Student Experience

As a student in our studio-centric architecture degree programs, you will be taught to become a top designer with a deep understanding of architecture. In our studio classes you will engage one-on-one with distinguished architects and learn how to synthesize critical thinking, artistic vision, and responsible leadership.

You will engage in architectural explorations that project far into the future of what architecture has to offer, what it can be, or might become.

You will have the opportunity to participate in diverse collaboration teams, learn about emerging technologies and sustainable methods, and work in fabrication labs. Together, we will help shape our physical world. The architecture studio culture—both on campus and online—will be one of the best experiences of your life.

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Facilities

Robotics Lab expand_more

In our robotics lab, you have the opportunity to explore emerging methods of representation and fabrication within architecture and design. With robot technology rapidly advancing within the practice, you will have hands-on opportunities to experience the cutting edge of robotics in architecture.

Fabrication Labs expand_more

Our advanced digital fabrication equipment includes laser cutters, 3D printers, and CNC routers; all are deeply embedded in our curriculum. You will learn to use these tools and apply them into your design process. Academy of Art University is committed to continuously updating the physical production facilities of the school to accommodate the advancing field of architecture and the built environment.

Metal Shop expand_more

Our metal shop allows you to expand the ways in which you bring your projects to fruition as you explore the potential of different materials. You will have the opportunity to learn a variety of metal fabrication processes.

Wood Shop expand_more

You can fabricate objects and jigs in both natural and artificial wood in our wood shop. You will work with band saws, drill presses, a jointer, a planer, miter saws, a panel saw, wood shapers, and table routers. Two wood lathes and two isolated sanding rooms with spindle and disc sanders—as well as an additional lathe for working foam plastics—give you the control to polish your designs. The wood shop also features four SawStop table saws as part of our ongoing commitment to safety.

Open Atrium expand_more

The large open atrium is literally the heart of our school, and the place where you can experience live events, public lectures, and presentations of student work.

Studio Spaces expand_more

In all of our architecture programs, you are encouraged to participate in public and transparent dialogue between students and faculty in both online and onsite studio environments. The studio spaces are an integral part of the architecture experience at the Academy.

Design/Build Studio

B.Lab is the Building Lab design/build program in the School of Architecture. Its mission is to cultivate and foster a spirit of diversity, equity, and advocacy among students through real-world, community-focused projects. Through micro-interventions for real clients, radical listening, and collaborative creation, you and your fellow students are empowered to bring hope and change to the built environment.

The Design/Build Studio takes the mission of B.Lab into the curriculum by inviting 4th and 5th year B.Arch and BA students to engage real clients and users, investigate real sites, and propose and build real solutions. The program harnesses all of the skills learned in the architecture program. M.Arch students can participate by choosing the Design/Build Studio as an elective.

IPAL

Motivated students seeking to become licensed architects can enroll in the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL). The program—available for our M.Arch and B.Arch degrees—offers an accelerated pathway to licensure. By enrolling in an IPAL option, you will be earning a degree from an NAAB-accredited program while completing the Architectural Experience Program^® (AXP^®) and the Architect Registration Examination^® (ARE)^® concurrently. IPAL is incorporated as an optional path within existing NAAB-accredited programs, allowing architecture schools to integrate licensure requirements into their own curricula. Our school is currently the only school (Summer 2024) in Northern California offering this path and only one of a few online architecture schools to offer it.

Events

Spring Show

Featuring the best work of our graduating class, the Spring Show is always an amazing display of creativity. Our Interior Architects, Landscape Architects, and Architects are featured, along with work from the Academy’s other 19 creative schools.

ALL EVENTS

Featured Student

Ahmed Silva

BArch Architecture

Ahmed Silva tells how he went from student in Damascus to architect helping shape the LA skyline and the pivotal role the Academy played in his journey. His story is a symphony of culture, innovation, and perseverance. We delve into his experiences, from meaningful interactions with instructors to the practical applications of his education, and the methods that propelled him to success, blending the soul of art with the precision of engineering.