Architecture Graduate Handbook 201-2015
Northeastern University is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action Title IX education institution and employer. Tuition rates, all fees, rules and regulations, courses, and course content are subject to revision by the President and the Board of Trustees at any time. Northeastern University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. July 201 Material subject to revision.
College of Arts, Media and Design Architecture Our Mission We create a distinctive experiential education by leveraging emergent practices and scholarship in the arts, media and design. Our unique combination of disciplines empowers innovative thinking and making. Our students become informed citizens and creative leaders with an entrepreneurial spirit. Contents Faculty 2 The Graduate Programs 3 Curriculum - Master of Architecture 7 Curriculum - Master of Design for Sustainable Urban Environments 10
Faculty Director, School of Architecture George Thrush FAIA, MArch, Harvard University Fields: Post-industrial urban landscape; market-driven urban design; integration of transportation and urban design Director, Urban Landscape Program Jane Amidon ASLA, MLA, Harvard University Fields: Contemporary landscape and urbanism; environmental design; modernism in landscape architecture Director, Graduate Programs in Architecture Timothy Love AIA, MArch, Harvard University Fields: Urban market housing; architectural theory and design strategy; public & private urban planning Professors Daniel Adams MArch, Harvard University Fields: Industrial and infrastructural landscapes; architecture, landscape and urban design Suzanne Charles DDes, Harvard University Fields: Design of housing and urban environments; gentrification in postwar suburban neighborhoods Xavier Costa PhD, University of Pennsylvania Fields: Contemporary art; design; architecture and urbanism David Fannon MArch, University of California Fields: High-performance building design Kristian Kloeckl PhD, University of IUAV of Venice Fields: Urban informatics and data-driven information design; experience and interaction design Amanda Reeser Lawrence PhD, Harvard University Fields: James Stirling; contemporary and historical architecture and theory related to the role of influence Lucy Maulsby PhD, Columbia University Fields: Italian architecture and urbanism; 20th-century architecture Michelle Laboy MArch, University of Michigan Fields: Integration of sustainable architecture and urban landscapes; architecture ecology and urban resilience Ivan Rupnik MArch, Harvard University Fields: Urban morphology and analysis; prefabricated housing and delivery systems Gavin Shatkin PhD, Rutgers University Fields: Public policy and urban planning; globalization and urban poverty in Southeast Asian cities Peter Wiederspahn AIA, MArch, Harvard University Fields: Urban housing; tectonics; integrated building systems Shuishan Yu PhD, University of Washington Fields: Chinese architecture; modern architecture and its theoretical discourse; Buddhist architecture in East Asia 2
The Graduate Programs Master of Architecture The School of Architecture s Master of Architecture program focuses on the complex problems facing designers in the contemporary city. The new and evolving relationships between the public and private sector regarding infrastructure, public amenities, scale, and the postindustrial landscape are central to thesis work in the department. Students focus on Boston sites in order that they can delve into problems much more deeply than is possible in programs with a wider scope. The School of Architecture has developed extensive relationships with public and private entities that allow real-world problems to be addressed critically within the University context. The essential variable in these problems, or the object of study, however, remains design. Using seminars on history and theory, a unique case study approach to complex urban projects, and rigorous, research-based design studios, students develop an awareness of and facility with the tools available to the contemporary urban architect. A Master s Research Project is required of all students. Each generates research and design solutions for a specific, complex, Boston-area site. Students have access to expertise in the University s Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Planning, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, a GIS Mapping lab, and many others. Graduates go on to complete their professional apprenticeship and earn professional licensure. Most also choose to practice in urban areas. Program Strengths Faculty work closely with students on design studio work (in studios with no more than 12 students), and offer tremendous insight into the details of the contemporary city. The use of the case study approach to large scale urban projects is of particular interest, as it helps students understand where design actually occurs in complex, multi-year urban projects. The urban focus of the graduate program also closely parallels that of the University as a whole. Completion Time There are several ways to enter the NAAB accredited Master of Architecture (MArch) degree program. Successful graduates of Northeastern University s BS Architecture degree program or candidates from a professional Bachelor of Architecture degree from an accredited North American program with at least one year of IDPapproved professional experience can apply to the one-year MArch program. This program gives eligible candidates the opportunity to get a NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture degree in one year. Recipients of studio based BS degrees in Architecture from other institutions are eligible to apply to the two-year (8 semester hours) MArch degree. Students with degrees in fields other than architecture may apply to the 3-year (112 semester hours) MArch degree. 3
Students might be eligible for advanced placement in this track if they have some undergraduate architecture coursework. Students may work part-time while in school; however, the department suggests that a maximum of two days per week be dedicated to outside work so that students have sufficient time to dedicate to their studies. Moreover, this degree does not in itself make one a licensed architect. Like all professional architect degrees in the United States, it qualifies graduates to sit for a state licensing exam. Once a candidate passes one of these state exams, he or she receives a professional license to practice architecture in the state in which the exam was taken. Professional Accreditation The School of Architecture received its initial professional accreditation from the NAAB (http://www.naab.org/) for the Master of Architecture degree in January 2003. The most recent NAAB visit occurred in 2012, at which time the school was re-accredited. NAAB requires that the following text be included in all publications relating to the program: The National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit US professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes two types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture and the Master of Architecture. A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards. Masters degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree by itself is not recognized as an accredited degree. The NAAB grants candidacy status to new programs that have developed viable plans for achieving initial accreditation. Candidacy status indicates that a program should be accredited within six years of achieving candidacy, if its plan is properly implemented. In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure.
Master of Design for Sustainable Urban Environments The Master of Design for Sustainable Urban Environments (MDES-SUEN) brings together the allied professional fields of environmental design, landscape architecture, city planning and urban ecology. The program offers advanced study and research opportunities in the design of ecologically and economically productive urban environments. The program seeks to supply graduates for the rapidly growing fields of urban coastal resilience and sustainable urbanism through a dynamic curricular mix of design, dialogue and technical courses enriched by diverse interdisciplinary electives. The MDES-SUEN prepares students to be innovative and entrepreneurial creators and managers of next-generation public spaces. The pedagogic and research focus of the curriculum is design, implementation, and management of sustainable urban environments from the scale of individual parcels to regional systems. Core topics include urban design for resilient cities, waterfront vitalization, brownfield redevelopment, sustainable and secure pedestrian environments, green infrastructure planning, and design. Program Strengths The MDES-SUEN program at Northeastern University is a unique area of study in which design and planning dovetail with environmental engineering, environmental science, policy, art, and visualization. Boston s renowned history of innovation in environmental design as well as its legacy of urban redevelopment provides a rich backdrop and laboratory of urban, infrastructural, and ecological prototypes which ideally position the program to creatively and critically explore local issues with global implications. As our world rapidly urbanizes and environmental impacts intensify, experts in designed coastal urban resiliency are increasingly in demand and the MDES-SUEN program as well as Northeastern University as a whole is focused specifically on these issues. We have an outstanding faculty with expertise in environmental design, landscape planning, and urban ecology; each brings research and real-world expertise to the classroom and research initiatives. Completion Time The MDES-SUEN offers two tracks: a one-year (3 SH) program for students holding a professional degree in landscape architecture, architecture, or planning; and a two-year ( SH) degree for students holding a bachelor s degree in any field. The one-year MDES-SUEN degree is ideal for students wishing to build upon their professional degree by focusing on the unique design and planning topics that define the 21st century city. Areas of study include advanced training in visualization and digital modeling techniques, workshop-based courses in urban ecology and landscape technologies, graduate seminars on sustainable urbanism, resilient cities, and urban policy. 5
The two-year MDES-SUEN is appropriate for students wishing to develop graduate level design and planning skills. Instructors lead students through fundamental visualization, representation, and implementation techniques, introductory to advanced history/theory themes and urban ecology and technologies. Studio courses introduce fundamental design and planning principles in the first year and advance to design research and application in the second year. Interdisciplinary dialogues between the students diverse disciplinary backgrounds enriches the studio content and enables development of customized study areas. Satisfactory Academic Progress Satisfactory progress means satisfying the requirements for the Graduate Programs of the College of Arts, Media and Design General Regulations and in the regulations specified in the departmental booklet. The College of Arts, Media and Design sets minimum standards for all graduate students to fulfill. Departments and programs may have additional requirements that exceed those of the college. Currently, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to graduate from the Master of Architecture and Master of Design for Sustainable Urban Environments programs. Scholarships/ Financial Support Graduate students accepted to the MArch and MDES-SUEN degree programs may be considered for Graduate Student Scholarship awards. Students do not directly apply to these awards but are nominated by their program as part of the admission review process. Nominations are usually limited to the top applicants. The award is for the duration of the program and provides approximately 1 tuition scholarships to full-time students. Receipt of financial support administered by CAMD is contingent on satisfactory academic progress toward the degree and on meeting department-specific guidelines. See the CAMD General Regulations for further details.
Curriculum Master of Architecture There are three different curricula in the graduate program in Architecture. All lead to the same Master of Architecture degree. One-year (32 semester hours) track for holders of a Northeastern University BS in Architecture or a professional Bachelor of Architecture degree from an accredited North American program with at least one-year of IDP-approved professional experience. Two-year (8 semester hours) track for holders of either a BS in Architecture degree from another institution or for students holding degrees from non-u.s. institutions. Three-year (112 semester hours) track for holders of an undergraduate degree in a field other than Architecture. 7
One-Year NAAB Accredited MArch Program Two-Year NAAB Accredited MArch Program Fall 2 (September December) Master s Research Studio Seminar in Modern Architecture Project Case Studies 1 Fall 1 (September December) Housing and Aggregation Design Studio Environmental Systems Design Tactics and Operations 1 Spring 2 (January April) Master s Degree Project Architecture Topics Project Case Studies 2 Spring 1 (January April) Comprehensive Design Studio Integrated Building Systems One-Year MArch Program 12 8 0 8 32 Design History/Theory Technology Professional Practice Electives MArch Fall 2 (September December) Master s Research Studio Seminar in Modern Architecture Project Case Studies 1 Spring 2 (January April) Master s Degree Project Architecture Topics Project Case Studies 2 1 Two-Year MArch Program 2 12 8 8 1 8 Design History/Theory Technology Professional Practice Electives MArch 8
Three-Year NAAB Accredited MArch Program 8 Summer (July-August) Grad Skills Studio Graduate Architectural History Case Studies Tectonics (For Berlin option) Fall 2 (September-December) Housing and Aggregation Design Studio Environmental Systems Design Tactics and Operations Fall 1 (September-December) Grad Studio 1: Architecture Architecture, Modernity, and the City 00-1910 Statics: The Physics of Buildings Spring 1 (January-April) Berlin Option Grad Studio 2: Berlin Urbanism History of Architecture and Urbanism Contemporary and Sustainable Architecture Seminar German Language Spring 1 (January-April) Boston Option Urban Institutions Architecture, Modernity, and the City 1910-1980 Tectonics 1 0 28 1 8 20 Spring 2 (January-April) Comprehensive Design Studio Integrated Building Systems Advanced Architectural Communication Architecture Topics Fall 3 (September-December) Master s Research Studio Seminar in Modern Architecture Project Case Studies 1 Spring 3 (January-April) Master s Degree Project Architecture Topics Project Case Studies 2 Three-Year MArch Program Design History/Theory Technology Professional Practice Electives 9 112 MArch
Curriculum Master of Design in Sustainable Urban Environments There are two tracks in the MDES- SUEN program. Both tracks lead to the same Master of Design degree. One-year (3 semester hours) track for students holding a bachelor s or master s in a design or planning field. Two-year ( semester hours) track for students holding a bachelor s degree in other fields. 10
One-Year MDES-SUEN Program Two-Year MDES-SUEN Program Fall (September December) Master s Research Studio I Pro-Seminar I Urban Ecologies + Technologies I Elective Fall 1 (September December) Grad Studio I: Sustainable Urban Sites Implementation & Visualization for Urban Environments I Cities, Nature & Design in Contemporary History/Theory Optional Elective Spring (January April) 1 3 Masters Research Studio II or Co-op Pro-seminar II or Topics in Urban Design Urban Ecologies + Technologies II Elective MDES-SUEN One-Year Total Credit Hours Spring 1 (January April) Grad Studio 2: Sustainable Urban Systems Implementation & Visualization for Urban Environments II Cities, Sustainability and Climate Change + Planning Module/ULP Optional Elective 1 Fall 2 (September December) Master s Research Studio I Pro Seminar I Urban Ecologies + Technologies I Elective Spring 2 (January April) Masters Research Studio II or Co-op Pro-seminar II or Topics in Urban Design Urban Ecologies + Technologies II Elective MDES-SUEN Two-Year Total Credit Hours 11
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For more information, contact: Graduate Coordinator Department of Architecture Northeastern University 151 Ryder Hall 30 Huntington Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 17.373.37 (phone) 17.373.7080 (fax) gradarch@neu.edu (e-mail) northeastern.edu/camd/architecture