Architecture + Object Design Department of Environmental Design | MICA 2011–12 Degree Plan
The Art practiced in this department has as its medium space, three dimensional form, and materiality. With these elements, the student of Environmental Design re-imagines the physical environment that surrounds us: objects, spaces, buildings and the city. They rethink the very way that we live and how we can live better lives.
through research and analysis of a problem to be solved. The design process is played out in a creative exchange of criticism, techniques of fabrication, representation and research. Ideas are explored and tested in drawings and models simultaneously.
Students bring the skills and knowledge developed in Foundation and Architecture and object design, the two need to pick up many more. As they principle practices of this department, advance, students learn to integrate are among the most rewarding of the increasingly complex sets of skills and arts and among the most interdisci- knowledge bases to solve socially relplinary. Design concepts are conceived evant problems.
STUDIO AND COMMUNITY The studio is the home base for the ENV student. This is where studio courses are taught; where assignments are done outside of class hours; where upper and lower class students mingle, get to know each other, each other’s work and learn from each other.
Most of the basic skills are taught in the Sophomore year and these include those of representation and fabrication such as: drawings systems, spatial thinking, material imagination, hands on and digital fabrication. Methos in creative investigation, conceptual development and research are also emphasized. All the skills introduced this year are required in subsequent studios and an increasing level of sophistication is demanded by the projects. This ensures that core skills of the sophomore year continues to develop into junior year and beyond.
Department Elective, 3 credits only
Fall
Spring
ScientiďŹ c Reading: Physics
Interior / Exterior (S2)
Fabrication & Technology
Architectural Visualization
Systems of Projection
Object Design 2: User Experience (O2)
Integrated 3D Design (SO1)
The junior year is paradigmatic of ENV’s commitment to interdisciplinary learning. The studio requirements are condensed to a sequence of double classes that include history and building technology, while departmental electives offer additional studio experiences in socially engaged projects. The students are encouraged to seriously explore their interests in other disciplines of the Arts, in theory, sustainability and in technology. During this year of personal exploration students also choose between spatial and object design tracks within ENV.
ENV thesis calls upon students to declare their focus that will define their use of the education they received at MICA, towards their career goals and aspirations. Research and preliminary explorations in pre-thesis seminar during Fall semester is followed by an intense one-semester studio that demonstrates the student’s individual commitment, knowledge and skill.
KEY TO DIAGRAMS – Each block represents a 3 credit block. – Required courses are shaded in Orange. – Grey text indicates recommended elective courses. (Elective courses help develop competences and need to be taken strategically. Students are encouraged to seek advising from Faculty, Chair and their Student Advisors to choose electives wisely in order to best serve their interests and development.) – Summer Travel study fit well between Sophomore and Junior years. – Exchange programs (semester abroad) are a fit best in Junior year Spring semester. – Internships between Junior and Senior years are perfect in order to use all the skills picked up by this time.
The spatial track of the department focuses on Architecture and teaches Architectural Design. Students are encouraged to work in the field for a year after graduation, prior to applying to graduate school (a minimum of 2–3 years is required for a professionally accredited Masters degree). ENV Alumni are in top graduate schools across the country. They not only study Architecture but also Interior Design and Urban Design.
Fall
Spring
Modern Architecture Survey
JHU: Perspectives on Evol. of Structures
Scientific Reading: Physics
Innovation & Precedents
Design & Build
Architectural Design Strategies 2 (S4)
Architectural Design Strategies 1 (S3)
Fall
Spring
Urban Design
CDP
Environmental Design Thesis 1
Environmental Design Thesis 2
The Object Design track of the department focuses Fall on what is also known as Product Design or In- Object Design III (O3) dustrial design. Students go on to work in product design firms and to attend Graduate programs after Baltimore Maritime Studio completing the ENV degree. Graphic Design
Spring Design & Build Packaging Design Intro to Ceramics
Intro Interactive Media History of Modern Design
Fall
Spring
Object Design IV (O4)
CDP
Environmental Design Thesis 1
Environmental Design Thesis 2
200
This course teaches the fundamentals of spatial and material thinking and introduces the student to the tools and conceptual methodologies of object design and spatial design (architecture). Students apply the skills being developed in the concurrent courses, ENV 201 and 202 (see below) and develop a basic vocabulary of three-dimensional form making and are introduced to concepts of place, space, hierarchy, spatial organization, site, and program. — Required, Spatial & Object track / 3 credits / Sophomore, Fall
201
Integral to the process of designing objects, furniture or buildings, are the material qualities that shape the image, feel and strength of the finished work. This three-credit studio is composed of a series of workshops in wood, fiber, steel and casting techniques and is accompanied by assignments that deal with the processes of making and their imprint on the work, as well as conversations and readings that help connect materiality to a conceptually-based approach to design. — Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite, Foundation / 3 credits / Sophomore, Fall
This course teaches the basic techniques of architectural drawing types: plan, section, elevation, perspective and to-scale model making, which are essential to communicating large-scale sculptural, environmental, and architecture works.
202
Knowledge of this encoded set of conventions enables students to represent complex three-dimensional form onto a two-dimensional surface, and large constructions in smaller models. ‘Design Drawing’ will interest any student wishing to have a deeper understanding and mastery of the power of drawing and model making. — Required, Spatial & Object track/ Prerequisite, Foundation / 3 credits / Sophomore, Fall
267
This course teaches the fundamentals of spatial and material thinking and introduces the student to the tools and conceptual methodologies of object design and spatial design (architecture). Students apply the skills being developed in the concurrent courses, ENV 201 and 202 (see below) and develop a basic vocabulary of three-dimensional form making and are introduced to concepts of place, space, hierarchy, spatial organization, site, and program. — Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite 200 / 3 credits / Sophomore, Spring
266
The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the core practices of product design with an emphasis on user-centered solutions. Students are challenged to research and identify ways to improve human conditions, brainstorm solutions, and create prototype products choosing the best suited production methods and materials. Emphasis is placed upon innovative thinking, 2D and 3D mock-ups, model construction, and simple engineering concepts. Through team and individual projects, students develop and understand goals and methodologies employed in this discipline, including contemporary material technologies and the global impact their design decisions may have. — Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite 200 / 3 credits / Sophomore, Spring
321
This course covers fundamental digital techniques for visualization in design, focusing on the use of computers in architectural design, production, fabrication, presentation, and communication. In addition, this course examines the use of digital media through exercising its potential as a generative tool and as a form of design thinking. Emphasis is on the visual communication of an idea through the use of integrated media. The course also discusses technology’s use in and impact on the architectural process, as well as the effect of digital media on design and on education. — Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite 202 / 3 credits / Sophomore, Spring
367
Building on the experience of students knowledge base and skills of basic architectural design, this 6 credit studio focuses on problems of designing public spaces and the development of skills of designing complex spaces and structures. Students study the primary concepts of hierarchy, sequence, scale, systems and social context. These key components of architectural design are then explored within the context of a real site and program where students learn to integrate conceptual and spatial design ideas with problem-solving skills to develop practical solutions with aesthetic merit. — Required, Spatial track / Prerequisite 267 / 6 credits / Junior, Fall
366
This course focuses on design research, including user needs, marketing, and material studies. The ‘why behind the why’ method is used to identify the underlying necessities of product development. Material properties, production methods, human factors, and social, environmental, and economic project drivers comprise critical aspects of each project. Students engage in a continuous cycle of research, conceptualization, and development. By utilizing a variety of research methodologies, students arrive at a final ‘proof of concept’ research that validates the design solution. — Required Object track / Prerequisite 266 / 3 credits / Junior, Fall
387
In this three-credit continuation of ENV 367, students apply conceptual and spatial skills developed in the first semester and examine a series of real-world project sites through an architectural process of analysis and synthesis. Working from the armature of the architectural program, students are invited to join the discourse of this potent and time honored art form and are encouraged to explore the cultural and formal expressions unique to this field. Integrating formal, cultural, and historical perspectives, each project is tailored to bring into focus a different aspect of the complexity and richness of the architectural language.  — Required, Spatial track / Prerequisite 367 / 3 credits / Junior, Spring
338
This course is an immersive learning experience in the complex ways in which the innovating mind of the designer learns from and uses precedents and develops an understanding of architectural history, materials, and details. The course is taught in a highly participatory and interactive environment, which focuses on integrated and qualitative knowledge. It aims to give students valuable experience in how to investigate and use historic precedents as a learning resource, how to understand the relationship between innovation and precedent to self motivate and pursue individual research. — Required, Spatial track / Prerequisite 367 / 3 credits / Junior, Spring
386
This new course introduces students to the interface between graphic design, industrial design, and other components of the successful innovative product development and marketing. First, students research the user world to observe and document the why behind the why. Then teams process the information, pinpoint the real why, and brainstorm the new product concept. The design process includes 2D and 3D sketches, mockups, and communication materials. Students also concentrate on communicating the features of the design, including structural packaging, POP, marketing campaigns, advertising, and websites. — Required, Object track / Prerequisite 366 / 3 credits / Senior, Fall
410
Thesis students are expected to develop a body of work that reflects specific convictions as a designer, their most profound work as a conceptual thinker, and their highest level of craft as a maker. The thesis gives the student an opportunity to pursue questions, explore ideas, and formulate a response as a personal body of work particular only to the student’s career at MICA. The first semester of Thesis is research based and investigative. Students produce a substantial proposal and project outline for Thesis 2. — Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite 387 or 386 / 3 credits / Senior, Fall
480
During this studio, the student will develop the thesis project constructed and begun in Thesis 1. The course instructors and visiting critics will provide a framework of support and critism for the student’s independent pursuit of the project. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to conduct a complex spatial or object design investigation; to engage in social and professional criticism and produce a conceptually sophisticated body of work that is crafted to professional standards. — Required, Spatial & Object track / Prerequisite 410 / 3 credits / Senior, Spring
100
In this introductory studio, students are immersed in solving three-dimensional design problems. Students learn the basic principles of the design process, get new design skills, and find themselves encouraged to integrate multidisciplinary skills they already have. Projects explore the relationship between problem analysis, idea generation, and concept realization. Students interested in majoring in environmental design, as well as those interested in a hands-on introduction to the design process, are highly encouraged to enroll. — Foundation and Studio Elective / 3 credits / Elective, Fall — Open to All Majors
337
Utilizes the historic ship as a vehicle to allow students to formulate a vision for their professional future and enables students to begin making this vision a reality. In the context of real-time design projects, teams of students document, study, and interpret a selected ship, using methods and techniques of institutions that professionally preserve and interpret historical ships. The class learns the elements of ship design, develop criteria for evaluation of the proposed ship restoration, and design an interpretation facility, using design drawings, renderings, architectural models, and related computer presentation techniques. — 3 credits / Elective, Fall — Open to All Majors
400
Introduces urban design in a studio format and covers issues of form, spatial relationships, and the mix of intention and circumstances to shape our cities. The course studies the city at a variety of scales: the street, park, and larger civic spaces, examines the forces such as geography, transportation, political structure, that influence the design of cities. The studio concentrates on urban areas of Baltimore, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Department of Planning, but look at other American cities and cities around the world as well. — 3 credits / Elective, Fall — Open to All Majors
390
This class is dedicated to the collaborative design and construction of public installations. Each semester will be divided into design sessions and fabrication/installation sessions. The class focuses on ‘real-world’ conditions, how to provide and adapt for them, generating documents for constructing the installation—including construction and fabrication details. It then makes provisions for material procurement, organizes assembly means and methods, and constructs the installation. Students will learn to work in a team environment, assisting with their own expertise while getting educated by the expertise of others. — 3 credits / Elective, Fall & Spring (Check Course Schedules) — Open to All Majors
205
In this course, students imagine the issues our future holds and design products to meet these challenges. At the same time, they become familiar with current design issues, new materials, smart technologies, and presentation techniques. The course serves as an introduction to the practice of product design: where creations are imagined, developed, and realized. Through workshops and hands-on experimentation, students invent products no one else has yet to dream up. — Foundation and Studio Elective / 3 credits / Elective, Spring — Open to All Majors
314
In the real world, artists and designers are intimately involved in all aspects of these fields and this class is no different. Each semester the class partners with a real, historic place in the greater Baltimore area and works with professionals in a team-based setting to enhance the public’s understanding of history. Students are exposed to the fundamental issues and techniques used in the fields of historical preservation, restoration, and archaeology. This course is recommended for any student wishing to gain professional experience by working on a diverse, multi-disciplinary team engaged in a real-world project. — Studio Elective / 3 credits / Elective Spring — Open to All Majors
Chair, Department of Environmental Design Maryland Institute College of Art env.mica.edu
Maryland Institute College of Art 1515 W. Mount Royal Avenue, Room U112 Baltimore, MD 21217 Office hours: Tues 3-4 pm + Thurs 12-1 pm cell: 443 525 7375 / off: 410 225 2240 taziz@mica.edu