Notre Dame School of Architecture
Encyclopedia
Traditional and classical architecture occupy a premier place in the University of Notre Dame
School of Architecture. The first Catholic university in America to offer a degree in architecture, beginning in 1898, Notre Dame now boasts nationally acclaimed undergraduate and post-graduate programs. Notre Dame architecture students are taught not only the principles of designing and constructing buildings, but also the importance of enriching the identity and cohesiveness of the communities where they live and work.
The School of Architecture has approximately 200 undergraduate students and about 20 to 30 graduate students. The School has its own library, which includes a rare book collection dedicated to the history of the study and practice of architecture in the United States. The School of Architecture is the smallest of the six major program divisions of the University (the others being the Mendoza College of Business
, the College of Arts and Letters
, the College of Engineering, the College of Science, and the Law School
).
Bond Hall, built in 1917, is home to the School of Architecture. The renovated building honors its classical roots with Ionic columns at its entrance and rows of round-arched windows. In addition to the library, it offers spacious studios and Café Poche, a popular gathering spot for students and faculty.
, founded in 1842 by the Congregation of Holy Cross
, is an independent, national Catholic university located in Notre Dame, Indiana. Architecture as a discipline was taught at the University as early as 1869, but it was not until 1898 that the faculty was organized into its own School apart from the other Colleges.
School of Architecture is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board
. Any student admitted as an undergraduate to the University of Notre Dame may declare an architecture major. Freshmen are encouraged to enter the five-year program to begin the challenging curriculum as early as possible. Applicants to the architecture graduate program apply directly to the School of Architecture. Students who apply to the graduate program must have a special interest in traditional and classical architecture and urbanism.
The graduate program has grown significantly in recent years, as the school focuses additional resources and expands choices and course offerings (see above). In recent years, there have been about 10 graduate students receiving degrees each May, although this number is climbing.
.
The School is housed in Bond Hall, a large building on Notre Dame Campus formerly known as the Lemonnier Library. The building served as the principal library of the entire campus until Hesburgh Memorial Library was constructed in 1964. The library itself can be distinguished on campus with its white Indiana limestone exterior and classical Ionic archway. The building was refurbished, extended, and modernized between 1995 and 1997 under a project by Thomas Gordon Smith, a current faculty member.
Bond Hall contains studio space for second-, fourth-, and fifth-year students, in addition to several classrooms and an auditorium that seats approximately 100. The center of the building (indeed, the former courtyard of Lemonnier Library) is the library, with a computer cluster below. There are offices for all members of the faculty and administration of the School. Additionally, there is a large furniture design studio and workshop in Bond Hall's lower level adjacent to a graduate studio. The freshman studio is located a short walk away from Bond Hall in Brownson Hall.
The School also maintains a campus in Rome
, Italy, in the Centro Storico. The year-long Rome program was founded in 1969 by the late Frank Montana and has then since become a requirement for all third-year architecture students. Bought in 1986 and located on Via Monterone 76, the building houses the Rome Studies Program, and consists of parts of two Roman palazzi
. Facilities include studio space for approximately 50-55 students, offices for faculty and staff, a large auditorium/meeting room, a small library, a computer cluster, and a student kitchen and dining area. Students live in a nearby hotel, but their daily lives are focused mainly at the school building.
With four courses per semester ranging from design studio, drawing and watercolor classes to architectural theory and architectural history, the emphasis is on classical architecture and the design of contemporary buildings in a classical manner following the precedents of Vitruvius, Palladio and Vignola.
Throughout the year, students take field trips to various parts of Italy including Umbria and the Marche, Tuscany, the Veneto, the Campagna and Sicily. These trips involve visits to historic sites with presentations by faculty members, time for sketching and free time to explore the cities.
Italy's rich history provides successful examples of urbanism and architecture that have stood the test of time. Students analyze the country's historical models of buildings and cities to use as resources in creating architecture in the 21st century.
Champion Enterprises, Inc., a leader in factory-built construction, operating over 30 manufacturing facilities in North America and the United Kingdom, underwrote the first two design studios affiliated with the Center. The first looked at urban infill in Elkhart, Indiana. The students designed single-family homes and mixed-use commercial and residential buildings for Elkhart’s downtown, using Champion’s wood and steel technologies. Another design studio used the same technologies to develop a master plan for the historic downtown of Conway, Arkansas.
Since 1995, Notre Dame architecture students have worked with community leaders and architecture and development professionals through the South Bend Downtown Design Center. This expansion, based at Bond Hall on the Notre Dame campus, further enhances students’ experiences through exposure to a wider range of architectural styles, and the technological, economic and environmental issues specific to different regions of the country.
The Center for Building Communities offers studios focusing on sustainable urban design and architectural development, paying particular attention to the local and regional characteristics of the communities the projects serve. A special emphasis is placed on modular building technology and the ways it can facilitate the strengthening of communities through a blend of affordable and market-rate housing, civic, commercial and mixed-use buildings.
The China and Japan programs, typically conducted every other year, look at Asia’s architectural traditions and its influence on high-quality modern urban living. The program examines how architects and planners have responded to evolving social demands compared to their counterparts in the West. New construction is also studied to learn how the country reflects that heritage even as it evolves.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
School of Architecture. The first Catholic university in America to offer a degree in architecture, beginning in 1898, Notre Dame now boasts nationally acclaimed undergraduate and post-graduate programs. Notre Dame architecture students are taught not only the principles of designing and constructing buildings, but also the importance of enriching the identity and cohesiveness of the communities where they live and work.
The School of Architecture has approximately 200 undergraduate students and about 20 to 30 graduate students. The School has its own library, which includes a rare book collection dedicated to the history of the study and practice of architecture in the United States. The School of Architecture is the smallest of the six major program divisions of the University (the others being the Mendoza College of Business
Mendoza College of Business
The Mendoza College of Business is one of the colleges at the University of Notre Dame, which is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States.- History :...
, the College of Arts and Letters
Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters
The College of Arts and Letters is the oldest and largest college within the University of Notre Dame.It includes the following departments and programs:...
, the College of Engineering, the College of Science, and the Law School
Notre Dame Law School
The Notre Dame Law School, or NDLS, is the professional graduate law program of its parent institution, the University of Notre Dame. Established in 1869, NDLS is the oldest Roman Catholic law school in the United States. NDLS is ranked 22nd among the nation's "Top 100 Law Schools" by U.S. News &...
).
Bond Hall, built in 1917, is home to the School of Architecture. The renovated building honors its classical roots with Ionic columns at its entrance and rows of round-arched windows. In addition to the library, it offers spacious studios and Café Poche, a popular gathering spot for students and faculty.
History of the School
The University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, founded in 1842 by the Congregation of Holy Cross
Congregation of Holy Cross
The Congregation of Holy Cross or Congregatio a Sancta Cruce is a Catholic congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 by Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC, in Le Mans, France....
, is an independent, national Catholic university located in Notre Dame, Indiana. Architecture as a discipline was taught at the University as early as 1869, but it was not until 1898 that the faculty was organized into its own School apart from the other Colleges.
Admissions
The University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
School of Architecture is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board
National Architectural Accrediting Board
The National Architectural Accrediting Board is the sole authority for accredited US professional degree programs for architecture in the United States, developing standards and procedures to verify that each accredited program meets standards for the appropriate education of architects...
. Any student admitted as an undergraduate to the University of Notre Dame may declare an architecture major. Freshmen are encouraged to enter the five-year program to begin the challenging curriculum as early as possible. Applicants to the architecture graduate program apply directly to the School of Architecture. Students who apply to the graduate program must have a special interest in traditional and classical architecture and urbanism.
Bachelor of Architecture
All undergraduate students take a five-year program leading to the Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) degree. There are typically between 45 and 50 students in each graduating BArch class. Notre Dame's five-year program is as follows:- First Year - A challenging introduction to architecture and drawing skills in addition to the university's universal first-year requirements.
- Second Year - Permanence, long-term function, accessibility, and beauty of buildings are examined from social and environmental viewpoints. Students study Italian in preparation for their third year in Rome, Italy
- Third Year - The Rome Studies Program offers students the opportunity to study sustainable architecture and urbanism in a city that has been continuously occupied for almost three millennia. The year in Rome is the centerpiece of the Notre Dame Architecture program.
- Fourth Year - Principles studied in Rome are applied to American cities with particular emphasis placed on vernacular architecture and supporting regional characteristics.
- Fifth Year - Students apply knowledge gained over the previous four years to a thesis project of their choosing. Many are published and receive national and international acclaim.
Master of Architecture
The School's graduate program offers two programs leading to the Master of Architecture (MArch): a two-year program for students who studied architecture as undergraduates, and a three-year program for students who already have degrees in other, unrelated programs. The latter program for non-majors was started in 2005, with the first students from that program to graduate in May 2008.The graduate program has grown significantly in recent years, as the school focuses additional resources and expands choices and course offerings (see above). In recent years, there have been about 10 graduate students receiving degrees each May, although this number is climbing.
Concentrations
Notre Dame Architecture students are encouraged to participate in one of four concentrations: Furniture Design, Preservation and Restoration, Architectural Practice and Enterprise, and Building Arts.Furniture Design
Since 1992, the School has also offered a concentration in Furniture Design under the direction of Professor Robert Brandt. It is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. The goal of the concentration is to expose architecture students to an ethic in craft, as it trains them to think in three dimensions to resolve design issues of assembly, fit, and finish.Preservation and Restoration
Students take special courses in the research and documentation of historical buildings while paying special attention to the history of American architecture.Architectural Practice and Enterprise
Up to eight architecture students per year take courses in accounting, management, statistics, and corporate finance through Notre Dame's Mendoza College of BusinessMendoza College of Business
The Mendoza College of Business is one of the colleges at the University of Notre Dame, which is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States.- History :...
.
Building Arts
Begun in 2009, the Building Arts Concentration is a four-course sequence focusing on constructing architectural models and details. Students research an historically significant building to produce authoritative drawings and build a detailed model at an appropriate scale. In the third and fourth semesters the team designs and builds a traditional architectural element such as a mantel piece, or a stair, newel post or balustrade assembly.Facilities
Bond Hall contains studio space for second-, fourth-, and fifth-year students, in addition to several classrooms and an auditorium that seats approximately 100. The center of the building (indeed, the former courtyard of Lemonnier Library) is the library, with a computer cluster below. There are offices for all members of the faculty and administration of the School. Additionally, there is a large furniture design studio and workshop in Bond Hall's lower level adjacent to a graduate studio. The freshman studio is located a short walk away from Bond Hall in Brownson Hall.
The School also maintains a campus in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy, in the Centro Storico. The year-long Rome program was founded in 1969 by the late Frank Montana and has then since become a requirement for all third-year architecture students. Bought in 1986 and located on Via Monterone 76, the building houses the Rome Studies Program, and consists of parts of two Roman palazzi
Palazzo
Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...
. Facilities include studio space for approximately 50-55 students, offices for faculty and staff, a large auditorium/meeting room, a small library, a computer cluster, and a student kitchen and dining area. Students live in a nearby hotel, but their daily lives are focused mainly at the school building.
Rome Studies Program
Founded by the School's longtime chair, Frank Montana, the Rome Studies Program began in 1969 as a junior-year study abroad program.With four courses per semester ranging from design studio, drawing and watercolor classes to architectural theory and architectural history, the emphasis is on classical architecture and the design of contemporary buildings in a classical manner following the precedents of Vitruvius, Palladio and Vignola.
Throughout the year, students take field trips to various parts of Italy including Umbria and the Marche, Tuscany, the Veneto, the Campagna and Sicily. These trips involve visits to historic sites with presentations by faculty members, time for sketching and free time to explore the cities.
Italy's rich history provides successful examples of urbanism and architecture that have stood the test of time. Students analyze the country's historical models of buildings and cities to use as resources in creating architecture in the 21st century.
Center for Building Communities
The Center for Building Communities is an initiative to address architectural and urban design needs around the country. Spearheaded by Professors Sallie Hood and Ron Sakal, the Center for Building Communities represents a transformation of the South Bend Downtown Design Center, broadening its scope to serve a national constituency.Champion Enterprises, Inc., a leader in factory-built construction, operating over 30 manufacturing facilities in North America and the United Kingdom, underwrote the first two design studios affiliated with the Center. The first looked at urban infill in Elkhart, Indiana. The students designed single-family homes and mixed-use commercial and residential buildings for Elkhart’s downtown, using Champion’s wood and steel technologies. Another design studio used the same technologies to develop a master plan for the historic downtown of Conway, Arkansas.
Since 1995, Notre Dame architecture students have worked with community leaders and architecture and development professionals through the South Bend Downtown Design Center. This expansion, based at Bond Hall on the Notre Dame campus, further enhances students’ experiences through exposure to a wider range of architectural styles, and the technological, economic and environmental issues specific to different regions of the country.
The Center for Building Communities offers studios focusing on sustainable urban design and architectural development, paying particular attention to the local and regional characteristics of the communities the projects serve. A special emphasis is placed on modular building technology and the ways it can facilitate the strengthening of communities through a blend of affordable and market-rate housing, civic, commercial and mixed-use buildings.
Summer Programs
The School often sponsors summer programs to introduce students to traditional and classical architecture and urbanism, including programs in China, Japan, Cuba, Portugal, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The programs explore the countries’ best practices in urban development, green architecture and environmental planning.The China and Japan programs, typically conducted every other year, look at Asia’s architectural traditions and its influence on high-quality modern urban living. The program examines how architects and planners have responded to evolving social demands compared to their counterparts in the West. New construction is also studied to learn how the country reflects that heritage even as it evolves.