Can you imagine a learning experience where traditional architectural knowledge merges seamlessly with gaming, AI, simulation, and augmented reality (AR)? This is exactly what SCI-Arc's MA2 curriculum offers. This innovative blend not only equips students with essential skills in traditional design, theory, and practice, but also provides them with the tools to delve into cutting-edge technologies that are reshaping the design industry.
The MA2 program, accredited by NAAB, ensures that graduates meet the highest standards of professional practice while also opening doors to non-traditional design fields such as interactive environments, digital media, AI, and immersive experiences. This forward-thinking approach prepares students for a wide range of career paths, with alumni thriving in both conventional and non-conventional sectors. Graduates find themselves at the forefront of design innovation, where creativity meets technology. Let's explore the journeys of some of these trailblazing professionals.
XR City by Gao Sun and Hanyang Yan
In their 2024 thesis, students Gao Sun and Hanyang Yan explored how, in the digital age, architecture and urban spaces are merging with digital media, reshaping how people interact with the built environment. As technology evolves, digital media is seamlessly integrating with physical spaces, and Extended Reality (XR) is accelerating this transformation.
XR City transforms buildings and urban spaces into multidimensional platforms by overlaying 2D or 3D digital interfaces, enabling art exhibitions, interactive games, and more. This redefines the relationship between people and cities, making architecture more flexible, personalized, and adaptable to users' needs, enriching urban experiences in unprecedented ways.
Cloud Address Earth by Benjamin Casey Brown Elmer
Winner of the 2024 Gehry Prize, Benjamin Casey Brown Elmer's thesis is a speculative simulation that explores ecological, cultural, and technological futures through emergence and worldmaking. Set against the backdrop of climate-related human migration, the project follows a near-future nomadic movement that takes direct action to establish a deep listening infrastructure for the natural environment.
The work highlights the potential of gaming environments, simulation tools, and AI to create dynamic, interactive models, enabling architects to visualize and test their designs.
Thesis 2024 by Ian Fennimore
This thesis explores the role of extravagance in contemporary architectural discourse, challenging conventional totalizing aesthetics. Defined by its playful and precarious qualities, extravagance introduces a new agency into architectural practice by embracing intentional misfits. The central intervention reimagines Morphosis' Caltrans District 7 headquarters as a slaughterhouse and pig sanctuary, critiquing the building's canonical status and sustainability claims while revealing inherent contradictions.
This transformation engages with broader cultural ideas and highlights the historical significance of the slaughterhouse. Ultimately, the thesis advocates for architecture to convey nuanced meanings, positioning extravagance as a vital tool for addressing overlooked and marginalized conditions in the built environment.
If you would like to explore speculative design, new forms of communication, and formal experimentation while expanding the boundaries of contemporary architectural practice, visit the official MA2 curriculum website at SCI-Arc.