School of Architecture Learning + Studio Culture Policy

School of Architecture Student Handbook

The School of Architecture recognizes the inherent value of the design studio learning model.
Studio learning encourages dialogue, collaboration, risk-taking, innovation, and learning-by-doing.
The studios and labs offer an environment where students can come together to ask questions and create proposals.
These Studio Learning + Culture Policies are developed and discussed among classmates, faculty, visiting professionals,
and the larger SoA Community.

Studio and lab-based learning offer intensive one-on-one instruction from faculty members and visiting guests
and provide the opportunity for each student to develop their critical thinking skills and spatial and material sensibilities.

The design studio and labs offer a synthetic form of education, where project-based learning becomes the foundation
for developing an understanding of and commitment to the School’s core values: broad mindedness, inter-connectivity,
professionalism, exploration and activism, all in service of the School of Architecture’s fundamental mission:
To improve the quality of the built and natural environments.

Studio Learning + Culture Policies

• Open-ended questions

  The School of Architecture encourages students to embrace studio-based learning as a unique and valuable educational model.
  Studio learning requires an environment that allows for open-ended questioning, for which there may be no right answers.

• Balance

  The School of Architecture supports its students and faculty in leading balanced lives.

• Time-management

  Students are encouraged to work smarter, not necessarily longer, in the studio.

• Design process

  The School of Architecture affirms the value of design intention, design process, and design product,
  thus encouraging and evaluating:

  • The student’s understanding of the ideas that motivate and the forces that inform the project at hand (“grasp”)
  • The student’s assiduousness in the development of ideas and use of information in the process of design (“process” or “effort”)
  • The material and graphic quality of the studio’s final products, whether models, drawings, or representations in other media,
    as well as the appropriateness of the proposed design in its real-world context (“product”)

• Grades

  Grades are but one measure of a student’s performance in studio. Advising and counseling are considered integral to the learning culture.

• Collaboration

  In addition to individual design projects, FIU’s School of Architecture values partner and group projects
  at every level of design research and development.

• Interdisciplinary opportunities

  To become effective designers of, and advocates for, an excellent built environment, the School of Architecture supports
  interdisciplinary work among the three design disciplines that constitute the School and encourages community-based research
  and engagement through which students can acquire a broad range of skills and experiences.

• Faculty development

  Faculty who teach studio courses are selected for their ability to inspire students to learn, engage students in critical thinking,
  bring forward their expertise, and convey a sense of optimism about the fields of architecture, interior architecture,
  and landscape architecture + environmental and urban design.

• Critiques/Reviews

  Public presentation and display of the work of the design studio is valued and is essential in developing skills
  for effective verbal communication. The School of Architecture supports considered and respectful dialogue,
  whether spirited debate or reflective discussion, during public presentations.

• Pluralism

  The School of Architecture supports active and open dialogue. The studio is a place where diverse life experiences
  and opinions are shared. A culture of respect and open inquiry supports the life-long learning process that begins in school.

• Maintenance of the Studio Culture + Policy

  To ensure the effectiveness and implementation of the Studio Culture Policy, as well as to create the opportunity
  to amend or change policies outlined therein, the School of Architecture’s Studio and Learning Culture Policy
  will undergo review every two years by representatives of the faculty and student body.
  The policy will also be reviewed periodically in an open forum that invites the participation of all students and faculty members.

• Social Space

  The Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture Building is an asset for student socialization and for events.
  Its courtyards, lawns, terraces, staircases and walkways are valued spaces that enhance the culture of learning.

• Travel

  The School of Architecture values travel both domestically and abroad. Immersion in other environments, cities,
  and cultures provides students with critical experiences. Firsthand interaction with completed projects,
  and those under construction, enriches learning throughout the curriculum.

• Respect

  The School of Architecture respects diversity and the dignity of the individual.