This interdisciplinary course examines the processes and issues of adaptively reusing historic buildings and structures. The conceptual underpinnings and practical applications of adaptive reuse are explored starting with an immersion in nineteenth and twentieth century theoretical writings which form the groundwork for the origin of the contemporary historic preservation movement. The course is organized in three modules, equally studying the theory, practice, and policies of preservation and adaptive reuse. These modules will inform a parallel semester long student project investigating how to creatively reuse and adapt an existing historic building. 

Thursdays, 7:10pm – 9:50pm

Online

Prerequisites: Senior or Graduate standing

This course uses advanced means of modeling and rendering to create multi-dimensional representational drawings to open up conceptual design through new types of drawings. It is a lecture/lab design seminar. Students will develop expertise in advanced 3D modeling techniques in Maya, ZBrush, and Keyshot through project-based hands-on workshops and assignments. 

TBA

Online

Prerequisites: Senior or Graduate standing

Introduction to the principles and practices of Building Information Modeling (BIM). The fundamentals of BIM project organization and hierarchies, geometric organizational elements and component families. BIM tools are applied toward the creation of visualizations and graphical representations of the built form including orthographic and perspectival representations, and the integration of quantitative and graphical information to gain an understanding of the advantages and limitations of BIM. 

Thursdays, 7:10pm – 9:50pm

Online

Prerequisites: Visual Communications (Undergraduate or Graduate)

Instructor: Corbin Reeves

This course will study the production and management process involved in a creative, ever-changing environment. We will analyze and examine the process of leading a team of creatives with a common goal of delivering a consumer product or project. Gaining an understanding of the entire process, common pitfalls, leadership styles, and ways we can empower our teams through project management styles. We will examine existing game studios, film studios, fashion companies, and other creative enterprises while identifying their strengths and weaknesses to creative ventures of our own.

Friday 2:00 – 5:40 pm (In-person) 

Prerequisite: Sophomore, Junior or Senior standing required.

Instructor: Michael Thomas, Industrial Design/Cognitive Anthropology

This course explores applied semiotics as a tool for understanding diversity in cultural interpretations and their impact on design. Students will examine how to think through culture, explore how culture shapes human behavior, perception, and decision-making, and will uncover implicit influences that drive meaning-making through products, brands, and experiences. From theoretical foundations to hands-on methodologies, students will develop skills to decode cultural codes, map evolving cultural narratives, and apply insights to innovation and design strategy. The course equips designers with the ability to understand and apply cultural understanding toward the design of more meaningful and resonant products and services.

Tuesday and Thursdays 11:00am -12:15pm

Prerequisite: Sophomore, Junior or Senior standing required.

Instructor: Simon Anton, MFA

Leather made from blood. Wall panels made from indigenous Mexican corn husks. Packaging made from mushrooms. From fashion to architecture to product design – contemporary designers are creating innovative materials that tackle environmental issues and present challenging, new aesthetics . This course will explore this landscape of contemporary experimental materiality and invite students to get dirty making their own materials.

Thursdays 2:00-5:40 pm (In-person)

Prerequisite: Sophomore, Junior or Senior standing required.

Artificial Intelligence is progressing rapidly and raising questions about human-computer connections and relationships. Social media has made us more connected than ever, yet studies continuously show that loneliness pervades the most tech-savvy generations. In this course, we will imagine how networks like families, communities, social networks, and infrastructure will change as technology grows and our society adapts to that growth. We will use key research around social networks, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction to develop hypotheses about the future of technology and the impact it will have on our relationships. The aim of this class is to discard current assumptions and think of future norms around technology and social connection. Class meetings include a mix of lecture, discussion, and collaborative group activities to test theories and techniques first hand.

Tuesday and Thursday 4:20pm to 5:35pm (Online)

Prerequisite: Sophomore, Junior or Senior standing required.

The course introduces the concept of Sustainability in the built environment with a particular emphasis on the shifting priorities and agendas since Brundtland, 1987 until today. It provides analytical tools and methods for implementing principles of Sustainability and Life Cycle Design into buildings. Ecological, economic, social, and technological factors that influence building design will also be investigated. The course explores renewable energy systems (PV, Wind, Biomass, Geothermal, Hydro, Tidal, Hydrogen)  and how they apply to the design process with complete integration not just add-on. The concept of environmental assessment and building impacts evaluation and how to measure them via software will also be discussed. A conceptual design final project will integrate these sustainable systems into the design of our future buildings.

Online

Prerequisites: Senior or Graduate standing