Undergraduate Thesis

During SCI-Arc’s Bachelor of Architecture Thesis year, students are asked to take disciplinary positions in architecture and to express those positions through a building design. This model empowers students to move back and forth between architecture’s speculative frameworks and the hardcore contingencies it confronts.

Marcelyn Gow Faculty Portraits

“Students develop a critical and rigorous approach to architecture by exploring the forefront of the discipline, and leading the conversation in terms of aesthetic agendas; architecture’s contemporary and future societal role; and the impact of theoretical and technological innovation on architecture’s design and communication repertoire.”

- Marcelyn Gow, Undergraduate Thesis Coordinator

Jury critique students thesis work

Heading titleCritiqued by Remarkable Critics and Thinkers

Students lead the conversation of architecture’s aesthetic agenda, present and future implications on society, and technical innovations with Thom Mayne, Barbara Bestor, Monica Ponce De Leon, Wolf Prix, Lucy McRae, Neil Denari, Greg Lynn, Sir Peter Cook, Winka Dubbeldam, Michael Speaks, and Evan Douglis.

finals presentation of architecture model by student

Student model by 2017 Undergraduate Thesis Prize winners Adrian Wong (Advisor: Marcelo Spina)

green section drawing through atrium SCI-Arc section drawing through atrium by student
red sectional axonometric view SCI-Arc section drawing through atrium by student
yellow axonometric sectioanl view SCI-Arc section drawing through cafeteria by student
simultaneous undergraduate thesis presentations keck hall

Heading titleThesis Prize

The Blythe and Thom Mayne Undergraduate Thesis Prize is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievement in Undergraduate Thesis work to student projects that represent the highest degree possible of design and technical expertise, coupled with critical thinking. A reception and jury commendations conclude reviews with a week-and-a-half of display in the SCI-Arc Gallery.

worms eye isometric rendering from undergraduate thesis

Heading titleUndergraduate Thesis Prize Recipients

Undergraduate Thesis by the 2018 Blythe and Thom Mayne Undergraduate Thesis Prize winner Isabela de Souza

sunset oblique rendered object by thesis student SCI-Arc isometric rendering by thesis student
sunset oblique rendered object by thesis student SCI-Arc sunset oblique rendered object by thesis student
sunset axonometric rendering by thesis student SCI-Arc sunset oblique rendered object by thesis student
undergraduate thesis presentation jury interacts with student

Isabela de Souza final presentation

detailed sectional isometric rendering SCI-Arc isometric rendering by thesis student
sectional view of a building by student SCI-Arc building chunk by thesis student
black grey and white plan drawing SCI-Arc plan oblique drawing by thesis student

Heading titleDeveloping a Professional Position on Architecture

Thesis work prepares students to defend ideas and positions on architecture, and interact with practice professionals as peers and colleagues.

In their fifth year, students produce a thesis project constituted by both a position in relation to contemporary architectural discourse and a highly developed building design project. Thesis brings together the cumulative knowledge, perspective and passion acquired over the four years and culminates with a presentation and public exhibition of a holistically researched architectural thesis.

elevational model render undergraduate thesis

Undergraduate Thesis by Merit Prize winner Luciano Menghini

birds eye thesis student presentation keck hall

Luciano Menghini final presentation

plan oblique drawing by thesis student SCI-Arc plan oblique drawing by thesis student
black and white elevation of a model SCI-Arc elevation drawing by thesis student
grey and white site plan with context SCI-Arc site plan drawing by thesis student

Heading titleUndergraduate Thesis Weekend

Undergraduate Thesis Weekend is a public platform where students launch their careers as architects, leading the conversation about architecture’s current and future societal role, and speculating on how theoretical and technological innovation will shape the future of our built environment and our cities. Over 70 jurors and critics from all over the world converge at SCI-Arc in a public forum for discussion where students, architects, urbanists, theorists, artists, academics, deans and chairs gather to consider, debate, and dispute emerging questions in architecture.

Wolf D. Prix and Neil M. Denari have recently served as Special Undergraduate Thesis Advisors to the class. Critics have included Thom Mayne, Sir Peter Cook, Winka Dubbeldam, Graham Harman, Catherine Ingraham, Nanako Umemoto, Ferda Kolatan and Hitoshi Abe.

Rendered model tangerine square bridging river

Undergraduate Thesis by Jesus Chavez (Advisor: Ferda Kolatan)

translucent orange and black thesis model SCI-Arc translucent plastic object rendering by thesis student
translucent orange and black thesis model SCI-Arc translucent plastic object rendering by thesis student
black and white sectional thesis model SCI-Arc translucent plastic machine object by student
ampitheater building model by student

Undergraduate Thesis model by Karim Saleh