USC School of Architecture

Architecture school at the University of Southern California

USC School of Architecture

Type| Private
Established| 1914[1]

Parent institution

| University of Southern California

Academic affiliation

| NAAB
Dean| Brett Steele
Associate Dean| Joon-Ho Choi, Vittoria di Palma, Trudi Sandmeier

Academic staff

| 112[1]
Undergraduates| 500[1]
Postgraduates| 200[1]
Location|

Los Angeles

California

United States

Campus| Urban
Colors| Cardinal and Gold

Website| arch.usc.edu

The USC School of Architecture is the architecture school at the University of Southern California. Located in Los Angeles, California, it is one of the university's twenty-two professional schools, offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fields of architecture, building science, landscape architecture and heritage conservation.[2]

The USC School of Architecture has enrolled over 6,500 alumni. Since its founding as a department in 1914, the school has produced some of the world's leading architects, including Frank Gehry, Paul R. Williams, Pierre Koenig and Thom Mayne, among others.[3] The current dean of the school is Brett Steele and faculty comprises notable architects including Alvin Huang, Wes Jones, Lorcan O'Herlihy and Lawrence Scarpa.[4]

## History

[edit]

Watt Hall, built in 1974 by USC architecture alumnus Edward Killingsworth

The program at USC began as an architecture department in 1914. Soon after, with the help of the Allied Architects of Los Angeles, a separate School of Architecture was established in 1925.[5] By 1928, majors and degree-granting programs were provided to students. One of the earliest undergraduate programs was the 5-year professional Bachelor of Architecture program. Over the years, the school grew and expanded its influence into one of the premier architecture programs in the country. The school now offers 3 undergraduate degrees, 3 undergraduate minors, 4 master's degrees and 1 Ph.D.

The current main buildings are Watt Hall & Harris Hall. Watt Hall was built in 1974 and designed by alumnus Edward Killingsworth ('40).[6]

USC Architecture took over maintenance of the Gamble House,[7] the Craftsman masterpiece in Pasadena designed by Greene and Greene in 1966 in a joint deed with the city of Pasadena, which took over responsibility for the grounds.[6] The school also owns the Samuel Freeman House, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed house in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles built in 1923.[8] The Freeman house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[9] The house has also been listed as a California Historical Landmark #1011,[10] and as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #247 in 1981.[11] The Freeman house is undergoing long-term stabilization and rehabilitation.

## Fields of Study

[edit]

Watt Hall houses the School of Architecture as well as the Roski School of Art and Design

### Undergraduate Architecture

[edit]

Director: Doris Sung
The undergraduate "B. Arch" is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.[12] The "NAAB" is the sole authority for granting accreditation for professional architecture degree programs.

### Graduate Architecture

[edit]

Director: Alvin Huang
The graduate "M. Arch" is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.[13] As an accredited professional degree, the M.Arch provides firm grounding knowledge in history, technology, professional practice and theory. The studio is the core setting for students to learn to synthesize the cultural, environmental and tectonic thinking through informed design practice. The separate Master of Advanced Architecture Studies (MAAS) is a post-professional degree for those who already have a Bachelor of Architecture degree.

### Graduate Heritage Conservation

[edit]

Director: Trudi Sandmeier
The graduate heritage conservation curriculum is designed to expose students to the full breadth of the profession, including "...materials conservation, policy and planning, conservation theory, global conservation efforts, architectural and landscape history, best-practices in resource documentation and evaluation, sustainability, and historic site management."[14]

### Graduate Landscape Architecture + Urbanism

[edit]

Director: Alison Hirsch
Landscape architecture at USC is a design-centered program centered on a trans-disciplinary approach. The Master of Landscape Architecture is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB).[15]

### Graduate Building Science

[edit]

Director: Kyle Konis, Ph.D., AIA
The Master of Building Science (MBS) degree program was recognized as a "top-notch program" by ARCHITECT: Journal of the American Institute of Architects, in 2009.[16] Building science focuses on the relationship of the human condition and to natural forces. The USC Chase L. Leavitt Graduate Building Science program emphasizes the breadth of technology in architecture, including structures, building systems, analytical computing and BIM, building envelopes, design theories and methods, human comfort, sustainability, acoustics, lighting and daylighting.

## Facilities

[edit]

Harris Hall, USC School of Architecture

The School of Architecture is located in the Harris Hall and Watt Hall Complex, at the southern end of the USC University Park Campus. The school comprises over 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2) of design studios, classrooms, galleries, workshops and labs. Students in the USC School of Architecture have their own 24-7 personal workstations. Students have access to their projects at all times. Watt Hall contains one of the best regional architecture libraries, and is home to extensive woodshop and fabrication facilities. The complex also houses several gallery review spaces and, next door, the "USC Fisher Museum of Art".

## Faculty

[edit]

Many of the faculty members at the School of Architecture are practicing professionals and researchers. The majority of the faculty are active members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) or the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and 14 are Fellows of AIA (FAIA).

Notable Faculty:[17]

* Steven Ehrlich \- FAIA
* Diane Ghirardo \- Ph.D.
* Alvin Huang \- AIA
* Wes Jones \- RA, FAAR
* Karen M. Kensek
* Alice Kimm - FAIA
* Aaron Neubert \- FAIA
* Douglas E. Noble \- FAIA, Ph.D.
* Lorcan O'Herlihy \- FAIA
* Victor A. Regnier FAIA
* Lawrence Scarpa \- FAIA
* Marc Eugene Schiler \- FASES, LC
* Doris Sung
* Patrick Tighe \- FAIA

Notable Former Faculty:

* Gregory Ain \- Best known for bringing elements of modern architecture to lower and medium-cost housing.
* Reyner Banham
* Craig Ellwood
* A. Quincy Jones \- Professor and later Dean of the School of Architecture from 1951-1967. Designed the building which houses the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
* Calvin C. Straub \- Professor & Dean, Considered the father of California Post & Beam architecture. Early inventor of Mid-Century modernism with other USC faculty-Case Study Architect.
* Pierre Koenig
* Ralph Lewis Knowles
* Raymond Loewy \- internationally acclaimed industrial designer.
* Richard Neutra \- Considered among the most important modernist architects.
* William L. Pereira \- Joined faculty in 1949. Notable works include the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco and Geisel Library at UC San Diego. Designed the campus plans of USC, UC Irvine, and Pepperdine University.

Notable Former Visiting Faculty:[18]

* Stan Allen
* Tadao Ando
* Will Bruder
* Peter Cook
* John Friedman
* Frank Gehry
* Rem Koolhaas
* Tom Kundig
* Mia Lehrer
* Michael Maltzan
* Cesar Pelli
* Kazuyo Sejima & Ryue Nishizawa
* Ma Yansong

## Alumni

[edit]

Frank Gehry (B.Arch 1954), architecture alumnus  Thom Mayne (B.Arch 1968), co-founder and principal of Morphosis Architects

Many of the students that have graduated from the USC School of Architecture have moved on to be leading figures in the architectural community.

* Gregory Ain \- Attended the School from 1927-1928. Former professor at the USC School of Architecture and Dean of the school of architecture at Pennsylvania State University.
* Barry Berkus \- B. Arch. Designed more than 600,000 houses.[19]
* Conrad Buff III - Partner in architecture firm Buff, Smith and Hensman
* Boris Dramov \- B. Arch, 1966. Notable works include Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and Third Street Promenade.
* Behnaz Farahi \- M. Arch, 2012. Interactive designer and creative technologist.[20]
* Frank O. Gehry \- B. Arch, 1954. Notable works include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Experience Music Project, and Dancing House. Pritzker Prize laureate.
* Donald C. Hensman - Partner in architecture firm Buff, Smith and Hensman
* Alvin Huang \- B.Arch 1998. Principal in architecture firm Synthesis Design + Architecture.[21] Associate Professor at the USC School of Architecture.[22]
* Jon Jerde \- B. Arch, 1966. Notable works include Canal City Hakata, Mall of America, Westfield Horton Plaza, and Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles.
* Edward Killingsworth \- B. Arch. 1940. Participated in the Case Study Houses experiment. Master planning architect for California State University, Long Beach for over 40 years. Designed Watt Hall and the University Religious Center at USC.
* Pierre Koenig \- B. Arch, 1952.
* William Krisel \- B.Arch 1949. noted mid-century modern architect
* Mark Lee - B.Arch 1991. Partner in architecture firm JohnstonMarkLee. Appointed the chair of the department of architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 2018.
* Thom Mayne \- B. Arch, 1968. Notable works include the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters and the San Francisco Federal Building. Pritzker Prize laureate.
* Albert Nozaki \- B. Arch, 1933. Academy-Award nominated art director for Paramount Pictures. Known for work on The War of the Worlds and The Ten Commandments. Career was disrupted when he was interned at Manzanar during World War II.
* Raphael Soriano \- B. Arch, 1934.
* Calvin C. Straub \- B. Arch, 1943.
* Paul Revere Williams \- B. Arch, 1934. Designed homes for numerous celebrities including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnaz. First African American member and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Recipient of the 2017 AIA Gold Medal.
* Zelma Wilson \- B. Arch, 1947.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Architecture | Academics | USC". academics.usc.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
2. ^ "Academics". USC School of Architecture. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
3. ^ "USC Architecture Celebrates 100 Years of Innovation & Impact". USC School of Architecture. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
4. ^ "Faculty". USC School of Architecture. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
5. ^ A Separate School of Architecture established
6. ^ a b Allison Engel, In memoriam: Samuel Hurst, 94, USC News, April 28, 2015, accessed February 7, 2017.
7. ^ Gamble House celebrates 50 years of the gift to USC and Pasadena
8. ^ Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation article about the Freeman House
9. ^ National Register #71000146
10. ^ California Historical Landmark #1011
11. ^ Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Landmark #247
12. ^ Full accreditation renewed for eight years
13. ^ USC M.ARCH program receives maximum term of accreditation
14. ^ Master of Heritage Conservation, University of Southern California
15. ^ Master of Landscape Architecture, University of Southern California
16. ^ Top=Notch Program: Master of Building Science, University of Southern California
17. ^ "People". USC School of Architecture. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
18. ^ "Endowed Faculty Positions". USC School of Architecture. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
19. ^ Woo, Elaine (December 9, 2012). "Barry Berkus dies at 77; architect of mass-market housing". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
20. ^ "Behnaz Farahi". Behnaz Farahi. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
21. ^ "SDA | Synthesis Design". synthesis-dna.com. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
22. ^ "Alvin Huang". USC School of Architecture. Retrieved 2019-01-16.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

34°01′09″N 118°17′17″W﻿ / ﻿34.019155°N 118.288026°W﻿ / 34.019155; -118.288026

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