Architecture (ARC)

This course lays the foundation for students in the Architecture program by providing an introduction to the tools used by architects to visually and verbally understand the built environment. Students will conduct an analysis of formal relationships and compositional strategies present in structures of various scales, from intimate interiors to urban planning. The course will combine exposure to architectural skills—such as drafting, sketching, and verbal presentation—with an awareness of architecture’s role in broader social and cultural narratives.

Pre-requisites: (Write Placer Essay with a score of 1 and Reading (Next-Gen) with a score of 200)

Co-requisites: ARC 101 and ARC 121

This course is a foundation to architectural design and introduces students to spatial organization, visual perception, and design thinking. Through a series of projects, students explore two- and three-dimensional design, formal and spatial organization, and drawing techniques. Students will develop skills in concept development, physical and computer modeling, graphic communication, and architectural representation. The course places great emphasis on design process through iteration.

Pre-requisites: ((Companion Arithmetic with a score of 069 and Companion Elementary Algebra with a score of 076) or (Arithmetic (Next-Gen) with a score of 260 and Quant,Algebra,Stats(Next-Gen) with a score of 260) or (Bilingual Computation with a score of 20 and Bilingual Algebra with a score of 19) or Move Up Math 092 with a score of P or MTH 092 Summer Bridge with a score of P or (MTH 090S and MTH 100 with a minimum grade of C) or TRANSFERRED COLLEGE LEVEL MATH with a score of 898 or Elig. for Math 100,101,103 with a score of 905 or Pre-reg. COLG math waiver only with a score of 908 or SAT/ACT Elig for Mth 100 with a score of 994) or COLLEGE DEGREE with a score of 988 or SAT/ACT Elig Eng101 Mth100 with a score of 995 or Transf. Eng 101 Mth 100 with a score of 999

Co-requisites: ARC 100 and ARC 121

This course builds on skills learned in ARC 101, refining students’ ability to analyze, conceptualize, and communicate spatial ideas. Through integrated hand and digital methods, students investigate form, context, and materiality while exploring architectural representation and visual design. Emphasis is placed on site-specific thinking, diagramming, and design reasoning. The course places great emphasis on the design process through iteration.

Pre-requisites: ARC 101 with a minimum grade of C and ARC 121 with a minimum grade of C

This is a course in the history of architecture, beginning with ancient Egyptian architecture and ending with the Industrial Revolution era architecture of the eighteenth century. Major emphasis is placed on historical periods such as Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Particular works of classical architects are also studied.

Pre-requisites: (Companion Essay with a score of 08 or Write Placer Essay with a score of 07 or Write Placer Essay with a score of 08 or Move Up English 096 with a score of P or ENG 096 Summer Bridge with a score of P or ARC 102 with a minimum grade of C or ENG 102 with a minimum grade of C or TRANSFERRED ENG 101 with a score of 889 or Elig. for Eng 101 with a score of 904 or Pre-reg. Eng 101 waiver only with a score of 906 or SAT/ACT Elig for Eng 101 with a score of 993 or TRANSFERRED ENG 102 with a score of 998) or COLLEGE DEGREE with a score of 988 or SAT/ACT Elig Eng101 Mth100 with a score of 995 or Transf. Eng 101 Mth 100 with a score of 999

Co-requisites: ARC 131 and ARC 201

This is the second half of a two-semester sequence that explores the history of architecture and the built environment, covering the periods from the 19th century to the turn of the 21st century. Students will examine architectural and urban precedents considering formal, cultural, social, religious, and technological perspectives.

Pre-requisites: ARC 111 with a minimum grade of C

Co-requisites: ARC 132 and ARC 202

This is the first half of a two-semester sequence that introduces students to foundational graphic communication techniques essential for architectural design. Students will use a combination of hand and digital drawing techniques to explore the topics of orthographic projection, axonometric, and perspective drawing. In the first semester, students will use traditional media and will receive a basic introduction to digital tools. This course is a companion to ARC-101 and will support students in preparing their studio designs and presentations.

Pre-requisites: MTH 100 with a minimum grade of C or (MTH 090S and MTH 100 with a minimum grade of C)

Co-requisites: ARC 100 and ARC 101

This is the second half of a two-semester sequence that introduces students to foundational graphic communication techniques essential for architectural design. Students will use digital drawing techniques to explore various architectural illustration methods. In the second semester, students will continue to be introduced to various design software and enhance their post-production skills while working with both raster and vector files. This course is a companion to ARC-102 and will support students in preparing their studio designs and presentations.

Pre-requisites: ARC 121 with a minimum grade of C or ARC 101 with a minimum grade of C

This is the first half of a two-semester sequence that introduces students to basic construction materials, building systems, and methods of assembly, emphasizing their impact on architectural design. Materials considered are wood, masonry, steel and stone. The course will provide foundational knowledge essential for design, documentation, and construction literacy.

Pre-requisites: (Companion Arithmetic with a score of 069 and Companion Elementary Algebra with a score of 109) or (Arithmetic (Next-Gen) with a score of 260 and Quant,Algebra,Stats(Next-Gen) with a score of 275) or (Bilingual Computation with a score of 20 and Bilingual Algebra with a score of 26) or MTH 100 with a minimum grade of C and ARC 102 with a minimum grade of C and ARC 122 with a minimum grade of C

Co-requisites: ARC 111 and ARC 201

This is the second half of a two-semester sequence that introduces students to basic construction materials, building systems, and methods of assembly, emphasizing their impact on architectural design. Topics will cover concrete, steel, moisture and thermal protection, and interior finishes. The course will provide foundational knowledge essential for design, documentation, and construction literacy.

Pre-requisites: ARC 131 with a minimum grade of C

Co-requisites: ARC 112 and ARC 202

This is the third course in the architectural design sequence. It introduces students to architectural design principles, emphasizing tectonics, spatial experience, and contextual analysis. Through precedent studies, drawing, modeling, and site exploration, students develop critical thinking, technical skills, and a systematic design process. Focus areas include precedent analysis, materiality, sustainability, and the relationship between form and environment. The course places great emphasis on design process through iteration.

Pre-requisites: ARC 102 with a minimum grade of C or ARC 122 with a minimum grade of C

Co-requisites: ARC 111 and ARC 131

This is the fourth course in the architectural design sequence. Students develop schematic designs through iterative processes, including diagrams, models, and presentations, while integrating environmental, structural, and material considerations. This studio will challenge students to consider how environmental, cultural, and material contexts shape architectural responses.

Pre-requisites: ARC 201 with a minimum grade of C

Co-requisites: ARC 112 and ARC 132