Learning Good Design and More

Architecture teacher Rebeccah Tuscano-Moss is in her fifth year on the faculty.

Dane Moliterno ’24 works on a study model in his Introduction to Architecture class. Students enrolled in Westminster School’s architecture courses have the opportunity to experience what it would be like to study architecture in college. The four courses are taught in a studio format by Rebeccah Tuscano-Moss P’20, who is an architectural designer and builder, and in her fifth year on the Westminster faculty. About 75 students were enrolled in the courses this year, which include Introduction to Architecture, Architecture 1, Architecture 2 and Architecture 3.

Students advance from learning how to draw with a triangle and T-square in the introductory course to working on large design problems with a focus on complex, multifunction buildings where the major concerns are architectural theory and layering of various 3D programs as well as making technical drawings. Oftentimes, students skip ahead in the course sequence because of advanced progress in their work. Some students even complete an independent study course.

“We have to cover things a little faster than is done in college courses, but our students get a sense of exactly how it all works,” said Rebeccah. The Westminster courses meet four days a week throughout the academic year and take place in Hamilton Art Studios where there are two studio classrooms, 3D printers, a laser cutter and numerous workshop tools.

Rebeccah aims to teach to the individual student. “I want to know what they are thinking and what they need,” she said. “For that reason, I like to think of them in three groups: those who want to go into some type of design field such as engineering,

graphics or architecture; those who it is going to be used and how they are going are not sure what field they want to put it together. We do this because one of to pursue but will benefit from the the biggest criticisms of architects is that they very solid foundation offered in can draw something, but they have no idea the courses; and those who will how to put it together.” Students work on the gain a good perspective about the design-build projects in tandem with working way they think about architecture on theoretical building projects. and, hopefully, will someday hire an architect. A final wooden model of a place of contemplation completed by Madison Rebeccah follows a parallel sequence in all of her courses. The first trimester, students

Rebeccah’s own interest in Khuu ’24 for Introduction to Architecture. focus on hands-on work by building a study architecture started while she was model, which is often made out of cardboard in college, although she grew up always building things and even and helps them learn about scale. They also prepare a final wood had her own toolbelt and workbench at an early age. She earned model with aesthetic drawings. During the second trimester, the a Bachelor of Architecture, a five-year professional degree, at the focus is on two-dimensional architecture on the computer, where University of Arkansas and has worked as a private architect, students make a full set of construction documents, mostly using mostly related to renovations of antique properties. Prior to AutoCAD, which is computer-aided design (CAD) software her Westminster appointment, she served eight years as an that architects, engineers and construction professionals use to adjunct professor of architecture in the College of Engineering, create 2D and 3D drawings. And for the third trimester, students Technology and Architecture at the University of Hartford, where work on 3D modeling, using software such as SketchUp and she founded a design-build program and received the university’s make a 3D printed model. The most advanced students often use Sustained Excellence in Teaching Award. In recent years, she Revit, Rhinoceros or other sophisticated software, and all of the has traveled extensively delivering papers and lecturing on her students are required to do oral presentations about their projects continued research and writing in the area of “beginning design,” with some of them presenting to a jury of professional architects the pedagogy of how young architecture students process that often includes Westminster alumni. artistic concepts and the significance of design-build education Students in Introduction to Architecture and Architecture 1 in the architectural studio. She has also written articles about were given a project assignment in the fall to design a small Westminster facilities, including their geothermal heating and structure for a client with a notable history. They could choose cooling systems. from a list of 13 individuals, ranging from photographer James

“Architecture is the only thing I ever wanted to learn,” said Barnor to explorer Roald Amundsen. The structure was to be Rebeccah. “But it is hard because it involves the left and right designed as a place where the client could contemplate their brain and is pure math and art.” Her daughter Abigail ’20, is existence in the world around them at a particular moment in following in her footsteps as an architecture student at Miami time. It could be designed with typical construction materials University in Ohio.

Design-Build

The concept of design-build, where students not only design something but also build it, is a foundation of Westminster’s architecture courses. All students have to complete a designbuild project they start at the beginning of each course and have all year to complete. Some do large items while others make something small. Recent projects included a ukulele, a motorized cart for a cooler, an intricately designed wooden pen, a jewelry box, a wall frame for a sports jersey, a toboggan, a snow skate, various furniture pieces, a wooden hurdy gurdy and wooden lanterns. “I explain to them that every product is like a mini piece of architecture,” said Rebeccah. “They have to think in a detailed way exactly how

Architecture students work on their projects in one of two studio classrooms.

Nick Wurts ’24 assembles a study model in Introduction to Architecture. On the monitor behind him is a video feed to distance learning students and the second architecture studio.

and natural elements such as hedges. The objectives were to develop awareness of how an individual’s history, personality and profession influence design decisions and to develop an ability to execute a concept with sketches and models. The deliverables were floor plan drawings, elevation drawings, section drawings, a site section and a wooden model. Students also had to give an oral presentation about their client and design concept intensions.

The main design project in Architecture 2 and 3, which was assigned in the fall, was for a new kindergarten through third grade magnet school in Little Rock, Ark., of approximately 20,000 square feet with the magnet portion of the project consisting of either an art, music or science facility. The assignment specified that the facility should serve as a physical representation of reconciliation of racial conflict, which came to a head in 1957, and should be designed with a structural system and programmatic layout that reflects integration, interdependence and harmony, while respecting the intrinsic nature of the individual participants. Presentation deliverables included a parti site model, elevations, a site and building section, a rendered perspective and a wooden model. Numerous texts and videos provided reference and background information.

Along with the design projects, students are often required to complete in-class memory writing assignments related to their own personal experiences. “The objective is to get the students into being that person for whom they are designing and to identify why that person thinks the way they do,” said Rebeccah. “Part of my job is to help students with their craft and get the ideas out, whether it be in a model or drawing. A student can imagine something pretty amazing and with a lot of detail, but it is hard if they don’t have the training to execute those ideas so someone else can see them.”

Rebeccah’s overarching goal for students in her courses is to train their eye to understand all aspects of good design, such as what makes a clean line. And beyond that, she wants her students to develop communication skills, so they can talk about how they did something, why they did it, why it is important and how it relates to what they have learned. “When you have to describe why you did something in a creative way, it is much more personal and you learn so much more about yourself,” she explained. “Skills in drawing and in model-making are all secondary to students understanding how they think.”

Student work is graded using a rubric. “Because we are not at the university level, the rubric rarely judges students on the actual design of their projects,” said Rebeccah. “It is always about whether they finished all of the work, used the right scale, used a certain amount of materials and incorporated design details that can be seen. Typically, if they have completed all of

Rebeccah talks with Gabriel Mays-Sanchez ’22 about his school design project in Architecture 2. Tatum McBreen ’21 glues final touches on her wooden model of a school in Architecture 3.

those steps, the result is good. Our students have a serious work ethic and often work harder than some of the students I have taught in college.”

Aspiring Architects

Each year, there are always aspiring architects in Westminster’s architecture courses. For Hudson Stedman ’21, the architecture program was a major factor in his decision to attend Westminster. During his revisit day as a prospective student, he spent time in an architecture class and was amazed at the myriad student models and tools in the studio. “The overall atmosphere of limitless possibilities guided by such passionate students in the field finalized my decision to attend Westminster,” he said.

Hudson has taken Introduction to Architecture, Architecture 2 and Architecture 3, and completed a joint independent study and teaching assistant role this year. He was able to progress to Architecture 2 after his Third Form year due to the swift progress of his work.

As a teaching assistant, Hudson would help Rebeccah by working with other students during a few classes each week when students were divided into two separate studio spaces due to COVID social distancing restrictions. “It was such a wonderful opportunity to be able to apply my knowledge thus far in architecture to some of the younger students as they worked on a wide range of projects and to help with some COVID-presented challenges as well,” said Hudson.

He especially likes that the architecture courses have allowed him to tap his other passions for environmentalism and theoretical principles. “It is a great program with a range of opportunities that offer a muchneeded early glimpse into the practice of architecture,” he said. “The studio is a place where I could relax, discuss ideas

“The objective is to get the students into being that person for whom they are designing and to identify why that person thinks the way they do.”

Campbell Swift ’21 makes a 2019 presentation about her work to a jury consisting of alumni, local architects, university professors and Westminster faculty.

with other students and be free to express my artistic motives “Mrs. Tuscano-Moss is very helpful, especially when it comes to through architectural mediums alongside like-minded peers.” using new tools, so that in the future we are comfortable with

As part of Hudson’s independent study, he explored more them and can use them without assistance. The studio format theoretical aspects of architecture including research initiatives is valuable because it allows students to get up and help other and projects through an online architecture course offered by students freely and discuss ideas that could potentially inspire the University of Virginia about proactive work related to urban someone else.” climate change. He also spent time in the fall developing and finalizing a professional portfolio that documents his architecture projects going back to his Third Form year. “I was able to depict Studying Architecture or a Related Field the story of each project, beginning from the study model to site in College analyses and final renderings or models,” he said. “I combined a Over the years, many Westminster graduates who studied in the variety of representational pieces under the grand architectural architecture program have pursued architecture or a related field umbrella, while expressing my passion for environmentalism in in college and as a career. the field of architecture.” As a Westminster student, Audrey Froelich ’19 took

Hudson, who will be attending Princeton University this Architecture 1, Architecture 3 and an independent study in fall, hopes to continue to explore interdisciplinary courses related architecture. She is currently a candidate for a B.S. in chemical to architecture and environmentalism. “I’m hoping to make an engineering in Northeastern University’s Class of 2023. impact on the field of architecture from an environmentalist angle “My decision to enter Northeastern as an engineer was by helping to combat climate change and other environmental influenced by Westminster’s architecture program,” she said. crises,” he said. “And the architecture program prepared me well for my life at

Coming into Westminster, Margaret Kennedy ’22 did not anticipate discovering an interest in architecture. As a Fourth Former, she enrolled in Introduction to Architecture, and she took Architecture 2 this year. Now, she is aiming to become an architect.

“Introduction to Architecture taught me all of the basic points of architecture,” she explained. “We designed a study model of a building and learned how to draw floor plans and elevations in both our sketchbooks and on AutoCAD. Participating in the architecture program has taught me creativity and patience when I am trying something new and the outcome does not come out as expected.”

Like Hudson, Margaret enjoys spending time in the architecture studio. “It is an environment where students are allowed to express their own ideas and have many tools to do so,” she said. Margaret Kennedy ’22 assembles a ukulele, which is her design-build project in Architecture 2.

Northeastern. The experience I gained doing and it excited me.” in the maker studio, working with 3D At Westminster, William took printers, laser cutters, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Introduction to Architecture and and other machining tools prepared me Architecture 2. “Before I took the so much more than I thought it would. classes, I would have never looked at When I applied for my first co-op at architecture as a field to pursue,” he said. Northeastern, all the employers with whom “I found that I really enjoyed the handsI spoke were very impressed with the fact on work, and the classes allowed me the that I have so much more experience than opportunity to find my passion and to the average applicant.” make a career out of architecture.”

She says her favorite part of the He liked the chance to be creative Westminster architecture program was in his Westminster architecture classes. being able to research and design a “The very first project I made was an ice structure on paper and then translate that cream shop that was meant to be located into a digital or palpable model. “It was so in downtown Simsbury,” he said. “At different from any other art courses I had taken and was what kept me coming back Audrey Froelich ’19 is studying chemical engineering at Northeastern University. first, everyone thought of crazy design ideas, like the whole building being an to the program every year,” she said. upside down ice cream cone. But when

One of the class projects she most Mrs.Tuscano-Moss mentioned that none enjoyed was designing ski lodges for a resort’s employees. “Each of those designs would really fit into Simsbury, we all made member of the class chose a different style, so it was fun to see how more realistic designs. This was my first big realization about they all designed their buildings differently,” she said. “Mine was architecture and how it is all connected. Unless you build in the in the style of a deckhouse. This was the first time we got to design middle of nowhere, there is always going to be a preexisting style our 2D sketches on AutoCAD and then translate those sketches that should provide an inspiration.” into 3D models on SketchUp. It was a ton of fun!” William found that his Westminster courses gave him a

Learning to use sophisticated design software was solid base on which to build in college. “Many RPI architecture advantageous for Audrey early in her chemical engineering studies. students never had the chance to take architecture classes before “At Northeastern, all engineers take a first-year course titled coming to RPI, with some only having experience from summer Cornerstone to Engineering that exposes students to programs courses,” he explained. “The experience I already had when I such as AutoCAD, SolidWorks, 3D printing software, laser cutting arrived at RPI was invaluable. I had designed entire buildings software and numerous programming languages,” she said. “While and had experience with computer modeling.” everyone else was struggling to learn all of those programs, I William is still not sure of his exact career plans in breezed through the class with ease because I have over five years architecture. “There are so many different paths I can take of experience now with the skills I learned with an architecture degree,” he said. in the architecture program.” “However, I do know that my dream

Once Audrey graduates from project would be to design a major Northeastern, she plans to enter the league baseball stadium.” workforce and pursue an MBA part time. “At this moment in time, I would A Great Sense of like to work in a consulting and project Satisfaction management position.” In addition to teaching architecture,

William Carlisle ’19 is in his second Rebeccah, who lives on the Westminster year of a five-year architecture program at campus, coordinates an afternoon Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He community service program and robotics takes five to six classes at a time with only program, is an advisor and has other one not focused on architecture. “They student supervisory responsibilities. “I each have taught me a different aspect of have a great sense of satisfaction when architecture and design,” said William. I go home at night,” she said about “Some are about history and key designers, serving on the Westminster faculty. “It is some are about structural integrity and the community, it is the people, it is the some are about computer modeling. Every students and it is the autonomy in my class is preparing me with a different teaching. It is everything together, and it skill required of an architect. I chose RPI William Carlisle ’19 is in his second year of a makes me feel this is exactly what I want because during my campus visit, I was five-year architecture program at Rensselaer to be when I grow up.” able to see examples of what I would be Polytechnic Institute.