The School recognizes that we live in a world to which architecture must contribute in a thoughtful and free manner. Our curriculum pushes students to explore beyond current boundaries by using concrete forms, images, and materials, rather than relying solely on abstraction or being limited by preconceptions. As a result, the School integrates theory, design, and construction to make communities better places to live, work and play.

Our curriculum honors diversity in all its aspects. We respect the many sources for design and work to provide a context in which communities can make room for all their members, as well as for each other.

Within an accredited Master of Architecture degree framework, and with the design studio as the core of the curriculum, the School relies on the following:

• We learn from the legacy of our campuses as instructive environments for the experience and learning of architecture, including active exploration of the implications and uses of Frank Lloyd Wright’s body of work and thought.
• Our students inhabit, design, and construct shelters; we also undertake community design/build projects, both on and off campus, collectively designed by students, faculty and staff.
• We learn by doing.
• We make art, photography, music, and performance an integral part of the classroom and community experience, both in our work and by bringing in artists from diverse contexts.
• We study ways in which architecture can minimize its impact on the availability of natural resources. We believe that architecture should evidence itself through structures that throughout their life cycle minimize the expenditure of and impact on natural resources
• We draw on architectural precedents, case studies, and historic examples from cultures around the world.
• Students participate in both internships and in external collaborations with other schools and institutions.
• We provide a curriculum and environment that provides students with both ideas and tools so that they can become human beings of integrity and vision