Monday and Wednesday 2:00 - 4:40 pm. ON CAMPUS with STUDY ABROAD (Milan, Italy)

The Milan: Curious Objects and Connections Studio focuses on practical learning objectives, including enabling constraints, adaptability, structural studies, material-specific production intent, rapid product development, and professional display curation. Students will rapidly iterate, crafting high-fidelity objects as tangible outcomes. This course offers a comprehensive exploration of design principles and agile design methodology. Students will create a collection and design an exhibit showcasing selected works at Milan Design Week. The course is structured in two parts: the first half takes place on campus, focusing on the design and manufacturing of the pieces, while the second part occurs in Milan, involving the exploration of Milan Design Week 2025 (7 to 13 April 2025) and exhibiting student work.

Prereq/Restrictions: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Recommended: Interior Design or Product/Industrial Design is recommended.

Thursday 7:10 - 10:25pm ONLINE

Introduction to methods of inputting and manipulating information in BIM through parametric and visual programming, and methods of materializing BIM information through rapid prototyping and digital fabrication. The implications of BIM workflows on the practice of building design and construction are explored.

Prereq/Restrictions: BIM Fundamentals

The Grand Tour was the international travel undertaken to finish off one’s education in the period between the mid-17th century and the end of the 18th century. At the time travel was expensive and laborious and as a result the Grand Tour was an exclusive activity for the English aristocracy. The Grand Tour typically included Paris and Rome with many other destinations along the way and could last for multiple years. It was an opportunity to immerse oneself in another culture and experience it first-hand. Now we have the opportunity to visit Rome for six days. Rome is known as the Eternal City and has a complex history with almost 3,000 years layered upon itself. Rome is not a museum but a thriving city with just under 3 million inhabitants. We will experience the city not as a singular entity but a palimpsest of urban, architectural and artistic elements that exist side by side.

All designers benefit from experiencing cities, buildings, spaces, and culture. International travel allows designers to gain empathy by being in another culture and to practice intense observational skills. Within the walls of Rome we will visit Ancient Roman sites, Baroque churches, Fascist government buildings, modern contemporary Italian buildings, and a range of art and sculptures. A few introductory sessions will occur before departure to highlight and prepare for the trip. Students will be required to prepare for an on-site presentation to the group (while in Rome) and to develop a travel sketchbook to document the travel experiences.

Wednesday 7:10 - 9:50pm ONLINE

Provides an exposure to the primary topics in design ethics including a background in moral reasoning and responsibility. Discussion of core values in ethics, justice, equity, representation, and duty. Concepts of applied ethics as broadly related to the design professions in applied arts, interior design, game art, architecture and the built environment.

Prereq/Restrictions: Seniors with a 3.0 GPA, Graduate Status

Tuesday 7:10 - 9:50pm ONLINE

The course will offer a historic morphological study of cities across history and geography. The course will primarily examine European and North American cities under the following headings: Ancient and Classic, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque, Modern (nineteenth and twentieth centuries), and Post-modern (twenty-first century). Cities of Asia, Africa, and Latin America will also be investigated where applicable to learn non-western urban traditions. Specific topics will include origins and evolution of urban form, theories about urban form, and reasons and factors behind specific physical structure of the city. The course will concentrate on (1) the transformation of the nineteenth-century city and its organization, (2) the development of the twentieth century industrial city, and (3) pluralistic forms of current twenty-first century post-industrial city. It analyzes current issues of city form in relation to placemaking, social structure, and physical design. Case studies of several cities will be presented as examples of the theories discussed in the class.

Prereq/Restrictions: Seniors with a 3.0 GPA, Graduate Status