Princeton University School of Architecture is the name of the school of architecture at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

. Founded in 1919, the School is a center for teaching and research in

architectural design Building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically a licensed architect. Smaller, less complic ...

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

, and

theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...

. The School offers an

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

concentration (equivalent of major) and

advanced degree An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including unde ...

s at the

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

and doctoral levels.

History

In 1832,

Joseph Henry Joseph Henry (December 17, 1797– May 13, 1878) was an American scientist who served as the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He was the secretary for the National Institute for the Promotion of Science, a precursor of the Smith ...

, who later became the first secretary of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

, taught the first course in architecture at Princeton University. The course focused on the classification of architectural styles and designs. Additional courses and programs for architecture began in 1882 when Princeton University's Department of Art and Archaeology began courses on architecture and historical drawing in 1902. By 1915, the first academic committee convened to consider the establishment of a school of architecture. Arrangements for a new program were planned for 1917, but were delayed until 1919 when the School of Architecture formally opened. During its formative years, the School of Architecture's pedagogy was guided by some of the best architectural educators of the time:

Howard Crosby Butler Howard Crosby Butler (March 7, 1872 Croton Falls, New York – August 13, 1922 Neuilly) was an American archaeologist. Butler graduated from Princeton University, and later pursued special studies at the Columbia School of Architecture and at the ...

, E. Raymond Bossange, Frederick D'Amato, Sherley Warner Morgan, and Jean Labatut. Visitors and teachers included leaders like

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , , ), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture. He was ...

Richard Neutra Richard Joseph Neutra ( ; April 8, 1892 – April 16, 1970) was an Austrian-American architect. Living and building for the majority of his career in Southern California, he came to be considered a prominent and important modernist architect. He ...

, and R. Buckminster Fuller. In 1965, Robert Geddes was appointed the first dean of the School of Architecture. Under his direction, the School of Architecture grew in size and in prestige, while also collaborating with other departments at

. As the School of Architecture expanded, it began attracting notable architects as teachers, including Louis I. Kahn,

Mario Salvadori Mario G. Salvadori (March 19, 1907 – June 25, 1997)Goldberger, Paul (June 28, 1997) ''The New York Times''. was an American structural engineer and professor of both civil engineering and architecture at Columbia University. Early life Sal ...

Michael Graves Michael Graves (July 9, 1934 – March 12, 2015) was an American architect, designer, and educator, as well as principal of Michael Graves and Associates and Michael Graves Design Group. He was a member of The New York Five and the Memphis Grou ...

Kenneth Frampton Kenneth Brian Frampton (born 20 November 1930) is a British architect, critic and historian. He is the Ware Professor of Architecture at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University, New York. He has be ...

Peter Eisenman Peter Eisenman (born August 11, 1932) is an American architect. Considered one of the New York Five, Eisenman is known for his writing and speaking about architecture as well as his designs, which have been called high modernist or deconstructiv ...

Diana Agrest Diana I. Agrest (born 1945) is a practicing architect and urban designer and an architecture and urban design theorist, in New York City. From the beginning of her career, while still a student, she started developing critical work on urban disc ...

, Robert Geddes, Alan Colquhoun, Michael Hays, Scott Cohen, and Anthony Vidler. Also under his leadership the School admitted women for the first time in 1968, its first female graduate was

Aliye Pekin Çelik Aliye () is a Turkish and Iranian feminine given name. People named Aliye include: Given name * Aliye Berger (1903–1974), Turkish artist, engraver, and painter * Aliye Rona (1921–1996), Turkish film actress * (born 1951), Turkish Theater, c ...

in 1970. By the end of the twentieth century, the School of Architecture established itself as an internationally renowned school for the study of

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

and

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...

. It reorganized the A.B. degree around multiple fields of study and conducted renovations of the Architecture Building. It also promoted several members to its tenure-track faculty including

Beatriz Colomina Beatriz Colomina (born 1952) is an architecture historian, theorist and curator. She is the founding director of the Program in Media and Modernity at Princeton University, the Howard Crosby Butler Professor of the History of Architecture and Direct ...

Elizabeth Diller Elizabeth Diller, also known as Liz Diller, is an American architect and partner in Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which she co-founded in 1979. She is also an architecture professor at Princeton University. Life Elizabeth Diller was born in 1954 in ...

, and Guy Nordenson. The following individuals have served as deans of the School of Architecture: * Robert Geddes, 1965–1982 *Robert Maxwell, 1982–1989 * Ralph Lerner, 1989–2002 *

Stan Allen Stan Allen (born 1956) is an American architect, theorist and former dean of Princeton University School of Architecture. Biography He received a B.A. from Brown University, a B.Arch. from Cooper Union and an M.Arch. from Princeton Universit ...

, 2002–2012 *

Alejandro Zaera-Polo Alejandro Zaera Polo is a Spanish architect, theorist and founder of Alejandro Zaera-Polo & Maider Llaguno Architecture (AZPML). He was formerly dean of the Princeton University School of Architecture and of the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam. ...

, 2012–2014 * Mario Gandelsonas, 2015 *

Mónica Ponce de León Mónica Ponce de León is an architect, educator, and dean of the Princeton University School of Architecture. A National Design Award winner, Ponce de León has focused on the application of robotic technology to building fabrication and arc ...

, 2016–present

Academics

Undergraduate

The School of Architecture offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum in the study of

. The degree conferred to students is an A.B. degree. Undergraduate students study a range of disciplines including

history of architecture The history of architecture traces the changes in architecture through various traditions, regions, overarching stylistic trends, and dates. The beginnings of all these traditions is thought to be humans satisfying the very basic need of shelt ...

architectural analysis Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructin ...

computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and development of both hardware and software. Computing has scientific, e ...

, and others. Students may also enroll in the Program in

Urban Studies Urban studies is based on the study of the urban development of cities. This includes studying the history of city development from an architectural point of view, to the impact of urban design on community development efforts. The core theoretica ...

which focuses on the study of

cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

metropolitan region A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

s, and

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

and

suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

landscapes. The degree requirements also include junior independent work, which involves a written exam supervised by a faculty adviser, and a senior thesis, demonstrating a research paper based on visual materials.

Graduate

The School of Architecture offers two graduate degrees: a professional degree ( M.Arch.) and an academic degree (

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

). The master's degree takes three years to complete and requires students to hold a

Bachelor of Architecture The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world. Australia Architectural education in Australia varies depending on the university offering th ...

(

B.Arch. The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world. Australia Architectural education in Australia varies depending on the university offering th ...

) degree. The rigorous program requires students to take 25 courses from a list of prerequisites and electives. The Ph.D. program has two tracks: (1) history and theory and (2) technology. The history and theory track is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the relationship between architecture and related fields, such as

urbanism Urbanism is the study of how inhabitants of urban areas, such as towns and cities, interact with the built environment. It is a direct component of disciplines such as urban planning, which is the profession focusing on the physical design and m ...

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

, and

building technology Architectural engineers apply and theoretical knowledge to the engineering design of buildings and building systems. The goal is to engineer high performance buildings that are sustainable, economically viable and ensure the safety health. Archi ...

. The degree requires students to take two years of coursework and

independent study Independent study is a form of education offered by many high schools, colleges, and other educational institutions. It is sometimes referred to as ''directed study'', and is an educational activity undertaken by an individual with little to no supe ...

, after which they begin their dissertation. Students must pass two

foreign language A foreign language is a language that is not an official language of, nor typically spoken in, a given country, and that native speakers from that country must usually acquire through conscious learning - be this through language lessons at schoo ...

exams, which generally include French,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, or

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

. In 2014, the School launched the new architectural technology Ph.D. track for computation and energy. The track focuses on new techniques in computation and energy/environmental performance. The program is supported by Princeton's School of Engineering and Applied Science. While the first two years of coursework are similar to the Ph.D. in History and Theory, the Ph.D. in Technology requires students to concentrate in a particular subfield of technology.

Facilities and Research

School of Architecture Building

The School of Architecture building was dedicated in 1963. In 2007,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

architecture firm In the United States, an architectural firm or architecture firm is a business that employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture; while in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and other countri ...

ARO designed the first significant addition to the building since it was first constructed.

Embodied Computation Lab

The Embodied Computation Lab, located off the School of Architecture grounds proper, is a teaching and research facility dedicated to the interface between computation and design and the development of knowledge in the fields of digital fabrication and remote sensing. It combines architectural and engineering experimentation to utilize computation design, digital fabrication, and sophisticated sensing, actuation, and control electronics that make the Lab a center for interdisciplinary design exploration and prototyping. Over 5,000 square feet of space is available for heavier fabrication work, hands-on material experiments, and the construction of full-scale mock-ups. Also housed within the Lab are facilities for building in wood, plastic, metal, and concrete that enable students to learn general model theory, build and test models of actual buildings, and study current building systems and technology. The Lab serves a project space for developing and testing large-scale architecture and engineering prototypes inside and outside or as facade elements. Additionally, it serves as a state of the art research environment with digital fabrication equipment for full-scale material prototyping, such as a water jet cutter, large-scale metal laser cutters, multi-use robotic arm platforms for milling, additive fabrication and human machine collaboration for research in construction, and an electronics workbench for the development of sensing and control and physical computing applications. In 2017, the Lab won the 2017 Best of Design Awards for Green - Civic from

The Architect's Newspaper ''The Architect's Newspaper'' is an architectural publication that covers the United States in monthly printed issues and online. The paper was founded in 2003 by William Menking, editor-in-chief, and Diana Darling, publisher, to bring architects ...

VSL Woodshop

The VSL Woodshop, located in the basement of the Architecture Building, is a small but well-equipped 24-hour accessible shop maintained and monitored by the School of Architecture Shop Monitor program.

School of Architecture Library

The School of Architecture Library opened in 1964 as the Library for Urban and Environmental Studies, with the Bureau of Urban Research constituting its charter collection. Today, the library, still familiarly referred to as UES, is one of fourteen libraries within the Princeton University Library system. The collection's strengths include modern and

contemporary architecture Contemporary architecture is the architecture of the 21st century. No single style is dominant. Contemporary architects work in several different styles, from postmodernism, high-tech architecture and new interpretations of traditional architec ...

and

urban design Urban design is an approach to the design of buildings and the spaces between them that focuses on specific design processes and outcomes. In addition to designing and shaping the physical features of towns, cities, and regional spaces, urban de ...

architectural history The history of architecture traces the changes in architecture through various traditions, regions, overarching stylistic trends, and dates. The beginnings of all these traditions is thought to be humans satisfying the very basic need of shelt ...

, theory, and practice. Additionally, the Library supports green design, sustainable architecture, social factors in design, architecture and the visual arts, architecture in developing countries, landscape architecture and building technology. Together, with the resources housed throughout the Princeton University Libraries, the School of Architecture Library provides access to a comprehensive collection supporting the fields of architecture, architectural research and theory,

urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

and design.

Notable faculty

The following list contains both current and former faculty: *

Manuel DeLanda Manuel DeLanda (born 1952) is a Mexican- American writer, artist and philosopher who has lived in New York since 1975. He is a lecturer in architecture at the Princeton University School of Architecture and the University of Pennsylvania School ...

* Mario Gandelsonas * Robert Geddes *

* Andres Jaque * Louis I. Kahn * Sylvia Lavin * Paul Lewis * Michael Meredith * Guy Nordenson *

Notable alumni

* Kunle Adeyemi, founder, principal, NLÉ * Emilio Ambasz, architect and interior designer; former Curator of Design at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

(MoMA) *

Lemuel Ayers Lemuel Ayers (January 22, 1915, New York City, New York - August 14, 1955, New York City) was an American costume designer, scenic designer, lighting designer, and producer who had a prolific career on Broadway from 1939 until his death from cance ...

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

winning designer and producer *

Matthew Bannister Richard Matthew Bannister (born 16 March 1957) is a British media executive and broadcaster. Early career After attending King Edward VII School, Sheffield, he graduated in law at the University of Nottingham in 1978, and joined BBC Radio Not ...

, co-founder, dbox * Joel Barkley, architect and partner, Ike Kligerman Barkley *

Keller Easterling Keller Easterling is an American architect, urbanist, writer, and professor. She is Enid Storm Dwyer Professor and Director of the MED Program at Yale University. Biography She earned both her B.A. and M.Arch from Princeton University School of ...

, principal, Keller Easterling Architect; Professor,

Yale School of Architecture The Yale School of Architecture (YSOA) is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University, and is generally considered to be one of the best architecture schools in the United States. The School awards the degrees of Master of Arc ...

Hugh Hardy Hugh Hardy (July 26, 1932 – March 17, 2017) was an American architect, known for designing and revitalizing theaters, performing arts venues, public spaces, and cultural facilities across the United States. ''The New Yorker'' writer Brendan ...

, founding partner, H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture *

Greg Lynn Greg Lynn (born 1964) is an American architect, founder and owner of the Greg Lynn FORM office, an o. University Professor in the Institute of Architecture at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and a professor at the UCLA School of the Arts a ...

, principal, Greg Lynn Form * Jürgen Mayer, principal, J. Mayer H. *

David Mohney David Mohney FAIA is an American architect, urbanist, writer, and dean at Kean University and Wenzhou-Kean University. Biography He is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, holds a M.Arch from Princeton University School of Architect ...

, dean,

Kean University Kean University () is a public university in Union Township, Union County, New Jersey, Union and Hillside, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Kean University was founded in 1855 in Newark, New Jersey, as th ...

and

Wenzhou-Kean University Wenzhou-Kean University () is a Wenzhou University–Kean University joint venture university in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. In March 2014, the Ministry of Education of China approved the formal establishment of Wenzhou-Kean University. The univer ...

, The Michael Graves College * Hilary Sample, partner, MOS Architects, Associate Professor, Columbia GSAPP *

Robert Venturi Robert Charles Venturi Jr. (June 25, 1925 – September 18, 2018) was an American architect, founding principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, and one of the major architectural figures of the twentieth century. Together with h ...

, founder of

Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates Robert Charles Venturi Jr. (June 25, 1925 – September 18, 2018) was an American architect, founding principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, and one of the major architectural figures of the twentieth century. Together with ...

Sarah Whiting Sarah M. Whiting (born 1964) is an American architect, critic, and educator. Whiting is currently Dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, in addition to being a founding partner o ...

, dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture,

Harvard University Graduate School of Design The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is the graduate school of design at Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It offers master's and doctoral programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urban ...

* Tod Williams,

Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (also known as Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects , Partners) are a husband-and-wife architectural firm founded in 1986, based in New York. Williams and Tsien began working together in 1977. Their studio foc ...

* Emily Abruzzo and Gerald Bodziak, co-founding partners of

Abruzzo Bodziak Architects Abruzzo Bodziak Architects is an architecture firm in Brooklyn, New York City, which was founded in 2009 by Emily Abruzzo and Gerald Bodziak, who first met as graduate students at the Princeton University School of Architecture. Abruzzo Bodziak’s ...

References

External links

* * * {{coord, 40.347897, -74.656171, type:edu_globe:earth_region:US-NJ, display=title Architecture schools in New Jersey Architecture schools in the United States Princeton University Educational institutions established in 1919 1919 establishments in New Jersey