Southern

California
Institute
of
Architecture

SCI–Arc
2014–2015
Viewbook
Southern
California
Institute
of
Architecture

SCI–Arc
2014–2015
Viewbook
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 ERIC OWEN MOSS
ERIC OWEN MOSS ARCHITECTS
SCI-ARC DIRECTOR

I think SCI-Arc’s job is to make the people

who make the radical, which is different
than saying SCI-Arc’s job is to dispense
some kind of pro forma that makes you
radical. I think SCI-Arc is a great place if
there are great people at SCI-Arc who will
tell you, “You can tell me what you think it
is, and I probably would disagree.” What
I’m interested in is the tension between
possibilities.

›› AIA|LA Gold Medal

›› Jencks Award, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
›› AIA|LA Twenty-Five Year Award
›› Dedalo Minosse International Prize
›› National Academy Award

1972
SCI-Arc, located in downtown
Los Angeles’ Arts District, was
founded in 1972 and is NAAB
and WASC accredited.

12
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14
 HERNAN DIAZ ALONSO
XEFIROTARCH
GRADUATE PROGRAMS CHAIR

In the permanent state of arrival and

departure that defines SCI-Arc, the
role of faculty is of course critical, but
SCI-Arc does not seek individuals who
fit within a certain dogma. Instead it’s
about identifying some very specific and
hopefully important part of the larger
architectural conversation that is, right
now, at a critical inflection point, as
well as the people who are pushing and
defining it.

›› AR+D Award for Emerging Architecture

›› PS1 MoMa’s Young Architects Program Winner
›› AIA Educator of the Year

15
 HSINMING FUNG
HODGETTS + FUNG
DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

I think this place challenges you—there

is a culture that has to do with always
questioning the status quo, and there is
a culture of encouraging you to develop
ideas and to allow you to fail. In other
words, I think you have to take risks and
you have to learn that taking risks and
failing is okay.

›› Fellow, American Academy in Rome

›› Chrysler Award for Innovation in Design
›› American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Architecture
17
18
 JOHN ENRIGHT
GRIFFIN ENRIGHT ARCHITECTS
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM CHAIR

SCI-Arc is what happens when you gather

together a group of faculty and students
whose only commonality is the belief
that architecture has the distinct and
wonderfully magical power to exhibit
positive change and redefine the world
around us.

›› AIA|LA Design Award

›› Award of Excellence, Los Angeles Architectural Awards, LA Business Council
›› American Architecture Award, Chicago Athenaeum

48
The student body comes from
48 different countries.

19
BACHELOR OF
ARCHITECTURE

SCI-Arc’s undergraduate program is aimed

at educating the next generation of young
architects who will lead the discipline as
designers, and who will inherently question the
status quo while searching for new models of
architectural inquiry. Design Studios, Cultural
Studies, Applied Studies, General Studies
and Visual Studies are all crafted to develop
a rigorous awareness and knowledge of the
discipline. The curriculum emphasizes the
inherent inter-relationships and bridging
between these topics as students sequence
through their five years of study.

20
 ADAM FUJIOKO + CHRIS WANG
B.ARCH STUDENTS

URIEL LOPEZ
B.ARCH STUDENT

21
In 1999, before there was widespread
use of websites and galleries, SCI-
Arc published a small brochure that
said something to the tune of “we’re
interested in your voice.” And among
many of the options available to me
at the time—having attended Cooper
Union as a high school student in
NYC and completing a tour in the U.S.
Army—and after visiting Cal Poly
and Berkeley, it was SCI-Arc that
attracted me the most because of
this provocative call to let my intellect
shine through my work, to speak my
vision. Embarking on occupying a
vacant freight depot also seemed like
a risky, but provocative opportunity
that I have zero regrets having taken.

By the time I presented my thesis, I

was already working at an engineering
firm in downtown LA. Shortly after
graduation, I moved to New York,
where I was introduced to a fellow
alumnus who helped me connect to
my first big architecture job within a
matter of days.
–

FERNANDO ARIAS
WORKING GROUP ASSOCIATE CGI AMERICA
CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE
B.ARCH ’04
ALUMNUS

22
 4000
SCI-Arc has 4,000
alumni working around
the world.
23
 13

8 10

6 7 5

RYONNA CHUO
B.ARCH STUDENT 3 2

MAHZUZA MAYSUN + KATHLEEN MEJIA

B.ARCH STUDENTS

24
 I’d always imagined my architectural
education to be one where I would
constantly be challenged. You see your
design studio instructors three times
a week and naturally, their experience
influences you as you embark on a new
idea. Working with such experienced
instructors encourages you to match,
or surpass, their passion.

–
RYONNA CHUO
B.ARCH STUDENT

N SCI-Fa
Section B
scale: 3/16” = 1’-0”

DE SIG N ST U D IO

The architectural design studios at SCI-Arc are sequential topics establishing the
foundation of architectural practice. Each studio explores a single topic and is
the anchor point for the semester’s course work. Seminar courses from Visual,
Applied, Cultural and General Studies support and enhance the design studio.
Studios take place Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2 to 7pm and faculty
meet with students individually and in groups to discuss the progression of the
central design project. Each semester, the students’ dedicated workspaces are
organized by design studio, with a 15 to 1 student to faculty ratio.

25
CONNOR GRAVELLE
B.ARCH STUDENT

26
My project in the first semester of
second year, for a youth center in
Hollywood, was a really important
one for me because it created so
many productive problems about
architecture that I’ve been able to
further explore. I really felt like it
was my first personal endeavor into
who I am as an individual designer, in
relation to the discipline as a whole.

–
CONNOR GRAVELLE
B. ARCH STUDENT

27
SCI-Arc provides access to the inner
world of architecture, a world that isn’t
confined to a classroom. At school,
I’ve had the opportunity to meet and
interact with esteemed architects
and I’ve been presented with other
opportunities, like being able to
intern for some of the firms run by my
instructors, which has allowed me to
learn a lot.

–
HEMILA ARIA
B.ARCH STUDENT

2:30 PM
SCI-Arc campus tours are
provided Mondays and Fridays at
2:30pm. Contact tours@sciarc.edu
to schedule a reservation.

28
 JUSTIN KIM + SANDRA REYES
B.ARCH STUDENTS

YOUNG SUN
B.ARCH STUDENT
29
MANORI SUMANASINGHE
ALUMNA

30
Participating in the resume workshop
and the Open Season career event
helped me identify how I wanted to
practice architecture, and presented
me with opportunities to pursue my
career goals. A few job opportunities
came my way right around thesis and
I picked the one that suited my needs
the most. SCI-Arc is very engaged
with the architecture community and
leaders of design, especially in LA.
With the support of that network it
was a surprisingly easy transition
from school to professional life.

–
MANORI SUMANASINGHE
HODGETTS + FUNG
B.ARCH ’14
ALUMNA

O P EN SEASO N

SCI-Arc has 4,000 alumni from its 40-year history. To provide career support, the
Alumni Council hosts Open Season, a series of career networking events created
to connect alumni and professional partners in the architecture and design field
with current students. These events invite potential employers to observe and
recruit students as they present their studio and thesis work to faculty and jurors
for academic review.

31
The energy and culture of SCI-Arc
is completely unique. Students
work with faculty who are not only
good instructors but also great
practitioners. It is rare to see such
an active community of faculty
who challenges each other outside
of school but can come together
to collaborate and craft a studio
together inside the school.

–
JENNY WU
OYLER WU COLLABORATIVE
DESIGN STUDIO, VISUAL STUDIES FACULTY

›› Design Vanguard Award, Architectural Record

›› AIA|CC Emerging Talent Award
›› AIA|LA Presidential Awards for Emerging Practice
›› Emerging Voices Award, Architectural League of New York

32
 JENNY WU + DWAYNE OYLER
FACULTY

33
There is a symbiotic relationship between
practice and teaching at SCI-Arc, since most
of the design faculty are practicing architects.
Students benefit from that, and the broad range
of advanced design techniques and technology
that each faculty member brings to the table.
One example of this collaboration between
faculty and students is the SCI-Arc Gallery,
which features an architectural installation by
both established and emerging architect a few
times each year. It is organized as a workshop
where students collaborate directly with the
architect on the design and the fabrication of a
large-scale architectural object.

–
HERWIG BAUMGARTNER
B+U
DESIGN STUDIO, APPLIED STUDIES FACULTY

›› Maxine Frankel Award for Design Research

›› AIA National Award for Emerging Professionals
›› A+Award for Sustainability
›› City of Los Angeles C.O.L.A, Department of Cultural Affairs
Individual Artist Fellowship, 2014-15

S CI -AR C G ALLERY

The SCI-Arc Gallery program invites exhibitors to experiment with new

materials, concepts, and fabrication methods, reflecting SCI-Arc’s en-
couragement of an experimental approach to construction materials and
its emphasis on learning through building. Students have the opportuni-
ty to participate in workshops in which they work closely with the invited
architect to assist in the fabrication and installation of the show. Exhibitors
include Zaha Hadid, Hitoshi Abe, Sir Peter Cook, Jakob + MacFarlane, Neil
Denari, Eisenman Architects, RoTo Architects, and Joe Day.

34
 HERWIG BAUMGARTNER + SCOTT URIU
FACULTY

RAMIRO DIAZ-GRANADOS HEATHER FLOOD

FACULTY FACULTY

35
ANAHIT ASATRYAN + OSCAR DELEON
B.ARCH STUDENTS

36
 JENNIE SUN + THAO TRINH
B.ARCH STUDENTS

HENGYU LIM
B.ARCH STUDENT

37
Located in a quarter-mile long
building, the openness of the
campus is a physical manifestation
of the open-mindedness of SCI-
Arc’s academic approach, which
results in a most unique learning
environment. The open floor plan
allows for the free flow of academic
exchanges between undergraduate
and graduate students alike. This
is a school where people get to see
things differently.

–
PATRICE CHANG
B.ARCH STUDENT

5-15
The majority of students live 5-15
minutes walk or bike ride from their
studio work space.

38
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JENNY WU + DWAYNE OYLER
FACULTY

MARCELO SPINA
FACULTY
40
During one summer, I helped out
with the construction of Oyler Wu
Collaborative’s Centerstage project
for the SCI-Arc Graduation Pavilion.
I gained experience for the first time
in grinding and cutting steel. I also
learned to be very meticulous about
the details of a project.

–
JUSTIN KIM
B.ARCH STUDENT

GRAD UATI O N PAVI L I O N

Students work alongside SCI-Arc faculty to prepare a temporary pavilion for the
annual graduation ceremony early September. In our parking lot adjacent to
the building, you will see the latest pavilion designed by Marcelo Spina entitled
League of Shadows. A grant from ArtPlace created the opportunity to create a
four-year pavilion that will be used not only for SCI-Arc’s commencement but for
community events in the Arts District.

41
I was 17, sitting in a classroom
listening to the first DID presentation:
“See this pen in my hand, and see that
big city outside your window? They’re
much more similar than you would
ever expect—they are connected
by the act of design.” Suddenly, my
perspective had changed. Four weeks
later, the program ended and I left
with a newly awakened appetite. Two
years later, SCI-Arc is still keeping me
hungry for more.

–
DEBORAH GARCIA
B.ARCH STUDENT

D E S I G N I M M E R S I O N DAYS

Design Immersion Days (DID) is a four-week summer program for high

school students. Rising juniors and seniors explore careers in architecture
and design. At the conclusion of the program, students work on creating
a college admissions-ready portfolio.

42
DEBORAH GARCIA, ANGELO GRAY + ESRA DURUKAN
B.ARCH STUDENTS

43
S CI -AR C THESIS P RO GRAM

B.Arch and M.Arch students present a year-long thesis project

to complete their studies. Each thesis represents the culmina-
tion of curriculum, individual inquiry, and design focus.

44
Day one of thesis, we were called
into the library. We all sat down, and
then Thom Mayne walked in, smiling,
smitten to be there. We all wondered
why. Turns out he was our advisor. I
wasn’t sure how that worked out, a
prize winning architect here only to
help. I am pretty sure he could figure
out my thesis better than I could, and
yet there he was to help me.

–
ANTHONY MOREY
OYLER WU COLLABORATIVE
B.ARCH ’14
ALUMNUS

45
 DARIN JOHNSTONE
FACULTY

The thing that always amazes me about studios at

SCI-Arc, and the SCI-Arc environment in general, is
what I call a culture of reciprocity. We as faculty are
constantly learning from one another. Certainly, the
students are learning from us but we are all learning
from them as well. There is an intellectual and creative
openness here that breeds vibrancy, ingenuity and
freshness. That is what compels me to teach.

–
DARIN JOHNSTONE
DARIN JOHNSTONE ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN STUDIO, VISUAL STUDIES AND APPLIED STUDIES FACULTY
DESIGN IMMERSION DAYS COORDINATOR

›› AIA|LA Design Honor Award

›› “10 to Watch,” LA Architect
›› AAF Accent on Architecture Award

46
There’s something about the genetic
code of this place that brings us all
here to play our best game. Playing our
best game isn’t just about the work
itself, it has to do with our relationships
with each other. SCI-Arc is renewing
itself all of the time.

–
MICHAEL ROTONDI
ROTO ARCHITECTS
FORMER SCI-ARC DIRECTOR
DESIGN STUDIO, APPLIED STUDIES
AND CULTURAL STUDIES FACULTY

›› AIA|LA Gold Medal

›› National AIA Design Award
›› AIA|LA Twenty-Five Year Award
›› AIA|CC Design Award

MICHAEL ROTONDI
ALUMNUS/FACULTY

47
FLORENCIA PITA
FACULTY

48
Students are encouraged to
emerge as public intellectuals,
leading speculative discussions
in the practice of architecture,
and connecting these emerging
ideas to the discipline both
academically and outside the
classroom.

–
DORA EPSTEIN JONES, PHD
GENERAL STUDIES COORDINATOR
CULTURAL STUDIES, GENERAL STUDIES FACULTY

›› Guest Editor (with Bryony Roberts), LOG 31: New Ancients

›› Mechudzu: New Rhetorics for Architecture (RIEA, 2011)
›› American Council of Learned Societies/Luce Foundation Scholar
›› ACSA Women’s Leadership Council

GE N ERAL ST U D IES

The General Studies curriculum represents a fresh and innovative approach to

liberal arts education, teaching a wide breadth of knowledge and critical thinking
skills. Non-architectural content is directed with a two-pronged approach: first,
as an intensive series of developed courses at the foundation level, and second,
as a flexible series of one-time elective seminars taught by leading thinkers, writ-
ers, theorists and practitioners in a wide spectrum of fields and subjects, from
real estate development and biomimicry to media/culture, and particle/physics.

49
I spent a summer in Japan taking the
SCI-Arc Tokyo studio with Instructor
John Bohn. We worked with faculty
and students from Tokyo University,
Keio University, and Hosei University.
When we collaborated, they taught me
about their culture and ideas while I
did the same for them. I really enjoyed
traveling through Tokyo, studying
the city, and reimagining it. Tokyo is
unparalleled—it completely changed
my understanding of a city.

–
JOAO VELAZQUEZ
B.ARCH STUDENT

11
There are study abroad programs,
exchanges and studio visits available
in 11 different countries including
Australia, Austria, Korea, the
Netherlands, Mexico, United Kingdom,
Italy, Israel, Japan and China.

50
 JOAO VELAZQUEZ
B.ARCH STUDENT

51
EDUARDO BELLOSTA, JINA SEO,
RYAN MCGRIFF + SI SUN
B.ARCH STUDENTS

52
My favorite experience took place in
my first semester when I realized that
architecture is not a visually “beautiful”
structure, but more so a development
process. Beginning with a concept,
explored through different methods
in Applied Studies seminars, and
articulated through design, architecture
is what you make it. Your interests and
your methods are what define your
project. The moment I came to that
realization, I felt I was in control of
my education and saw the school as a
facility for my learning.

–
KATHLEEN MEIJA
B.ARCH STUDENT

APPLIED STUDIES

The Applied Studies program is based on challenging how our world is construct-
ed, what constitutes an environment, and how architecture of the next centu-
ry might respond to global change. The program offers courses that critically
engage building technology and interpret its spatial and social consequences.
Foundation courses are offered in physics and other sciences, building systems,
structural analysis, tectonics, material development, acoustics, lighting, and en-
vironmental control. Recent elective courses have explored building information
modeling, parametric design, generative structures, composite tectonics, mate-
rial research and development, complex assemblies, energy design, biomimicry,
and robotic fabrication.

53
The SCI-Arc education grants
opportunities in fields of design not
strictly architectural. I have designed
in jewelry, fashion, and furniture,
all in addition to architectural
internships. The school I transferred
from even calls me back every Ad

semester to help review projects VS

because of my time at SCI-Arc.

–
ADAM MARTINEZ
B.ARCH STUDENT

54
dam Paul Martinez
S_2013 15

14

13

12

11

10

A
T ADAM MARTINEZ B

B.ARCH STUDENT
S C

R D

Q E

P F

O G

55
SCI-Arc was really the beginning of my
whole entire career…my architecture
has a big influence from [my] education
[at] SCI-Arc.

–
SHIGERU BAN
SHIGERU BAN ARCHITECTS
PRITZKER ARCHITECTURE PRIZE LAUREATE ’14
ALUMNUS

56
SHIGERU BAN
ALUMNUS

57
 NICK SEIERUP
ALUMNUS

Based on people we’ve hired at my firm in the last 15

years, the school turns out thinkers—people who can
think independently, deeply and passionately about
something. SCI-Arc also creates people who are
very proficient utilizing cutting edge tools. In some
ways, the tools that are available to students at SCI-
Arc are ahead of the curve in the industry so we see
graduates coming out with skills that are not even
in the architectural profession right now, which is an
interesting phenomenon.

–
NICK SEIERUP
PERKINS + WILL
SCI-ARC TRUSTEE
B.ARCH ’79
ALUMNUS

58
BRENDAN MACFARLANE
ALUMNUS

24
Students use 24 state-of-the-
art software packages including
Rhino, Maya, Grasshopper,
ZBrush, Catia, AutoCAD, 3D
Studio Max and Adobe CS6.

59
 EMILY WHITE
ALUMNA/FACULTY

Studios at SCI-Arc are organisms—

alive and responsive. Instructors
work together to craft the conceptual
framework for each course. From
there, the studio grows as students,
projects and conversations promote
new ideas over the course of the
semester. The same is true for my
Visual Studies seminars.

–
EMILY WHITE
LAYER
DESIGN STUDIO, VISUAL STUDIES FACULTY
ALUMNA

60
 PATRICK GESKE
M.ARCH STUDENT

CONNER GRAVELLE
VI S UAL ST U D IES
B.ARCH STUDENT
The Visual Studies program sets the foundation for project communication
systems. It includes generative diagramming, concept representation, project
communication, and project production documents. Recent elective courses have
focused on topics such as time-based visualization, graphic design, scripting,
interactive navigation, animation, film documentary, photography, industrial and
product design, and production design.

61
THOM MAYNE
FACULTY

62
One can always sense the
nature of SCI-Arc by the level
of the work and the incredibly
powerful kind of energy that is
read from this work.

–
THOM MAYNE
MORPHOSIS ARCHITECTS
SCI-ARC FOUNDING FACULTY
SCI-ARC TRUSTEE

›› Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate ’05

›› MacDowell Medal
›› AIA|LA Gold Medal
›› National AIA Honor Award

63
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MASTER OF
ARCHITECTURE

SCI-Arc offers two professional Master of

Architecture degrees, M.Arch 1 and M.Arch 2.
The M.Arch 1 program is a three-year degree open
to applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree or
equivalent in any field of study. Rather than focus
on a single ideology, methodology or technique,
the M.Arch 1 program presents a broad range of
approaches to the discipline of architecture.
The M.Arch 2 program is a two-year degree
specifically designed to build upon and reconsider
knowledge gained from undergraduate degrees in
architecture.
SCI-Arc also offers two Master of Design Research
post professional degrees called ESTM and
SCIFI. ESTM is an intensive design and research
laboratory uniquely tailored for applicants with a
professional degree in architecture, engineering or
industrial design. SCIFI is an intensive research-
based program and think tank dedicated to
generating contemporary approaches to large-
scale urban architecture, and urban policy.
74
KYUNGJOO KIM + JAVIER RUIZ
M.ARCH STUDENTS

JISUN LEE
M.ARCH STUDENT

75
Besides being a high-ranking
architecture school in California, SCI-
Arc represents to me an opportunity
to view architecture from a different
perspective. I would say I had a pre-
notion of what architecture was
before grad school. And I knew that by
attending SCI-Arc, it would allow me
to challenge myself in architecture
through all aspects such as design,
theory, fabrication, and technology.

–
JENNIFER DIEP
M.ARCH 1 STUDENT

76
 JENNIFER DIEP
M.ARCH STUDENT

77
RACHEL MCCALL + JILL KOENIGSKNECHT
M.ARCH STUDENTS

78
The dialogue SCI-Arc sets up
spreads across the world, from the
amazing collection of lectures to
watch in person and online at the
SCI-Arc Media Archive, to coming
across work from SCI-Arc online
and in print on a daily basis. I was
drawn to SCI-Arc after meeting
and hearing lectures from faculty
in Sweden, Greece & Australia.
After one year at SCI-Arc,
opportunities are opening up well
beyond the walls of the building.

–
RACHEL MCCALL
M.ARCH 2 STUDENT

SC I -ARC MED I A A R CH IV E

The SCI-Arc Media Archive hosts over 1000 hours of continually–

updated videos of architecture and design lectures, symposia and
events featuring the most significant voices in architecture since 1974.
Available to the public at sma.sciarc.edu.

79
I appreciate the plethora of digital
skills that we’re taught at SCI-Arc, and
the critical thinking that accompanies
these skills in correlating concepts
and research with the virtual world and
ultimately with the built environment.
These skills have enabled me to work
with friends and colleagues from
architecture and other fields to assist
them in problem solving on their design
projects.

–
DIEGO WU LAW
M.ARCH 2 STUDENT

HAO HOWARD CHEN + YIXIONG PENG

M.ARCH STUDENTS

80
 SUNGMI HYUN
M.ARCH STUDENT

81
I had a strong interest in robotics so
for me, the Robot House made a great
case for SCI-Arc. It was easily the
most exciting experimental space of
any school I looked at. On top of that,
whenever I looked online for great
projects and inspiration, the SCI-Arc
projects stood out. I was very lucky. I
received recognition for a couple of my
projects, and was quickly recruited to
Silicon Valley. A lot of people have eyes
on the type of work being produced by
SCI-Arc students, and increasingly so in
the tech world, which is seeing a lot of
creative engineering and great design
being smashed together in fun ways.

–
BRIAN HARMS
RESEARCH ENGINEER
THINK TANK TEAM, SAMSUNG RESEARCH AMERICA
ESTM ’13
ALUMNUS

6
The Robot House focuses on multi-
robot collaboration using six state-
of-the-art Stäubli robotic systems.

82
 BRIAN HARMS
ALUMNUS

83
SCI-Arc still has that kernel of
experimental, anti-establishment,
which is really unique in architecture.
We are in a profession that has been
increasingly corporatized and I think
that SCI-Arc provides a bulwark
against the generic professionalism
of architecture, and it seems that
no matter what happens here over
different kinds of movements—
aesthetic movements or urbanist
movements—that it’s maintained a
kind of edgy questioning on what is
architecture supposed to be anyhow,
and I think that’s why so many people
are drawn to the flame.

–
BARBARA BESTOR
BESTOR ARCHITECTURE
M.ARCH 1 ’92
ALUMNA

84
 BARBARA BESTOR
ALUMNA

85
MARCELYN GOW
FACULTY

86
A school’s greatest asset is the sense
of community that it establishes and
sustains over time. At SCI-Arc the
idea of community is advanced in a
distinct way within a unique setting.
The people that make up SCI-Arc—its
students, leadership, faculty, staff,
alumni and board of directors—exhibit
an unparalleled and diverse vision,
coupled with an exceptional level of
dedication to the discipline and the
practice of architecture. SCI-Arc’s
unique position within the Arts District
in downtown Los Angeles extends the
reach of its academic community into a
broader cultural milieu.

–
MARCELYN GOW
SERVO LOS ANGELES
DESIGN STUDIO, CULTURAL STUDIES FACULTY

›› City of Los Angeles C.O.L.A, Department of Cultural Affairs

Individual Artist Fellowship, 2014-15
›› Graham Foundation Award

87
ALEXIS ROCHAS
FACULTY

In very few places do problems and

solutions emerge consecutively. At
SCI-Arc, students and faculty pride
themselves in making a mark on the
evolution of the discipline.

–
ALEXIS ROCHAS
STEREO.BOT
MAKING + MEANING COORDINATOR
DESIGN STUDIO, APPLIED STUDIES FACULTY

88
At SCI-Arc, we
don’t merely
theorize or
criticize design;
we design the
discourse.
–
TODD GANNON, PHD
CULTURAL STUDIES COORDINATOR

›› Edited books for Eisenman Architects, Zaha Hadid and UN Studio

›› Written Monographs for Morphosis, Bernard Tschumi, UN Studio, Steven
Holl, Mack Scogin/Merrill Elam, Zaha Hadid and Peter Eisenman
›› ACSA Committee Member (Association of Collegiate Schools of
Architecture)

C U LTU RAL STU D I ES

Cultural Studies at SCI-Arc refers to the study of architecture as a disciplinary

subject, focusing on understanding the field through reading, research, and writ-
ten exercises covering all aspects of architectural culture, history, theory, and
criticism. Cultural Studies locates the discipline of architecture within larger ar-
tistic, cultural, social, and political contexts.

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 HOWARD CHEN
M.ARCH STUDENT

90
The most memorable studio experience
for me has to be Making+Meaning. It
isn’t part of the M.Arch curriculum, but
it was my first taste of architectural
education. The rigorous daily schedule
helped ready us for the fall term and
allowed us to warm up to the intense
amount of work to be produced.
Though the projects may not be the
most impressive work I’ve done, the
experience of completing my first
assignment, and finishing the first
group model ahead of time is something
that will always stay with me.

–
HOWARD CHEN
M.ARCH 1 STUDENT

MAKI NG+MEANI NG

Making+Meaning is a college level five-week summer program that introduces the

principles of architecture in a hands-on exploration of spatial experimentation,
design methodologies and the creative process. For those gauging their interest
and curiosity in architecture, or students beginning an M.Arch 1 degree, Mak-
ing+Meaning is a platform for individual learning in a collective environment.

91
I choose to study at SCI-Arc
because of the school’s dedication
towards experimental design, and
to approaching the practice of
architecture from unique angles,
derived by innovators in the field and
reflected in student work. While visiting
SCI-Arc, I also appreciated the kind of
autonomy the school had, uninhibited
by the framework of a larger institution,
which enables a free movement of
ideas into action, and product.

–
SIERRA HELVEY
M.ARCH 1 STUDENT

5,000
Over 5,000 physical models
are produced in seminars and
design studios each semester.

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SIERRA HELVEY
M.ARCH STUDENT

MECHANICAL ROOM

EMBASSY PUBLIC GALLERY CAFE

tECHNICAL ROOM

GALLERY SPACE

OFFICE

EMBASSY PUBLIC

RESTAURANT

SECURITY

THEATER

EMBASSY LOBBY
/ENTRY 2
STREET SIDE

THEATER EXIT/ENTRY
EMBASSY LOBBY
/ENTRY 1
EMBASSY PUBLIC
THEATER ENTRY

EMBASS

PUBLIC

BEACH SIDE

SUNGMI HYUN
M.ARCH STUDENT

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 CHEU, TK
M.ARCH STUDENT
QINGYI CHEN + CAYETANA LOPEZ
M.ARCH STUDENTS

94
I don’t think it is about why
I chose SCI-Arc in the first
place. What really matters
is the decision to remain.
I choose SCI-Arc every day.
Every moment I spend here
I consciously reaffirm that
very first decision I made.
Why? I can’t imagine myself
being anywhere else; it is just
a feeling of belonging.

–
CAYETANA LOPEZ
M.ARCH 1 STUDENT

95
JENNIFER MARMON
ALUMNA

96
I think that combining SCI-Arc’s SCIFI
degree, which focuses on urban design,
and my Bachelor of Architecture degree
with my LEED accreditation strategically
positions me to innovate architectural
and urban scale solutions. I would like
to work with a progressive firm to gain
some more experience and knowledge
before branching out on my own.

–
JANIVA HENRY
SCIFI, ‘12
ALUMNA

97
A way to think about SCI-Arc would
be as the basis for building audiences
within architecture. It’s a common
misapprehension that architectural
schools invent architects. They don’t.
They identify and nurture talent. What
schools do more than anything is
create audiences for ideas, and that is
what SCI-Arc has been able to do. The
experimentation with how you make
that audience is the fundamental part
of any design project.

–
ELENA MANFERDINI
ATELIER MANFERDINI
GRADUATE THESIS COORDINATOR
DESIGN STUDIO, VISUAL STUDIES FACULTY

›› Graham Foundation Award for Architecture

›› ACADIA Innovative Research Award for Excellence
›› AIA|LA Educator of the Year

98
 ELENA MANFERDINI
FACULTY

99
At some progressive schools, purely
digital speculation remains the rule.
At others, the translation of this
speculation into building tectonics
is the focus. While both of these
tendencies have a strong presence
at SCI-Arc, the school is unique
in its pursuit of the reinvention
of the techniques of design,
and its willingness to suspend
certain pragmatic constraints and
expectations in order to encourage
more aggressive formal, and
conceptual experimentation.

–
ANDREW ZAGO
ZAGO ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN STUDIO FACULTY, VISUAL STUDIES COORDINATOR

›› Academy Award in Architecture. the American Academy of

Arts and Letters
›› Emerging Voices Award, Architectural League of New York
›› Progressive Architecture Award

100
 ANDREW ZAGO
FACULTY

101
AMANDA STJERNSTROM
M.ARCH STUDENT

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

RAYKA MIRZAIE YOUSEFI, CHENG FING LIN + EVAN EMERY

M.ARCH STUDENTS

102
Since most everyone that teaches at
SCI-Arc is also practicing within their
field, you’re taught ways of dealing with
design challenges that are unique to
each instructor. In experiencing several
such ways, you begin to establish your
own process through realizing which
strategies work for you. This comes in
handy as you tackle competitions and
other design work you might partake in
outside of SCI-Arc.

–
AMANDA STJERNSTROM
M.ARCH 2 STUDENT

103
HEATHER CARREON, AYLA MALKA, BAILEY SHUGART + SHAO WEN TOU
M.ARCH STUDENTS

104
 One of my favorite classes so far was
a Visual Studies class I took with
Florencia Pita. We had to make these
weird objects, and at the beginning
there were no boundaries so it enabled
complete design freedom. Pita gave
guidance and suggested refinement
as the objects progressed, and for the
final review we had to 3D print them.
Seeing my object in the flesh, my first
large 3D print, made me very proud of
myself.

–
BAILEY SHUGART
M.ARCH 1 STUDENT

3D
Dubbed the Magic Box, the new Digital Fabrication
Lab will expand the school’s experimental approach
to three-dimensional design. When complete in spring
2015, the new 2-story digital lab, along with the existing
Shop and Robotics Lab, will occupy more than 12,000
sq.ft., making it one of the largest and most advanced
fabrication facilities at an architecture school.

105
SCI-Arc is fundamentally dynamic.
Dynamism sums up a lot of
preoccupations at the school—its
ambitions and values. I think we are
here to see how many ways we put our
field in motion, in every respect; to see
how buildings can in fact move and
float and do unlikely things; how we
can set the terms of discussion onto a
faster, more exciting pace of inquiry.

–
JOE DAY
DEEGAN DAY DESIGN
VISITING DESIGN STUDIO FACULTY
M.ARCH 1 ’94
ALUMNUS

106
 JOE DAY
ALUMNUS/FACULTY

107
Progressing from school to the workforce
was not a difficult conversion as the
personal discipline required in school
prepared me for the responsibilities and
pressures associated with professional
life. SCI-Arc also uniquely shaped
my approach to design problems and
helped put me in a position to thrive as
a designer at Gensler. SCI-Arc’s focus
on digital design and its utilization of
innovative programs and fabrication
techniques taught me how to research
new technologies such as BIM,
parametric modeling, scripting, rapid
prototyping, etc. and employ them in my
everyday project work.

–
KRISTEN GEORGE
GENSLER
M.ARCH 1 ’10
ALUMNA

108
KRISTEN GEORGE
ALUMNA

109
 MARCELO SPINA
FACULTY

What’s great about SCI-Arc is a sense

of purpose and urgency to what we
teach. Faculty and students together,
in desk critiques, reviews, and ongoing
discussions, all strive to define,
challenge and constantly reposition
the rules of engagement about the
role and evolution of the discipline of
architecture within culture at large.
–
MARCELO SPINA
PATTERNS
ESTm COORDINATOR
DESIGN STUDIO, APPLIED STUDIES FACULTY

›› Emerging Voices Award, Architectural League of New York

›› AIA|LA Honor Award
›› USA Grigor Fellowship

110
 RE V IE WS

Mid-term reviews, final reviews and thesis reviews are

culminating moments for the design studio, where stu-
dents present their work to a panel of prominent archi-
tects from around the world.

111
SCI-Arc is the school
of contemporary
architecture and will
(have to) be the school
of future architecture.
–
WOLF D. PRIX
COOP HIMMELB(L)AU
VISITING VERTICAL DESIGN STUDIO FACULTY
ALUMNUS

›› Jenks Award: Vision Built Prize

›› Austrian Decoration of Honor for Science and Art
›› Annie Spink Award for Excellence in Architectural Education

WOLF PRIX + TOM WISCOMBE

FACULTY
112
I consider my teaching at SCI-Arc to
be part of an ongoing conversation
about architecture. A class is not just
a class, but a kind of public utterance.
The work we do has to be formally
speculative, but also have an agenda
driving it that is coherent enough to
contribute to that conversation. This
models for the students what it looks
like to take a position, nurture it, and
defend it. Frankly, I think most of the
faculty at SCI-Arc are invested in this
way of teaching, which is what makes
the school so unique.
–
TOM WISCOMBE
TOM WISCOMBE ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN STUDIO, APPLIED STUDIES FACULTY

›› PS1 MoMa’s Young Architects Program Winner

›› 1st Place, MoCA Pavilion Competition
›› 1st Place, International Competition for Shenyang Sports Civic Center

113
ALEX BLUGERMAN + SMITA LUKOSE
M.ARCH STUDENTS

QINGYI CHEN + QING WEN LI

M.ARCH STUDENTS

114
 BAILEY SHUGART + SHAW WEN TOU
M.ARCH STUDENTS

YEN PU CHEN + SIERRA HELVEY

M.ARCH STUDENTS

115
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A DMI SSI O NS
With 80 faculty members and 500 students, SCI-Arc
is committed to shaping student experiences as they
pursue undergraduate, graduate and post-profession-
al degrees. We receive applications from prospective
students from all over the U.S. and around the world,
and we believe your experience at SCI-Arc will prepare
you not only to perform well in the profession, but will
also lead you to take the discipline in new directions, as
you re-think assumptions, create, explore and test the
limits of architecture.
Applications must include the following materials:
›› Online application form
›› $85 application fee (non-refundable)
›› Portfolio of creative work
›› Statement of purpose
›› Resume
›› Three letters of recommendation
›› Official academic transcripts
›› Test scores, if applicable (SAT or ACT, GRE)
›› TOEFL or IELTS (for International students)
A PPLI CATIO N D EA D LINES
B.Arch
B.Arch, Advanced Placement (Spring): October 1
B.Arch, First Year Placement (Fall): January 15
B.Arch, Advanced Placement (Fall): May 1
M.Arch
M.Arch 1 (Fall): December 15
M.Arch 2 (Fall): December 15
Post-Professional M.DesR
ESTM (Fall): April 15
SCIFI (Fall): April 15
Summer Programs
Design Immersion Days: June 1
Making+Meaning: July 1
SCI-Arc values diversity and welcomes applicants who
demonstrate the interest and ability for the study of
architecture, regardless of race, ethnicity, national
origin, gender, age, religious beliefs, sexual orientation,
or physical abilities.
122
F I NAN CIA L A ID
For accepted SCI-Arc students, your eligibility for fi-
nancial aid is based on the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA), SCI-Arc Financial Aid forms and
your federal tax returns. The Financial Aid Office offers
information on many programs to incoming and con-
tinuing students. Students must apply for financial aid
by completing the FAFSA online in January. SCI-Arc’s
financial aid application and other required forms are
made available each January for students who wish to
receive financial aid in the following academic year. It
is recommended that all students complete their appli-
cations by the deadline to ensure that there is no delay
in receiving their funds. International students are not
eligible to receive federal or state financial assistance.
However, international students may be eligible for
educational loans through private lenders, banks and
other financial institutions or organizations. Each year
the Admissions Committee awards admissions schol-
arships to entering students. All applicants who submit
a completed application to SCI-Arc are automatically
considered for a scholarship. Admissions scholarships
are awarded on the overall merit of an applicant’s
application submissions and his/her potential to suc-
ceed at SCI-Arc. All entering students, domestic and
international, are considered for admissions scholar-
ships. All currently enrolled SCI-Arc students, domestic
and international, are eligible to apply for continuing
student scholarships after completing their first two
semesters of study.
SCI-ARC
viewbook.sciarc.edu
www.sciarc.edu

Southern California Institute of Architecture

960 E. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

email admissions@sciarc.edu
tel 213-356-5320