Website 10 03 Azure Schools

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MARCH/APRIL 2010 AZURE 71

PHOTOBYIWANBAAN

Yale School of Architecture(New Haven, Connecticut)

Notable programMaster of Architecture (three years)

With its pluralisticapproach to teaching architec-

ture,the school does notpromoteanyone style

ortheory ofdesign.Theobjective here isto reflect

thebeliefthat architecture is an intellectual disci-

pline. Students follow a curriculumthat includes

architectural design, building technology,

freehandand computer-assisted drawing and

an introductionto design methodologies, as

well as courses in architectural theory and the

planning, designand development of theurban

landscape. Students: 190. Star faculty: dean

Robert A.M. Stern,Peter Eisenman, FrankGehry.Alumni: William McDonough,Sir Norman Foster.

Special resources: The Yale Urban Design

Workshop is a community design centre that

providesplanning and design assistanceon

projects ranging from economic development

strategies andcommunityvisions to thedesign

of public spaces and streetscapes. The schools

fabrication labshouse cutting-edge equipment,

including a vertical mill, a metal lathe, laser cut-

ters, a water jetcutter, three-axis CNC mills,a

five-axis robotic-arm CNC mill with a nine-foot

reach,a digitally controlledfoam cutter andtwo

3-D plastic printers.

The advice I give to anyonethinking about studyingarchitecture: when they leavehigh school, go away, farfrom home, and do some-thing else for at least a year.Architecture is related to ourexperience in the world, so

you need to have experienceof the world if thatswhat you want to study.Will Alsop, London, U.K.

Cooper Union,

New York City

If my son asked me whereto study architecture,I would advise him to do hisundergrad in Germany,because the schools providemore technical and basicskills, and then to do hispostgraduate degree in theU.S. or Canada.Stefan Behnisch, Stuttgart

If youre interested in being a designer, wheres the best place to get an education?Azureasked more than 100 international architects, interior designers, industrialdesigners and other practitioners to contribute to our inaugural survey. Some of thebiggest names in the design world, such as Kengo Kuma (architecture), JamesCorner (landscape architecture) and Karim Rashid (industrial design), weighed in.

Despite a rigorous effort to make our survey accurate and fair, we want to underscorethat this is a subjective overview. We set no boundaries for geography or budget;we simply asked members of the design community what they think, partly to get asense of where decision makers are looking for their next interns and junior associ-ates. We also thought that the next generation would welcome an honest reflectionof which schools have the best reputations. We did! Wed like to hear your thoughts,too. Submit your comments and find more words to the wise from leading designersat azuremagazine.com.

Methodology: The three or four top schools in each category reflect our panels general consensus about which offer the

best instruction for English-speaking students. In every category, a few schools with strong support or growing buzz merited

a Special Mention.


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Special mention

Cooper Union Irwin S. Chanin School

of Architecture (New York City)

Bachelor of Architecture

Founder Peter Cooper believed that education

should be as free as air and water. The 30

students admitted to the program each year

receive full scholarships for their entire stay.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Media Laboratory (Cambridge, Massachusetts)Master in Media Arts and Sciences

MAS candidates at the School of Architecture

and Planning can partake in the Media Lab,

which performs research at the convergence of

computing, publishing and broadcast. Focus

areas include Design Ecology (how to enhance

understanding and creativity and ease our

interactions with technology) and Smart Cities

(how buildings andcitiescan be better designed

to respond to the needs of their inhabitants).

TU Delft (Delft, the Netherlands)

Master of Science in Architecture

The technology and engineering schools at

TU Delft shift the emphasis to architectures

technical and scientific aspects. Research

by Design, central to the M.Sc. Architecture

track,allowsstudents topick a field of research

specialization in such topics as Future Cities,

Materialization and Design Development,

and Architectural Engineering.

University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

Bachelor and Master of Architecture

Under the leadership of former Princeton

dean Ralph Lerner, the school sits at the

intersection of Chinese heritage and global

influence. Students can work on local

projects, such as the design and repair of

rural bridges, and also participate in an

international exchange program.

I would go back to my ownschool, AA, where I didfive years. I hated it in thebeginning, but later on Inever regretted that I hadstudied so long. Thats whatI emphasize to students:

that its key to learn.Ben van Berkel, UNStudio, Amsterdam

Columbia

University,

New York

Yale

School of

Architecture,

New Haven,

Connecticut

An architecture schoolslocation matters. Is it situatedin a metropolis or in a smallertown? Its location impactsthe issues a school takes on.Brigitte Shim,

Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, Toronto

ARCHI-

TECTURE

72 MARCH/APRIL 2010 AZURE


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LANDSCAPE

ARCHI-

TECTUREHarvard Graduate School of Design(Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Notable programMaster in Landscape Architecture(three years)

This course bills itself as the oldest and most

distinguished academic programin landscape

architecture in theworld. Studentsare encouraged

tothinkof themselves asadvocatesof landscape

rescue and conservation in an increasingly urbanworld. Students: 104. Star faculty: BridgetBaines,

Martha Schwartz, Michael R. VanValkenburgh.

Alumni: Edward Durell Stone Jr., Garrett Eckbo.

Special resources: The Aga KhanProgramfor

Islamic Architecture, based at Harvard andMIT,

is dedicated to the study of Islamic art and

architecture, urbanism, landscapedesignand con-

servation. Studentshave access to the Harvard

Forest, oneof theoldest andmost intensivelystudied

green spaces in North America, as well as the

ArnoldArboretum, one of theworlds leading centres

forthe study of plants. The experts say:Harvard

hasan excellentcore design philosophy andaccess

to incredible realworld projects andpractitioners.

University of PennsylvaniaSchool of Design(Philadelphia)

Notable programMaster of Landscape Architecture(three years)

Thefounding baseof such movements as ecological

designand landscape urbanism, Penn Landscape

remains a relevant centre for advanced landscape

design andtheory.Students learn about ecology,

environmental technology, urban landscape archi-

tecture, andmedia andvisualization,and canwork

toward a dual degree in architecture, city planning

andfine arts. Students: 125. Star faculty: Paolo

Brgi, James Corner, Laurie Olin. Alumni: Philippe

Coignet,Amy Freitag,Frederick Steiner. Special

resources: Relationshipswith suchfirms as Paolo

Brgi Architetto Paesaggista andField Operations,

whichaccept students for internshipsand frequently

hirealumni. Theprogramalso enjoys affiliations

withinstitutions in Venice, Reggio Calabria,Zurich,

Beijing,Caracas,Mumbaiand Prague. The schoolsarchitectural archives housethe worksof morethan

400designers,from the18thcenturyto thepresent.

University of Texas at AustinSchool of Architecture(Austin, Texas)

Notable programMaster of Landscape Architecture(three years)

Thisprogram, established in 2002, aimsto meet

the demands of urbanization by focusing on

landscape, processes of urbanization and the

constructionof cities andpublic spaces. Studentsareexposed to thewholerealm of architectural

design, andare encouraged to takeclassesacross

the disciplines, including community and regional

planning, urban design, historical preservation and

sustainabledesign. Students: 42. Star faculty:

Mirka Bene, HopeHasbrouck. Special resources:

In linewith theschoolslong history of creativity

andcommitmentto sustainabledesign is theLady

Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, whichresearches

sustainability,landscape performance and the

preservation of natural plants and landscapes.

Studentscanmakeuse of the HarryRansom

Humanities Research Center, among the worlds

premiere repositories of material relating to the

humanities, including rare works on architecture,

suchas ItalianRenaissance treatises.

Special mention

ETH (Zurich)

Master of Advanced Studies in Landscape

Architecture

Ledby ChristopheGirotof Atelier Girot,thisprogram

is beingrelaunchedthisyearas a leaderin avant-

garde researchand theinnovative use of modelling

and visualizationtools andtechnologies.

Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kansas)

Master of Landscape Architecture

Students are exposed to studies in ecology,

construction, computer applications, parks and

recreation planningand design, community site

planning, andregionalresource analysisand plan-

ning. During thesecond semesterof their fourth

year, they can escape campus to participate in a

28-week internship or a semesterin Italy.

University of Virginia (Charlottesville, Virginia)

Master of Landscape Architecture

With faculty (including Julie Bargmann of DIRT

Studio)dedicated to building regenerative land-

scapes, thisprogramis committed to preservation

and sustainabledesign initiatives. International

collaboration gives studentsa global outlook,

througha travel studio to Mexico Cityand partner-

ships withLeibnizUniversity in Germanyand

Peking University in China.

Universityof Texas at

Austin

School of

Architecture

Austin, Texas

For architecture and land-scape architecture alike,I favour programs that teachstudents to draw by handand to make things. Thisteaches them to developtheir own solid design

methods and to think forthemselves.Mary Tremain, Plant Architect, Toronto


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PHOTOS:LEFT,ADROPOFWATERBYBASVANDERVEER;RIGHT,

WALLMURALBYMATHILDEALDERS.

BOTHCOURTESYOFDESIGNACADEMYEINDHOVENGRADUAT

IONGALLERIES

INDUSTRIAL

DESIGN

Design Academy Eindhoven(Eindhoven, the Netherlands)

Notable programBachelor of Design (four years)

Established in 1947, the Design Academy quicklybecame synonymouswith excellencein industrialdesign. Guided by the belief thateducation isaboutmeetingoneself, neophyte designersareencouraged to locate theirinner design voice.Atthe endof firstyear,whichinvolves a rotationthrough design basics, students choose fromeight departmentsin which to concentrate,such asManand Living, Manand PublicSpace, andManand Mobility. Students: 750 (150 in the bachelorprogram). Star faculty: Carole Baijings, GijsBakker, StefanScholten. Alumni: Jurgen Bey, TordBoontje, HellaJongerius. Special resources: Theschool has impressiveplaster, digital,machine andtextile workshops.Studentsmay participate inexchanges with theRoyal College of Artand coleNationale Suprieure de Cration Industrielle(ENSCI), amongothers.For mandatoryone-semesterinternships, students can capitalizeonpartnershipswith internationalleaders in design.The experts say: AtEindhoven, you learn to thinkfreely aboutdesignand express yourself insteadof listening too much to the wishes of clientsand what the market wants. Youre not followingany trends. You learn to create trends yourself.

ECAL University of Art andDesign Lausanne(Lausanne, Switzerland)

Notable programBachelor of Industrial Design(three years)

The curriculum balances respect for tradition withan imperative to questionthe status quo. Studentsareequippedwitha solid grounding in industrial

designbasics, andencouraged to engagein projectsthat span fromthe small scaleto mass production,incorporatingdifferenttechnologiesand materials.Students: 91. Star faculty: RonanBouroullec,JrgBoner. Alumni: GrgoireJeanmonod, ElricPetit, Augustin Scott de Martinville. Specialresources: Studentsreceive international exposurethrough ECALs participation in design events,exhibitions and competitions. The schools industrypartnerships include such companiesas LigneRoset,B&B Italiaand Coca-Cola.ECALhas academicpartnerships with Design Academy Eindhoven;the University of Applied Sciences,Munich;and RCA. Instruction is mostly in French withsomeEnglish.

Royal College of Art(London, England)

Notable programMaster of Arts in Design Products(two years)

RCA boastsbeing the only exclusively postgraduateuniversity of art and design in the world. TordBoontje recently took over as head of thedesignproducts program and introducedthree new focus

areas: Extreme Functionality,the Social Manifesto,and the Fantastic. Students workin smallstudygroups called platforms, eachwith its own tutorsandapproach todesign. Students: 77. Star faculty:Jurgen Bey,Tord Boontje, Julia Lohmann. Alumni:Paul Cocksedge, Thomas Heatherwick, RossLovegrove. Special resources: Collaborations withexternal partners, such as Yamaha and the Milanfurniture fair,give candidates the opportunity towork with world-renowned brands and companiesand exhibit their workglobally. All students havetheirown workspaces in the departments studios,and a roster of renowned visiting professorsandtutorsact as mentors. The experts say: The schoolis based in London,a huge city with allits benefitsand problems, and covers the creative field: archi-tecture, interactive design, jewellery, fashion,textiles. Unfortunately, you have to choose onedepartment, but students across programseasily meetand worktogether.

Dont be too stubborn, dontlisten too much, dont thinkyou already know. Some first-year students think theyare Philippe Starck or MarcelWanders already, but theyare not. You are learning to

be a designer. You shouldntwant to design a classicin the first couple of years ofyour education.Joost van Bleiswijk, the Netherlands

Design Academy

Eindhoven

the Netherlands

Design

Academy

Eindhoven

I always believed schools areonly as good as the profes-sors in them at that moment.In other words, one shoulddistrust reputation. It is notthe school but the mentorsthat one should seek out.Karim Rashid, New York City


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INTERAC-

TION

DESIGN

Special mention

Art Center College of Design(Pasadena, California)Bachelor of Science in Product Design

Thebusiness endof a designcareer is examined

through theschools partnershipwith INSEAD, a

leading business school in Fontainebleau, France,

andSingapore. While on exchange,students

attend business courses and work with MBA

candidateson creative projects.

Free University of Bozen (Bolzano, Italy)Bachelor in Design and Art

Students whoenter withfluencyin onlyone

language will come out speaking three: English,

German and Italian. Focused on visualcommuni-

cations and product design, the school takes an

interdisciplinaryapproach.Studentscan access

studios thatcover typography,metalwork,plastics

andmore.

Rhode Island School of Design(Providence, Rhode Island)Bachelor of Industrial Design

RISD trains undergraduates in traditional models

and current trends, tracing the profession from

developmental drawings, to 3-D mock-ups and

models, to working drawings and prototypes.

Some projects are for corporate clients such as

Nokia, andstudents can benefit frompartnerships

withMIT as well as ongoing studios withNASA.

University of Art and Design Helsinki (Helsinki)Master of Art in Industrial and Strategic Design

Besidesthe fact that Helsinki is 2012sWorldDesign

Capital, theschool hasa reputation forproviding

students with an understanding of the economic

significanceand socio-cultural influence of design.

A personalstudyplan is createdfor eachstudent at

the beginning of theprogram.

My advice to students apply-ing to a college is that theyshould wait a few years andthink about this only as amature student. This is whatI did, and the level of focusand appreciation I had after

working in different placesmade a huge and importantdifference to the type ofexperience I had.Peter Marigold, London, U.K.

With the realization that industrial designersneed to turn their attention to the ever-evolving world of information, interactiondesign programs that focus on the digitalrealm particularly the relationship betweenpeople, design andtechnology have poppedup around the globe.

Carnegie Mellon (Pittsburgh)Master of Design in Interaction Design

After buildingan intellectual foundation via

studio and coursework (including psychologyand computer science), the focus shifts to

individual or teamexplorationthrough a thesis.

Practicalexperience is providedby sponsoring

corporations,which haveincluded Microsoft

andMotorola.

Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design(Copenhagen)Interaction Design Program

Thiscollaborativeinitiativewith theDanish Design

School aimsto create a newkind of education

in a multicultural, multidisciplinary studio

environment. In-depth investigations intographic/

tangibleinterfaces andservice design follow

short workshops.

Domus Academy (Milan, Italy)Master in Interaction Design

Theprogramis knownat theacademy asI-Design a reference to the commingling of

iconic Italian design andIT. Theme seminarsare

enrichedby field trips. Bothseminars and

projects areheld in collaborationwith national

and international companies.

Royal College of Art (London, England)Master in Arts in Design Interactions

After coursework in newskills,such as electronic

andsoftwareprototyping,students initiate

their own projects. BMW and Vodafone have

beenpartners for annual collaborative industry

assignments.

TU Delft (Delft, the Netherlands)Master of Science in Design for Interaction

Specialization is offered in oneof three areas:

automotive, research and health care design.

Coursework is followed by two large designprojects:first, an assignment for a real company

to be completed withcandidates in other M.Sc.

programs; then a graduationproject, often within

a professional setting.

Ume University (Ume, Sweden)Master of Arts in Interaction Design

Thefirst of itskind to emergein thedesign-happy

Nordic countries, thisprogramis project based.

A 20-week assignment involves industrial

partners, including such major Scandinavian

companies as Volvo and Ikea.

Royal

Collegeof Art,London,

England

Rhode Island

School ofDesign,Providence,Rhode Island


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Parsons The New School for Design(New York City)

Notable programBachelor of Fine Arts in InteriorDesign (four years)

In the first interior design program in the U.S.,

founded in 1906, thefocusnow isintegration,

and students cross-pollinatewith theircontempo-

raries in architecture, lighting and industrial

design. The program begins with a foundation in

two- and three-dimensional design methods

andskills, andthena series ofart anddesignhistory

and theorycourses,followedby a six-semester

studio sequence on architectural issues. Students:

64. Star faculty: Matthew Baird, Stella Betts,DavidLing. Alumni: Sheila Bridges, Thomas Britt,

Albert Hadley. Special resources: Studentstap

into New Yorks design community to complete

theirrequiredinternships, working for the likes

of RalphAppelbaum Associatesand Ian Schrager.

The experts say: Parsons is forward looking,

and it has an amazing faculty. Architecture gets

a lotof attention,and certainlythereis some

overlap between the two disciplines.

Rhode Island School of Design(Providence, Rhode Island)

Notable programMaster of Interior Architecture(three years)

This comprehensive program with a lowintake of

students focuses on interior architecture, a spatial

artthat differsfrom botharchitectureand interior

design in its full commitment to rethinking the life

of existing buildings. The dedication to sustainability

extends to the social sphere: the departments

guiding principleis that well-designed interiorsare

notonly forthe wealthy.Graduates leavewith a

grasp ofmultipleaspects of thebuiltenvironment

through a core curriculum that includesstudies instructures,materials, lighting and technology.

Students: 52. Star faculty: Liliane Wong,Heinrich

Hermann. Alumni: Andrea Bucci-Valentini,Glenn

Lepore, Franklin Salasky. Special resources:

As the result of a newly formed partnership with

Denmark International Studyin Copenhagen,

students with advanced standing are offered the

opportunityto participate in a summerprogram

in Denmark, which enables them to earn an MIA in

twoyears ratherthan three.

Ryerson University(Toronto)

Notable programBachelor of Interior Design(four years)

Ryerson dominatesthe discussionabout the best

interior design school in Canada, and graduates

are equippedwith the necessarytechnicalskills to

hitthe groundrunning when they leave school.

Instruction extends from the how of design, to

communication skills such as freehand drawing,

CADand oral presentation, aswell asclassesin

liberal arts,the humanities,social sciences and the

history of design. Students: 350. Star faculty:

Annick Mitchell, Barbara Vogel. Alumni: BrianGluckstein, Glenn Pushelberg, George Yabu.

Special resources: Exchanges are offered in such

farflung cities asSydney, HongKong andCracow.

Facilities have recently been renovated and

upgraded. The expertssay: Iwould goto Ryerson

again ifI were to returnto schooltomorrow.

SHORT-

TERM AND

ALTERNA-

TIVEPROGRAMS

A number of learning institutions offer

opportunities for one-of-a-kind, CV-boosting

experience, without the investment in

time and financial resources of a full degree.

George Brown Colleges Institute Without

Boundaries (Toronto)

Thisnine-month program provides a platform

forstudentsto work on real non-profit projects

withan emphasison collaboration withother

professions. Supported by external partners andclients, outcomes rangefrom communication

projects to systems that tackle social

and environmental issues around the world.

institutewithoutboundaries.com

Rural Studio at Auburn University

(Hale County, Alabama)

Conceivedas an experimental strategyto improve

living conditionsin ruralAlabama,the studio

underlinesthe social importanceof architecture

and offers valuable practicalexperience by

challenging students to designand build forlocal

communities. ruralstudio.org

Ghost Lab, MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple

Architects (Halifax)

Directed byBrianMacKay-Lyons on thecoastof

Nova Scotia, Ghost Labis a two-weekdesign-

build internship that promotes the application of

architecturalknowledgethrough thedesign and

fabrication of a pavilion.mlsarchitects.ca/ghost

Toh Shimazaki Architecture, TSA Forum

(London, England)

This four-week course strikes a helpful balancebetween professional practice and individual

expression asstudentswork on briefsthe officeis

handling. Thisyear, thefirmsYuli Tohand Takero

Shimazakiwilltakethe forum to Tokyo. t-sa.co.uk

Biomimicry and Design Workshop

(Costa Rica)

DaynaBaumeister, co-founderof the Biomimicry

Guild, leadsthis week-long introductory course

where students and professionals from various

fields go beyond textbook problem solving

by turning to bio-inspired design solutions.

biomimicryguild.com

INTERIOR

DESIGN


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Website 10 03 Azure Schools