University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Welcome to Architecture

Two of the biggest interconnected challenges of our time, how to live sustainably on this planet and how to be effective stewards of the environment, are as much problems for the design professions as they are questions for science and engineering. Sustainability and the environment present challenges that are as broadly cultural as they are technical. Sustainability and the environment are as much the problems of the fine arts, philosophy, the humanities, journalism, business, and of course architects, as they are problems for scientists and engineers.

Architecture is uniquely situated to wrestle with these issues. Architects work collaboratively to engage and synthesize broad bodies of knowledge in the design of solutions to these challenges. “Collaborative Education for a Sustainable Future” is the School’s motto and reflects an aspiration held by our entire community. Architects today must be well-educated critical-thinkers and problem-solvers who possess and can effectively apply highly refined aesthetic and technical knowledge.



SENIOR STUDIO CAPSTONE PROJECT 2012 Sea Level Change on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: An Interpretive Center, Vienna, Maryland – Student: Timothy Stratton, BS ‘12 / Critic: Assistant Professor Isaac Williams

Our students’ performance is the most effective measure of our success. At the undergraduate level, students in a recent senior studio worked collaboratively on a project with counterparts in landscape architecture and experts from a wide-range of professions to address the impact of sea-level rise on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This “capstone project” permitted undergraduates to synthesize knowledge gleaned throughout their education in tangible design proposals to address a very real problem that is currently being confronted by Maryland communities.



THESIS PRIZE 2012 MOTHBALLED: Transforming the Carcass of a Naval Warehouse into an Agricultural Incubator – Student: Anthony Pizzo, M ARCH ‘12 / Thesis Committee: Professors Rockcastle, Ambrose and Kelly

Adaptive reuse and recycling existing buildings and urban space is an increasingly important dimension of architectural practice. Anthony Pizzo’s thesis investigated adaptive reuse of an abandoned carcass of a naval warehouse and its repurposing into a productive urban-agricultural facility. Memory of the site’s industrial past fostered the integration of an agricultural research center that demonstrating state-of-the-art processes. In addition to technical innovation, the design proposition offers a vision of an aesthetically compelling and meaningful architecture and urbanism.



UNITED STATES SOLAR DECATHLON 2011 – FIRST PLACE WaterShed – A collaborative project led by University of Maryland students and faculty members. Photo Credit: Jim Tetro, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

In the fall of 2011, a team of 200 Maryland students, faculty and mentors from multiple disciplines designed and built WaterShed to blend solar energy efficiency and water conservation. They drew their inspiration from the Chesapeake Bay. Panels of experts judged the competing entries on ten dimensions, and WaterShed came in first overall, and placed first in Architecture, Energy Balance and Hot Water. The accomplishments of the WaterShed team, lead by Associate Professor Amy Gardner, AIA, are a testament to our program’s commitment and achievements in the arena of sustainability and environmental stewardship.

We invite you to join us on our journey towards a more sustainable and environmentally balanced world. Welcome to Maryland’s Architecture Program!

Brian Kelly, AIA
Associate Professor
Director, Architecture Program

Handbooks:
Architecture Student Handbook 2012-2013

Learn about new faculty, courses, research, student achievements and study abroad:
Spring 2012 Semester Overview Presentation (PDF 3.7mb)
Fall 2011 Semester Overview Presentation (PDF 12mb)
Spring 2010 Semester Overview Presentation (PDF 16mb)
Fall 2009 Semester Overview Presentation (PDF 21mb)

Click these links to view:
student work, course websites, course directory, exhibits, lectures, study abroad, US travel study, Discovering Architecture for high school students, charrettes, B.S. program, M.Arch. program and graduate admissions FAQ.

Solar Decathlon 2011:
The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation is a proud member of the 2011 University of Maryland Solar Decathlon Team.

We had a great time at the 40th Anniversary Celebration!
See how many people you recognize from MAPP's 40th Anniversary Celebration
For more information, click on the image below.

Architecture News

• Official Unveiling at the Long Branch Super Block Party on Saturday, May 11, 2013, 2 - 5 pm

  College Park, Md.-- A sidewalk exhibition of ten interactive installations—including a glowing cocoon of recycled plastic bottles and a 45’ long canopy of intricately placed colored strings— will debut May 6, 2013 in Montgomery County’s Long Branch Neighborhood as part of a unique cultural collaboration between community groups and the University of Maryland.

• UMD-Designed Public Art Engages the Senses in Long Branch

  College Park, Md.-- A sidewalk exhibition of ten interactive installations—including a glowing cocoon of recycled plastic bottles and a 45’ long canopy of intricately placed colored strings— will debut May 6, 2013 in Montgomery County’s Long Branch Neighborhood as part of a unique cultural collaboration between community groups and the University of Maryland.
  

• UMD Alum & Art World Hacktivist Evan Roth Returns for Campus Lecture: Friday, April 5th at 6:15pm

  Artist and UMD alum Evan Roth (B.S. Architecture ’00) returns to campus this Friday to discuss how hacker philosophies can be applied to making art online, in the gallery and in the city. Roth’s lecture, “Public Space, White Walls and the Internet,” takes place Friday, April 5, 2013, at 6:15 pm in the Architecture Building Auditorium.

• MAPP March 2013 e-Newsletter

  The latest issue of the The University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation monthly e-newsletter should be in your mailbox now! If you have not received it, check it out here!

• Global Competitions Tap WaterShed Team Members for Expertise in Winning Sustainable Design

  Nearly two years after their win in Washington, DC at the U.S Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, several team members from WaterShed, UMD’s first place winning entry, are getting the opportunity to lend their talent and design expertise to competitive forums around the world.

• PUBLIC INTEREST DESIGN

  Wiebenson Lecture with Bryan Bell, Design Corps
  February 15, 2013 — 6:15pm Architecture Building Auditorium
  Public Interest Design Institute Training Program—February 15 &16, 2013

• THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES WITH SPRING LECTURE SERIES

  We would like to announce the continuation of the Architecture Program's 2012-13 Lecture Series titled: Conversations on Architectural Education and the Future of the Profession.  Please join us for any and all of the dates below. Parking is available in the Mowatt Lane garage.  For more information about parking or navigating campus visit: http://www.umd.edu/parking_info.cfm.
  
  
  

• Sustainable Tuesdays Return!

  Sustainable Tuesdays, the immensely popular lecture series that examines sustainability issues facing the built and natural environments, returns this semester with an exciting roster of topics and speakers. Lectures run every Tuesday at 4:30 PM in first floor auditorium at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and are open to the public. The series is co-sponsored by the University's Office of Sustainability.

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