Advanced Architecture Studio: Room for Art

Undergraduate / Graduate

By investigating how we encounter art in space, this architecture studio asks how furniture and display can be used to create better rooms for art. The course begins with an exploration of galleries and exhibition spaces, examining how art is framed, supported, and experienced. While we often think of museums as empty containers, the way we experience art is shaped by smaller elements: the height of a pedestal, the weight of a frame, and the way a bench invites us to linger. Through an iterative process of drawing, modeling, and prototyping, students will design and build their own exhibition displays. The studio is in partnership with the Art History Department's Visual Resources Center, whose team will share their collection, past exhibitions, and needs for future displays. Working both individually and collaboratively, students will produce architectural drawing sets and fabricate physical works for the VRC's collection, gaining hands-on experience in construction, material assembly, and craft. The studio emphasizes the full arc of architectural practice: engaging a client, designing for real-world conditions, and testing ideas through making. Final built pieces will be publicly installed alongside drawings and process work and will be made available to future curators.