About the Program
Minor
The undergraduate minor in the History of the Built Environment is designed to give students an awareness of the history of the built environment through a series of courses in history, architectural history, and cultural landscape. It is offered to all majors. The college’s purpose in offering minors is twofold: to provide a secondary focus to a student’s degree and to bring these additional courses together into a coherent pattern.
There is no major program; students interested in pursuing this course of study at the major level should consider the BA in Architecture program.
Declaring the Minor
A letter grade of C- or higher in ENV DES 1 is required to declare the minor. To declare, students must submit the CED Minor Declaration Form, available on the CED website. Once this request has been approved, you will see the minor added to your Cal Central student profile. It is your responsibility to track your progress towards minor completion using the Academic Progress Report and CED Advising Services.
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT FORM: One semester prior to a student's final semester.
Other Majors and Minors Offered by the Department of Architecture
Architecture (Major only)
Environmental Design and Urbanism in Developing Countries (Minor only)
Social and Cultural Factors in Design (Minor only)
Sustainable Design (Minor only)
Minor Requirements
Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program.
General Guidelines
- All minors must be declared no later than one semester before a student's Expected Graduation Term (EGT).
- A letter grade of C- or higher in ENV DES 1 is required to declare the minor.o declare, students must submit the CED Minor Declaration Form, available on the CED website.
- DEADLINE TO SUBMIT FORM: One semester prior to a students final semester.
- Each course used to fulfill minor requirements must be completed with a letter grade of C- or above.
- Students must earn a 2.0 GPA in the upper division requirements for the minor.
- Any course used in fulfillment of minor requirements may also be used to fulfill major and upper division CED non-major requirements.
- Courses used to fulfill a breadth requirement may also be used to satisfy minor requirements.
- Students may apply the non-CED version of a CED cross-listed course towards the minor.
- Students may use up to two courses taken abroad to fulfill upper division minor requirements, with faculty approval of the individual courses.
Prerequisites
Code | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
Lower Division | ||
ENV DES 1 | Introduction to Environmental Design (A letter grade of C- or higher is required to declare the minor.) | 3 |
Upper Division
Five courses
Code | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
Three of five required Courses | ||
An Historical Survey of Architecture and Urbanism [4] | ||
An Historical Survey of Architecture and Urbanism [4] | ||
Select one upper division, non-CED course with a focus on history and environmental design 1 |
- 1
Approval of faculty advisor required. Please send proposed courses with descriptions to the staff adviser for review.
Code | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
Select two of the following: | ||
Special Topics in the History of Architecture [3-4] (various offerings each semester) | ||
Cities and the Arts [4] | ||
The American Landscape: Place, Power and Culture [4] | ||
History and Literature of Landscape Architecture [3] | ||
The American Designed Landscape Since 1850 [3] |
Courses
History of the Built Environment
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Introductory studio course: theories of representation and the use of several visual means, including freehand drawing and digital media, to analyze and convey ideas regarding the environment. Topics include contour, scale, perspective, color, tone, texture, and design.
Introduction to Visual Representation and Drawing: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ENV DES 1 with C- or better
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 6 hours of studio per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 3.5 hours of lecture and 11 hours of studio per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Formerly known as: Environmental Design 11A
Introduction to Visual Representation and Drawing: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Summer 2023 8 Week Session, Spring 2023
Introduction to design concepts and conventions of graphic representation and model building as related to the study of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and city planning. Students draw in plan, section, elevation, axonometric, and perspective and are introduced to digital media. Design projects address concepts of order, site analysis, scale, structure, rhythm, detail, culture, and landscape.
Introduction to Design: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARCH 11A with C- or better
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture, 3 hours of laboratory, and 6 hours of studio per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 4 hours of lecture, 6 hours of laboratory, and 11 hours of studio per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Formerly known as: Environmental Design 11B
Terms offered: Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021
The Berkeley Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Berkeley Seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester.
Freshman Seminars: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2012, Fall 2003, Fall 2002
Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester.
Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Priority given to freshmen and sophomores
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-4 hours of seminar per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 4-8 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2012
Sophomore seminars are small interactive courses offered by faculty members in departments all across the campus. Sophomore seminars offer opportunity for close, regular intellectual contact between faculty members and students in the crucial second year. The topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 sophomores.
Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: At discretion of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
5 weeks - 3-6 hours of seminar per week
10 weeks - 1.5-3 hours of seminar per week
15 weeks - 1-2 hours of seminar per week
Summer:
6 weeks - 2.5-5 hours of seminar per week
8 weeks - 1.5-3.5 hours of seminar and 2-4 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2021, Fall 2020, Spring 2020
This is a special topics course intended to fulfill the individual interests of students, and provide a vehicle for professors to instruct students based on new and innovative developments in the field of architecture.
Special Group Study: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: Enrollment is restricted; see the section on Academic Policies-Course Number Guide in the Berkeley Bulletin.
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Berkeley Connect is a mentoring program, offered through various academic departments, that helps students build intellectual community. Over the course of a semester, enrolled students participate in regular small-group discussions facilitated by a graduate student mentor (following a faculty-directed curriculum), meet with their graduate student mentor for one-on-one academic advising, attend lectures and panel discussions featuring department faculty and alumni, and go on field trips to campus resources. Students are not required to be declared majors in order to participate.
Berkeley Connect: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: Enrollment is restricted; see the section on Academic Policies-Course Number Guide in the Berkeley Bulletin.
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Introductory courses in the design of buildings. Problems emphasize conceptual strategies of form and space, site relationships and social, technological and environmental determinants. 100A focuses on the conceptual design process.
Fundamentals of Architectural Design: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Arch 11A & 11B With a C- or better. Must be taken in sequence
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture, 2 hours of laboratory, and 6 hours of studio per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 4 hours of lecture, 3 hours of laboratory, and 12 hours of studio per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Introductory courses in the design of buildings. Problems emphasize conceptual strategies of form and space, site relationships and social, technological and environmental determinants. 100B stresses tectonics, materials, and energy considerations. Studio work is supplemented by lectures, discussions, readings and field trips.
Fundamentals of Architectural Design: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Arch 100A with a C- or better. Must be taken in sequence
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture, 2 hours of laboratory, and 6 hours of studio per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 4 hours of lecture, 3 hours of laboratory, and 12 hours of studio per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 10 Week Session, Summer 2023 10 Week Session
This is a studio course in architectural design. Students work on individual and group design projects that build on topics from Architecture 100B with additional integration of conditions pertinent to architectural production that may include architectural precedents, context, landscape and urban issues, envelope, performance, structure, and tectonics in the design of buildings.
Architectural Design III: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Arch 100B with a C- or better
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 8 hours of studio per week
Summer: 10 weeks - 12 hours of studio per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Summer 2024 10 Week Session, Spring 2024, Summer 2023 10 Week Session
Students work on individual and/or group design projects that build on topics from previous studios with additional integration of conditions pertinent to architectural production that may include architectural precedents, context, landscape and urban issues, envelope, structure, and tectonics in the design of buildings. It may also include relevent and pertinent social, cultural, and technological issues facing architecture and design.
Architectural Design IV: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Arch 100B with a C- or better
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 8 hours of studio per week
Summer: 10 weeks - 12 hours of studio per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2020
This course is a course in architectural research methods with an emphasis on collaborative work. Students will work on individual facets of a collective topic of critical importance to the contemporary discipline of architecture within areas of faculty expertise. These include: architectural history and theory, structures, materials and methods of construction, building performance, energy and environment, and social factors and human behavior in architecture and the environment. The goal of Capstone Preparation is to develop a coherent research proposal that will be used as a topic for the Capstone Project course taken the following semester.
Capstone Project Preparation Seminar: Read More [+]
Objectives & Outcomes
Course Objectives: Ability to communicate research findings through oral, written and graphic modes of presentation to a variety of audiences.
Comprehension of the ethics and professional responsibilities of research and how they relate to the discipline of architecture.
Develop a research proposal of scholarly significance, identifying and effectively communicating the information sources, skill sets, and research process required to pursue the project.
Formulate clear and precise questions, interpret information using abstract ideas, consider culturally diverse points of view, and reach well-reasoned conclusions.
Gather, record, evaluate and apply information relevant to a research problem.
Identify and critically assess the knowledge base and body of literature relevant to a specific research project.
Understand the role of applied research in environmental design and its impact on human conditions, behavior and impact on the environment.
Work with others to coordinate individual research ventures addressing a larger collective topic, and to learn to work in a supervised collaborative team.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Architecture 100A, Architecture 100B
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2021
Through individual and collective efforts, students will address topics selected in the previous semester under the guidance of faculty mentors. Topics in the field which may serve as a basis for capstone projects include: the history and theory of architecture; structures; the materials and methods of construction; building performance; energy and the environment; and social factors and human behavior. This course is aimed at students who wish to strengthen their understanding of the research methods used by the discipline of architecture and related disciplines (e.g., engineering or history), and is not solely design oriented.
Architecture Capstone Project: Read More [+]
Objectives & Outcomes
Course Objectives: Communicate complex research questions, ideas and findings clearly, both orally and in writing, to a broad community.
Demonstrate a critical understanding of how resources, including literature and data, are used in critical study and how these resources can be assessed for their validity and reliability.
Demonstrate analytic skills. Understand the nature of research questions in the field, and how to choose appropriate architectural research methods given time, cost and skill constraints.
Demonstrate critical thinking. Analyze, compare and critique information gathered. Organize a coherent argument. Derive objective conclusions based on the information and inquiry.
Learn how to work in a supervised, collaborative research team, drawing on the diverse skills and knowledge of peers and faculty mentors.
Understand the ethics and professional responsibilities of research and how this relates to the discipline of architecture.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Architecture 102A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of seminar and 4 hours of studio per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2014, Fall 2013
This course explores the issues and practices of green architectural design through critical readings of seminal and current texts, lectures, films, field trips and projects that use both design and analysis as means of inquiry.The course examines varied approaches to sustainable design including using nature and wilderness as models, biophilia, biomimicry, material sources and reuse, accounting systems such as LEED, Zero Net Carbon and the 2030 Challenge, and the Living Building Challenge.
Deep Green Design: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Completion of a minimum of one design studio, two studios preferred
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Instructor: Ubbelohde
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Introduction to the business of architecture including client, developer and contractor relations, design proposals, competitions, and other marketing approaches as well as ethical issues of professional practice.
Introduction to the Practice of Architecture: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: 120
Terms offered: Summer 2023 8 Week Session, Summer 2022 8 Week Session, Summer 2021 8 Week Session
An intensive and structured exposure to the professional practice, using the resources of practicing architects' offices as the "laboratory." The seminar discussion focus on understanding how design happens, how projects are managed and how buildings are constructed.
Architectural Internship: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 100B or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 10.5 hours of internship per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 4 hours of lecture and 21 hours of tutorial per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Instructor: Comerio
Formerly known as: 128
Terms offered: Spring 2022, Summer 2020 8 Week Session, Fall 2019
Selected topics in the theories and concepts of architectural design. For current offerings, see department website.
Special Topics in Architectural Design: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of seminar per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 2-7.5 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018
This class focuses on the significance of the physical environment in human life as citizens and as future design professionals and it introduces students to the field of
human–environment studies. It shows how the social sciences and design can be mutually engaged, enriching the context for design evaluation and critique. Berkeley has long been known
for attention to the social perspective on architecture, and this course falls in that tradition.
The Social and Cultural Processes in Architecture & Urban Design: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for Architecture 110AC after completing Architecture 110.
Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the American Cultures requirement
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 10 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1.5 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Instructor: Chiesi
The Social and Cultural Processes in Architecture & Urban Design: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012
Introduction to international housing from the Architectural and City Planning perspective. Housing issues (social, cultural, and policy) ranging from micro-scale (house) to macro-scale (city) presented with a comparison of housing situations in developed and developing countries.
Housing: An International Survey: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
How do buildings form and inform the ways in which we live — as individuals and as part of different communities? This course explores the multiple ways in which people and buildings interact. Our cultural and economic practices shape the form of our environment which in turn shapes social constructions of gender, race and class. At the same time, as individuals, we are always making choices about how we use our spaces. Intended as a gateway to advanced architectural humanities classes, the course is organized around three themes that highlight ways of thinking about individual actions, social constructions of gender, race and class, and cultural associations of the built environment.
The Social Life of Building: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2019, Fall 2014
Selected topics in the social and cultural basis of design. For current offerings, see departmental website.
Special Topics in the Social and Cultural Basis of Design: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of seminar per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 2-8 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Special Topics in the Social and Cultural Basis of Design: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Fall 2009
This course introduces students to Architecture's New Media; why and how computers are being used in architecture, and what are their current and expected impacts on the discipline and practice of architecture. Topics include presentation and re-presentation (including sketching, drafting, modeling, animating, and rendering); generating design solutions (including generative systems, expert systems, genetic algorithms, and neural networks); evaluation and prediction (using examples from structures, energy, acoustics, and human factors); and the future uses of computers in architectural design (including such topics as construction automation, smart buildings, and virtual environments). The laboratories introduce students to REVIT, a state-of-the-art architectural software, including drafting, modeling, rendering, and for building information modeling. This course is co-listed with 222.
Principles of Computer Aided Architectural Design: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1.5 hours of laboratory per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: 132
Principles of Computer Aided Architectural Design: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Summer 2012 8 Week Session, Summer 2011 10 Week Session, Summer 2011 8 Week Session
The course provides students with practical hands-on experience in using professional architectural drafting software (e.g., Autocad). The course covers the process of creating, manipulating, and communicating through digital drawings.
2-D Computer Technology: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Summer:
6 weeks - 5 hours of laboratory per week
8 weeks - 3.5 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: 133A
Terms offered: Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session
The course provides students with practical hands-on experience in using professional architectural modeling software (e.g., 3DStudioMax, Maya, Rhino, etc.). The course covers the process of creating, manipulating, and communicating through digital architectural models.
Introduction to Digital Design Methods: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Summer:
6 weeks - 4 hours of laboratory, 2 hours of discussion, and 1 hour of lecture per week
6 weeks - 4 hours of laboratory, 2 hours of discussion, and 1 hour of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Formerly known as: 133B
Terms offered: Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Summer 2016 10 Week Session, Summer 2016 8 Week Session
The course provides students with practical hands-on experience in using professional architectural modeling software (e.g., 3DStudioMax, Maya, Rhino, etc.). The course covers the process of creating, manipulating, and communicating through digital architectural models.
3-D Computer Technology: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of laboratory per week
Summer:
6 weeks - 5 hours of laboratory per week
8 weeks - 3.5 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: 133B
Terms offered: Summer 2023 First 6 Week Session, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session
This course explores conceptual and practical issues surrounding the Building Information Model (BIM), a widely-used approach in the Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry for the management of digital representations of the physical characteristics of buildings, their functions, and the process by which they are built. By completing this course, students develop an understanding of the concepts underlying BIM, and build competencies in creating BIM models in practice.
Building Information Technology: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Summer:
6 weeks - 4 hours of laboratory, 2 hours of discussion, and 1 hour of lecture per week
6 weeks - 4 hours of laboratory, 2 hours of discussion, and 1 hour of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2010
This course introduces students to designing web-accessible, Multi User, Virtual Environments (MUVEs), inhabited through avatars. Such worlds are used in video games and web-based applications, and are assuming their role as alternative 'places' to physical spaces, where people shop, learn, are entertained, and socialize. Virtual worlds are designed according to the same principles that guide the design of physical spaces, with allowances made for the absence of gravity and other laws of nature. The course combines concepts from architecture, film studies, and video game design. It uses a game engine software and a modeling software to build, test, and deploy virtual worlds.
Workshop in Designing Virtual Places: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar and 1.5 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2022, Fall 2021
Topics cover advanced and research-related issues in digital design and New Media, related to architecture. For current offerings, see department website.
Special Topics in Digital Design Theories and Methods: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 2-8 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Special Topics in Digital Design Theories and Methods: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
This class introduces students to the history and practice of design theory from the late 19th century to the present, with emphasis on developments of the last four decades. Readings and lectures explore specific constellations of theory and practice in relation to changing social and historical conditions. The course follows the rise of modernist design thinking, with particular emphasis on the growing influence of technical rationality across multiple fields in the post World War II period. Systematic approaches based in cybernetics and operations research (amongst others) are examined in the context of wider attempts to develop a science of design. Challenges to modernist design thinking, through advocacy planning and community-based design, the influence of social movements and countercultures, and parallel developments in postmodernism within and beyond architecture, provide the critical background for consideration of recent approaches to design theory, including those informed by developments in digital media and technology, environmental and ecological concerns, questions surrounding the globalization of architectural production, and the development of new materials.
Introduction to Architectural Design Theory and Criticism: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open to upper division undergraduates
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Crysler
Formerly known as: 130A
Introduction to Architectural Design Theory and Criticism: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Fall 2010, Fall 2009
This seminar examines the relationship between architecture and the processes associated with globalization. The social and spatial changes connected to the global economic restructuring of the last four decades are explored in relation to disctinctive national conditions and their connection to historical forces such as colonization and imperialism. Theoretical arguments about international urban political economy, uneven development, deindustrialization, and the growth of tourism and service industries, are grounded in specific urban and architectural contexts. Case studies explore issues such as urban entrepreneurialism and the branding of cities and nationstates; heritage practices and the postcolonial politics of place; border cities, and the urbanism of transnational production; cities, terrorism, and the global architecture of security; critical regionalism, localism, and other responses to debates on place and placelessness. Readings and class discussions examine course themes in a comparative framework and consider their implications for architectural design, education, and professional practice.
Architectures of Globalization: Contested Spaces of Global Culture: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: This course is open to all graduate students and upper division undergraduates
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Crysler
Architectures of Globalization: Contested Spaces of Global Culture: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010
The concept of space as it is applied to the fields of architecture, geography and urbanism can be understood as a barometer of the condition that we call "modernity." This course explores connections between the larger cultural frameworks of the past century, and the idea of space as it has been perceived, conceived and lived during this period. Readings include essays from the disciplines of philosophy, geography, architecture, landscape, and urbanism, and short works of fiction that illustrate and elucidate the spatial concepts. The readings are grouped according to themes that form the foundation for weekly seminar discussions. Chronological and thematic readings reveal the force of history upon the conceptualization of space, and its contradictions.
The Literature of Space: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Stoner
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Topics cover contemporary and historical issues in architectural design theory and criticism. For current offerings, see department website.
Special Topics in Architectural Design Theory and Criticism: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 2-8 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Special Topics in Architectural Design Theory and Criticism: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
This course provides undergraduates and graduates with an introduction to issues of physical building performance including building thermodynamics, daylighting, and solar control. The course presents the fundamentals of building science while recongnizing the evolving nature of building technologies, energy efficiency, ecology, and responsible design. The course begins with a detailed explication of the thermal properties of materials, heat transfer through building assemblies, balance point temperature, solar geometry, and shading analysis. Students apply these principles later in the course to a design project. The latter part of the course also provides a survey of broader building science topics including mechanical system design, microclimate, and current developments in energy-efficient design.
Energy and Environment: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics or equivalent, or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructors: Brager, Schiavon
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Presentations on a variety of topics related to sustainability, offering perspectives from leading practioners: architectural designers, city planners, consultants, engineers, and researchers. Students can enroll for one unit (required attendance plus reading) or two units (with additional writing assignments.
Sustainability Colloquium: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam required.
Instructor: Brager
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
This course focuses on what architects need to know about acoustics. The first part deals with the fundamentals of acoustics including how sound levels are described and measured, and human response to sound. The course then covers building acoustics, mechanical equipment noise and vibration control, office acoustics, design of sound amplification systems, and environmental acoustics.
Introduction to Acoustics: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 5 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam required.
Instructor: Salter
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Special topics include climatic design, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning systems, lighting, and acoustics. For current offerings, see department website.
Special Topics in Energy and Environment: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 140 and consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 2-8 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Study of forces, materials, and structural significance in the design of buildings. Emphasis on understanding the structural behavior of real building systems.
Introduction to Structures: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 8A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Black
Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2018, Spring 2017
Design and analysis of whole structural building systems with the aid of finite element analytical methods. Advanced structural concepts explored in a laboratory environment.
Design and Computer Analysis of Structure: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 150
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 3 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Black
Terms offered: Fall 2009
In profound buildings, the structural system, construction materials, and architectural form work together to create an integrated work of art. Current practice segregates these three areas by assigning separate and rigid roles to 1) an engineer, 2) a contractor, and 3) an architect. The goal of this class is to blur these traditional boundaries and erase the intellectual cleft though hands-on experience. Students are given weekly assignments which focus on one or more of the three areas. They may be asked to analyze a structure, to construct something from actual materials, or research a case study and present it to the class. Each assignment to geared to help students integrate construction and structural issues into their architectural design, so that they can maintain control of the entire design process.
Structure, Construction, and Space: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 150
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Instructor: Black
Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2018, Spring 2017
Special topics such as experimental structures and architural preservation. For current offerings, see department website.
Special Topics in Building Structures: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 150 and consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 2-8 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
This introduction to the materials and processes of construction takes architecture from design to realization. The course will cover four material groups commonly used in two areas of the building assembly (structure and envelope): wood, concrete, steel, and glass. You will understand choices available and how materials are conventionally used. By observing construction, you'll see how our decisions affect the size of materials, connections, and where they are assembled. Architects must understand not only conventions, but also the potential in materials, so we will also study unusual and new developments.
Introduction to Construction: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Black
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2021
For current offerings, see department website.
Special Topics in Construction Materials: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 160 and consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 2-8 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: 169X
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
The first part of this sequence studies the ancient and medieval periods; the second part studies the period since 1400; the aim is to look at architecture and urbanism in their social and historical context.
An Historical Survey of Architecture and Urbanism: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
An Historical Survey of Architecture and Urbanism: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
The first part of this sequence studies the ancient and medieval periods; the second part studies the period since 1400; the aim is to look at architecture and urbanism in their social and historical context.
An Historical Survey of Architecture and Urbanism: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
An Historical Survey of Architecture and Urbanism: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Fall 2010, Fall 2009, 1974
This course examines developments in design, theory, graphic representation, construction technology, and interior programming through case studies of individual buildings. Our survey technique will be highly focused rather than panoptic. Each lecture will delve deeply into one or two buildings to examine program, spatial organization, graphic representation, critical building details, construction technology, and the relationship of the case study building with regard to other contemporary structures and the architect's overall body of work. From this nucleus, we will spiral outward to consider how the case study is embedded within a constellation of social and economic factors crucial to its design and physical realization. This survey of "modernism's built discourses" provides multiple perspectives on the variety of architectural propositions advanced to express the nature of modernity as a way of life.
Case Studies in Modern Architecture: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 170A-170B and consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: 173A
Terms offered: Spring 2010
The Great Depression and World War II are arguably the two most influential events for the development of the built environment in the 20th century. Not only did they alter the socio-economic and political landscape on which architecture and urban planning depend, but they also led to technological innovations and vital debates about the built environment. This course examines the 1930's and 1940's topically, studying the work of the New Deal, corporate responses to the Depression and war, the important connections between architecture and advertising, the role of the Museum of Modern Art in the promotion of Modernism, the concept of the ideal house, and key tests, theories, and projects from the period.
Architecture in Depression and War: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-4 hours of lecture and 0-1 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 0-2.5 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Shanken
Also listed as: AMERSTD C111A
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This seminar provides an introduction to architectural theory since 1945, with emphasis on developments over the last three decades. Class readings and discussions explore the post-World War II crisis within modernism, postmodernism within and beyond architectural culture, and more recent developments around issues such as rapid urbanization, sustainability, the politics of cultural identity, and globalization. Transformations in architectural theory are examined in relation to historical forces such as the economy, the growth and transformation of cities, and the changing relationship between design professions and disciplines. The influences of digital media, new materials and production techniques on architectural education and practice are explored and the implications for architectural theory assessed. Key issues are anchored in case studies of buildings, urban spaces, and the institutions and agents of architectural culture.
Introduction to Architectural Theory 1945-Present: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open to upper division undergraduates and graduate students
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Instructor: Crysler
Introduction to Architectural Theory 1945-Present: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: 1974
The first half of this course surveys American architecture from Colonial times to contemporary trends. Stylistic and spatial analysis is linked with the socioeconomic, political, and environmental influences on architecture, issues on originality, American exceptionalism, the influence from abroad, regionalism, and the role of technology. The second half delves more deeply into the history of specific building types--house, church, museum, library--grafting the earlier themes onto a history of modern institutions as they took shape in the United States.
American Architecture: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Instructor: Shanken
Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2019
Many California architects came from other places: Maybeck from New York via the
Ecole des Beaux Arts; Schindler and Neutra from Vienna; Frank Gehry from Chicago.
But, once they arrived, their encounters with the Golden State produced new and original
forms of architecture. This seminar will examine the qualities of the state’s environment,
culture, economy, and population that have produced unique buildings and landscapes
during the 20th century. It will look at both Northern and Southern California architecture,
starting with canonical designers then moving beyond them to consider lesser-known
regional architects whose work embodies local characteristics.
California Architecture: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: A previous architectural history class. For undergraduates, ARCH 170B or equivalent
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Instructor: Crawford
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course explores architectural visions as historical windows, examining them from a number of angles. Using a variety of case studies drawn from different media (architectural theory, film, advertisements, architectural projects, and so on) and periods (turn of the century, the Modern Movement, Depression, World War II, 1960's, etc,) it provides a sampling of possibilities and models for the final student project, an in-depth, original research paper. Several themes thread their way through the course, including the role of the "unbuilt" in architectural practice; the uses of the future in the construction of national and personal identities, cultural narratives, and modern mythologies; and the importance of the future as cliche, and the role of play in cultural production.
Visionary Architecture: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Instructor: Shanken
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2022
Special topics in Architectural History. For current section offerings, see departmental announcement.
Special Topics in the History of Architecture: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 170A-170B and consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of lecture per week
Summer:
6 weeks - 2.5-10 hours of lecture per week
8 weeks - 1.5-7.5 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Special Topics in the History of Architecture: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The intention of this class is to keep alive this type of free (irrational, exploratory, open and playful) passion and make us realize that on the one hand the interdependence between Design and Drawing, and on the other hand, that any of our artistic productions may contain architectural ideas that are nascent, not yet fully developed but useful seeds for our future practice. With this objective in mind, each week, besides producing a single (large) drawing-painting, students will reflect on this process and on the architectural design lessons learned, in the form of an itemized list of condensed realizations.
Utopian Freehand Drawing and Painting: Architecture and the City: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Instructor: Bourdier
Utopian Freehand Drawing and Painting: Architecture and the City: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Spring 2017
Studies developed to meet needs.
Special Group Study: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: Enrollment is restricted; see the section on Academic Policies-Course Number Guide in the Berkeley Bulletin.
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of directed group study per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 1.5-7.5 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Berkeley Connect is a mentoring program, offered through various academic departments, that helps students build intellectual community. Over the course of a semester, enrolled students participate in regular small-group discussions facilitated by a graduate student mentor (following a faculty-directed curriculum), meet with their graduate student mentor for one-on-one academic advising, attend lectures and panel discussions featuring department faculty and alumni, and go on field trips to campus resources. Students are not required to be declared majors in order to participate.
Berkeley Connect: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: Enrollment is restricted; see the section on Academic Policies-Course Number Guide in the Berkeley Bulletin.
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Summer 2021 8 Week Session, Summer 2020 8 Week Session, Summer 2016 Second 6 Week Session
Enrollment is restricted by regulations in the General Catalog. Studies developed to meet individual needs.
Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: Enrollment is restricted; see the section on Academic Policies-Course Number Guide in the Berkeley Bulletin.
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week
Summer:
6 weeks - 2.5-10 hours of independent study per week
8 weeks - 2-7.5 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Architecture/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.