RISD : Rhode Island School of Design : COURSES

GRADUATE:ARCHITECTURE

The following information, provided by RISD’s Registrar’s Office, is indicative of courses offered at RISD and is not to be used for registering. Prospective students interested in browsing the most recent course updates should go to wa.risd.edu and click on “guest + prospective students.”

>> current RISD students: register for classes at wa.risd.edu
>> RISD faculty: contact registrar@risd.edu to update course data

This list represents courses mainly available to graduate students. For courses required in BArch curriculum, go to the undergraduate architecture courses.

RISD Graduate Courses in Architecture

ARCH 2101	Adi Toledano	DESIGN PRINCIPLES
This course, the first in a two semester sequence, explores design principles common to architecture, and landscape architecture. Projects are selected to provide a basis for discerning and investigating both the differences of focus suggested by the two disciplines and their common concerns. Two interrelated aspects of design are pursued: 1) the elements of composition and their formal, spatial, and tectonic manipulation and 2) meanings conveyed by formal choices and transformations. Restricted to and Requirement for ARCH sophomore and first-year MARC
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2102	Olga Lucia Mesa	ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
Design principles presented in the first semester are further developed through a series of projects involving actual sites with their concomitant physical and historic-cultural conditions. Issues of context, methodology, program and construction are explored for their possible interrelated meanings and influences on the making of architectural form. Restricted to and Requirement for second semester sophomores and first-year M. Arch. students
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2108	TBD	URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES
In the first semester of the junior year, all architecture students choose one of a set of studios designed to confront issues of housing, public space and medium to large scale construction. Restricted to ARCH majors: Junior and 2nd-year MARC requirement
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2115	Wilbur E. Yoder	ENERGY,REALITIES,ALTERNATIVES
From Planetary to the Individual scale, the use of energy productive substances and the global affects, is becoming a major topic and condition of concern. What are out alternatives?<BR> <BR> This course will not only investigate the problems, but look at possible natural alternatives. Some of these are - solar, wind, geo-thermal, and ocean phenomena. The intent is to have the students - individually or int teams - research, and then investigate and apply at a small scale - possibly at residential scale - one of the alternatives. It is expected that in addition to the theory, there would be the development of numerical and/or proto-type' justification for the small scale' system.
Semester: Winter

ARCH 2121	Thomas Warren Gardner	DP SEM:INCIPIENT EMANCIPATIONWORK, LABOR, ACTION
Through examination and analysis of three arenas of the culture of building - tectonic, social / economic, and urban - this seminar seeks to develop an awareness for the complexity of built form, a capacity for criticism in the process of design, and an understanding of the relationship between the traditional and the innovative. We will work toward developing a sensitivity to the multiple levels at which the built environment conveys cultural significance and shares a common structural and ethical approach, a process which is open-ended and attuned to human needs, neither scriptive nor prescriptive. Through lectures, readings, discourse, debate and hands-on workshops, this course is a pointed examination of architectural space, an intimate inquiry on making, on engagement, and on finding real, working solutions while being challenged by intellectual and practical intensity, challenged by experimentation, dialogue and critique, providing a platform for students to establish their own specific agenda and clarify their personal direction of work in architecture. The next step for the work is implementation.
Semester: Fall

ARCH 2141	Aaron Christopher Brode	MANUAL REPRESENTATION
This course provides a knowledge of orthographic, axonometric, oblique, and conical projection drawing. It encourages disciplined attitudes towards drawing through reasoning and develops the ability to present and explain creative ideas.
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2142	Anthony James Piermarini	DIGITAL REPRESENTATION
This course is intended to provide students with initial exposure to the basic techniques of architectural representation using computers. Throughout the semester, we will be learning the tools of two-dimensional representations and learning to build three-dimensional models along with some specific rendering techniques. We will be using three widely accepted software platforms -AutoCad, Rhino and Autodesk Viz. We will cover a wide range of outputting programs such as Photoshop, Powerpoint and InDesign/Illustrator.
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2146	TBD	DIGITAL CONSTRUCTS
Using a variety of digital softwares, students will learn the practical and theoretical application of computer modeling: representation, simulation and fabrication. The computer will be used to inform design ideas and explore various modes of representation, including analytical, algorithmic and perceptual models. Students will be asked to design and present their design object using Flash, Autodesk Viz, Autocad, Rhino and Illustrator. The second half of the course will introduce students to basic algorithmic design thinking and rapid prototyping CAD/CAM technologies (Wire EDM, Lasercutting, CNC Milling) covering nurb and surface modeling fabrication tools. Students will ultimately prototype 'sheet samples' of their fabrication design research. Familiarity with AutoCAD and Rhino modeling software required and the course is open to all departments at RISD and Brown University. IBM PCS platforms will be used. Prerequisite: Basic familiarity with Windows bases programs
Semester: Fall

ARCH 2148	TBD	ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN IN THE AGE OFTRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM
The heightened threat of transnational terrorism has raised difficult questions in the field of Architecture and Design. Both the military and terrorists have made individual buildings the focus of their attacks, a trend that may transform architecture and urbanism in fundamental ways. Architecture of defense? Of attack? Of wartime? Modification of codes of urban space and living and construction techniques have tried to respond to the changing times. The class will attempt to look at the delicate subjects of architecture and terrorism from a historical and cultural point of view, exploring the theoretical debates as well as investigating the more technical fields. <BR> Restricted to Master of Architecture students, other programs by instructor consent.<BR> <BR> Also offered as LAEL LE21. To receive LAEL credit register for LAEL LE21.
Semester: Winter

ARCH 2151	James Barnes	MATERIALS a METHODS
This course addresses the fundamental characteristics of materials, their use in complex geometric assemblies as structure, and as enclosures. A basic vocabulary of construction terminology will be presented along with visual references of possible materials' applications to establish a basic awareness of those determinants which effect the selection of materials when designing buildings and spaces. Readings, projects, and assignments will supplement lectures. Field trips complement case studies of important historic and contemporary buildings presented during the lectures. Satisfies Architectural Technology I requirements.
Semester: Fall

ARCH 2152	Wilbur E. Yoder	STATICSaSTRENGTH OF MATERIALS
Basic content will be statics a strength of materials. The first portion will deal with force vectors, trusses, cross-sectional properties, and shear/moment diagrams, followed by stresses, strains, material applications and the analysis procedures necessary to computer structural behaviors.
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2154	David P. Tidwell	WOOD a STEEL
Building on the base of structural principles introduced in Statics a Strength of Materials, the student will study in more detail systems appropriate to the structural materials wood a steel, including timber systems consisting of conventional framing trusses, laminates, built-up sections and connections, steel systems consisting of rolled sections, built-up sections, trusses, frames, composite design, connection, etc.
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2155	Wilbur E. Yoder	CONCRETE a MASONRY
The analysis and design of concrete structures, including reinforced and pre-stressed concrete members, concrete foundations and reinforced masonry. Working stress and ultimate strength design methods will be presented.
Semester: Fall

ARCH 2156	David P. Tidwell	ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN I
The study of basic concepts of Human Environmental Comforts. Inherent within 'physio-environ' considerations are principles of temperature, humidity, heat transfer, air movement, and hydrostatics. Conventionally defined, the course will deal with heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and plumbing, plus the building systems used to accommodate the environmental/technical requirements of the built space. Emphasis will be placed on the principles behind the technology, the behavioral characteristics and the qualities of the systems' operation considered in making building design decisions. Topics and principles to be included are: Energy and Alternate Energy; Solar/Orientation; Natural Ventilation, Co-Generation; Fire Protection and Conservation.
Semester: Fall

ARCH 2158	Wilbur E. Yoder	ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN II
This equally distributed three part course will continue with the principles from "Physics", the application of electric energy, lighting and sound to building environs. Building technology continues to demand a larger percentage of the building's budget and thus should receive a greater degree of time and understanding by the Architect. Topics and principles to be included are: Electronic generation, distribution, and building systems; electronic and communication systems; Lighting fundamentals, design and control; and Enviro-acoustical fundamentals, sound transmission, amplification, and absorption principles.
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2168	Erik Anders Nelson	HIGH PERFORMANCE STRUCTURES
This class is designed for students of RISD and Brown who want a broader understanding of structural behavior and material science without the mathematical complexity of an engineering course. What types of geometry, structural systems, or materials shall we consider for a certain design problem and why? Where does innovation lie in building materials and structural forms? How can we optimize forms to create elegant, efficient and economical architecture? We will review geometry, environmental forces, and material mechanics to understand the design of towers, long-span roofs, bridges, cable and fabric structures, tensegrity sculptures, arches, hypars, and domes. We will investigate innovation in traditional building materials (wood, steel, concrete) as well as introduce new materials (micromechanics of nanotubes, FRPs, and biomaterials). Guest lectures, drawn from both research and professional practice will discuss applied and conceptual design ideas of high performance systems
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2173	Brian L. Goldberg	DP SEMINAR: LOVE OF BEGINNINGS
This course will address directly its place within the Degree Project course sequence, as the beginning of what the curriculum understands to be the students' first independent work. However, it will develop this condition, not for its place in the normative, deterministic teleology of a project, but as the site of becoming, invention, and desire. We will look at beginnings in order to excavate and expand on their radicality, partiality, openness, and ambiguous relationship to form. The attentuation of this idea of beginning is not simply the deferral of an inevitable and predictable closure, but a means of reconceptualizing our relationship to making and to the roles architecture plays within the complex social formations that condition its creation and use. The course requirements will include completion of assigned readings, several brief essays, a series of conceptual projects related to the Degree Project, and active participation in class discussions. Instructor will also collect and evaluate all Degree Project requirements (portfolios, board, and book).
Semester: Fall

ARCH 2175	Gabriel Carlos Feld	DP SEM: READING THE CITY
Cities are complex artifacts shaped by powerful forces such as history, geography, culture, building and landscape. In turn, they become a stage for human drama, shaping the very life of people connected with them. This course understands cities as both physical and cultural constructions that can be subject to a variety of readings. Lectures, presentations, assignments and discussions will focus on individual cities--such as Havana, Vienna, Lisbon, Istanbul and Beijing--looking at their physical form and history, as well as some of their major cultural figures, materials, including maps, aerials, historic documents, fiction and non-fiction readings, theatre, film, visual arts, music, dance and food. This course satisfies the prerequisite requirement for Degree Project.
Semester: Fall

ARCH 2177	Andrew Robert Tower	INTEGRATED BUILDING SYSTEMS I
The course teaches a basis for understanding buildings as balanced constructs of physical forces in constant flux, as opposed to the more traditional idea that they are perfect only at the moment of their completion and then do little more than fend off the inevitable decaying effects of time, climate and occupation. Taught as a series of lecture/seminars in the fields of building physics, material sciences, forensic diagnosis of building failures, and the architectural detailing implications of these small-scale studies, the course aims to school the students' powers of observation and deduction through a series of closely observed case studies. The primary instructor will enlist the assistance of guest lecturers and other faculty for specialty lectures, field trips and discussion groups.
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2178	TBD	INTEGRATED BUILDING SYSTEM II
Conceived as the culmination of the technologies sequence of courses, this course allows students to choose amongst the three instructor's differing approaches to the problem of conceiving technology holistically, in relation to a set of architectural criteria. The conceptual and technical aspects of building systems are considered, and emergent environmentally-conscious technologies are emhpasized for research and application.
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2188	Anne Elizabeth Tate	DP SEM: AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
This course examines the complex relationships between communities and design. This subject will be approached in two ways: first, by tracing the historical development of communities and community design in North America, highlight case studies as well as general trends: second, by looking at present-day issues and efforts to design communities. These contemporary debates and designs are most often characterized as "sustainable development" and "new urbanism." The issues surrounding these two movements raise important questions about the possibilities for using design as a tool of social change. The goal of the course is to develop a critical understanding of "sustainability" and "new urbanism" as common threads of debate, and to envision the roles of designers in (re) weaving the social, economic, political, environmental and built fabrics of contemporary communities. Pre-Registration by Department This course satisfies the prerequisite requirement for Degree Project
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2191	James Barnes	PRINCIPLES OF PROF. PRACTICE
This is a course about becoming a licensed architect, a business professional and an active, engaged and responsible citizen. It is intended to help prepare students for the challenges and opportunities confronted by a life in Architecture. Lectures are organized around four themes: The architect as a trained and certified "Professional" in traditional and alternative careers; the architect as an operative in the world of business and commerce; the origins of architectural projects; and the detailed work performed through professional Architectural Contracts. Regular panels, composed of RISD alums and other allied professionals provide an external perspective on all elements of the course, and allow students the opportunity to direct discussion in ways appropriate to their needs. Fourth or Fifth-year requirement for BARC majors and Third-year M. Arch
Semester: Spring

ARCH 2197	Brian L. Goldberg	DEGREE PROJECT RESEARCH
Serious research and a specific preparation begins in this course, forming the theoretical basis for the creative development of the Degree Project (Spring, 6 credits). This is a period in which the nature of the work is clarified, a process is developed, possibilities are examined, and research and information gathering completed. The research from this course acts as an armature, establishing the attitude, objectives, and significance of the thesis as an exploration of architectural ideas, and forming the underpinnings for the work of the coming semester. The result of this effort, begun in the fall with DP prep and completed in the spring, is gathered together and reflected in the DP Book as part of the requirements for completion of Degree Project. The work is reviewed at the end of Wintersession; satisfactory completion of this course is a prerequisite for the Degree Project in the Spring. Schedule to be determined with Advisor
Semester: Winter

ARCH 2198	TBD	DEGREE PROJECT
Under the supervision of a faculty advisor, students are responsible for the preparation and completion of an independent thesis project. Permission of instructor required If the department recommends against a student undertaking the degree project, two advanced elective studios must be taken instead.
Semester: Spring

ARCH 21ST	TBD	ADVANCED STUDIO
These studios, three of which are required for graduation, are offered by individual instructors to students who have successfully completed the core curriculum. They are assigned by lottery on the first day of classes. Prerequisite: ARCH 2108 Course Level: Second semester Junior, Senior, Fifth-year, and M. Arch. Fee: Some advanced studios have a fee for course supplies or field trips. The fee is announced during the registration lottery held in the department. (FALL/SPRING)
Semester: Spring

ARCH 21XX	TBD	PREREQUISITE TO DEGREE PROJECT

Semester: Spring

ARCH W202	Anthony Richard Acciavatti	TRANSFER STUDIO
Advanced studios in the architectures, required of and restricted to second year transfers and graduate students required to take an additional studio. Register through the Division of Architecture a Design.
Semester: Winter

ARCH W204	Aki Ishida	ARCHITECTONICS
An introduction to the principles of architectural design beginning with a close examination of materials, forces and the human body. The examination will progressively widen in scope to include issues of form, space, structure, program and site. This condensed architectural studio is intended for freshmen and students outside the Division of Architecture and Design.
Semester: Winter

ARCH W222	TBD	THE ARCHITECTURAL SKETCH
Drawing is thinking. For any designer, artist or architect, drawing is a primary means of engaging an idea; the drawing acts as an intermediary between one's thought and the intimated work. This workshop/studio will primarily focus on the notion of the travel or field sketch as an analysis of the built environment: where one records something or someplace and thus comes to new understanding through the process of drawing. To clearly express oneself, drawing insists upon craft, which must be rigorously cultivated through practice. Students are required to attend all classes and maintain sketchbooks throughout the course. Most classes will be held indoors in and around Providence sketching various architectural subjects. We will primarily be working with pencil however other mediums may be explored.
Semester: Winter

ARCH W228	TBD	MATH AND PHYSICS REVIEW
The intent of section (01) is to review math and physics used by those students who want to pursue architecture. Topics covered are designed to prepare students for the technical courses within the architecture curriculum. <BR> <BR> Section (02) is intended as a general interest course. The emphasis will be - due to the design environment - graphic when possible, with some number crunching. The course will skim the surface of the profound side of mathematics while keeping things simple. Discussions and projects will serve as the format and class structure.
Semester: Winter