General Requirements, Course Information and Instructor Contacts

Attendance Policy

Attendance to studio classes from 3pm to 7pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is mandatory. Do not arrive late or leave early. Students are expected to arrive on time and remain in studio, working, for the full duration of the class. Attendance at all studio periods, forums, and colloquia is required. A student will be asked to withdraw or will receive a failing grade for the course for three unexcused absences. All student cell phones and beepers are to be turned off during class meeting hours.

The instructors must be notified in advance by telephone prior to class time, regarding excused absences. Excused absences are as follows:
Personal illness --please notify me within one week after the period of illness; verification may be required.
Serious illness or death of a member of the student's immediate family --please notify me within one week after the funeral or period of illness; verification may be required.
Official College trips --notice must be given prior to the event or no later than one week after the event; verification may be required.
Major religious holidays - a student must notify the instructor in writing of these dates; please submit to the instructor no later that the last day for adding class.

In addition, we strongly urge you to work in studio. 
This is essential to developing a studio culture in which you can learn from one another. 

Studio Policy
Our class will meet in Studio North S-6

Desk Critiques & Pin-ups:
Desk crits and class pin-ups are an essential component of architectural education. It is crucial to have new and thoughtful work (drawings/ models/other media) each class session. If we come to your table for a desk crit and find that you have no significant new visual work, I will move on to the next student. Such lack of preparation will negatively impact your grade. When we have desk crits, it is assumed that you will be physically working in the studio.  You must coordinate your work in the computer lab or the wood shop at the beginning of each studio session with your professors, or you will be marked absent.

Reviews:
Reviews are formal events in which you learn to articulate the thinking that went into your studio project.  This is crucial professional tool.  It is expected that you will visit the reviews of other architectural studios and disciplines at CCA.  

Readings and Seminars:
Periodically during the semester we will be handing out readings. These should be carefully prepared for reading seminars, which will be set for a future studio time. Part of that preparation will be to take critical notes while you are reading. You should also be prepared to actively discuss reading.

Lectures:
Please note that there are a number of wonderful lectures and events going on around the Department of Architecture and the College generally at all times.
Beyond that, there may be lectures in particular that are required attendance. We will advise you of those as they arise, and ask that you plan accordingly.

Statement on Collaboration & Professional Ethics:
The studio system for architectural education at CCA strives to create a laboratory for exploration and the vibrant exchange of ideas.  In its best form, the studio creates a collaborative community in which we learn from and propel each other forward.  We value and promote this. 

The formal presentation of student work, particularly at the end of each semester, is an important component of this collaborative ideal in that it inspires dialog within the school and the architectural community beyond.  It also serves, however, as an opportunity for reflection on the development of a student’s education and architectural production.  In order for this process to be useful, the presentation of work should offer an accurate reflection of a student’s own educational progress.  Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each student to present his/her work in a way that allows for a precise and useful critique.

In this light, we would like students to consider that the acknowledgement of the extent of collaborative efforts in your presentations can be a useful educational tool.  Similarly, we expect that students understand that, for example, financial compensation in exchange for help with presentations goes beyond the ideal of the collaborative community, creating a model more appropriate to professional endeavors.  We encourage all students to think carefully about the goals of their CCA education and to act with respect towards the collaborative community we are attempting to foster. 

Plagiarism of the work of others will result in automatic failure. 

Evaluation:
Your performance will be evaluated using the following criteria

substantial new work prepared for each class meeting
sustained and thoughtful response to criticism
ability to develop a clear and workable idea and move it forward in a coherent and inspired manner
sustained quality of work from beginning to end of exercise
completeness of work at each class meeting, pin-up, and review
success of collaboration in joint/group projects; constructive class participation
attendance and promptness, ability to meet deadlines
significant progress over the semester within your own frame of reference.

Please note that criteria are process oriented: every day affects your grade.

Grading:
Students will not receive a grade on each of the numerous studies during the semester. At mid-semester there will be individual discussions of overall progress: those not doing satisfactory work will also receive a written notice indicating both this evaluation and what steps might be taken to bring the work up to a satisfactory level. Final grades will be accompanied by written evaluations or by discussion with your faculty critics. Final Grades will be based upon:

active engagement with the work of colleagues as well as with group discussions, pin-ups, & reviews
consistency of effort and work product throughout the semester
development of critical thinking exhibited through studio assignments
progress of architectural skills over the course of the semester
completion of all required studio work, including readings
attendance at all scheduled studio hours
respect for your own work, your classmates, and your instructor

Note: An “A” indicates an unusual development of insights, etc. (as above) based on the relevant materials considered. A “B” indicates a thorough understanding of the relevant materials. A “C” indicates a relatively perfunctory engagement. “D” and “F” indicate two degrees of insufficiency, the latter, of less than a passing level.

Other

Documentation:
Document digitally all of your work (computer work + all hand drawings and models) as it progresses through the semester.  This documentation will be needed for presentations and for your portfolio.  You are required to submit high quality scans on CD or DVD to your professors at the end of the semester.  I may use this documentation to publish your studio project.  Your grade will not be issued until you submit your work. 

Email Communication:
Students are required to open a CCA email account for normal communication with their professors and CCA.  Course syllabi, schedules, reminders, job postings, etc. will be via email.  You will need these email accounts to access CCA computers and plotter.

Studio Etiquette:
Students are expected to work in the studio. This will immeasurably enrich the student’s learning potential. If everyone is to work in the studio, certain etiquette is necessary to ensure a civil working environment. The design studio should be a place where students eke their thoughts part of a public discourse of peers and faculty. This can only happen if everyone listens, considers what is being said or proposed by everyone else, and then thoughtfully responds to what is put forward. It also requires you to cogently and carefully put your own ideas forward for discussion. The studio will be a very crowded place. Please keep all work that has value; discarded work should be placed in trash bins. We will try to maintain some degree of order in the studio.

All cell phones and beepers are to be turned off during class meeting hours. 

Instructors’ Schedule & Contact Information

With team taught studios, each of the two instructors will be in studio two of the three studio meeting days each week. In general, we will both be in class on Wednesdays, when we will have pin-ups, reading seminars, and reviews. Jordan Geiger will generally run the studio on Mondays, and Rick Johnson will generally run it on Fridays.

JORDAN GEIGER
Phone: 510-520-0157
E-mail: jgeiger (at) cca (dot) edu
Office Hours: by appointment

RICK JOHNSON
Phone: 415-786-5868
E-mail: rick (at) richardjohnsondesign (dot) net
Office Hours: by appointment