Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) School of Architecture

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE Troy, NY 12180-3590 518.276.8478 arch.rpi.edu

Dean: Evan Douglis

Student Faculty Ratio: 9:1

Tuition & Fees: $53,879/year, Undergraduate $55,440/year, Graduate

Number of Students: 333

Application Deadlines: 11/1, 12/15, 1/5, Undergraduate

3/1, Transfer Students

3/15, Graduate Students

Type of Campus: Urban

Architecture at Rensselaer offers programs in a spectrum of fields including Architecture, Building Science and Architectural Sciences, and graduate degrees in Architectural Acoustics, Built Ecologies and Lighting. The B.Arch undergraduate professional program has distinct charac¬ter enhanced by the presence of world renown faculty, advanced interdisiplinary research, and semester-long cultural immersion programs in Italy, India, China and Latin America. Additionally, students throughout both professional programs (B.Arch and M.Arch) have the opportunity to acquire access to next-generation building technology at the Center for Architecture Science and Ecol¬ogy (CASE) based at Industry City in Brooklyn, NY.

PROGRAMS

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

Our NAAB-accredited undergraduate professional program is designed to leverage a synergistic relationship between creativity and critical thinking in relation to a wealth of new and innovative technologies required to reimagine the built environment. The Rensselaer program synthesizes the art and science of building in pursuit of next-generation buildings in response to a constantly changing world. Rensselaer’s curriculum is built on ecological principles, interdisciplinary collaboration, and civic engagement. Core courses in Environmental and Ecological Systems form the foundation to allow students to take advanced courses in sustainability or participate in research focused on developing next-generation sustainable building systems at the Center for Architecture Science and Ecology [CASE] in Industry City, Brooklyn, NY. The polytechnic setting comprised of the Schools of Science, Engineering Humantiesi Arts and Social Sciences and business (Lally) represents an ideal disciplinary resource for a leading design and technology-driven program. The possibility to gain greater in-depth expertise in areas such as Lighting, Architectural Acoustics or Built Ecologies is also afforded through minor and co-terminal degree options.

B.S. IN BUILDING SCIENCE Our 4-year program focuses on building technology that informs the design of next-generation buildings. As the complexity of building systems, design and analysis tools increase in a sustainability-minded world, a foundational understanding of firstprinciples is vital to diverse sectors of the design and construction industry. Using a holistic approach, our students develop an understanding of buildings as interconnected systems that can be built, modified, and adapted to meet requirements for functionality, energy optimization and human comfort. Our program offers an exceptional preparation for direct entry into one of the building industry’s many sectors ranging from real estate development, construction management, specialty consulting in environmental systems, sustainability, and façade design to building performance consulting. We prepare students for leadership in response to existing and emerging global challenges in the design and construction of the built environment.

RENSSELAER ARCHITECTURE CAREER

DISCOVERY PROGRAM This program provides high school students a unique opportunity to experience first-hand the rigors and rewards of a college-level design studio. Students are immersed in a two-week architectural studio environment comprised of discussion sessions, lectures,

field trips and shared design reviews. Lectures discuss the broader context of architectural practice, contemporary projects, and more technical aspects of digital design and model making.

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

Our NAAB-accredited program offers a comprehensive curriculum based on an approach to architectural practice in the 21st century that is increasingly driven by heightened cultural, social and environmental issues. Focus is on digital design, fabrication technology, environmental simulation software, new materials, and the opportunity to engage in a wide range of cross-disciplinary collaborations. Situated in the oldest technological institute in the nation, the program draws upon a vast resource of science and engineering expertise in support of our school’s commitment to architecture as a project of interdisciplinary and social engagement.

M.S. ARCHITECTURE (GEOFUTURES)

This post-professional program addresses global warming and endeavors to convert crisis into opportunity by harnessing both the pressures of a planet at risk and the promise of emerging environmental technologies to generate a broad spectrum of possible urban and architectural futures. The program places emphasis on knowledge and expertise in performance design, theoretical speculation, and design experimentation.

ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCES, PH.D.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Architectural Sciences undertakes research drawn from the design disciplines. The degree supports advanced study and research that combines architecture as well as science, engineering, and the humanities. The Architectural Sciences doctorate provides areas in Architectural Acoustics, Built Ecologies, and Lighting.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN LIGHTING

This 30-credit, one-year program allows students to work closely with faculty at Rensselaer’s Lighting Research Center (LRC) to study the various disciplines involved in lighting design and research. The program provides a comprehensive, "hands-on" study of lighting. Course content and curriculum in the MS in Lighting is continually updated to include the latest advances in lighting research, technology, and design. Students completing the degree can take positions in the lighting industry or in lighting design practice, or consider further study in the Ph.D. in Architectural Sciences program in order to prepare for university and/or advanced research careers.

MASTER OF SCIENCE ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCES CONCENTRATION IN ARCHITECTURAL

ACOUSTICS This 30-credit, one-year program focuses on the design and optimization of interior spaces through an analysis of their physical sound fields as determined by architectural parameters which include shape, volume, and surface properties. Architectural Acoustics incorporates a number of other disciplines, including physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, music, psychology, cognitive science and electro-acoustics. Applicants must have a B.A. or B.S. in Architecture, Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Music and Acoustics, or comparable fields.

CONCENTRATION IN BUILT ECOLOGIES

This 30-credit, one-year program focuses on research and scholarship related to the theory and practice of architecture and the built environment. The purpose of the degree is to advance knowledge in the area of integrated technologies in support of a more ecologically sensitive built environment that increase its performance and enhances quality of life. Applicants to this program must have the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Those with other advanced degrees and/or experience in the field may be considered.

CONCENTRATION IN LIGHTING

This 30-credit, one-year program focuses on the field of lighting through scientific inquiry, research, and discovery. Students wishing to concentrate their doctoral studies in lighting will complete at least 30 credit hours of formal course work before concentrating their studies in a particular area of scientific inquiry under the guidance of a faculty advisor at Rensselaer’s Lighting Research Center (LRC). Areas of research concentration include light and health, transportation lighting, solid-state lighting, human factors in lighting, energy efficiency and energy policy. Students may enter the program with an existing Bachelor's or Master's degree or may first enroll in the MS in Lighting and continue on to the Ph.D. degree. Visit the School on the web at: www.arch.rpi.edu.