The Master of Architecture program trains students to become leaders in the professional practice of architecture with innovative methods of design research and inquiry.
Students: Sophy Feldman & Rowan Price Instructor: Alexandra Barker SP23 Studio 4
Info Sessions
Wednesday, October 16th, 2024 6:00-7:30 ET (Zoom) Thursday, November 7th, 2024 12:00-2:00 pm ET (in-person) Monday, November 25th, 2024 6:00-7:30 pm ET (Zoom)
Master of Architecture at Pratt
The MARCH curriculum embraces an integrative approach to design that weaves together technical knowledge and creative practice, building science and environmental stewardship, and professional responsibility and equity. We actively engage the pressing climatic and social challenges of our era through rigorous inquiry. Through case studies that leverage the city as our classroom, students develop innovative design strategies that convey a thorough understanding of the way in which architecture shapes the built environment and its communities. As architects, our inquiry extends across all scales of the built environment, from individual buildings to neighborhoods, cities, and all the way to global systems and ecosystems. What connects our intervention across this broad range of scales is our deep commitment to design work that prioritizes the well-being and safety of all life forms.
The Master of Architecture (M.Arch) is a three-year NAAB-accredited, STEM-certified professional program. Our 84-credit, three-year track is designed for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree, including majors other than one of the architectural design professions. The program is also available in a 56-credit, two-year Advanced Standing track for students with bachelor’s degrees from four-year Architecture or Engineering programs.
The M.Arch program is structured with a core curriculum of design, history-theory, technology, and media courses, followed by an advanced curriculum of applied research and elective courses. The entire curriculum is designed to equip students with the professional knowledge required for becoming a successful architect.
We believe in an integrative approach to architecture. Our curriculum is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the diverse practices and modes of inquiry that converge in the architectural discipline and profession.
In the first three semesters, the core curriculum is structured to coordinate learning across design, technical, historico-theoretical, and media courses. In the fourth semester, this coordinated learning culminates in the Integrative Studio. Unique to the GAUD, the Integrative Studio combines the teaching of architectural design, building systems, and regulatory compliance into a single course. Collaboration is a fundamental aspect of the Integrative studio: students work on a single architectural project in teams, supported by GAUD faculty and a cohort of technical consultants from leading New York City firms. During the last two semesters, our M.Arch program further compliments the Integrative Studio with an advanced curriculum of studio and elective courses. In these advanced courses, students engage in directed research projects alongside a diverse group of faculty members from Pratt Institute and the architectural profession at large.
Our integrative approach begins, does not end, with our program. By integrating different modes of architectural knowledge and practice, and engaging audiences both within and outside the architectural professions, our M.Arch program equips graduates with the unique ability to intervene in the complex systems shaping the building and living environment.
Integrative Design:
Our M.Arch students are trained to make complex design decisions that integrate architectural ideas with structural, building, and regulatory systems. Their integrative thinking advances environmental stewardship, social equity, and community resilience in all aspects of design work.
Environmental Design Practice:
Our M.Arch students are trained to embrace their responsibility as stewards of the environment. Their work reflects a deep awareness of architecture’s impact on the living and building environments by integrating research on fragile ecosystems, ecologically responsive technologies, and sustainable materials.
Inclusive and Equitable Design:
Our M.Arch students are trained to view equity, diversity, and inclusion as an integral aspect of design. They understand their responsibility to consider diverse needs, values, and physical abilities in design practices, and act on that understanding by integrating an ethos of equity and inclusion in their architectural solutions.
Design Knowledge:
Our M.Arch students are trained to think critically about architecture’s role in the world. They use cutting-edge design methods, media, and technologies to advance architectural knowledge within the discipline and in culture more broadly.
Collaborative Design:
Our M.Arch students are trained to practice creative leadership that benefits their clients, communities, and society at large. Their design work builds relationships, from collaborations with consultants and industry experts to outreach with community partners and stakeholders.
Design Learning:
Our M.Arch students are trained to ask thought-provoking questions throughout their careers and their lives. They value forms of inquiry and collaborative exploration that deepen their understanding of architecture’s connections to complex systems, including bodies of historical-theoretical knowledge, socio-economic forces, environmental dynamics, and cultural contexts.
Take A Look At How Our Courses Advance Design Research And Thinking
Our faculty are leading practitioners, scholars, and educators, including a distinctive cohort of PhD candidates from top universities who share a common desire to develop each student’s potential and creativity to the fullest. Bringing different views, methods, and perspectives the faculty provide a rigorous educational model in which students make and learn. See all GAUD faculty and administrators.
Pratt’s department of Graduate Architecture and Urban Design (GAUD) balances knowledge and understanding, enhancing your individual capacities to ask often difficult and challenging questions facing the profession and discipline, specifically through design and with audiences outside of architecture and urban design. This program is intended for students holding a four-year undergraduate, nonprofessional degree in any field. Applicants with degrees from a four-year BSc in Architecture or BScEng in Architecture may qualify for advanced standing.
Integrative Studio
Unique to the GAUD, the Integrative Studio is a combined design and integrative building-systems course and brings together a number of related disciplines into a single project, which students develop in teams. An ensemble of technical consultants from world-leading firms in New York City work directly with GAUD faculty and students on their design projects engaging in facade design, structural design, energy design and more.
Directed Research
In your final two semesters, the advanced curriculum is focused on Directed Research studios and electives. Among the studios, you might apply to participate in the Studio of Experiments, which is an opportunity to work closely with a visiting faculty member on a directed research topic set by the department chair. Learn more about Directed Research.
Seminars, Lectures & Events
Immersive seminars, lectures and events accompany each semester. They explore contemporary issues in architectural practice and research, and foster discussion between students and prominent scholars. Exhibitions spotlight exceptional faculty and student work, and the student publication offers students opportunities to engage in theoretical, editorial, and writing activities.
Study Abroad
Immersing yourself in another culture is an incredible experience that can extend the boundaries of creativity. Study abroad programs are an integral part of the university experience, and Pratt has deep connections with university partners around the world. In the first, second, or third year, students may elect to participate in one or both of our international programs. See where you can go.
Learning Resources
We develop disciplinary fluency in our program of study and we celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of design critical to address the plurality and complexity of the environments in which we operate. Learn about resources.
Our Alumni
Pratt’s distinguished alumni are leading diverse and thriving careers, addressing critical challenges and creating innovative work that reimagines our world.
Career Opportunities:
Graduates from the M.Arch program go on to work in leading architectural firms and other creative fields, both nationally and internationally. Take a look at where some of our recent graduates work:
Where They Work
Architect – Morphosis
Junior Designer – BIG Bjarke Ingels Group
Architectural Designer — Foster + Partners
Director – KPF
Senior Associate – SHoP Architects
Architect – Woods Bagot
Lead Designer – Zaha Hadid Architects
Architectural Designer – UNStudio
Assistant Chair, Interior Design – Pratt Institute
Join us at Pratt. Learn more about admissions requirements, plan your visit, talk to a counselor, and start your application. Take the next step.
You’ll find yourself at home at Pratt. Learn more about our residence halls, student organizations, athletics, gallery exhibitions, events, the amazing City of New York and our Brooklyn neighborhood communities. Check us out.
ARCH 805 | Pier 76 | Fall 2024 | Instructors: Meta Brunzema, Agathe Ceccaldi | Students: Andreas Palfinger & Aysin Bahar Sahin @andreas_palfinger @aysjnji
“Pier 76 — A Waterfront Incubator:
This redevelopment is a bold initiative for global waterfront reactivation. As part of a worldwide network of innovation centers, it offers dynamic spaces where scholars, entrepreneurs, artists and local community members collaborate. Creating open, inclusive, and non-hierarchical environments, the project intertwines community programs, international research and corporate partnerships with ecological restoration, sustainability and education. Organized around a central, multilayered spine, the building transitions fluidly from public to private zones, fostering collaboration through carefully considered proximities, adjacencies and lines of sight.”
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
SYMPOSIUM | RE:AL ESTATES Restructuring Living | FXCOLLABORATIVE | Students: Youngwhan Cho, Abyan Mohamed Ali, Palesa Shabalala, Junu Jang, Harrison DuBose, Varun Darshen, Ethan Royal, Kerry Richardson, Thea Nontavatit, Kai Wei,Selina Yan, Will McNeill, Noah Spivak, Eugene Kim, Shay Shaul, Byung Oak Cho | Speakers: Alexandra Barker, Wendi Shafran, Sam Allison-Mayne,Nicole Vlado Torres,Dylan Baker Rice, Gary Bates,Toby Synder, Stephanie Bayard, Erich Shoenenberger
For the first time in history, as of 2010, more than half of the global population resides in cities. By 2050, the World Health Organization predicts that seven out of ten people will live in urban areas. This unprecedented pace of urbanization means that the way we design cities today directly shapes the future of civilization itself. At the same time, cities face increasing threats from climate change. The relationship between built and natural environments, along with principles of adaptation and resilience, has become critical to sustainable urban development. In New York City, housing affordability remains a pressing issue. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) currently serves 528,105 residents through 177,569 apartments spread
across 335 conventional public housing and PACT developments. Despite their population, many NYCHA sites have significantly lower densities compared to other neighborhoods throughout the city. How can Mixed-Use Housing at the Bushwick Houses in Brooklyn reimagine the way we live, connect, and thrive?
The exhibition and symposium serve as a platform for community and industry engagement with stakeholders working on critical issues in housing. Students from every section will present their Housing project from Fall 2024.
#Architecture #Exhibition #Symposium #Workshop #DesignExhibition #StudentWork #PrattInstitute #PrattSOA #Design #CreativeWork #PrattGALAUD #FxCollaborative #Housing #RestructuringLiving
ARCH 601 | Media and Methods | Fall 2024 | Instructors: Olivia Vien | Students: Nichapha Lumpikanont @kaimookks
“CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER AND ARTIST’S RESIDENCE ALTERATION
The project altered the existing abandoned house on Governors Island to the artist-in-residence program that exhibited mixed types of contemporary art; painting, installation, and performing art. This art center also provides user-oriented space such as a performer’s room and an artist’s studio in one single place. In terms of design, the exploration of geometry and shape was introduced through field drawing. The curvature and 45-degree oblique line were applied with some positive-negative geometry modification strategies as the design language. The heigh-leveling wall and facade create harmony and connection between exterior and interior space and also the building and landscape that was designed with ground contour for exhibited installation art. The oblique geometry facade was extended and manipulated to the roof to blend into other infrastructure creating natural lights into the space and benefiting the quality of art.”
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
ARCH 602 | Design 2: Interiorities & Context | Spring 2025 | Instructors: Theo David | Students: Klitee Limpawattanasiri & Margo Berthier
This design studio addresses a specific site through its interior. It emphasizes the related conceptual and material impacts of this “inside out” approach. Circulation and its material and spatial qualities are explored through the design of a small building that responds to a detailed ensemble of architectural programs and the multiple contexts of a local institution. For this studio, the project involves designing a middle school on a vacant site in Greenpoint,Brooklyn, NY. Greenpoint is a diverse community located in a rapidly developing area of Brooklyn, near the waterfront but, according to the most recent School Construction Authority assessment, with no need to elevate the building. It is, however, located near a contained site, and, based on depth to groundwater, the proposed school would be built slab-on-grade(no basement).
Student Work:
1-5. Images | Klitee Limpawattanasiri | Instructor: Theo David
6-10. Images | Margo Berthier | Instructor: Theo David @margo.berthier
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
ARCH 703 DESIGN 3: Urban Qualities & Materialities Integrated Studio | Fall 2024 | Instructors: Stephanie Bayard | Students: Kerry Richardson @kerryrichardsonn
“This project explores affordable, intergenerational housing by integrating student and elderly housing on a single site, fostering community interaction through shared spaces like courtyards and gardens. The design balances privacy and accessibility for both groups while promoting social connectivity.
The modular design creates flexible housing units, with compact student apartments and larger, accessible elderly units. Shared spaces serve as buffers to mitigate noise, offering a harmonious living environment for both populations.“
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
ARCH 704 | Design 4: Integrated Studio | Spring 2025 | Instructors: Erich Schoenenberger | Students: Begum Nar & Junu Jang, Deniz Tokman & Colin House, Shae Reid & Rebecca Yoo
Nature strives for balance, yet it’s repeatedly disrupted by catastrophic events—from ancient volcanic eruptions and mass extinctions to today’s human-driven CO₂ emissions that accelerate species loss and displace millions. In urban centers like New York City, where food is largely imported, a significant portion of edible food is wasted, missing an opportunity to recycle vital nutrients. Architects have a unique opportunity to contribute to ecological restoration by designing innovative urban infrastructure that minimizes environmental impact and embeds sustainable practices into everyday life. A valuable framework for this work is offered by the permaculture movement, which defines its goal as “the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems that possess the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems” This semester’s architectural challenge addresses the imbalance caused by urban food waste by capturing its nutrients and energy to boost urban agriculture. Students will design a
neighborhood composting facility that transforms food waste into a closed-loop resource for an agricultural greenhouse. Aerobic composting not only produces soil enhancers but also releases CO₂ (5), which can potentially increase agricultural yields by 30 to 40%. Beyond closing the nutrient loop, urban agriculture offers numerous benefits—it fosters self-sufficiency, exemplifies the natural cycles of our environment, generates local jobs, and produces fresh, edible food.
Student Work:
1-4. Images | Begum Nar & Junu Jang | Instructor: Erich Schoenenberger @begumnarr @zu_nu
5-7. Images | Deniz Tokman & Colin House | Instructor: Erich Schoenenberger @deniztokmann @col.housee
8-10. Images | Shae Reid & Rebecca Yoo | Instructor: Erich Schoenenberger @shaeannereid
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
ARCH 703 | Urban Qualities & Materialities Integrated Studio | Fall 2024 | Instructors:Sulan Kolatan | Students: Palesa Shabalala @pali.shab @s_kolatan1951
“Water as Life, Nature as Form
This reimagined Bushwick NYCHA housing project centers around water as a life source, integrated into both living and communal spaces. Water is collected and used throughout the building for showers, plant irrigation, and communal pools. Inspired by fractal geometry, the structure takes on a cloud-like, natural form suspended between buildings, creating irregular, organic shapes. These forms allow for a variety of housing typologies to allow for multi generational living - from single-individual units to large family lofts - each with large windows offering access to light and space for gardening. The design uses fractals to mimic nature, promoting emotional well-being and stress reduction through their restorative qualities, reinforcing a connection between architecture, nature, and human health. Ground-floor spaces remain open, filled with gardens, pools, and trees, encouraging calm and reflection while serving as a community hub.”
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
ARCH 704 | Design 4: Integrated Studio | Spring 2025 | Instructors: Hart Marlow | Students: Isabella Kyster & Ethan Royal
Nature strives for balance, yet it’s repeatedly disrupted by catastrophic events—from ancient volcanic eruptions and mass extinctions to today’s human-driven CO₂ emissions that accelerate species loss and displace millions. In urban centers like New York City, where food is largely imported, a significant portion of edible food is wasted, missing an opportunity to recycle vital nutrients. Architects have a unique opportunity to contribute to ecological restoration by designing innovative urban infrastructure that minimizes environmental impact and embeds sustainable practices into everyday life. A valuable framework for this work is offered by the permaculture movement, which defines its goal as “the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems that possess the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems” This semester’s architectural challenge addresses the imbalance caused by urban food waste by capturing its nutrients and energy to boost urban agriculture.
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
ARCH 805 | Advanced Design Research I: Manhattan Trans(fer) | Fall 2024 | Instructors: Gary Bates | Students: Rida Khan & Nate Cole @ridadequate @njcole20
The studio will address one of the most pressing and complex challenges facing architects today: HOUSING. By reinterpreting phenomenology in the context of housing, we aim to shift focus from the neoliberal emphasis on individualism to a planetary perspective that redefines the human relationship with the environment—LIVING. This exploration will span seven sites, along with the infrastructure connecting them, all owned by the Port Authority of NY and NJ. Among these is the reimagining of the infamous Bus Terminal as part of a narrative for a large-scale TRANSIENT LIVING community. The traditional nuclear-family housing model—centered on configurations like 1BD/1BA, 2BD/1BA, or studio apartments—has increasingly been questioned in a world where contemporary living defies these conventions. Today, living arrangements are unpredictable, blurred, diverse, temporal, and ever-evolving. Architects must adapt to this complexity, designing for a reality that transcends fixed norms and embraces the fluidity of contemporary existence.
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
