SCI-Arc students come from all over the world, representing a wide range of academic, professional, and cultural backgrounds, but they all share a passion for architecture.
Student Life
Heading titleBold Thinkers, Fearless Designers
Recognized as one of the most experimental and progressive architecture schools in the world, SCI-Arc attracts bold, forward-thinking individuals dedicated to the relentless speculative work involved in architectural innovation.
Students attending SCI-Arc demonstrate a commitment to the idea that design has the power to influence and transform the world. This shared ethos creates a palpable excitement and optimism that permeates the daring work of SCI-Arc students, faculty, and alumni as well as epitomizes the unique energy of the school itself.
"Once you enter into this community, you instantly hear the constant shuffling of 3D printers, the clicking of the computer mouse, the pacing of footsteps, the chatters and laughters of friends, the resonance of rolling chairs, the imprinting of red markers... And you can feel the overflowing yet harmonious aura of stress, commitment and love."
Heading titleFounded on Transparency and Engagement
Since its founding, SCI-Arc has provided an independent, collaborative, and immersive environment where generations of architects are empowered to redefine and reimagine the field.
Established in 1972 as an experimental alternative to traditional architectural education, SCI-Arc’s nonhierarchical structure was originally modeled around the concept of a “college without walls.”
Today, the school occupies the historic former Santa Fe Freight Depot in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles. The first reinforced concrete building in Los Angeles, the quarter-mile-long facility features open design studios that connect fluidly, fostering community and spontaneous interactions around the clock.
Heading titleEngaging a New Creative Economy
A hub for the most provocative, cutting-edge architectural ideas, SCI-Arc provides a space to engage new opportunities for social and cultural engagement within the emerging creative economy of Los Angeles, a city with a strong tradition and history of architectural experimentation.
While much of the architecture school experience unfolds within SCI-Arc’s design studios, conversations often extend beyond the school, animating the many restaurants, cafes, and galleries in the surrounding Arts District.
SCI-Arc’s proximity to the rapidly developing Arts District and downtown LA enables a dynamic cultural exchange between the school and a neighboring burgeoning design economy.
Heading titleCommitted to the Community of Los Angeles
As a committed partner in downtown Los Angeles, SCI-Arc has launched a number of public initiatives for students and faculty to engage with city and community leaders to develop and propose innovative design solutions that support contemporary social issues which affect city residents, such as housing scarcity and homelessness.
Students enjoy lunch with local LA food trucks.
