48-519 Architecture Design Studio: Thesis II/ Independent Project
9–18 units, Carnegie Mellon University
Architecture, as a mode of thought and expression, extends far beyond definitions of construction or technique. It operates at thresholds between inside and outside, matter and meaning, presence and absence, and shapes experience through an unfolding dialogue among body, city, land, memory, and the unseen. As such, architecture reimagines how we engage with the world, human and non-human alike, through acts of translation, interpretation, and situated care. In doing so, it opens a pluriversal field where multiple ways of knowing, dwelling, and becoming can coexist. It is within this expanded framework that the thesis design studio operates. Emphasizing critical engagement with perception, history, and representation, students are invited to challenge assumptions, explore contextual meaning, and cultivate an ethical design process. Through ongoing dialogue, presentations, and critique, the studio explores the intersection of theory and practice, the pragmatic and the poetic, the habitable and the mythological. Students begin by situating their interests within broader cultural and historical frameworks, leading to a deep investigation into architectural representation, across media, scales, and sensibilities, to transform ideas into communicable form. Projects evolve through layered methods, from interpretive artefacts to traditional drawings, culminating in a comprehensive architectural vision that is both poetic and rigorous.
Prerequisites: none listed
Offered: Spring 2027, Summer 2026, Spring 2026
Courseweave needs JavaScript to show sections, workloads and planning tools.