School of Architecture & Design

Introduction

The University of Kansas

Graduation requirements and regulations for every academic program are provided in this catalog; however, this catalog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract. Degree and program requirements and course descriptions are subject to change.

The University of Kansas School of Architecture and Design has been using interdisciplinary learning to produce pioneering leaders for more than 100 years. Our experienced, diverse faculty and innovative degree paths promote the development of creative talent that fits each student’s personal interests and abilities. Students learn through the processes of designing, drawing, and making, learning to solve problems through design-thinking, taking advantage of a wide array of global study opportunities, community engagement, and collaborative research. 

Our courses are significantly influenced by the practical input of architects and designers from major firms the world over. These employers consistently say that those who receive degrees from KU are not only able to contribute as soon as they begin work, but also quickly ascend to leadership positions. Prepared as designers, critical thinkers, and problem solvers, graduates enjoy personal career fulfillment and serve, enrich, and sustain their professions and communities.


Facilities

The School of Architecture & Design (ArcD) at the University of Kansas is committed to providing students with facilities and resources to prepare for careers as designers, architects, and creative leaders. 

Marvin Hall, located on historic Jayhawk Boulevard, offers connections to most ArcD campus facilities, resources, and people. Built in 1908, the four-level building houses ArcD academic services and administration offices, Department of Architecture studios and faculty offices, and multiple facilities that support students in all academic programs. 

The Forum designed and built in 2014 by ArcD students in the Studio 804 program, sits directly centered between the two campus buildings that have long been home to our academic departments. This light-filled LEED Platinum-certified glass, steel, and timber structure is a gathering place for our school community and a venue to welcome visitors. The Forum includes a 121-seat lecture hall and a multipurpose space with moveable exhibition walls, flexible furniture systems, and digital displays. The Forum Commons, a student lounge and exhibition gallery, connects The Forum to Marvin Hall.  

The 160,000-square-foot Chalmers Hall, next to Marvin Hall, houses the main Design Department programs, including studios and classrooms. The building also houses the Art and Design Gallery, Art Supply Store, and Chalmers Café which were fully renovated by students in 2017. Chalmers has multi-platform computer labs with the latest software for photography, animation, CAD, 3-D modeling, video production, desktop publishing, scanning, illustration, large-and medium-format plotters, and color and black-and-white laser printers. Unique satellite computer areas are dedicated to each type of work. Also located here is a traditional film lab that includes a dark room for black-and-white photography, as well as a digital processing lab with dedicated spaces for video and digital image production. An equipment check-out facility allows students to borrow equipment they will need for photography assignments.  

East Hills Design-Build Center, at 66,000 square feet, the East Hills Design-Build Center is the largest academic makerspace in the world. Home to multiple Architecture and Industrial Design design-build studios, the steel and concrete building contains fabrication labs, collaborative research spaces, a computer lab, and multiple cavernous assembly areas for ArcD students and researchers.

The historic Chamney Farm, located on KU’s West Campus on the site of a former dairy farm, is home to the school’s Center for Design Research (CDR). The award-winning LEED Platinum-certified building connects the converted native limestone farmhouse and restored 19th-century barn. The CDR is a working laboratory and incubator that brings together KU students, faculty, and industry representatives. This project was completed in 2011 by KU Studio 804 design-build students.

Marvin Studios (more commonly referred to as “The Mud Hut”) is home to studios, presentation space, and advanced digital fabrication labs. Students in both departments have access to advanced computer systems and automated tools to create 3D prototypes, manufacture products, and research innovative material applications.

Snow Hall, overlooking Potter Lake and Memorial Stadium stands directly across Jayhawk Boulevard from Marvin Hall and houses architecture and interior architecture studios, flexible presentation spaces, offices, and a computer lab. Located in a unified space on the first floor of Snow Hall, facilities include large studio spaces, a flexible presentation gallery, and is home to PhD in Architecture student offices.

The Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art houses the only comprehensive art collection in Kansas. Collections are particularly noteworthy in medieval art, 17th- and 18th-century German and Austrian painting, sculpture, American painting, prints, American photography, Japanese art of the Edo period, textiles, and decorative arts. Spencer Museum sponsors exhibitions, lectures, films, workshops, and activities that support curricular instruction in the arts.

The KU Libraries have over 5.7 million volumes in seven library locations. In addition to the physical collections, students and faculty have access to more than 1.5 million electronic books, 168,000 electronic journals, and 1,733 subscription databases. An important resource for the School of Architecture and Design is the Murphy Art and Architecture Library, which has a collection of approximately 182,000 volumes.