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At Taliesin, the School of Architecture was formally initiated in 1932 when twenty-three apprentices came to live and learn at Taliesin. The sources of this educational philosophy have roots that go back much further than the '30s. While remaining true to its heritage, the program of the School has evolved through experience and the need to address our changing times. Evolving from Frank Lloyd Wright's precepts of organic architecture, our design process unfolds out of existing cultural and physical conditions, materials, and landscapes into well-crafted frameworks for human activities. Our curriculum encourages students to explore beyond perceived boundaries rather than relying solely on abstraction or being limited by preconceptions. The School integrates theory and practice using a workshop model in which design and construction for communities are central. The accredited M. Arch degree relies on the Design Studio as the core of the curriculum. Studios are taken every session and are structured to explore a variety of facets of the architectural discipline. Review committees recommend students' enrollment based on their past performance. Students typically take two introduction studios, two intermediate studios, and two final studios (an integrated studio and a thesis). To expand knowledge and understanding of architecture, Design Studios are accompanied by Core Classes that focus on specific and required knowledge and skills. Core Classes range from Architectural History/Theory to Building Code and Practice Management. In addition to Core Classes, Electives are offered to explore various topics that students draw upon. Within an accredited M. Arch degree framework, and with the design studio as the core of the curriculum, the School relies on the following: The legacy of Taliesin and Taliesin West as instructive environments for the experience and learning of architecture, including active exploration of the implications and uses of Frank Lloyd Wright's body of work and thought. The School's curriculum supports applied project-based design and research. Innovation in architecture is explored through experimentation of materials and processes related to a project through the lens of that project's social and cultural context. The Shelter Construction Program is a project that challenges students to design and build small structures as case studies of how materials come together, how they withstand severe environmental conditions, and how the project realization can happen with resourcefulness and invention. These shelters then form a core component of the housing stock for enrolled students. Design research is encouraged and explored through systematic inquiry that leads to knowledge. Students develop such research projects in their Studios, Independent Study, and the Research Design Studio. A strong emphasis on the socio-cultural context of architecture is often developed in these projects and specific technical and typological investigations. Many studio-based projects center around architectural work, with a specific focus on socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, and culturally relevant projects. Internships are a mandatory part of the student's education and may be completed during the summer sessions. During the final year in the M.Arch program, students must pursue a Thesis, which explores a project in both depth and breadth in an area related to their research and design interests. We want to change the world through architecture. We believe that architecture should unfold out of our landscapes, materials, craft, and organic architecture traditions. We will be the boldest experimental architecture school in the world. Building on Frank Lloyd Wright's designs and thoughts, we are a graduate program in architecture that teaches and practices learning by doing, new ways of looking, an ability to honor and build with the landscape, and experimentation. We learn how to serve our diverse communities by making our environment more sustainable, open to all, and beautiful. Our curriculum pushes students to explore beyond current boundaries by using concrete forms, images, and materials, rather than relying solely on abstraction or being limited by preconceptions. As a result, the School integrates theory, design, and construction to make communities better places to live, work, and play. Our curriculum honors diversity in all its aspects. We respect the many sources for design and work to provide a context in which communities can make room for all their members, as well as for each other. Geared to college-level participants and adults interested in deepening their understanding of the architectural discipline, this experience provides an opportunity to learn about architecture side-by-side with faculty and students at The School of Architecture at Taliesin. During the program, participants will investigate the basics of design a representation, a brief history of Frank Lloyd Wright and the stunning campuses, the evolution of the shelter program, and 3D Architectural Modeling basics. The Architectural Design Studio is the core of the Immersion experience and is housed in the iconic Drafting Rooms, where many of Wright's drawings were produced. During the studio, the architectural design process's various phases are navigated architectural drawing, and 3-dimensional modeling techniques are explored. Participants design an architectural project responding to a particular design challenge, and the final projects are presented and reviewed by faculty and students. The School's small scale facilitates an individualized experience and fosters a close and dynamic relationship between the participants, M. Arch. Students, faculty, scholars, visiting lecturers, and staff. Participants will assist in hosting key events, may create design identities for campus initiatives, help prepare meals, garden in on-campus gardens, perform music, or exhibit design projects to an invited audience. View full university