As we head into the new year and new quarter, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the exciting coursework that emerged during the 2025 autumn quarter.
Architecture 231 “Making and Materials,” taught by Jim Nicholls, introduces undergraduate students to the cultures and practical realities of “making” through study of the nature of tools, techniques, and the development of built culture over time. Pictured here are eight of our undergrads in the CBE Fabrication Lab, safely using woodworking tools as they make small tables.
On the other side of the globe, students in AIR 2025: Roman Palimpsest traveled through northern Italy -exploring the grand spaces of the Veneto, interventions by Carlo Scarpa, and the ingenuity under Etruscan hilltowns – before heading to Rome to begin their autumn quarter studies with Kathryn Rogers Merlino and Maureen O’Leary, Principal at Graham Baba Architects.
After much research and drawing, students each led a tour of their assigned rione (neighborhood in Rome) for their peers. (Follow their journey through the Eternal City with this Instagram post!)
Research Studio: Metabolism 2025 taught by Ken Oshima investigated the design possibilities of how buildings organically change, inspired by the Japanese historic movement, through projects around the world.
On the research side, the Arch 526 “Topics in High Performance buildings” seminar taught by Heather Burpee introduced students to the practical and policy-based frameworks for improving energy performance in existing buildings, with a focus on energy efficiency and decarbonization strategies. Using Building Performance Standards (BPS) as a foundation, the course examines the role of buildings in greenhouse gas emissions and explores methods for reducing energy use and carbon impact. Students engaged in hands-on energy assessments of actual buildings, learning to benchmark energy use, identify inefficiencies, and propose strategies for improvement.
Donald King co-taught the Autumn 2025 Nehemiah Interdisciplinary Studio: Building Beloved Community along with Rachel Berney (UDP) and Al Levine (Real Estate). This interdisciplinary studio focused on developing, designing, and supporting real estate, urban design, and community development strategies in partnership with the Nehemiah Initiative for Black churches and institutions in Seattle.
Arch 527 “Introduction to Digital Design” taught by Bryan Washko is an introductory course that explores and develops techniques for operating CNC machines for fabrication. For their first assignment – titled “Here There Be Dragons” – students were challenged to design, prototype, and fabricate functional packaging for an object from e-flute cardboard. The goal was to display and protect the chosen object; in this case, a lantern is seen as a protector for a light.
This project introduces the finer points of CAD modeling specifically for making, as well as forces students to confront the realities of material thickness, properties, and the limits of the tool itself (in this case laser-cutting).
Maintaining and fixing buildings, especially old ones, requires technical understanding: how buildings stand up, breathe, and decay. Arch 579, Technical Issues in Preservation led by David Strauss, introduces topics of building and site investigation, documentation, analysis, and preservation of existing buildings through case studies, technical readings, discussions, and field trips. Below, students in this seminar observe conditions during a visit to the Georgetown Steam Plant.
What will students learn and make in winter quarter? Stay tuned to find out!
