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Overview

Research is the foundation of an architectural project and, by extension, of practice itself. Structured as the culmination of our design studio sequence, research platforms provide an opportunity for an in-depth, advanced study of a subject matter—be it theoretical, material, or formal—as a way of engaging a broad range of methodologies, constituents, and futures.

Research platforms are rooted in the wide-reaching and generalist character of our discipline, engendering new forms of experimentation and collaboration, including conversations with a broad range of voices from within and outside the field. Each studio focuses on a single, closely-defined research topic that is culled from a variety of scales and contexts—from local to global, from theoretical to material explorations, from formal and cultural investigations of architecture to cities and environments. Like all other modes of scholarly inquiry, research platforms thrive on criticality, discourse, and public dissemination of new knowledge. Yet, design research also engages the imagination and creative practices of making, providing a unique interplay of curiosity and conversation. 

Studios

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Friends Included

Changes in zoning code, growth of adult single households and co-living arrangements, and the proliferation of life-management apps have led to an explosion interest housing typology.

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Naturally Synthetic

Naturally Synthetic builds upon the research undertaken in prior iterations of the course, examining the status and potential for plastic in architecture.

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Open Plan

This studio's design research agenda will focus on combining three distinctly different programmatic types into a single high-rise structure located on the site of New York’s former Hudson Yards.

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Inhabiting Infrastructure

The goal of the studio is to explore the implications, challenges and opportunities of architectural scale in large urban infrastructures.

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