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Architecture, Interior Architecture, & Designed Objects

Graduate Curriculum & Courses

Master of Architecture

SAIC offers a National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited Master of Architecture (MArch) degree: a full, 3-year MArch and a 2-year, accelerated MArch track for students with an undergraduate, pre-professional bachelor's in architecture or architectural technology.

  • Program Requirements and Specifications

    • Completion schedule: Students have a maximum of six years to complete the degree. This includes time off for leaves of absence.
    • Transfer credit: Generally transfer credits are not accepted. All requests for transfer credits are reviewed individually by the director of the department at the time of admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.
    • Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 12 credit hours
    TermCredit Hours
    First Year Fall15
    • AIA 5110 Arch/Inarch: Grad Studio 1 (6)
    • AIA 5113 Arch/Inarch: Construction Systems (3)
    • AIA 5002 Descriptive Techniques (3)
    • ARTHI 5102 Global History of Architecture (3)
    		 
    First Year Spring15
    • AIA 5120 Arch/Inarch: Grad Studio 2 (6)
    • AIA 5123 Arch/Inarch: Structures 1 (3)
    • ARTHI 5122 Critical Terms in Modern Architecture (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Second Year Fall15
    • AIA 6110 Architecture: Grad Studio 3 (6)
    • AIA 6112 Resilient Systems (3)
    • Art History Elective (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Second Year Spring15
    • AIA 6120 Architecture: Grad Studio 4 (6)
    • AIA 6123 Codes, Specs, Joints (3)
    • AIA 6221 Structures 2
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Third Year Fall15
    • AIA 6210 Architecture: Grad Studio 5 (6)
    • AIA 6212 Arch/Inarch: Choreographed Systems (3)
    • AIA 6213 Arch/Inarch: Thesis Strategies (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Third Year Spring15
    • AIA 6220 Arch/Inarch: Grad Studio 6 - Thesis (6)
    • AIA 6222 Arch/Inarch: Sustaining Practice Economies (3)
    • AIA 6015 Professional Contexts (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Participation and in interdisciplinary critique in the final year of study 
    Participation in Design Show 
    Total Credit Hours90

  • Program Requirements and Specifications

    • Completion schedule: Students have a maximum of four years to complete the degree. This includes time off for leaves of absence.
    • Transfer credit: Generally transfer credits are not accepted. All requests for transfer credits are reviewed individually by the director of the department at the time of admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.
    • Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 12 credit hours
    TermCredit Hours
    First Year Fall15
    • AIA 6110 Architecture: Grad Studio 3 (6)
    • AIA 6112 Resilient Systems (3)
    • AIA 5002 Descriptive Techniques (3)
    • Art History Elective (3)
    		 
    First Year Spring15
    • AIA 6120 Architecture: Grad Studio 4 (6)
    • AIA 6123 Codes, Specs, Joints (3)
    • AIA 6221 Arch/Inarch: Structures 2 (3)
    • ARTHI 5122 Critical Terms in Modern Architecture (3)
    		 
    Second Year Fall15
    • AIA 6120 Architecture: Grad Studio 5 (6)
    • AIA 6212 Arch/Inarch: Choreographed Systems (3)
    • AIA 6213 Arch/Inarch: Thesis Strategies (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Second Year Spring15
    • AIA 6220 Arch/Inarch: Graduate Studio 6 - Thesis (9)
    • AIA 6222 Arch/Inarch: Practice Economies (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Participation and in interdisciplinary critique in the final year of study 
    Participation in Design Show 
    Total Credit Hours60

Master of Architecture with a Track in Interior Architecture

SAIC offers two Master of Architecture (MArch) with a Track in Interior Architecture degrees. Both are professional degrees accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Unique among architecture graduate degrees, SAIC’s two MArch with a track in interior architecture options recognize and underscore the significance of architectural design where form, structure and enclosure are considered in proximity to materials, objects, human needs, and experience. Housed within an interdisciplinary educational community, the degrees provide a provocative and intellectually stimulating context for exploring the social, cultural, and technological implications architectural spaces designed from the inside out.

Interior Architecture is a growing professional field where architects have an increasing impact. In the MArch programs, we teach through hands-on inquiry, experimentation and exploration to develop the skills and critical knowledge necessary for the development of new spatial ideas and invention in the field of interior architecture.

The curriculum is centered on the series of project-based studios supported by courses in building structures, building technology, professional practice, and electives in architectural history and theory. MArch students are encouraged to develop and expand their practice by taking courses in other departments across SAIC, as well as by applying to AIADO’s External Partnership courses. In their final year, students complete a rigorous comprehensive design studio and pursue a self-directed design thesis under the supervision of faculty in the department.

  • The 3 year, 90-credit option is a carefully choreographed studio sequence, offering students the skills and sensibilities required of the contemporary interior architect, while grounding them in the histories and theories that are specific to the design of interior spaces. Each semester includes a conceptual cluster of classes with a 6-credit design studio, a 3-credit technical support studio, and 3-credit seminars.

    Degree Requirements and Specifications

    • Completion schedule: Students have a maximum of six years to complete the degree. This includes time off for leaves of absence.
    • Transfer credits: Normally transfer credits are not accepted. All requests for transfer credits are reviewed individually by the director of the department at the time of admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.
    • Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 12 credit hours
    TermCredit Hours
    First Year Fall15
    • AIA 5110 Arch/Inarch: Grad Studio 1 (6)
    • AIA 5113 Arch/Inarch: Construction Systems (3)
    • AIA 5002 Descriptive Techniques (3)
    • ARTHI 5102 Global History of Architecture (3)
    		 
    First Year Spring15
    • AIA 5120 Arch/Inarch: Grad Studio 2 (6)
    • AIA 5123 Arch/Inarch: Structures 1 (3)
    • ARTHI 5122 Critical Terms in Modern Architecture (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Second Year Fall15
    • AIA 6110 Interior Arch: Grad Studio 3 (6)
    • AIA 6112 Resilient Systems (3)
    • Art History Elective (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Second Year Spring15
    • AIA 6120 Interior Arch: Grad Studio 4 (6)
    • AIA 6123 Codes, Specs, Joints (3)
    • AIA 6221 Structures 2
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Third Year Fall15
    • AIA 6210 Interior Arch: Grad Studio 5 (6)
    • AIA 6212 Arch/Inarch: Choreographed Systems (3)
    • AIA 6213 Arch/Inarch: Thesis Strategies (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Third Year Spring15
    • AIA 6220 Arch/Inarch: Grad Studio 6 - Thesis (6)
    • AIA 6222 Arch/Inarch: Sustaining Practice Economies (3)
    • AIA 6015 Professional Contexts (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Participation and in interdisciplinary critique in the final year of study
    Participation in Design Show 
    Total Credit Hours90


     

  • Students with undergraduate pre-professional bachelor's degrees in architectural studies, architectural technology, or interior design may be accepted into the two-year, 60-credit accelerated program. Students admitted into the Option 2 program may also be lacking one or two specific topical architectural classes, and if so will be required to take those classes at SAIC.

    Degree Requirements and Specifications

    • Completion schedule: Students have a maximum of four years to complete the degree. This includes time off for leaves of absence.
    • Transfer credits: Normally transfer credits are not accepted. All requests for transfer credits are reviewed individually by the director of the department at the time of admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.
    • Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 12 credit hours
    TermCredit Hours
    First Year Fall15
    • AIA 6110 Interior Arch: Grad Studio 3 (6)
    • AIA 6112 Resilient Systems (3)
    • AIA 5002 Descriptive Techniques (3)
    • Art History Elective (3)
    		 
    First Year Spring15
    • AIA 6120 Interior Arch: Grad Studio 4 (6)
    • AIA 6123 Codes, Specs, Joints (3)
    • AIA 6221 Arch/Inarch: Structures 2 (3)
    • ARTHI 5122 Critical Terms in Modern Architecture (3)
    		 
    Second Year Fall15
    • AIA 6120 Interior Arch: Grad Studio 5 (6)
    • AIA 6212 Arch/Inarch: Choreographed Systems (3)
    • AIA 6213 Arch/Inarch: Thesis Strategies (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Second Year Spring15
    • AIA 6220 Arch/Inarch: Graduate Studio 6: Thesis (9)
    • AIA 6222 Arch/Inarch: Practice Economies (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Participation and in interdisciplinary critique in the final year of study 
    Participation in Design Show 
    Total Credit Hours60

Master of Design in Designed Objects

The Master of Design in Designed Objects (MDDO) is a two-year, 66 credit hour program with a carefully sequenced course-based curriculum, built for students who seek immersion in the critical and technical skills specific to the extended practice of object design.

  • Degree Requirements and Specifications

    • Completion schedule: Students have a maximum of four years to complete the degree. This includes time off for leaves of absence.
    • Transfer credit: Generally transfer credits are not accepted. All requests for transfer credits are reviewed individually by the chair of the department at the time of admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.
    • Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 12 credit hours
    TermCredit Hours
    First Summer Intensive 6  
    • DESOB 5050 Refresh: Summer Intensive (6)
    		 
    First Year Fall15  
    • DESOB 5150 Studio 1: Reset (3)
    • DESOB 5152 Research Methods Lab (3)
    • DESOB 5164 Material Intelligence Studio Seminar (3)
    • ARTHI 5120 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Arch. and Design (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    First Year Spring  15  
    • DESOB 5160 Studio 2: Discover (6)
    • DESOB 5162 Prototyping Methods Lab (3)
    • ARTHI 5105 Theories of Things: Art / Design / Objects (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Second Year Fall 15  
    • DESOB 6150 Thesis Studio 1: Initiate (6)
    • DESOB 6154 Material Futures Studio Seminar (3)
    • ARTHI 6120 Critical Issues in Designed Objects (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Second Year Spring 15  
    • DESOB 6160 Thesis Studio 2: Manifest (6)
    • DESOB 6162 Positioning Methods Lab (3)
    • Elective (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    Participation in four graduate critiques, including departmental critiques and interdisciplinary critique in the final year of study 
    Participation in Design Show 
    Total Credit Hours66

MFA in Studio

The MFA in Studio Program offers an expansive educational model in which designers engage history, critical thinking, and work across disciplines.

  • The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program is designed to offer maximum flexibility in addressing the needs of each individual student. Following admission through a department, students design their two-year plan of study based on optimizing the offerings and opportunities available throughout SAIC. 

    Degree Requirements and Specifications

    • Completion schedule: You have a maximum of four years to complete your MFA in Studio degree. This includes time off for leaves of absence. Students will have access to studios for four semesters only.
    • Transfer credits: You must complete a minimum of 45 credit hours in residence at SAIC. You can request up to 15 transfer credits at the time of application for admission, which are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credits are permitted after a student is admitted.
    • Art History requirement: MFA students are required to take ARTHII 5002 Graduate Survey of Modern and Contemporary Art OR ARTHI 5120 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Architecture and Design. Art History courses must be at the 4000-level and above.
    • Undergraduate studio courses: Graduate students are permitted no more than one undergraduate studio course (3000-level and above) per semester without permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies. Courses at the 1000 and 2000-level are allowed only with permission.
    • Full-time status minimum requirement: 12 credit hours is required to maintain full-time status as a graduate student.
    AreaCredit Hours

    Studio

    • Graduate Projects 6009 (21)
    • Exhibition 6009 (3)

    24

     

    Seminar

    • Graduate Level Seminars
    		12

    Art History

    • ARTHI 5002 OR ARTHI 5120 (3)
    • Art History Courses, 4000-level or above (9)
    		12

    Electives

    Any course in any area at 3000-level or above 

    Participation in four graduate critiques

    Participation in ONE of the following as appropriate to artistic practice: 

    • Graduate Exhibition
    • AIADO or Fashion Exhibition
    • Graduate Performance Event
    • Graduate Screenings

    Students who wish to use an alternative venue or presentation outside of these options must receive permission from the dean of graduate studies. 

    		12
    Total Credit Hours60

  • The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program is designed to offer maximum flexibility in addressing the needs of each individual student. Following admission through a department, students design their two-year plan of study based on optimizing the offerings and opportunities available throughout SAIC. 

    Degree Requirements and Specifications

    • Completion schedule: You have a maximum of four years to complete your MFA in Studio degree. This includes time off for leaves of absence. Students will have access to studios for four semesters only.
    • Transfer credits: You must complete a minimum of 45 credit hours in residence at SAIC. You can request up to 15 transfer credits at the time of application for admission, which are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credits are permitted after a student is admitted.
    • Art History requirement: MFA students are required to take ARTHII 5002 Graduate Survey of Modern and Contemporary Art OR ARTHI 5120 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Architecture and Design. Art History courses must be at the 4000-level and above.
    • Undergraduate studio courses: Graduate students are permitted no more than one undergraduate studio course (3000-level and above) per semester without permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies. Courses at the 1000 and 2000-level are allowed only with permission.
    • Full-time status minimum requirement: 12 credit hours is required to maintain full-time status as a graduate student.
    AreaCredit Hours

    Studio

    • Graduate Projects 6009 (21)
    • Exhibition 6009 (3)

    24

     

    Seminar

    • Graduate Level Seminars
    		12

    Art History

    • ARTHI 5002 OR ARTHI 5120 (3)
    • Art History Courses, 4000-level or above (9)
    		12

    Electives

    Any course in any area at 3000-level or above 

    Participation in four graduate critiques

    Participation in ONE of the following as appropriate to artistic practice: 

    • Graduate Exhibition
    • AIADO or Fashion Exhibition
    • Graduate Performance Event
    • Graduate Screenings

    Students who wish to use an alternative venue or presentation outside of these options must receive permission from the dean of graduate studies. 

    		12
    Total Credit Hours60

  • The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program is designed to offer maximum flexibility in addressing the needs of each individual student. Following admission through a department, students design their two-year plan of study based on optimizing the offerings and opportunities available throughout SAIC. 

    Degree Requirements and Specifications

    • Completion schedule: You have a maximum of four years to complete your MFA in Studio degree. This includes time off for leaves of absence. Students will have access to studios for four semesters only.
    • Transfer credits: You must complete a minimum of 45 credit hours in residence at SAIC. You can request up to 15 transfer credits at the time of application for admission, which are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credits are permitted after a student is admitted.
    • Art History requirement: MFA students are required to take ARTHII 5002 Graduate Survey of Modern and Contemporary Art OR ARTHI 5120 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Architecture and Design. Art History courses must be at the 4000-level and above.
    • Undergraduate studio courses: Graduate students are permitted no more than one undergraduate studio course (3000-level and above) per semester without permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies. Courses at the 1000 and 2000-level are allowed only with permission.
    • Full-time status minimum requirement: 12 credit hours is required to maintain full-time status as a graduate student.
    AreaCredit Hours

    Studio

    • Graduate Projects 6009 (21)
    • Exhibition 6009 (3)

    24

     

    Seminar

    • Graduate Level Seminars
    		12

    Art History

    • ARTHI 5002 OR ARTHI 5120 (3)
    • Art History Courses, 4000-level or above (9)
    		12

    Electives

    Any course in any area at 3000-level or above 

    Participation in four graduate critiques

    Participation in ONE of the following as appropriate to artistic practice: 

    • Graduate Exhibition
    • AIADO or Fashion Exhibition
    • Graduate Performance Event
    • Graduate Screenings

    Students who wish to use an alternative venue or presentation outside of these options must receive permission from the dean of graduate studies. 

    		12
    Total Credit Hours60

  • The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program is designed to offer maximum flexibility in addressing the needs of each individual student. Following admission through a department, students design their two-year plan of study based on optimizing the offerings and opportunities available throughout SAIC. 

    Graduate Projects 6009

    Graduate Projects 6009 advising, an ongoing individual dialogue with a wide range of faculty advisors, is at the heart of the MFA program at SAIC, encouraging interdisciplinary study across the curriculum. Standard enrollment consists of two Graduate Projects 6009 advisors, one graduate-level seminar, and an art history course each semester. The remainder of credits required for the full-time 15-credit hour load may include academic or studio electives. All MFA students must register for a minimum of one and no more than two Graduate Projects 6009 sections each semester. Students may request permission from the Graduate Program Advisor to take a third Graduate Projects 6009 section after priority registration.

    In their final year, students must take one Exhibition 6009 section. The advising and grade for this course will be tied to the final exhibition. When taking undergraduate studio coursework, the student is responsible for understanding the faculty member’s expectations about completion of assignments, attendance, and any other criteria for earning credit. MFA students interested in completing a written thesis must take a research course and Research 6009 section and obtain approval from the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

    Graduate Critiques

    As one of the principle means of assessment each semester, you will be required to participate in Critique Week, a week-long schedule of critiques during which classes are suspended.

    Fall semester critiques are organized by department with panels representing the discipline. This provides you with an opportunity to understand the department’s expectations, have your work reviewed from a disciplinary point of view, and to reiterate the expectations for graduate study.

    Spring semester critiques are interdisciplinary, with panel members and students from across SAIC disciplines. Interdisciplinary critiques allow for a broad range of responses to your work, and are intended to assess the success of your work for a more general, albeit highly informed audience. Critique panels include faculty, visiting artists, and fellow graduate students.

    Graduate Exhibition or Equivalent

    At the conclusion of your studies, you will present work in the SAIC Graduate Thesis Exhibition, other end-of-year events at SAIC, or the Gene Siskel Film Center—or arrange with the graduate dean or division chair for an alternative thesis of equal professional quality. Each year more than 200 graduate students exhibit work, screen videos and films, and present time-based works, writings, and performance to a collective audience of 30,000 people.

    Students wishing to install work around prevalent themes, strategies or stylistic affinities can participate in a juried and curated section of the SAIC Graduate Thesis Exhibition. A faculty and staff committee conducts extensive studio visits and as a collaborative project with student participants, organizes and installs the show in designated space at the exhibition.

    Undergraduate Courses

    MFA students are advised to understand the expectations of their faculty when enrolled in undergraduate studio classes. Although graduate students are an asset to the group dynamic, faculty requirements for graduate students in undergraduate classes are variable. The student is responsible for understanding the faculty member's expectations about completion of assignments, attendance, and any other criteria for earning credit. To assure that graduate students are working at degree level, they are permitted no more than one undergraduate studio course (3000 level and above) per semester without permission of the dean of graduate studies. Courses at the 1000 and 2000 level are allowed only with permission.

Course Listing

Title Catalog Instructor Schedule

Description

This course introduces students to the history, culture, and practice of architecture, interior architecture, and historic preservation through lectures, field trips, and hands-on exercises. Students learn fundamentals of spatial analysis and representation through orthographic drawing, understand the cultural context in which spatial practices operate, and explore architectural design. Class work may include field trips to historic buildings; visits to archives, exhibitions, or events; and design exercises introducing plan, section, elevation, and scale; translation between two- and three-dimensional representations of space; and architectural diagramming.

Class Number

1016

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1255

Description

This course introduces students to the history, culture, and practice of architecture, interior architecture, and historic preservation through lectures, field trips, and hands-on exercises. Students learn fundamentals of spatial analysis and representation through orthographic drawing, understand the cultural context in which spatial practices operate, and explore architectural design. Class work may include field trips to historic buildings; visits to archives, exhibitions, or events; and design exercises introducing plan, section, elevation, and scale; translation between two- and three-dimensional representations of space; and architectural diagramming.

Class Number

1023

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1255

Description

This 6-credit (two day) design studio teaches foundational concepts and skills of architectural design through a series of exercises culminating in a design proposal. Students practice skills of orthographic drawing and model-making in an iterative process to develop and convey ideas through the medium of architectural design. In addition to architectural design, course work includes exercises in architectural research; on-site analysis and community engagement; and precedent study; and concludes with a final presentation. At the conclusion of the semester, students participate in the Portfolio Review, a presentation and critique of student portfolios organized by faculty and students in the department's critique spaces. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the department template including Rhino and Revit.

Class Number

2288

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1258

Description

This 6-credit (two day) design studio teaches foundational concepts and skills of architectural design through a series of exercises culminating in a design proposal. Students practice skills of orthographic drawing and model-making in an iterative process to develop and convey ideas through the medium of architectural design. In addition to architectural design, course work includes exercises in architectural research; on-site analysis and community engagement; and precedent study; and concludes with a final presentation. At the conclusion of the semester, students participate in the Portfolio Review, a presentation and critique of student portfolios organized by faculty and students in the department's critique spaces. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the department template including Rhino and Revit.

Class Number

2289

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1241

Description

Sketching is one of a designer's most crucial skills, integral to both generating focused ideas and presenting them across commercial, responsible, and experimental design. This course develops students' freehand sketching to communicate a design's form and function.
An introductory course in Designed Objects, it welcomes students of all levels and has no prerequisites.

Each skill is taught in class and refined in one-on-one sessions. Students practice thumbnail sketching, shading, and form development, building from lines, ellipses, and cubes into more complex forms. Methods include 'Form, Divide, Beautify' and concept pages. The course also covers orthographic projection for precise technical drawings, two-point perspective for objects in space, and digital sketching on the iPad.

Students focus on objects and how they are made, working through a progression of design problems, from form families to multi-part exploded assemblies and objects in use. They study how materials such as soft goods, glass, concrete, and wood read on the page and are introduced to design-for-manufacture concepts. The course also includes a visiting designer who shares their approach and a field trip to an industrial design studio.

Class Number

1273

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1240

Description

Architectural preservation, art conservation, archiving and collecting, even environmental protection: all these practices share a desire to preserve things of value, but how do we decide what's valuable? Using the laws, policies, and practices of architectural preservation as a starting point this studio will ask and propose answers to the question: what's worth preserving? Students will explore how preservation practice overlaps and complements the work of different museums, archives, and collections that define value and how they protect it; and propose strategies for assembling and maintaining their own collections in whatever media they choose. Course readings will focus on the history and contemporary practice of preservation, conservation, and collecting; and visits to preservation organizations in the city of Chicago will introduce students to a range of current preservation projects. Course work will include weekly readings, discussions, field trips and tours. Students will work individually throughout the course to research how different institutions assemble and protect their collections, identify a subject of personal interest for preservation, and propose a preservation strategy for it in any medium of their choice.

Class Number

1026

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Art/Design and Politics, Community & Social Engagement, Public Space, Site, Landscape

Location

Sullivan Center 1226

Description

Nearly everything designers create demands interaction: reading screens, operating objects, navigating spaces, or interpreting responses over time. As interaction spans physical, digital, and spatial realms, communicating how experiences behave is a fundamental design skill. This course introduces methods to visualize interaction, from initial storyboards to tested proposals.
Intended early in the Designed Objects sequence, this core skills studio has no prerequisites and requires no prior interface design or interactive prototyping experience.
Students build storyboards, user journeys, and flow diagrams to map human movement through systems. Using Figma, they construct and animate low- and high-fidelity prototypes, applying principles of layout, typography, visual hierarchy, and motion. Prototypes undergo user testing and iterative refinement based on observation and feedback.
Coursework introduces established interface patterns and UI kits to adapt and extend. Accessibility standards and ergonomic considerations integrate throughout the design process. AI tools assist iteration and alternative development, teaching students to evaluate outputs and apply design judgment.
By course end, students complete one interactive experience from storyboard to working, user-tested prototype. They leave equipped to make interactions legible before construction, demonstrating, testing, and defending how designs behave beyond mere visual appearance.

Class Number

1277

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Digital Communication

Location

Sullivan Center 1407

Description

Designed Objects Core Studio 1 introduces students to design as an intentional practice oriented toward people beyond themselves. The studio centers on the shift from self-directed making to designing with responsibility toward users, contexts, and real-world constraints.
Work in this studio is primarily analog and hands-on. Students develop ideas through observation, sketching, physical mockups, and full-scale prototyping. The studio introduces a builder mindset, framing making and fabrication as ways of generating insight rather than simply executing ideas. Digital tools are introduced selectively to support thinking and making rather than to define the work. Students learn two-dimensional CAD workflows using vector tools to develop patterns, layouts, and templates for 3D mockups and prototypes, exploring form and proportion.
Emphasis is placed on translating insight into form and testing ideas through iteration. Prototypes are used to ask questions, reveal assumptions, and gather feedback. Critique is introduced as a collaborative process focused on clarity of intent and use.
By the end of the studio, students understand that design always addresses an ¿other,¿ and that building¿whether with cardboard, foam, or digital files¿is a primary way designers think, test, and learn.
This studio is for students beginning their product design studies, including those new to design, fabrication, or digital tools. It is best taken early in the Designed Objects curriculum alongside core skills courses such as Sketching, Digital Modeling, and Designing Interaction.

Class Number

1268

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1226

Description

Designed Objects Core Studio 1 introduces students to design as an intentional practice oriented toward people beyond themselves. The studio centers on the shift from self-directed making to designing with responsibility toward users, contexts, and real-world constraints.
Work in this studio is primarily analog and hands-on. Students develop ideas through observation, sketching, physical mockups, and full-scale prototyping. The studio introduces a builder mindset, framing making and fabrication as ways of generating insight rather than simply executing ideas. Digital tools are introduced selectively to support thinking and making rather than to define the work. Students learn two-dimensional CAD workflows using vector tools to develop patterns, layouts, and templates for 3D mockups and prototypes, exploring form and proportion.
Emphasis is placed on translating insight into form and testing ideas through iteration. Prototypes are used to ask questions, reveal assumptions, and gather feedback. Critique is introduced as a collaborative process focused on clarity of intent and use.
By the end of the studio, students understand that design always addresses an ¿other,¿ and that building¿whether with cardboard, foam, or digital files¿is a primary way designers think, test, and learn.
This studio is for students beginning their product design studies, including those new to design, fabrication, or digital tools. It is best taken early in the Designed Objects curriculum alongside core skills courses such as Sketching, Digital Modeling, and Designing Interaction.

Class Number

1276

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1240

Description

As products incorporate increasingly complex displays, functionality, and intelligence, their usability can become a challenge. This studio-seminar explores methods for designing intuitive and effective interfaces that enhance both the usability and overall experience of a device. Through presentations, discussions, and hands-on exercises, students will analyze existing interfaces and devices, identifying strengths and weaknesses in their design. The course emphasizes the integration of user interface (UI) and industrial design (ID) to create seamless, visually cohesive, and functionally intuitive products. Students will engage in critical evaluation of real-world examples and apply digital media tools to prototype the interface and interaction components of their own design projects. Key topics include understanding user behavior, mapping device functionality, designing appropriate two-way communication, and developing graphic elements that support usability. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of interface design as a critical factor in product development, enabling them to craft more user-centered, visually compelling, and engaging product experiences.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Sophomore-level or above.

Class Number

1285

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Digital Communication, Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1227

Description

Core Studio 2 focuses on how material, form, and interaction shape experience over time. Building on the foundations of designing for others, this studio deepens students¿ engagement with making, refinement, and use.
Students work extensively with physical materials, exploring construction, surface, finish, and detail as communicative elements. Here, students deepen their builder practice by working through material constraints, assemblies, and refinement, learning how construction decisions shape experience. Digital tools are more fully integrated into the workflow, with 3D modeling used to develop form, assemblies, and tolerances, and 2D CAD supporting patternmaking, layouts, and fabrication planning. Sketching remains central as a means of refining proportion and communicating intent.
Interaction is introduced as a temporal and physical experience, encompassing affordance, sequence, and feedback. Prototyping emphasizes iteration and refinement, with students moving between digital models and physical builds to test how objects are handled, activated, and interpreted.
This studio reinforces building as a disciplined design practice, where material decisions, craft, and structure communicate meaning as clearly as form or function.

Who this course is for
This studio is for students who have completed Core Studio 1 and are ready to deepen their engagement with materials, construction, and use. It is well suited to students who want to strengthen their ability to design objects that are experienced through touch, handling, and interaction over time.

When to take it
Core Studio 2 is typically taken after Core Studio 1. The studio is designed to run alongside the core skills courses¿Designing Interaction, Sketching, and 3D Modeling¿reinforcing the integration of material exploration, digital workflows, visualization, and prototyping. Students are strongly encouraged to have taken, or to be concurrently enrolled in, a digital modeling core skills course, as 3D modeling is used regularly throughout the studio.

This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.

Prerequisites

Pre: DES OB 1006 or 2020

Class Number

1269

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1226

Description

This course introduces the foundational tools and techniques of architectural representation using software platforms such as Rhino and Revit. It is intended for students with little or no prior experience in architectural software.

Students learn the conventions of architectural drawing, including plans, sections, elevations, scale, and basic three-dimensional representation. The course emphasizes the relationship between two-dimensional drawings and three-dimensional models, and introduces digital workflows for drafting, modeling, file organization, and drawing output.

Class work includes lectures and demonstrations; readings; and iterative exercises to build understanding of concepts and skills with software. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specifications and runs the department software template including Rhino and Revit.

Class Number

2277

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Architecture, Digital Communication, Digital Imaging, Illustration, Interior Architecture

Location

Online

Description

This course introduces Rhino as a form-driven, exploratory 3D modeling tool used widely in product, furniture, and spatial design. Modeling is approached as a way of thinking through form, proportion, and iteration within a broader production-focused design process.

Students learn core Rhino workflows including curve construction, solid and basic surface modeling, transformations, and file preparation for visualization and fabrication. The course also introduces foundational digital workflows such as preparing models for 3D printing, creating 2D drawings for laser cutting, and producing rendered images in KeyShot to communicate design intent.

Through a series of design projects, students use Rhino to explore object form, refine ideas through iteration, and translate digital models into physical and visual outputs. Emphasis is placed on clarity of form, thoughtful revision, and understanding how digital modeling supports the development and communication of design proposals.

When and why to take this course:
Students are encouraged to take this course as early as possible, ideally before or alongside Designed Objects Studio 2. Rhino is used throughout the curriculum and supports iterative form development in studio work. Rhino and SolidWorks are both primary 3D modeling tools used in professional design practice. Students are encouraged to take both courses over time; however, completing either Rhino or SolidWorks provides a strong foundation in digital formmaking. Skills developed in either platform translate across tools and support broader design workflows.

Class Number

1270

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Digital Communication, Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1407

Description

This course introduces SolidWorks as a parametric, constraint-based 3D modeling tool widely used in product development and manufacturing-oriented design. Emphasis is placed on using modeling to define design intent, dimensional relationships, and functional requirements, supporting clarity, precision, and repeatability in complex objects and systems. SolidWorks is widely regarded as a standard professional 3D modeling tool in industrial design, supporting workflows common in corporate, consulting, and manufacturing-focused practice.
Students learn core SolidWorks workflows including sketch-based feature modeling, parametric constraints, part and assembly creation, and basic documentation practices. The course focuses on how dimensions, constraints, and features work together to support functional performance, mechanical relationships, and downstream production needs.

Through approximately three design projects, students develop objects with multiple components, test relationships between parts, and communicate designs through structured models and drawings. Projects emphasize precision, decision-making, and the translation of design concepts into clearly defined systems rather than open-ended formal exploration.

When to take this course:
Students are strongly encouraged to take this course as early as possible. 3D CAD is used regularly beginning in Designed Objects Studio 2 (DO2) and across many topical studio electives. Early exposure allows students to integrate modeling directly into studio work. SolidWorks is especially useful for students interested in later-stage design development and production-oriented electives.

Who this course is for:
This course is ideal for students interested in mechanical systems, assemblies, and production-ready design. Alongside Sketching for Designed Objects and Designing Interaction, this course is part of the Designed Objects core skills group supporting the Core Studio sequence. Completion of either SolidWorks or Rhino fulfills the core 3D modeling expectation for the Designed Objects program. Designers in professional practice often specialize in one primary modeling platform while developing transferable modeling concepts that apply across tools.

Class Number

1271

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1226

Description

What are the concerns that drive one's creative practice? How does one set the terms for its future development? Sophomore Seminar offers strategies for students to explore, reflect upon, and connect common themes and interests in the development of an emerging creative practice that will serve as the basis of their ongoing studies at SAIC and beyond. Students will examine historical and contemporary influences and contextualize their work in relation to the diverse art-worlds of the 21st Century. Readings, screenings, and field trips will vary each semester. Presentations by visiting artists and guest speakers will provide the opportunity for students to hear unique perspectives on sustaining a creative practice. One-on-one meetings with faculty will provide students with individualized mentorship throughout the semester. During interdisciplinary critiques, students will explore a variety of formats and tools to analyze work and provide peer feedback. The class mid-term project asks students to imagine a plan for their creative life and devise a self-directed course of study for their time at school. The course concludes with an assignment asking students to develop and document a project or body of work demonstrating how the interplay of ideas, technical skills, and formal concerns evolve through iteration, experimentation and revision.

Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll.

Class Number

2030

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1240

Description

What are the concerns that drive one's creative practice? How does one set the terms for its future development? Sophomore Seminar offers strategies for students to explore, reflect upon, and connect common themes and interests in the development of an emerging creative practice that will serve as the basis of their ongoing studies at SAIC and beyond. Students will examine historical and contemporary influences and contextualize their work in relation to the diverse art-worlds of the 21st Century. Readings, screenings, and field trips will vary each semester. Presentations by visiting artists and guest speakers will provide the opportunity for students to hear unique perspectives on sustaining a creative practice. One-on-one meetings with faculty will provide students with individualized mentorship throughout the semester. During interdisciplinary critiques, students will explore a variety of formats and tools to analyze work and provide peer feedback. The class mid-term project asks students to imagine a plan for their creative life and devise a self-directed course of study for their time at school. The course concludes with an assignment asking students to develop and document a project or body of work demonstrating how the interplay of ideas, technical skills, and formal concerns evolve through iteration, experimentation and revision.

Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll.

Class Number

2031

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1240

Description

What are the concerns that drive one's creative practice? How does one set the terms for its future development? Sophomore Seminar offers strategies for students to explore, reflect upon, and connect common themes and interests in the development of an emerging creative practice that will serve as the basis of their ongoing studies at SAIC and beyond. Students will examine historical and contemporary influences and contextualize their work in relation to the diverse art-worlds of the 21st Century. Readings, screenings, and field trips will vary each semester. Presentations by visiting artists and guest speakers will provide the opportunity for students to hear unique perspectives on sustaining a creative practice. One-on-one meetings with faculty will provide students with individualized mentorship throughout the semester. During interdisciplinary critiques, students will explore a variety of formats and tools to analyze work and provide peer feedback. The class mid-term project asks students to imagine a plan for their creative life and devise a self-directed course of study for their time at school. The course concludes with an assignment asking students to develop and document a project or body of work demonstrating how the interplay of ideas, technical skills, and formal concerns evolve through iteration, experimentation and revision.

Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll.

Class Number

2066

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1407

Description

A seminar for designers who want to imagine, question, and prototype new futures. This course explores how design can shape the future of learning, culture, and experience through applied imagination grounded in research, empathy, and storytelling. Each semester focuses on a distinct theme while sharing a common approach that expands design beyond problem solving toward investigation, reflection, and creative foresight.. Drawing from speculative and critical design, learning experience design, and contextual research, students study cultural, social, material, and environmental contexts to understand how systems shape experience. Through narrative, scenario building, and worldbuilding, they test ideas and envision alternative ways of living and making meaning, creating designed artifacts and experiences that express how design can shape the world¿s evolution.

Class Number

2217

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Digital Communication, Product Design, Sustainable Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1226

Description

This advanced studio investigates the design and construction of soft objects, a category spanning softgoods, upholstery, and experimental forms. Students will explore how textiles, padding, and flexible materials shape products for the body, home, and space. Techniques include pattern drafting, sewing, upholstery methods, stuffing, quilting, and bonding, paired with analog and digital workflows for prototyping.
Weekly workshops build technical fluency, while studio projects challenge students to apply these skills toward both functional and speculative outcomes.
In addition, the course provides a snapshot of how softgoods are developed in the design and fashion industries, examining methods of branding, production, and consumption. Students will also consider how these systems influence design practice today.
The semester is structured around two main projects: the first focuses on a softgood or body-related object, while the second scales up to a furniture or spatial soft object, or an experimental hybrid that expands the role of softness in design. This studio elective is intended for design-focused sophomores and above, who have taken design-related courses. The projects will be developed with portfolio presentation in mind.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Sophomore-level or above.

Class Number

2216

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Designed Objects, Furniture Design, Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1230

Description

This interdisciplinary studio class investigates the intersection of printmedia, artists¿ multiples and packaging as an entry point into making and thinking about multiples as a format for studio production. The history of artists¿ multiples (loosely defined as small-scale editioned or multiply produced three-dimensional works) includes many examples that use, or appropriate, printed elements and packaging in some way. This history, along with our daily experience of packaging (the many boxes, folders, labels, pamphlets, flyers and cartons found in nearly every aspect of contemporary life) offers a wealth of connections to consider and work from.
Students will be introduced to a range of printing and paper construction techniques within the Printmedia studio. These include hand-drawn and digital plate lithography, pattern layout and construction for packaging along with other selected tools and techniques.
In addition, students will have the opportunity to use SAIC labs such as the Service Bureau and digital fabrication centers. Examples of multiples, short readings, and a visit to the Joan Flasch or other related collections will support project development and discussion.
Students can expect to complete three to four projects and participate in two critiques.

Class Number

1281

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

280 Building Rm 221

Description

Digital fabrication is integral to how objects are designed and produced. This technical studio teaches students to prepare, program, set up, and safely operate a CNC mill, and to determine when machining, hand processes, or both best serve a project. Students develop the independence to use CNC milling in subsequent courses.

The course supports furniture, product design, sculpture, and other object-based work. Experience with 3D CAD modeling is required; familiarity with Rhino is recommended. No prior CNC experience is required.

Demonstrations, technical exercises, and open shop time introduce profiling, pocketing, three-axis machining, and flip milling. Instruction addresses toolpaths, workholding, tolerances, material behavior, and the fit of parts. Later projects apply these skills to prototyping and form development.

Students work with woods, plastics, foams, and waxes to cut finished parts and produce masters, patterns, and molds for casting and forming. Coursework examines the appearance of machined forms, industrial applications, and questions of authorship and ownership in file-based production.

The course concludes with a project related to each student¿s practice. Students learn to move from a CAD model to a milled part, tool, or finished object, and to assess how CNC milling can support their work alongside other approaches to making.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore or above.

Class Number

2390

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1242

Description

This course teaches advanced operations with the tools of architectural representation. Students learn parametric and generative modeling strategies, advanced Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflows, and methods for moving between software platforms such as Rhino and Revit at multiple phases of a design project.

The class introduces the use of real-world site data, including location and sun settings, to support environmental analysis and design decisions. Emphasis is placed on coordinating digital models, producing drawings, renderings, and basic animations, and clearly communicating design intent and process.

Class work includes lectures, demonstrations, readings, and iterative exercises. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specifications and runs the department software template including Rhino and Revit.

Class Number

2358

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Digital Communication, Digital Imaging, Illustration

Location

Online

Description

This course teaches the fundamental concepts and applications of architectural structures, with an emphasis on the math and science necessary to analyze and design structural elements and systems.

The course focuses on the properties of materials, the appropriateness of different structural systems to various architectural applications, and on how architects communicate their intentions with engineers and other professionals involved in the design and construction of building structures.

Class work includes lectures; readings and discussions; and exercises to perform structural calculations and produce construction drawings and details at varying levels of complexity. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specifications and runs the department software template including Rhino and Revit.

Class Number

2281

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1241

Description

Furniture shapes how we sit, gather, work, and inhabit space. This studio introduces furniture as both a design category and a fabrication discipline, grounding students in form, proportion, structural logic, material behavior, and full-scale making.

Working primarily in wood, with selective use of light metals, students develop fluency in essential shop processes including joinery, machine operation, lathe turning, and iterative full-scale prototyping. Emphasis is placed on human scale and performance: how the body informs dimension, how materials carry load, and how construction decisions shape both function and meaning.

Projects progress from focused material and joinery studies to resolved furniture pieces. Making is treated as a mode of thinking, with mockups and prototypes used to test, refine, and evaluate ideas through direct engagement with materials.

A primary objective of the course is to build sustained confidence working in the Sullivan Fabrication Center, integrating shop practice into the design process and establishing fabrication as a core component of work at SAIC.

This course is for students seeking foundational experience in furniture design and full-scale fabrication, including Designed Objects students preparing for advanced studios such as Chair Studio and Advanced Furniture, as well as students from Sculpture, Fiber, Fashion, Architecture, and related disciplines. It is typically taken in the second year as a gateway to advanced furniture coursework and pairs well with CNC, with no prior furniture experience required.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Sophomore-level or above.

Class Number

2389

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Furniture Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1242

Description

This 6-credit (two day) design studio focuses on the role architecture plays in shaping public life. Students address the cultural, political, and material concerns that shape buildings through the development of a design proposal with a clear theoretical grounding and distinct topical focus. Teaching focuses on understanding architectural program and circulation; materiality and structure; and site and context. Students respond to topical briefs put forward by their teacher that incorporate knowledge from areas of architectural practice such as preservation, interior design, or urbanism; use advanced representation techniques to achieve a professional level presentation, and complete a portfolio and resume along with their design work. Class work includes architectural research; precedent study; and site analysis; all informing the completion of a design proposal with a complex program. This course requires 12 credits (two semesters) of Architecture Foundation Studio to register. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specifications and runs the department software template including Rhino and Revit.

Prerequisites

Must have completed a sophomore seminar class and 12 credits of Architecture Foundation Studio

Class Number

1564

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Architecture, Interior Architecture, Public Space, Site, Landscape, Sustainable Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1255

Description

This 6-credit (two day) design studio focuses on the role architecture plays in shaping public life. Students address the cultural, political, and material concerns that shape buildings through the development of a design proposal with a clear theoretical grounding and distinct topical focus. Teaching focuses on understanding architectural program and circulation; materiality and structure; and site and context. Students respond to topical briefs put forward by their teacher that incorporate knowledge from areas of architectural practice such as preservation, interior design, or urbanism; use advanced representation techniques to achieve a professional level presentation, and complete a portfolio and resume along with their design work. Class work includes architectural research; precedent study; and site analysis; all informing the completion of a design proposal with a complex program. This course requires 12 credits (two semesters) of Architecture Foundation Studio to register. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specifications and runs the department software template including Rhino and Revit.

Prerequisites

Must have completed a sophomore seminar class and 12 credits of Architecture Foundation Studio

Class Number

1564

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Architecture, Interior Architecture, Public Space, Site, Landscape, Sustainable Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1255

Description

In this class you will engage in a wide variety of professional practice activities to help prepare you for life after SAIC. In this course, each student will focus on advancing the design (layout, graphics, narratives, flow) of their portfolio so that it best conveys their individual design skills, experience and interests. Students will produce materials appropriate for delivery of their work across multiple formats (print, digital, web, etc), will learn how to edit/ arrange their materials to suit the specific context of application, and will create consistent design elements that can be shared across the full range of professional materials from portfolio, website, business cards, and other promotional materials. The course emphasizes hands-on, real- world professional activities and opportunities for emerging designers.

More information about Professional Practice and the Academic Spine curriculum can be found on the SAIC website: http://www.saic.edu/academics/departments/academicspine/

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Sophomore seminar course

Class Number

1585

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1226

Description

Within a structured studio environment, advanced-level students develop, refine, and execute an individual furniture concept. Students progress from the conceptual design stage, through design development to the actualization of a work that can be `tested? for public review. Students are challenged to develop concise and persuasive arguments regarding the motivation, development, execution, and dissemination of their design project. Through the articulation and advocacy of their design work, students define their role as a dynamic catalyst operating within real-world social-, political-, monetary-, and cultural-economies. Students are admitted via a portfolio application reviewed by the faculty.

Prerequisites

DESOB 4025

Class Number

1279

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1242

Description

In this course we focus on a participatory placemaking project in North Lawndale where community members and student artists gain skills in natural building techniques with cob, straw-bale, willow, rammed earth, hemp, and brick. The studio works within the constraints of the local conditions to determine material specification, use, reuse, and recycling or upcycling options available for on-site construction. Co-creation activities are at the heart of the design and building process, which requires a detailed understanding of the unique capacities of the community with which the students collaborate.
The studio explores the work of artists, designers and thinkers such as the ones who received the 'Global Award for Sustainable Architecture' or are part of the Design for the Common Good (DCG) coalition. Guest presenters also facilitate hands-on demonstration and workshops in alternative building materials and methods to which students and community members participate together. This includes, among others: cob construction materials and techniques, live hedges purpose and benefits, living walls and bug hotels, brick making and firing, material upcycling.
Students will work collaboratively on one to three design projects involving community members. At the end of the semester they will present their material research, building prototypes, design, construction strategies, timeline and budget proposal to a group of stakeholders who will give them feedback on the feasibility of their proposal.

Class Number

1025

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Community & Social Engagement, Public Space, Site, Landscape, Sustainable Design

Location

Homan 1200

Description

In this course we focus on a participatory placemaking project in North Lawndale where community members and student artists gain skills in natural building techniques with cob, straw-bale, willow, rammed earth, hemp, and brick. The studio works within the constraints of the local conditions to determine material specification, use, reuse, and recycling or upcycling options available for on-site construction. Co-creation activities are at the heart of the design and building process, which requires a detailed understanding of the unique capacities of the community with which the students collaborate.
The studio explores the work of artists, designers and thinkers such as the ones who received the 'Global Award for Sustainable Architecture' or are part of the Design for the Common Good (DCG) coalition. Guest presenters also facilitate hands-on demonstration and workshops in alternative building materials and methods to which students and community members participate together. This includes, among others: cob construction materials and techniques, live hedges purpose and benefits, living walls and bug hotels, brick making and firing, material upcycling.
Students will work collaboratively on one to three design projects involving community members. At the end of the semester they will present their material research, building prototypes, design, construction strategies, timeline and budget proposal to a group of stakeholders who will give them feedback on the feasibility of their proposal.

Class Number

1025

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Community & Social Engagement, Public Space, Site, Landscape, Sustainable Design

Location

Homan 1200

Description

SAIC Design @ Homan Square combines professional practice design experience with community activism. Operating out of SAIC's facility in the Nichols tower at Homan Square, the course engages students in a focused dialogue on social project implementation in Chicago and provides the tools and frameworks to realize those projects. Functioning as a pro bono 'design consultancy' where the residents, small businesses and community groups of North Lawndale act as 'clients', each job is treated as a discrete project involving research, knowledge-sharing and design action. The projects will cover a two-semester cycle, with each semester being offered as an independent class. This course, running in the Spring semester, will emphasize the last three stages of the design thinking process; ideation, prototyping, and testing. course class will focus on proposing and implementing solutions that address the contextual research carried out in the first semester. These solutions will be presented to, and critiqued by, the 'clients' who are the main stakeholders, North Lawndale community leaders, as well as SAIC faculty. Recognizing that making is a research process that reveals new problems, the reflexive activity of proposing, making, presenting and critiquing solutions generates new knowledge as well as physical outcomes. It is this collective 'new intelligence' that is the primary goal of the course.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Sophomore-level or above.

Class Number

1275

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Collaboration, Community & Social Engagement, Economic Inequality & Class

Location

Sullivan Center 1258

Description

Whatnot Studio is a year-long advanced studio in which students design, produce, and publicly present a collection for Whatnot, the school¿s in-house product brand. The course is structured around a complete design cycle, moving from concept development through small-batch production to a fully realized retail and exhibition environment.
Working from an annual theme, students develop individual products that contribute to a cohesive collection. Emphasis is placed on translating ideas into producible designs, with attention to material decisions, fabrication methods, and the constraints of small-batch manufacturing. Unlike most undergraduate studios, the course extends through production, requiring students to fabricate a pilot run of their work rather than a single prototype.
In parallel, students collaborate to define the identity of the collection and design a branded retail installation to showcase the work. This includes spatial design, display systems, and communication strategies that position the collection for a public audience. The studio culminates in a major external presentation, with the collection exhibited at a leading design fair or trade show.
Throughout the year, students develop an individual design voice while working collectively to produce a unified, high-quality outcome. The course emphasizes design as both authorship and collaboration, and as a process that extends beyond form-making to include production, context, and audience.
Enrollment is by portfolio review and is open to advanced undergraduate and graduate students.
Please submit a portfolio of work by the end of day on Monday, April 27 to this link: https://airtable.com/app10LexPLHEqM7mV/pagcVlilryi7Xn4Or/form
Accepted students will then be enrolled in the course.

For more information, contact Jim TerMeer (jterme@saic.edu) or Gionata Gatto (ggatt@saic.edu). This course is best taken in the final year of study, once students have developed confidence in their design process and are ready to carry a project through to production and public presentation.

Class Number

1274

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1230

Description

This 6-credit (two day) design studio is an opportunity for summative, integrated undergraduate work in architecture. Teaching leads students through theoretical and historical precedent, site and program analysis, to a design proposal that addresses contemporary issues in the built environment with a focus on architecture and how it serves the public. Students are expected to produce comprehensive design proposals that express and embody conceptual positions. Students are expected to respond to topical briefs put forward by their teacher that incorporate knowledge from areas of architectural practice such as preservation, interior design, or urbanism; and that respond to specific, contemporary challenges and opportunities in the built environment such as sustainability, public space, or the impacts of advanced technology. Class work includes precedent studies and site analysis, site visits, and preparation and presentation of a design proposal. At the conclusion of the semester, students participate in the Studio Show, an exhibition of capstone work organized by faculty and students in the department's gallery. Studnets and faculty participate as critics in concluding events the Department's Architecture Studios as part of their coursework. This course requires 12 credits of Architecture Studio: Practice to register. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specifications and runs the department software template including Rhino and Revit.

Prerequisites

Student must have completed 12 credits of PROFPRAC 3902

Class Number

1135

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Architecture, Interior Architecture, Sustainable Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1256

Description

This studio course is designed for design-focused students in their final year at SAIC who are ready to develop an independent, self-directed design project. It is ideal for those who have cultivated their own design pathway, integrating studies across the four design departments¿Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects (AIADO); Fashion Design; Visual Communication Design; and Designed Objects¿along with studio art courses at SAIC. Whether pursuing a passion project, preparing a competition entry, revisiting an unrealized concept, or exploring a new design territory, students will engage in critical research, material exploration, and iterative making. The course emphasizes conceptual development, project planning, and execution, with outcomes culminating in a publication, exhibition, or online presentation.
Students will engage with a range of readings, case studies, and guest lectures that explore the future of design across disciplines. Topics will include independent design practice, sustainability, emerging technologies, speculative design, and strategies for professional longevity. Course materials will highlight designers and thinkers who navigate hybrid practices, create impact-driven work, or push the boundaries of existing fields. By examining these frameworks, students will develop a long-view approach to their own careers, identifying strategies for sustaining creative work and positioning themselves within the broader design world.
Students will develop a self-directed design project, guided by structured exercises in writing a design brief, envisioning outcomes, resource gathering, and iterative prototyping, culminating in a final public presentation.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Professional practice course

Class Number

2221

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Digital Communication, Graphic Design, Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1406B

Description

This course teaches advanced techniques in hand and digital fabrication for architects and related disciplines. Teaching familiarizes students with the core concepts, tools, and workflows for the fabrication for research, presentation, and even components for construction. Class work includes iterative exercises and an opportunity to receive critical feedback on individual fabrication projects. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the department template including Rhino and Revit.

Class Number

1014

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Digital Communication

Location

Sullivan Center 1241

Description

This introductory design studio introduces a broad range of investigative techniques and applies the results to the design of a multi- level environment designed from the inside to the outside.

Course Goals and Objectives
1) Integrate ideas about enclosure and envelope with scale, site, structure, program and form, experimenting with skin effects and affects as a generator of a design, adapting an existing building, and addressing the existing building envelope.
2) Investigate the design of building skins including design, technical, structural, environmental, and social performance, ranging from cultural questions to accessibility, through the conceptual design of a small public building.
3) Develop design and graphic skills by completing the conceptual design of a small public building with a complex program, producing architectural drawings and models at an accomplished level, demonstrating a command of drawing and modeling conventions and an ability to manipulate those conventions to convey ideas relevant to a particular design idea.
4) Demonstrate awareness of the role of accessibility and sustainability in the design process.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1871

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1234

Description

Introduces building materials and assesses their applications with parametric tools. Addresses topics related to the strength of materials and design of structural components and systems.

Course Goals and Objectives
1) Understand the role that materials play in design decisions developed through a series of case studies of historic and contemporary buildings.
2) Communicate understanding of material performance in technical drawings, through plans, sections, wall sections and details.
3) Make parametric software tools that analyze technical performance, embodied energy and life-cycle performance.
4) Understand and use structural concepts such as the distribution of concentrated and uniform loads, vertical loads, lateral loads, and the design of members in wood, concrete and steel.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1873

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1233

Description

Introduces building materials and assesses their applications with parametric tools. Addresses topics related to the strength of materials and design of structural components and systems.

Course Goals and Objectives
1) Understand the role that materials play in design decisions developed through a series of case studies of historic and contemporary buildings.
2) Communicate understanding of material performance in technical drawings, through plans, sections, wall sections and details.
3) Make parametric software tools that analyze technical performance, embodied energy and life-cycle performance.
4) Understand and use structural concepts such as the distribution of concentrated and uniform loads, vertical loads, lateral loads, and the design of members in wood, concrete and steel.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1873

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1233

Description

Research is the foundation of an informed design process and this lab helps students understand the ways in which research can add value to the practice of design. Students will be introduced to a variety of methods, strategies, frameworks and tools for the capturing, synthesis and translation of varied research material. By demonstrating how primary and secondary methods can be utilized, this class provides a practical guide to navigating the ways in which research can be integrated into the design process as a source of inspiration, a method of knowledge building, and a means of testing assumptions. You must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course.

Readings and references will vary but have included: Design Research Through Practice: From the Lab, Field, and Showroom, Ilpo Koskinen, John Zimmerman, Thomas Binder, Johan Redstrom, Stephan Wensveen, Elsevier, 2011
Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights, Steve Portigal, Rosenfield, 2013
Mapping Experiences: A Complete Guide to Creating Value through Journeys, Blueprints, and Diagrams, Jim Kalbach,
Research for Designers: A Guide to Methods and Practice, Gjoko Muratovski, Sage, 2016'

Each class will typically consist of a lecture, discussion, critique, and/or in-class activities followed with assignments to be completed by the next class. Readings will be assigned to supplement lectures and inform discussions.

Class Number

2215

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1228

Description

Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.

Prerequisites

Open to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only

Class Number

1910

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Description

The Practicum provides a structure for developing a thesis proposal into a fully developed thesis document in support of thesis studio project development. In consultation with faculty this work can include internships, co-operative learning opportunities, experiential and focused observational research, scholarly research, and service learning and community collaborations.

Faculty develop and deliver methodological requirements for the class that will enable students to link their thesis project to the discipline and practice of architecture. This work will build upon the thesis proposal materials completed in AIA 6213 Thesis Strategies. At the end of this course, students are required to develop a media rich thesis document which must be submitted to the Flaxman Library. The report is built through iterative drafts that are presented and critiqued in the class periodically throughout the semester.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1867

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1238

Description

This intermediate design studio in the accredited professional graduate degree emphasizes the capacity of buildings, interior space and urban interiors to engage and make tangible the opportunities inherent to diversity, change and the temporal occupation of space and time.

Course goals and objectives include developing an understanding of the role that temporal or contingent conditions play in architectural design. These questions are explored through the design or adaptive re-use of a medium sized building accommodating 100 occupants, sited in a culturally diverse and historically complex context. The design exploration needs to demonstrate evidence of a deep understanding of the ethical and social responsibilities of the architect, and of human behavior in a context governed by diversity and change. Students will be expected to develop a design proposition that is sensitive to context while addressing site conditions, accessibility, building services and systems and user well-being.

Readings, case studies and site visits will vary, but always provide the background and theoretical grounding for the site and project analysis and final project development and representation.

Project work will produce a cumulative archive of the process of problem analysis and design exploration that are translations of observations, facts and ideas made visible through diagrams, drawings and models. Students will work collaboratively and individually on a variety of assignments. Work on the final course project will be done individually.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1865

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1236

Description

This intermediate design studio in the accredited professional graduate degree emphasizes the capacity of buildings, interior space and urban interiors to engage and make tangible the opportunities inherent to diversity, change and the temporal occupation of space and time.

Course goals and objectives include developing an understanding of the role that temporal or contingent conditions play in architectural design. These questions are explored through the design or adaptive re-use of a medium sized building accommodating 100 occupants, sited in a culturally diverse and historically complex context. The design exploration needs to demonstrate evidence of a deep understanding of the ethical and social responsibilities of the architect, and of human behavior in a context governed by diversity and change. Students will be expected to develop a design proposition that is sensitive to context while addressing site conditions, accessibility, building services and systems and user well-being.

Readings, case studies and site visits will vary, but always provide the background and theoretical grounding for the site and project analysis and final project development and representation.

Project work will produce a cumulative archive of the process of problem analysis and design exploration that are translations of observations, facts and ideas made visible through diagrams, drawings and models. Students will work collaboratively and individually on a variety of assignments. Work on the final course project will be done individually.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1872

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1235

Description

Codes are examined as explicit as well as tacit instances of social values, which reflect cultural boundaries between the built environment and human behavior. Students investigate the notion of confinement and explore the possibilities, as Michael Sorkin put it, where codes, through 'acknowledging the gravity of permanence and the oppressions of extent,' seek, in their limits, 'not to restrain associations, but to free them.'

While codes are a means through which society speaks to the architect, their compliment, specifications, are investigated as a vital architectural component of architectural expression. In order for an architectural vision to be manifest in the world, it must be communicated in a common manner both comprehensible and commonly valued. In courts of law, the written always trumps the drawn, even in cases where the drawing is worth a thousand words. In addition to basic proficiency in specification writing and the surrounding professional and legal processes, students also gain crucial understanding of the role that specifications can play in controlling the material articulation of their architectural propositions.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1862

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1235

Description

In the final thesis studio, students confirm and materialize their position and voice as designers by completing their self-selected thesis project initiated in DES OB 6150 -- Thesis Studio 1.Through an intensive period of seminar and tutorial discussion, prototyping, presentation and critique, students produce highly developed designed objects, systems, and experiences that critically engage specific areas of design, technology, and culture. Emphasis is given to determining potent vehicles through which the instance of the thesis is tested, exhibited and engages public consciousness. The course culminates in a thesis defense and the presentation of a final thesis project at the SAIC Design Show.


You must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects Student to enroll in this course.

Prerequisites

Prereq: DES OB 6150

Class Number

1887

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1228

Description

Life after design school could reveal vast diversity beyond traditional employment opportunities, such as working for a design consultancy, as an in-house designer, or independently. Positioning Methods Lab is designed to help students shape their portfolio into various formats, focusing primarily on each students? specific future goals, and establishing a promotional strategy that feels authentic and attuned to their personal form of world-making.

Readings and screenings will vary but will include foundational and instructional readings such as:
Elements of Typographic Style by Bringhurst Grid Systems/Raster Systeme by Josef Muller-Brockmann
The Crystal Goblet by Beatrice Ward On Punctuation by Gertrude Stein My website is a shifting house next to a river of knowledge. What could yours be? by Laurel Schwulst

As well as an introduction to various tools and resources such as:
Are.na, Cargo Collective, the SAIC Service Bureau, the SAIC Writing Center, and various file formats and structure for print and web.

In addition to completing weekly assignments and readings, students should expect to finish the class with a resume, portfolio in either printed or PDF form, as well as a personal website of work.

Prerequisites

Open to graduate level students only.

Class Number

1886

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1231

Description

Thesis studio asks students to determine and research an original problem with pertinent issues, and design an innovative response to some aspect of architectural production. The work will be exhibited at the end of the semester in the annual Design Show.

Course goals and objectives include:
1) Develop the ability to discover, define, and research a significant aspect of architectural production in depth.
2) Develop an approach to an important issue of contemporary significance to the field of architecture and communicate it concisely.
3) Work with originality, clarity, and appropriate skill to design, fabricate, and install an exhibition.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture with an Emphasis in Interior Architecture, or an MSHP student, to enroll in this course

Class Number

1866

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1237

Description

Thesis studio asks students to determine and research an original problem with pertinent issues, and design an innovative response to some aspect of architectural production. The work will be exhibited at the end of the semester in the annual Design Show.

Course goals and objectives include:
1) Develop the ability to discover, define, and research a significant aspect of architectural production in depth.
2) Develop an approach to an important issue of contemporary significance to the field of architecture and communicate it concisely.
3) Work with originality, clarity, and appropriate skill to design, fabricate, and install an exhibition.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture with an Emphasis in Interior Architecture, or an MSHP student, to enroll in this course

Class Number

1875

Credits

6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1238

Description

This course covers integrated construction systems, the design of structural forms, truss analysis, long span structures, lateral systems, steel and concrete member design, along with preparation for the Architect Registration Exam (ARE) .

Course goals and objectives include:
1) Achieving an understanding of the role that structural considerations play in design decisions.
2) Acquiring the ability to guide a team through the design process, communicate critical design information to structural consultants and integrate structural drawings and specifications into project documentation.
3) Acquiring the ability to evaluate the pros and cons of structural systems and materials during pre-design.
4) Exploring the code-prescribed design methods applied by the professional community.
5) An introduction to best practices for structural system layouts for multiple typographies with a focus on performance-based design.
6) An introduction to reference materials from organizations responsible for sharing information about the latest structural technologies and tools for their implementation.
7) A review of the structural principles required to study for the ARE exam.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1863

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1235

Description

This course covers integrated construction systems, the design of structural forms, truss analysis, long span structures, lateral systems, steel and concrete member design, along with preparation for the Architect Registration Exam (ARE) .

Course goals and objectives include:
1) Achieving an understanding of the role that structural considerations play in design decisions.
2) Acquiring the ability to guide a team through the design process, communicate critical design information to structural consultants and integrate structural drawings and specifications into project documentation.
3) Acquiring the ability to evaluate the pros and cons of structural systems and materials during pre-design.
4) Exploring the code-prescribed design methods applied by the professional community.
5) An introduction to best practices for structural system layouts for multiple typographies with a focus on performance-based design.
6) An introduction to reference materials from organizations responsible for sharing information about the latest structural technologies and tools for their implementation.
7) A review of the structural principles required to study for the ARE exam.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1863

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1235

Description

This seminar examines the architectural profession, addressing legal and ethical issues, public health and safety, leadership, architect's and client's role, office costs and organization, and building cost estimation.

Course goals and objectives:
1) Discover and examine contemporary models of architecture practice. Prepare students to anticipate and navigate the complexity of establishing a nimble and purposeful design practice.
2) Understand the logistics of practice, strategies and processes of operating a business, pursuing commissions, negotiating contracts and managing a project during design and construction.
3) Learn to use basic building cost estimation methods.

Student and program criteria that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1864

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Art/Design and Politics, Economic Inequality & Class

Location

Sullivan Center 1238