Architecture + Object Design

Department of Environmental Design | MICA 2011–12 Degree Plan

The Art practiced in this department has as its medium space, three dimen-sional form, and materiality. With these elements, the student of Environ-mental Design re-imagines the physical environment that surrounds us: objects, spaces, buildings and the city. They rethink the very way that we live and how we can live better lives.

Architecture and object design, the two principle practices of this department, are among the most rewarding of the arts and among the most interdisci-plinary. Design concepts are conceived

through research and analysis of a problem to be solved. The design pro-cess is played out in a creative exchange of criticism, techniques of fabrication, representation and research. Ideas are explored and tested in drawings and models simultaneously.

Students bring the skills and knowl-edge developed in Foundation and need to pick up many more. As they advance, students learn to integrate increasingly complex sets of skills and knowledge bases to solve socially rel-evant problems.

Department Elective, 3 credits only

Fall SpringScientifi c Reading: Physics Interior / Exterior (S2)

Fabrication & Technology Architectural Visualization

Systems of Projection Object Design 2: User Experience (O2)

Integrated 3D Design (SO1)

STUDIO AND COMMUNITYThe studio is the home base for the ENV student. This

is where studio courses are taught; where assign-

ments are done outside of class hours; where upper

and lower class students mingle, get to know each

other, each other’s work and learn from each other.

Most of the basic skills are taught in the Sophomore year and these include those of representation and fabrication such as: drawings systems, spatial thinking, material imagina-tion, hands on and digital fabrication. Methos in creative investigation, conceptual development and research are also emphasized. All the skills introduced this year are required in subsequent studios and an increasing level of sophistica-tion is demanded by the projects. Th is ensures that core skills of the sophomore year continues to develop into junior year and beyond.

KEY TO DIAGRAMS– Each block represents a 3 credit block.

– Required courses are shaded in Orange.

– Grey text indicates recommended elective courses. (Elective courses help develop

competences and need to be taken strategically. Students are encouraged

to seek advising from Faculty, Chair and their Student Advisors to choose

electives wisely in order to best serve their interests and development.)

– Summer Travel study fi t well between Sophomore and Junior years.

– Exchange programs (semester abroad) are a fi t best in Junior year Spring semester.

– Internships between Junior and Senior years are perfect in order to use all the skills

picked up by this time.

Th e junior year is paradigmatic of ENV’s commitment to interdisciplinary learning. Th e studio requirements are con-densed to a sequence of double classes that include history and building technology, while departmental electives off er additional studio experiences in socially engaged projects. Th e students are encouraged to seriously explore their inter-ests in other disciplines of the Arts, in theory, sustainability and in technology. During this year of personal exploration students also choose between spatial and object design tracks within ENV.

ENV thesis calls upon students to declare their focus that will defi ne their use of the education they received at MICA, towards their career goals and aspirations. Research and preliminary explorations in pre-thesis seminar during Fall semester is followed by an intense one-semester studio that demonstrates the student’s individual commitment, knowl-edge and skill.

The spatial track of the department focuses on

Architecture and teaches Architectural Design.

Students are encouraged to work in the fi eld for a

year after graduation, prior to applying to graduate

school (a minimum of 2–3 years is required for a pro-

fessionally accredited Masters degree). ENV Alumni

are in top graduate schools across the country. They

not only study Architecture but also Interior Design

and Urban Design.

The Object Design track of the department focuses

on what is also known as Product Design or In-

dustrial design. Students go on to work in product

design fi rms and to attend Graduate programs after

completing the ENV degree.

Fall SpringModern Architecture Survey JHU: Perspectives on Evol. of Structures

Scientifi c Reading: Physics Innovation & Precedents

Design & Build Architectural Design Strategies 2 (S4)

Architectural Design Strategies 1 (S3)

Fall SpringUrban Design CDP

Environmental Design Thesis 1 Environmental Design Thesis 2

Fall SpringObject Design III (O3) Design & Build

Baltimore Maritime Studio Packaging Design

Graphic Design Intro to Ceramics

Intro Interactive Media

History of Modern Design

Fall SpringObject Design IV (O4) CDP

Environmental Design Thesis 1 Environmental Design Thesis 2

This course teaches the fundamentals of spatial and material thinking and in-troduces the student to the tools and conceptual methodologies of object design and spatial design (architecture). Students apply the skills being developed in the concurrent courses, ENV 201 and 202 (see below) and develop a basic vocabulary of three-dimensional form making and are introduced to concepts of place, space, hierarchy, spatial organization, site, and program.

—Required, Spatial & Object track / 3 credits / Sophomore, Fall

Integral to the process of designing objects, furniture or buildings, are the mate-rial qualities that shape the image, feel and strength of the finished work. This three-credit studio is composed of a series of workshops in wood, fiber, steel and casting techniques and is accompanied by assignments that deal with the pro-cesses of making and their imprint on the work, as well as conversations and readings that help connect materiality to a conceptually-based approach to design.

—Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite, Foundation / 3 credits / Sophomore, Fall

This course teaches the basic techniques of architectural drawing types: plan, sec-tion, elevation, perspective and to-scale model making, which are essential to communicating large-scale sculptural, environmental, and architecture works.

Knowledge of this encoded set of conventions enables students to represent com-plex three-dimensional form onto a two-dimensional surface, and large construc-tions in smaller models. ‘Design Drawing’ will interest any student wishing to have a deeper understanding and mastery of the power of drawing and model making.

—Required, Spatial & Object track/ Prerequisite, Foundation / 3 credits / Sophomore, Fall

200

201

202

267

321

266

This course teaches the fundamentals of spatial and material thinking and in-troduces the student to the tools and conceptual methodologies of object design and spatial design (architecture). Students apply the skills being developed in the concurrent courses, ENV 201 and 202 (see below) and develop a basic vocabulary of three-dimensional form making and are introduced to concepts of place, space, hierarchy, spatial organization, site, and program.

—Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite 200 / 3 credits / Sophomore, Spring

The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the core practices of product design with an emphasis on user-centered solutions. Students are chal-lenged to research and identify ways to improve human conditions, brainstorm solutions, and create prototype products choosing the best suited production methods and materials. Emphasis is placed upon innovative thinking, 2D and 3D mock-ups, model construction, and simple engineering concepts. Through team and individual projects, students develop and understand goals and method-ologies employed in this discipline, including contemporary material technologies and the global impact their design decisions may have.

—Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite 200 / 3 credits / Sophomore, Spring

This course covers fundamental digital techniques for visualization in design, fo-cusing on the use of computers in architectural design, production, fabrication, presentation, and communication. In addition, this course examines the use of digital media through exercising its potential as a generative tool and as a form of design thinking. Emphasis is on the visual communication of an idea through the use of integrated media. The course also discusses technology’s use in and impact on the architectural process, as well as the effect of digital media on design and on education.

—Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite 202 / 3 credits / Sophomore, Spring

367

366

Building on the experience of students knowledge base and skills of basic architec-tural design, this 6 credit studio focuses on problems of designing public spaces and the development of skills of designing complex spaces and structures. Stu-dents study the primary concepts of hierarchy, sequence, scale, systems and social context. These key components of architectural design are then explored within the context of a real site and program where students learn to integrate conceptual and spatial design ideas with problem-solving skills to develop practical solutions with aesthetic merit.

—Required, Spatial track / Prerequisite 267 / 6 credits / Junior, Fall

This course focuses on design research, including user needs, marketing, and ma-terial studies. The ‘why behind the why’ method is used to identify the underly-ing necessities of product development. Material properties, production methods, human factors, and social, environmental, and economic project drivers comprise critical aspects of each project. Students engage in a continuous cycle of research, conceptualization, and development. By utilizing a variety of research methodolo-gies, students arrive at a final ‘proof of concept’ research that validates the design solution.

—Required Object track / Prerequisite 266 / 3 credits / Junior, Fall

387

338

In this three-credit continuation of ENV 367, students apply conceptual and spa-tial skills developed in the first semester and examine a series of real-world project sites through an architectural process of analysis and synthesis. Working from the armature of the architectural program, students are invited to join the dis-course of this potent and time honored art form and are encouraged to explore the cultural and formal expressions unique to this field. Integrating formal, cultural, and historical perspectives, each project is tailored to bring into focus a different aspect of the complexity and richness of the architectural language.

—Required, Spatial track / Prerequisite 367 / 3 credits / Junior, Spring

This course is an immersive learning experience in the complex ways in which the innovating mind of the designer learns from and uses precedents and develops an understanding of architectural history, materials, and details. The course is taught in a highly participatory and interactive environment, which focuses on integrated and qualitative knowledge. It aims to give students valuable experience in how to investigate and use historic precedents as a learning resource, how to understand the relationship between innovation and precedent to self motivate and pursue individual research.

—Required, Spatial track / Prerequisite 367 / 3 credits / Junior, Spring

410

386

480

This new course introduces students to the interface between graphic design, in-dustrial design, and other components of the successful innovative product de-velopment and marketing. First, students research the user world to observe and document the why behind the why. Then teams process the information, pinpoint the real why, and brainstorm the new product concept. The design process in-cludes 2D and 3D sketches, mockups, and communication materials. Students also concentrate on communicating the features of the design, including struc-tural packaging, POP, marketing campaigns, advertising, and websites.

—Required, Object track / Prerequisite 366 / 3 credits / Senior, Fall

Thesis students are expected to develop a body of work that reflects specific convic-tions as a designer, their most profound work as a conceptual thinker, and their highest level of craft as a maker. The thesis gives the student an opportunity to pursue questions, explore ideas, and formulate a response as a personal body of work particular only to the student’s career at MICA. The first semester of Thesis is research based and investigative. Students produce a substantial proposal and project outline for Thesis 2.

—Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite 387 or 386 / 3 credits / Senior, Fall

During this studio, the student will develop the thesis project constructed and begun in Thesis 1. The course instructors and visiting critics will provide a frame-work of support and critism for the student’s independent pursuit of the project. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to conduct a complex spatial or object design investigation; to engage in social and professional criticism and produce a conceptually sophisticated body of work that is crafted to professional standards.

—Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite 410 / 3 credits / Senior, Spring

100

337

400

In this introductory studio, students are immersed in solving three-dimensional design problems. Students learn the basic principles of the design process, get new design skills, and find themselves encouraged to integrate multidisciplinary skills they already have. Projects explore the relationship between problem analysis, idea generation, and concept realization.

Students interested in majoring in environmental design, as well as those inter-ested in a hands-on introduction to the design process, are highly encouraged to enroll.

— Foundation and Studio Elective / 3 credits / Elective, Fall — Open to All Majors

Utilizes the historic ship as a vehicle to allow students to formulate a vision for their professional future and enables students to begin making this vi-sion a reality. In the context of real-time design projects, teams of students document, study, and interpret a selected ship, using methods and techniques of institutions that professionally preserve and interpret historical ships. The class learns the elements of ship design, develop criteria for evaluation of the proposed ship restoration, and design an interpretation facility, using design drawings, renderings, architectural models, and related computer presentation techniques.

—3 credits / Elective, Fall — Open to All Majors

Introduces urban design in a studio format and covers issues of form, spatial relationships, and the mix of intention and circumstances to shape our cities. The course studies the city at a variety of scales: the street, park, and larger civic spaces, examines the forces such as geography, transportation, political structure, that influence the design of cities. The studio concentrates on ur-ban areas of Baltimore, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Department of Planning, but look at other American cities and cities around the world as well.

—3 credits / Elective, Fall — Open to All Majors

205

314

In this course, students imagine the issues our future holds and design products to meet these challenges. At the same time, they become familiar with current design issues, new materials, smart technologies, and presentation techniques. The course serves as an introduction to the practice of product design: where creations are imagined, developed, and realized. Through workshops and hands-on experi-mentation, students invent products no one else has yet to dream up.

—Foundation and Studio Elective / 3 credits / Elective, Spring — Open to All Majors

In the real world, artists and designers are intimately involved in all aspects of these fields and this class is no different. Each semester the class partners with a real, historic place in the greater Baltimore area and works with professionals in a team-based setting to enhance the public’s understanding of history. Students are exposed to the fundamental issues and techniques used in the fields of historical preservation, restoration, and archaeology.

This course is recommended for any student wishing to gain professional experi-ence by working on a diverse, multi-disciplinary team engaged in a real-world project.

—Studio Elective / 3 credits / Elective Spring — Open to All Majors

390

This class is dedicated to the collaborative design and construction of public installations. Each semester will be divided into design sessions and fabrica-tion/installation sessions. The class focuses on ‘real-world’ conditions, how to provide and adapt for them, generating documents for constructing the installation—including construction and fabrication details. It then makes provisions for material procurement, organizes assembly means and methods, and constructs the installation. Students will learn to work in a team envi-ronment, assisting with their own expertise while getting educated by the expertise of others.

—3 credits / Elective, Fall & Spring (Check Course Schedules) — Open to All Majors

Chair, Department of Environmental DesignMaryland Institute College of Artenv.mica.edu

Maryland Institute College of Art1515 W. Mount Royal Avenue, Room U112Baltimore, MD 21217

Office hours: Tues 3-4 pm + Thurs 12-1 pm

cell: 443 525 7375 / off: 410 225 2240taziz@mica.edu