Curriculum

Requirements for the major are listed below for convenience and are provided in the Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs

Stanford Architecture’s curriculum is a blend of design, engineering and theory that provides students with the skills necessary to enter the profession, attend graduate school or pursue adjacent careers. Focused on three legs, Representation, Process and Sustainability the curricular approach ties a range of skills and knowledge into a meaningful and unique whole.

Representation

Students become experienced with freehand drawing, mechanical drawing, “hands-on” model building, and 3-D and 4-D computer modeling. Freehand sketching provides an efficient means of initiating schematic ideas while computer modeling and analyses allows for the rapid generation and evaluation of the impacts of design decisions. Students create compelling visual presentations utilizing the wide array of representation techniques acquired in this major.

Process

Students learn methodologies to design and construct innovative architectural forms and systems. Students gain an understanding of the entire lifecycle of the collaborative design and construction process. The focus is on thinking clearly, reasoning critically, and documenting and managing the evolution of creative ideas. The success of a design process hinges not only on bold concepts but also on a well devised means of developing and executing these ideas.

Sustainability

Students learn to develop solutions that integrate all the diverse requirements that sustainability demands. Coursework includes topics such as energy systems, ecologically friendly building materials, water conservation, and indoor air quality.