You could argue that architectural educa - KU News

124 Pages·2012·7.6 MB·English

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4 November/December 2012
DesignIntelligence® Volume 18, Number 6
A Proposal to Improve Architectural Education 7
12 steps to provide the best opportunities for success in a changing landscape
—James P. Cramer
DesignIntelligence 30 Most Admired Educators for 2013 12
Honoring excellence in education and education administration
America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools 2013 16
The 14th annual rankings from DesignIntelligence, plus deans and student surveys
Architecture 17
Landscape Architecture 53
Interior Design 72
Industrial Design 77
Architecture Degree Tuition Summary 47
An overview of the 2013 Architecture Tuition & Fee Report
Student Surveys
More than 2,840 students rate their satisfaction
Architecture Student Survey 28
Landscape Architecture Student Survey 60
Architecture School Brand Strengths 52
Top brands in architectural education show diversified strengths
2013 Leadership Index 82
A sampling of industry leaders and their graduate affiliations
www.di.net 5
The Case for General Education 84
Architecture students benefit from liberal arts studies on the job and in higher learning
—Andrea S. Rutledge
Interior Design and Architecture 89
How the two disciplines intersect, and how to best approach them
—John Weigand
The Need for a National Academy of Environmental Design 95
Design professionals join forces to tackle today’s urgent environmental challenges
—Kim Tanzer
Sustainability Takes Center Stage 99
How Lynn University improved energy efficiency and increased environmental stewardship
—Steven Baumgartner
Entrepreneurship In Design 104
A promising prototype for architectural education
—Kathryn H. Anthony
Directory of Leading U.S. Architecture and Design Programs 110
Where they are and the programs they offer
DesignIntelligence 2013 Research Participants 118
The firms, companies, municipalities, and schools that assisted in research
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www.di.net 7
A Proposal to Improve
Architectural Education
12 steps to provide design students, educators and professionals
the best opportunities for success in a changing landscape.
— By James P. Cramer
Y
ou could argue that architectural educa- game of professional practice is changing. It will
tion is pretty good the way it is. In fact, become stronger or weaker, and education will
it is most likely the best that it has ever play a major role in future success levels. We
been. But it’s not good enough. Just as architects must also prepare for permanent cycles of dis-
and designers need to deliver more value in the ruptive changes. There are numerous strategic
future, the education that supports and gives fronts that need to be addressed. Integrated and
birth to the future of the profession needs to multidisciplinary practices have every chang-
prove its relevance. ing business models. Sustainability is driving
design. Practitioners are learning to give even
It is the profession’s responsibility to support the more services and experiences for the money.
evolution of higher education. Human capital is Contractors are establishing design studios.
in jeopardy. We have a talent supply problem as Technology is showing signs of new artificial
we look to the horizon. intelligence that will not only disrupt but also
alter value propositions. We are at a crossroads.
There is a changing nature in the work of design.
In this context many educators acknowledge The recent meeting of the Design Futures Coun-
that higher education has not kept up with the cil focused on steps to new health in the design
big changes taking place in the design profes- professions. The point was made that “change
sions. Who has? Change and uncertainty face all will never again be as slow as it is today.” And
of us. Finger pointing is not going to advance so we must act. It won’t be easy for designers or
us to a higher place. It is time for architects and educators or students. Some will say that design
educators to adopt a learning, non-blaming ap- education has become too self-absorbed and
proach to change. without its own foresight. If this point of view is
blindly accepted without action then it can only
Who now doubts that we live in a time of mas- mean that the value of architectural education
sive change? While we may acknowledge that will surely diminish. If so, then the future of the
the future of our AEC industry is fiction, we can profession will be in jeopardy. Complacency, if
nevertheless imagine future relevance based on it settles into education, will be the enemy to
trends in technology, demographics, urbaniza- successful transformation of the profession. Fast
tion, construction delivery, globalization and action is most certainly strategic. It must not
economic shifts. The sober reality is that the be an option. The lack of commitment to con-
8 November/December 2012
tinuous improvement alone could kill off future Rather than perpetuating bygone and stale be-
generations of the architecture profession. The liefs and dogmas, why not bring leadership dy-
profession doesn’t stand a chance to succeed in namism to align with today’s construction in-
the future if it can’t get the best and brightest dustry and environmental realities? This could
people — the top human capital — regenerating mandate a new contextual competence in archi-
the profession year after year. tectural education. Moreover, it implies satisfy-
ing the new social responsibility that goes with
I have a proposal. At the base, I believe that there students’ utopian aspirations. Indeed, schools
should be a fresh approach and that we should have many opportunities to align with and lead
question our current habit patterns. We should the changing profession. This will mean side-
do things differently. Call this a next-level ap- stepping the traps and conveniences of the clois-
proach or strategic alignment. To measure the tered villages within the university that in some
pulse of the potential of this, one only needs to cases have lost sight of professional education.
look at what we see in today’s best-of-class pro-
fessional firms. Innovation lives in these firms. Here’s a proposal to bring design education for-
The fascinating thing is that in spite of the nay- ward into a position for increasingly indispens-
sayers, the design profession is pioneering into able value.
new satisfying realities that include unexpected
upside scenarios in career satisfaction and mon- 1 Obsess with keeping current. Provide a
etary remuneration. campus program for faculties and staff that
updates the latest statistics and metrics about
We have discovered that those who embrace the design profession. For instance, compensa-
entrepreneurialism in the profession are not tion metrics and the business metrics of success.
only dealing with the threats head on but, even Bring students, faculty, and administration to-
more importantly, they also are now focusing gether to share knowledge on the current reali-
on adjustments that will bring growth in the ties in the professions. Today’s graduates should
future. They forecast growth for the profession. come to understand the real opportunities and
Not merely survival. Understanding their ac- set goals accordingly. Get rid of the stale mythol-
tions provides us with a sense of the territory ogy of a profession that doesn’t exist anymore.
ahead where there can be a more robust align- Sadly, some educators are discouraging their
ment between the academy and the profession. students for all the wrong reasons. For instance,
This could become a sweet spot between the students should be provided with the transpar-
profession and the academy. It is a choice that encies about latest benchmarks on designer com-
we now have, to re-energize professional edu- pensation, bonus and ownership equity models.
cation. Those participating will be rewarded. We don’t need to hear another story about Lou
www.di.net 9
Kahn’s business failures as if it’s the end of the easy. The recession has hit cooperative educa-
story. It is only part of the story. The biggest part tion models and internships hard. However, the
of the story is to learn from failure and to study tenets and principles will certainly evolve. Be-
success. Today there are hundreds of stories pro- coming a successful architect or running a de-
viding case studies about the successful architect. sign enterprise are not endeavors that translate
It’s time to understand this reality. well into lectures and academic analysis.
2 Teach leadership in addition to design 4 Maximize what I’ll call the design enter-
education. Yes, business leadership and prise/continuing-education offerings that
communication skills should be taught to ev- bring practitioners into school both digitally
ery student before graduating. Every graduate and to campus. Create social and intellectual
should be able to stand up at an AIA or associa- programs that build bridges between the profes-
tion meeting and provide a confident synopsis sion and education. A surprisingly small num-
of their background and areas of interest. They ber of successful practitioners actively teach.
should be able to establish eye contact and use It need not be a lost resource. The profession
the current language of professional practice. also needs high quality continuing education.
They should study video tapes of themselves in This provides an opportunity to bring together
school (or enroll in a thespian acting or debate compassionate and relevant activities between
class) until they have confidence in their own schools and the profession.
communication skills. Students should learn that
in reality, designers are in the communications
The best way to acquire the
business. Without this, the value of the designers
necessary understanding of
in society and around the business table lacks the
virility — the voice — to advance the future. how buildings are made is by
practicing the art and science
3 Learning by doing, hands on programs, rather than studying it.
cooperative education and the like may
be difficult, but its value cannot be denied. For
when it comes to areas like building on-site 5 Veteran and tenured faculty are in need
supervisory experience, cost analysis, fee and of renewal. Some schools admit to a per-
business adjustments to scope changes, and centage of dead-wood faculties. It doesn’t have
day-to-day project management, the best way to be this way. An exchange program between
to acquire the necessary understanding of how schools could be established for veteran and
buildings are made is by practicing the art and tenured faculty needing some regeneration and
science rather than studying it. This will not be new surroundings. Every school can partici-
10 November/December 2012
pate in this program, which could have a twelve to have a candid conversation with students
month to twenty-four month schedule. This about value migration and strategic planning,
could be coordinated by one of the associations fee shifts, social responsibility and new deliv-
such as an AIA/ACSA joint staffing model. This ery process strategies. Ask them to cover the
initiative is important because complacency has owner/leader transition issues in their firm.
no place in design education if students are to
get the value they are paying for. Educators and 8 Faculty should be encouraged to establish
practitioners alike should always be unsatisfied formal roles with firms. This would get
and hungry to participate in the unfolding fu- educators into firms on a regular basis. The pro-
ture of the profession. fession needs to reach out to educators on this
— not unlike affirmative action. Educators can
6 In studio, teach the current metrics in be on the policy board, perhaps, or an advisor
finance, marketing, professional services on technology or as expert to the firm on a spe-
and operations. This is the Design + Enterprise cialty area such as acoustics, lighting, contract
model. Make it a part of every project in the negotiation, ethics, etc. There should be more
studio environment. Imbedded into every stu- give and take between professors and the pro-
dio should be lessons that reveal project man- fessional practice. Firms need to pay for these
agement information that firms use now to stay policy and advisory services from the educators.
accountable. This includes costs, construction Schools should set the goal that every faculty
time, design efficiency, square-foot metrics member becomes a board member or advisor
and the likely marketing overhead the project to a professional practice, a construction firm,
brought with it. a product manufacturers or another industry
player. This will provide relevant give and take
7 Special lecture programs should show and provide value and new insight into the sys-
the best talent in both design and busi- tem. It will also create rapport, respect and ad-
ness practices. Balance them. If for instance miration, some things we need to have more of
there are eight big-name lecture programs in between schools and the profession.
a term, insert the practice management lead-
ers in front of the students, too. The learning 9 Every firm should make a financial com-
objective should be not just to understand what mitment to the college program of their
the firm does and its outputs but also how the choice. My own opinion is that every firm —
firm does it and its processes. Ask the firms to even the smallest — should contribute a mini-
cover the budgets of award winning projects mum of $2,500 per year to higher education.
and how they work. Ask them about profit And for medium, large and extra-large firms I
and if they are meeting their goals. Ask them recommend setting a preliminary budget as a