The School of Architecture and Interior Design (SAID) is part of the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) at the
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...
. It is located within the
Aronoff Center for the Arts
The Aronoff Center is a large performing arts center in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Events that can typically be found at the Aronoff Center include: plays, ballet, popular music concerts, stand-up comedy shows, and musicals. The center was desi ...
on the university's main campus in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...
, Ohio.
History
The School 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 buildings ...
and
Interior Design
Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordin ...
was founded in 1869 at
McMicken University
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...
. By 1875 the school's offerings expanded to include history,
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'' ...
, and drawing. The architecture coursework did not survive the transfer of programs to the
Cincinnati Art Museum
The Cincinnati Art Museum is an art museum in the Eden Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1881, it was the first purpose-built art museum west of the Alleghenies, and is one of the oldest in the United States. Its collection of ...
Association in 1884, but it established a pattern of architectural education that reemerged fifty years later.
Cooperative education
Cooperative education (or co-operative education) is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for struct ...
began with Dean
Herman Schneider in 1906, and it remains a core component of the undergraduate and graduate programs in SAID. Alternating semesters of academics and professional experience provide a unique opportunity to link theory and practice in architecture and design. Operating within a 700-firm employer network, students establish professional learning objectives and identify supervisors to create supportive learning environments. Students do not pay full tuition during co-op terms, only a minimal co-op fee, and can expect to receive hourly compensation or monthly stipends. Architecture students working toward registration may earn
Intern Development Program Formerly called the Intern Development Program (IDP), the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) is a comprehensive training program created to ensure that candidates pursuing licensure in the architecture profession gain the knowledge and skills re ...
(IDP) hours through co-op experiences.
In 1946, Ernest Picerking, the newly appointed Dean of the College of Applied Arts, could direct the college and architecture division separately from the College of
Engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
with sole allegiance to the maintenance and development of applied arts. That year, the college adopted a six-year academic/co-op plan for architecture to meet ACSA accreditation standards. In 1960, the College of Applied Arts was renamed the College of Design, Architecture, and Art (DAA); the college later reorganized to recognize the School of Planning as a distinct school, changing the name to DAAP.
Dean Bert Berenson, appointed in 1975, reorganized the college into the schools that exist today. The creation of the School of Architecture and Interior Design initially created controversy, as many thought architecture would overshadow interior design. However, both tracks continue to flourish.
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BS Arch)
The four-year, pre-professional
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
in Architecture degree teaches collaborative design and the technical part of architecture. It also includes approximately one year of co-op education.
Bachelor of Science in Interior Design (BS ID)
The five-year Bachelor of Science in Interior Design degree concerns itself with interior design, and includes approximately one and a half years of co-op education.
Master of Architecture (M Arch)
The professional Master of Architecture degree provides two curricular options: one is for students with a bachelor's degree in other fields (M Arch 1, four years); the other supports those who currently hold undergraduate degrees in architecture (M Arch 2, three years). The three- or four-year program includes approximately one year of co-op education and culminates with a thesis research and design project.
Master of Science Architecture (MS Arch)
The two-year, post-professional
Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast ...
in Architecture is usually best suited for those who have completed a professional bachelor's degree or those who have strong backgrounds in other fields and whose interest in architecture is of a theoretical or investigative nature.
PhD in Architecture
The PhD in Architecture includes education on specific styles of architecture, as well as
sustainable design
Environmentally sustainable design (also called environmentally conscious design, eco-design, etc.) is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of ecological sustainability ...
and preservation of historic buildings. The first two years include core curriculum, the third year involves exams and a dissertation proposal, and the fourth and fifth years contain dissertation research and writing.
Facilities
SAID is housed in a complex of four buildings, the most recent of which was designed by Peter Eisenman and completed in 1996. The complex includes many in-house services targeted to architecture and design students, including:
* Computer Graphics Center (CGC): contains 2 computer labs (one operational 24/7) with Mac and Windows operating systems; provides a help desk; and contains printing, plotting, and scanning services
* Rapid Prototyping Center (RPC): home to several CNC machines, three dimensional printers, and laser cutters
* Student Technology Lab (STL): a student run and operated sub-facility of the RPC which houses one Tormach CNC machine, PRUSA three dimensional printers, and Rabbit laser cutters
* Workshop: contains wood and metal working machines
* Photo Lab: provides dark rooms and shooting studios
* Library: one of the university's fourteen libraries, the DAAP library includes oversize and reference stacks; periodicals and bound journals; a visual resources center with scanners, slide scanners, and light tables; group study facilities; and a learning lounge
* DAAP Store and DAAP Cafe
Faculty and Alumni
Notable alumni
*
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 Gr ...
('58): member of the New York Five; Robert Schirmer Professor of Architecture Emeritus at Princeton University; director of Michael Graves & Associates, practicing architecture and industrial design; cited by Paul Goldberger of the New York Times as "the most truly original voice American architecture has produced in some time"
*
John Hejduk
John Quentin Hejduk (July 19, 1929 – July 3, 2000) was an American architect, artist and educator of Czech origin who spent much of his life in New York City. Hejduk is noted for having had a profound interest in the fundamental issues of shap ...
(studied for two years, '50-'52): member of the New York Five; established his own practice in New York; professor (1964-2000) and Dean (1975-2000) of the School of Architecture at Cooper Union
*
Eva Maddox ('66): Design Principal of Branded Environments for Perkins + Will, Chicago; named by Fast Company as one of the "change agents... designers, and dreamers who are creating your future;" Chicago Magazine's 2002 Chicagoan of the Year; two-time Purpose Prize winner; member of the Interior Design Hall of Fame
* Erik Sueberkrop ('72): Founding Principal of STUDIOS Architecture in 1985, later leading the establishment of the firm's London, Paris, and Los Angeles offices; won the 2002 Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award for the design of UC's CARE/Crawley building
* Kevin Roche ('75): Principal of Roche Design Strategy; an internationally recognized interior designer who leads consultancies related to merchandising and strategic planning; previous positions include CEO of Fitch Worldwide, president and CEO of FRCH Design Worldwide, and senior vice president of DFS Group/LVMH
* Richard Blinder ('59): Founding Partner of Beyer Blinder Belle; champion of historic preservation, leading the renovation of projects like New York City's Grand Central Station, Ellis Island, and Ford Center for the Performing Arts on Broadway
* James Prendergast ('84), Partner of Goettsch Partners, leading the interior architecture practice; previously served as vice president and principal at Perkins + Will
* John Senhauser ('71): Founder of John Senhauser Architects; received 1999 Ohio Gold Medal Firm Award and the 2009 AIA Ohio Gold Medal; previously served as President of both AIA Ohio and AIA Cincinnati and Secretary of AIA National; Director of NAAB 2007-2010
Faculty
* Current
** William Daryl Williams, Director of SAID
** George (Tom) Bible
** Ann Black
** Terry Boling
** Edson Roy Cabalfin, Ph.D.
** Nnamdi Elleh, Ph.D.
** Udo Greinacher
** John E. Hancock
** Anton C. Harfmann
** Henry (Hank) Hildebrandt
**
Aarati Kanekar, Ph.D.
** Patricia Kucker
** Gerald Larson
** Mara Marcu
** Michael McInturf
** Victoria Meyers (2012–14)
**
Adrian Parr, Ph.D.
** James Postell
** Elizabeth Riorden
** Virginia L. Russell, FASLA
** Vincent Sansalone
** Stephen Slaughter
** Patrick Snadon, Ph.D.
** Ming Tang
** Jeffrey Tilman, Ph.D.
** Rebecca Williamson, Ph.D.
** Michael Zaretsky
* Adjunct
** Robert Burnham
** Sean Cottengim
** Renee Martin
** Melanie Swick
* Former
** Jay Chatterjee, FAICP
** Bruce Goetzman (1931-2022)
** Dennis Alan Mann
** David Niland (1930-2010)
** Wolfgang F.E. Preiser, Ph.D. (1941-2016)
** David Lee Smith
** Barry Stedman, Ph.D.
References
{{Reflist
University of Cincinnati