Southern California Institute of Architecture
This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. (March 2012) |
Type | Private architecture school |
---|---|
Established | 1972 |
Director | Hernan Diaz Alonso |
Students | 500 |
Location | , , United States 34°02′46″N 118°14′00″W / 34.045984°N 118.233431°W |
Campus | Urban |
Website | www.sciarc.edu |
Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is a private architecture school in Los Angeles, California.[1] Founded in 1972, SCI-Arc was initially regarded as both institutionally and artistically avant-garde and more adventurous than traditional architecture schools based in the United States.[2] It consists of approximately 500 students and 80 faculty members, some of whom are practicing architects. It is based in the quarter-mile long (0.40 km) former Santa Fe Freight Depot in the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles and also offers community events such as outreach programs, free exhibitions, and public lectures.[1]
History
SCI-Arc was founded in 1972 in
Originally called the New School, SCI-Arc was based on the concept of a "college without walls," and it remains one of the few independent architecture schools in the world. Initially, instead of academic hierarchies, the School favored a horizontal relationship between professors and students, who took responsibility for their own course of study. Kappe, who had founded the Cal Poly department, became the new school's first director and served in that position until 1987. He was awarded the AIA/ACSA Topaz Medal for excellence in architecture education in 1990.[5]
Kappe was succeeded as director by Michael Rotondi, one of SCI-Arc's original students. Neil Denari became director in 1997; Eric Owen Moss served as director from 2002–2015;[6] Hernán Díaz Alonso was appointed Director and Chief Executive Officer effective Sept 1, 2015.[7] Díaz Alonso has been a faculty member at SCI-Arc since 2001. He is known for championing the school's push toward a digital future and, prior to his appointment as Director, has served as the school's Graduate Programs Chair since 2010.[7]
Although SCI-Arc was once unaccredited and its finances unstable—Moss joked, "We used to be considered one step ahead of the
Campus
The school has been based in three locations—the first (1972-1992) a small industrial building in Santa Monica, and later moved into the second, larger (concrete post & beam) industrial building (1992-2000) in Marina del Rey.
In 2001, it moved to its current building, the 60,000-square-foot 1907 Santa Fe Freight Depot designed by Harrison Albright on the eastern edge of Downtown Los Angeles. When SCI-Arc arrived, the building was a stripped-down concrete shell. Today the building is on the National Register of Historic Places and the school has become an anchor for the city's Arts District.
The school conducts design projects that engage with under-served members of the community. To these ends, SCI-Arc has been awarded a $400,000 grant by ArtPlace to develop two on-campus public performance/lecture spaces, as well as development for a third public venue in the surrounding arts district.
Academics
SCI-Arc offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs accredited by the
In addition to its undergraduate and graduate programs, SCI-Arc offers four one-year postgraduate programs in fields including architectural technologies, entertainment and fiction, design of cities, and theory and pedagogy.
SCI-Arc's undergraduate and graduate programs culminate in two public events in which students present their thesis projects to renowned critics from around the world, including
Public programs
A recent program and exhibition, "LA in Wien/Wien in LA," investigated the architecture of Los Angeles and
Notable faculty
The following list contains both current and former faculty:
- Ann Bergren
- Walead Beshty
- Aaron Betsky
- Mike Davis
- Benjamin H. Bratton
- Manuel DeLanda
- Neil Denari
- Hernan Diaz Alonso
- Frank Gehry
- Graham Harman
- Laurie Hawkinson
- Kahlil Joseph
- Ray Kappe
- Shelly Kappe
- Elena Manferdini
- Thom Mayne
- Lucy McRae
- David Mohney[12]
- Timothy Morton
- Eric Owen Moss
- Michael Rotondi
- Marcelo Spina
- Michael Stock
- Patrick Tighe
- Tom Wiscombe
- Liam Young
- Mimi Zeiger
Notable alumni
References
- ^ a b c "SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE". California Arts Council. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Justin McGuirk, "The New LA School", October 2007". IconMagazine. Archived from the original on February 3, 2010.
- ^ SCI-Arc at Forty: The Original 'Alternative' Architecture School. SCI-Arc at Forty: The Original 'Alternative' Architecture School 17 Aug 2012. Retrieved 26 Sep 2022.,
- ^ a b Vincent, Roger (April 22, 2011). "L.A. architecture school SCI-Arc buys its unorthodox home". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ Volume5. 25 Years of SCI-Arc 1990–1997 19 Sep 2007.
- ^ Barrie-Anthony, Steven. Landscape of constant change. Los Angeles Times. July 7, 2005. Retrieved 15 January 2007.
- ^ ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ^ Nielson, Christopher. "ArtPlace Announces 47 New Grants". artplaceamerica.org. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ Hawthorne, Christopher (October 10, 2014). "Maltzan's One Santa Fe apartment complex plays with notion of density". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Nielson, Christopher. "2011 Thesis & Graduation Weekend". Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ "SCI-Arc Keeps Us Wondering". Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ^ "Michael Graves College | Kean University". Retrieved August 12, 2019.