BS Architectural Design

Architectural Design Major

Undergraduates may pursue a major in Engineering with a subplan of Architectural Design

Architecture is concerned with improving and explaining environments by revealing meaning in location, function and structure — enriching and heightening experiences, and, ultimately, improving lives.

Mission Statement

Our world faces enormous challenges. Given the impact of environmental and climatic change, population growth, housing and infrastructure needs across the globe, and the urgency for social justice in design, the importance and responsibility of architecture has never been greater. Architecture’s engagement with its potential is dependent, now more than ever, on a broader sense of “environment” - a collaborative approach, attention to concept and detail, an adept and nimble use of technology, and a commitment to the well-being and sustainability of not only our buildings, but our people.

Stanford Architecture is a visionary leader in the field committed to transforming architectural education, culture, and practice. We prepare students to be healthy, competent, and innovative practitioners devoted to making the world a better place for all people through architecture. Leveraging the culture of innovation at Stanford and the Bay Area in a holistic pedagogy of education, Stanford Architecture fosters graduates who tackle the broad range of architectural and environmental challenges before us as inventive and environmentally responsible designers, creative and collaborative problem solvers, and active and equitable leaders.

In addition to preparing students for advanced studies in architecture and construction management, the program’s strong math and science requirements prepare students well for graduate work in other fields, such as civil and environmental engineering, law, and business. The major provides a background for individuals wanting to explore a diversity of careers in architecture, design, engineering, construction, and structures.

Stanford Architecture lives into its potential and up to its responsibility to lead the field towards solving real world problems with confidence, humility, and empathy. Graduates from Stanford Architecture are emerging leaders and agents of change tethered by a personal and collective sense of inspiration, purpose, and service.

“I came into the program with an entirely academic mindset. I wanted to learn as much as I could about architecture, and that was it. While the program certainly served this goal, I found that the largest growth was in my understanding of self…The ever-questioning nature of our courses, the limitless creativity, and the many diverse minds around me all led me to look further within.”

“Having those in positions of power be considerate of our wellness makes a world of difference.”

This undergraduate major grants a degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a specialization in Architectural Design.

This engineering major is not an ABET accredited engineering degree, nor is it designed to lead directly to professional licensure in architecture. In order to become a professional architect or engineer, additional graduate training is required.

Director's Welcome

The twentieth century architectural historian and preservationist James Marston Fitch wrote that great movements in architecture occur when theory, material, and technique are aligned under the pressure of social change. Though, he argues, these moments are brief and delicate, such a moment indeed may be upon us.

At no time in the past has the way we design and construct buildings changed as quickly as it is now. With states and locales creating policy around theories of “new urbanism” and transit-oriented growth, we are rethinking the theory and fabric of our built landscape. New materials, new construction techniques, and new software are shortening the design phases, integrating the design and construction teams and compressing construction periods. Finally, people increasingly want to live in urban and semi-urban cores – though that trend may be blunted by the effects of the global pandemic. Covid notwithstanding, last century we became a suburban nation; this century we have become an urban nation. Combining these issues, we find the makings of one of Fitch’s brief and delicate moments: a moment when migration to the core and a focus on sustainable solutions are mixed with a new view of cities and construction.

But there are added challenges. Studies suggest large population growth in the US and, of course, around the world. This growth will require housing, places for work, places to shop and infrastructure to support needs. At least one study suggests that 40% of buildings that will exist in 2030 do not yet exist. Further, we are in the midst of the greatest pandemic in over a century. As people shelter at home, the fabric and economy of the city, and the world, has changed and will continue to change. Finally, our students have changed. They are more diverse, more focused on a broad-based education and demanding new ways of teaching.

Given these challenges and opportunities, what we build, how we build it, and where we build it are questions of great magnitude. And how we prepare students to become leaders in remaking cities is crucial.

Stanford Architecture is tackling these challenges. We are located at the academic center of a great university, which is in turn, at the innovative center of our nation. Bringing together the resources of the School of Engineering and reaching out to the broader University and Community, Stanford Architecture leverages our position to innovate a new kind of architecture education that will solve the challenges of the 21^st century.

As a result, our program is unlike most undergraduate architecture programs. Academically, it links engineering and design in new ways. It is also flexible; students can tailor their courses to their interests and future educational plans. We believe strongly in the idea of an educational community that honors what each student brings. We believe in student wellness and eschew traditional architectural education rituals such as all-nighters and a laser focus on studio classes. We believe in an ever-changing balance amongst Academics, Community and Wellness that supports the whole student and their many communities. 

Architecture of course teaches design, but it also teaches the skills of life-long learning, a comfort with ambiguity, the ability to give and receive constructive criticism, public speaking, and graphic representations of complex ideas and collaboration skills. These are the skills of the 21^st century taught in an environment that mimics what we see as the future of the profession. 

Stanford Architecture is determined to prepare students though scholarship, experience and leadership opportunities to understand the relationships between city, building and human experience and recognize that, in the end, architecture is about improving human lives.