors:

ARCH UN1020 Introduction to Architectural Design and Visual Culture
This design studio course for non-majors introduces design as an analytical, representational and productive act. Emphasis is placed on the development of a methodology for architectural design work and critique. Students explore various analytical, conceptual and design approaches and examine existing and potential spatial and programmatic conditions. Students use and experiment with various modes of representation (collage, sketching, orthographic drawing, physical models). Students are encouraged to address architecture through the expertise of their own disciplines. Studio work is integrated with field trips throughout the city.