Tag: university-of-michigan | ArchDaily

Growing Knowledge in Wood: 10 Timber Pavilion Experiments from the Classroom

Miwa Negoro — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Wood is among architecture's oldest and most familiar materials, yet its contemporary use raises complex questions about environmental impact, resource availability, material provenance, and circularity in relation to local economies. At the same time, advances in computational design, CNC machining, and robotic fabrication are also reshaping how timber is designed and assembled, opening new possibilities for structural innovation and formal expression while redefining the balance between automation, labor, and efficiency.

Are School Rankings a Thing from the Past? 16 Architecture Deans Criticize these Surveys in Official Statement

Christele Harrouk — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 05:30:00 +0000

In a letter published on MIT's School of Architecture and Planning’s website, 16 deans from prominent architecture schools in the U.S, explain their position to stop participating in the annual survey that ranks universities. "Design education is not a popularity contest. Although generally our schools have been highly ranked in past DesignIntelligence reports and benefitted from the attention, we believe that it is time to stop participating", declares the statement signed by scholars, deans, and department chairs of MIT, Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, Yale, Rice, and UCLA, to name a few.

Social Sensory Architecture for Children with Autism

Christele Harrouk — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 09:00:00 +0000

U-M architect and an associate professor at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Sean Ahlquist with MSU playwright Dionne O'Dell created a sensory theater experience for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) challenges. Ahlquist has sought out solutions to help initially his daughter with her autism, by learning more about her specific needs, and the way that she interacts with the world around her.

The Architect as Educator: Remembering Gunnar Birkerts

Amy Hetletvedt — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 10:30:00 +0000

Gunnar Birkerts, Latvian-born architect and educator, passed away on August 15, 2017, at the age of 92. A passionate advocate of a creative process he called "organic synthesis," he leaves behind dozens of built works over three continents and influenced hundreds of architectural students and colleagues through his inquiry-based process and dynamic interactions. Eric Hill and John Gallagher, in their AIA Guide to Detroit, said of Birkerts’ architecture:

The Best Architecture Schools in the U.S. 2017

Patrick Lynch — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 10:00:00 +0000

With schools around the country starting back up again, it’s time for the latest edition of DesignIntelligence’s yearly rankings of the Top Architecture Schools in the US for both undergraduate and graduate programs. This year, CEOs, managing partners, and human-resource directors from more than 2,000 firms were asked to list the 10 programs from each category they felt best prepared students for success in the profession of architecture.

Ennead Architects Makes Progress on New University of Michigan Biological Sciences Building

Sabrina Santos — Sun, 07 Aug 2016 12:00:00 +0000

Ennead Architects has recently celebrated the completion of the steel core of a new 295,000-square-foot Biological Sciences Building (BSB) and Museum of Natural History with a topping out ceremony at the University of Michigan. Due to open in 2018, the BSB will bring together the departments of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, the Research Museums of Paleontology and Zoology, and a re-envisioned Museum of Natural History.

The Best US Architecture Schools for 2016 are...

Karissa Rosenfield — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 14:30:00 +0000

DesignIntelligence has released their 2016 rankings of the Best Architecture Schools in the US for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Nearly 1500 professional practice organizations were surveyed this year, as part of the survey's 16th edition, and were asked the following question: “In your firm’s hiring experience in the past five years, which of the following schools are best preparing students for success in the profession?”

University of Michigan Researchers Improve Solar Panels Using the Ancient Japanese Art of Kirigami

Finn MacLeod — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Solar energy is considered by many to be the future of electricity worldwide. Cities from Houston to Mumbai are embracing massive rooftop and rural solar infrastructure, a largely standardized system of fixed panels positioned to optimize sun intake at peak times. Only the most sophisticated adjustable panels which track the sun, however, are capable of absorbing the maximum amount of daylight allowed by the technology, meaning that the average immovable panel loses a significant amount of available energy.

Aeriform Ecologies: An Atmospheric Archive for Industrial Effluvium

Finn MacLeod — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Air pollution in urban areas is quickly racing to the forefront of the environmental discussion, with several major cities facing a serious deterioration of breathable air supply. New Delhi, Beijing, Los Angeles, Moscow and Karachi represent a handful of cities facing the world's worst urban pollution, each with recorded amounts of particulate matter exceeding acceptable levels. In 2014, the World Health Organization issued a report estimating that 7 million people suffered premature deaths in 2012 due to air pollution exposure.

Preston Scott Cohen + Integrated Design Solutions to Expand UM Architecture Building

Karissa Rosenfield — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The University of Michigan (UM) has commissioned Preston Scott Cohen and Integrated Design Solutions to design a $28 million expansion for its 40-year-old design building. Primarily planned to be used by the school’s architecture program, the new addition will include classrooms, studios and offices, as well as the renovation of existing studios. The news comes five years after schematic designs for the original expansion were abandoned. More information, here.

Lecture: Jimenez Lai of Bureau Spectacular

Karissa Rosenfield — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:00:17 +0000

Known as an architect, artist and cartoonist, Jimenez Lai has lectured on and exhibited his work nationally and internationally. He is known for his imaginative cartoon narratives and architectural installations. He is the founder of Bureau Spectacular and currently an assistant professor at University of Illinois at Chicago. His graphic novel, Citizens of No Place, will be published by the Princeton Architectural Press with a grant from the Graham Foundation this year.