Inside the Design Studios
The design studio forms the core of the architectural education. Design studio courses emphasize design thinking skills and synthesize what students learn in companion classes (Structures, Environmental Controls, Graphics, Building Construction, History, Theory, and Professional Practice) and explore creative solutions to contemporary questions.
First Year design studio courses emphasize conceptualization and systems thinking. Second year design studio courses introduce fundamental strategies of precedent analysis, the organization of human activities and principles of sustainability while applying the knowledge acquired in building construction and graphics courses. Third year design studio courses pose complex urban challenges and projects developing students’ understanding of ways to integrate these systems into their design solutions. Fourth year—the capstone design studio course—focuses on the synthesis of program, site, structure, environmental controls, principles of sustainability and graphic communication. The three-semester Graduate program is based on significant design studio course commitments including a Comprehensive Design Studio, an Advanced Architectural Design Studio, and a Masters Studio Project—an individual research/design studio project.
FIRST YEAR
ARCH 151RA: Design Fundamentals I
Study of the creative design process with emphasis on two-dimensional design, basic three dimensional design concepts and introduction to the essential tools for graphic communication. Development of students' self-critical skills.
ARCH 152: Design Fundamentals II
A study of the design process and methods employed by design disciplines as an introduction to architectonic principles and architectural graphic skills. Design Fundamentals I and II further a student's understanding of the creative process and develop a student's ability to make critical and analytical judgments.
SECOND YEAR
ARCH 253: Architectural Design I
Small-scale design projects requiring integration of spatial, visual concepts, emphasizing relationship of architecture to its context with principles of order, constituents of form, light, structural awareness, nature of materials, architectural coherency. Includes inclusive orthographic graphics design drawing conventions.
ARCH 254: Architectural Design II
Small to medium-size projects extending the development of the design process to site and adjacency analysis, diagramming, fundamental relationship to landscape and context. Topics include hybrid uses of hand and digital graphic communication including two and three-dimensional drawing and modeling.
THIRD YEAR
ARCH 355: Architectural Design III
Further exploration of ecologically-sound design with emphasis on the integration of structures, building envelope service systems, and building materials, including design for life safety and accessibility. Building scale and program complexity increases, utilizing long-span structural systems. Notebook computer required. Field trip required.
ARCH 356: Architectural Design IV
Advanced architectural design projects integrate site analysis, programming, building systems, and contemporary design theory. Emphasis is placed on the inclusive synthesis of conceptual processes, analysis preliminary design investigation, and design development. Notebook computer is required.
FOURTH YEAR
ARCH 450: Community Design Center
The CDC assists public and non-profit groups by providing planning, programming, and conceptual design ideas. Emphasis and scope of projects are determined by the community needs. Projects are intended to complement and promote the professional practice of architecture in the State of Montana.
ARCH 457: Architectural Design V
Senior capstone course. Architectural design integrates building, landscape, and urban context using multi-story projects of medium scale and complexity with particular focus on mixed-use. Topics include programming structural and mechanical integration, ecologically-sound design, building envelope systems and building codes.
FIFTH YEAR
ARCH 551: Advanced Arch Studio
Design projects explore specific critical positions with regard to contemporary architectural issues. Research and analysis of theoretical positions are emphasized in addition to the development of contemporary methods and techniques for analysis. Field trip required.
ARCH 558: Comprehensive Design Studio
Comprehensive architectural studio which integrated design thinking and investigative skills with site design, accessibility and life safety, sustainability and environmental, and structural systems in the design and presentation of a programmatically complex building.
MASTERS PROJECT
ARCH 560: Masters Studio
Architectural design project that builds upon prior research investigations with an emphasis placed on analysis, synthesis, evaluation and development of a design solution from conceptual design through schematic/design development.