SCI-Arc Presents 2023 Graduate Thesis Weekend
Work by Jila Mendoza.
SCI-Arc is proud to present its annual Graduate Thesis Weekend, taking place September 8-10 at the school’s LA Arts District campus. In recognition of the exceptional talents that form the Graduate Thesis class of 2023, this year’s graduating M.Arch 1 and M.Arch 2 students will share their thesis projects with their community, colleagues, and public, capping a year of extensive research and experimentation. The Graduate Thesis work will be open to the public during Grad Thesis Weekend reviews and will remain on view until September 13.
Aligned with the first week of the fall term, the Graduate Thesis Weekend at SCI-Arc fosters a connection between outgoing graduates and incoming students by filling the school with multimedia projects. In characteristic SCI-Arc fashion, this year’s graduating class has delved into the potential of advancements in technology—particularly artificial intelligence—to expand the boundaries of architectural design and expression. Through their innovative experimentation, they have harnessed AI algorithms and machine learning techniques to enhance their creative processes and generate novel architectural solutions. Students have also recognized the urgency and significance of addressing environmental challenges through architecture and design; through their research and creative endeavors, they aim to inspire dialogue, provoke action, and drive sustainable change. Their projects go beyond traditional architectural representations, employing a variety of mediums such as visualizations, interactive installations, data-driven simulations, and virtual reality experiences to engage the audience on a visceral and intellectual level.
Underpinning each thesis topic is the principle of “building”—understood both as a physical entity and as a tangible action. The construction of ideas is recognized as equally significant to the physical creation of environments, drawings, objects, and material processes, whether manifested in digital or analog formats. For their architectural theses, students had to articulate conceptual frameworks for their work, and actively engage with the discourse around building as a process.
The weekend of reviews gives thesis students an invaluable platform to propose and defend their work to the SCI-Arc community and beyond. 97 students and 21 faculty advisors will converge with an array of invited guest critics from within and outside the discipline of architecture to review, debate, and contemplate the provocations of this year's thesis projects.
"This year's graduate thesis projects at SCI-Arc are rooted in a profound understanding of the persistent social, technological, and climatic challenges we face globally," notes Jackilin Hah Bloom, Graduate Thesis Coordinator. “This year, students are establishing new capacities to address these issues, not from a problem-solving approach, but one that focuses more on crafting novel processes and frameworks to enhance our understanding of the built environment. While each project represents a unique and personal exploration, collectively, this year's thesis projects will invigorate discussions around technology, building, and ecology."
“Our graduating students have confronted the profound realization that our world and its infrastructure demand reimagining,” adds Graduate Programs Chair Elena Manferdini. “Their theses mark the inaugural stride into a new world, one they envision and aspire to create. I wholeheartedly encourage both our local and international community to join us at SCI-Arc during Graduate Thesis Weekend, immersing themselves in the alternative future we all yearn to be a part of. Let us engage, learn, and collaborate as we embark on this transformative journey together.”
Visit the Graduate Thesis 2023 website to preview students’ work, see the list of guest critics, and get additional details on the Graduate Thesis Weekend’s schedule.