The Master of Architecture degree is intended to prepare students to become practicing,
licensed architects in the United States of America.
The MArch degree program is an accelerated 5-year continuous program accredited by
the NAAB. Students may transfer into the program at any time, including after completing
a bachelors degree elsewhere. These students will enter the Track II program, which
is exactly the same program. In most cases, Track II students will be required to
complete a minimum of years of coursework to complete the accredited degree.
The primary goal of CBU's architecture program is to help students develop the capacity
and judgment necessary to understand the built environment and generate architecture
as a critical response, so that each student can engage both the discipline of architecture
and the multiple discourses – artistic, technological, social, political, environmental,
economic, spiritual – necessary to be a successful practitioner and a conscientious
citizen with a biblical worldview.
At CBU Architecture, we aim to develop architects who demonstrate professional excellence
and personal integrity, are servant leaders in their communities and who live biblically
based, missional lives within the profession. While this is a regular topic of discussion
during class, we also aim to provide key opportunities for our students outside the
class to engage with the profession, apply their skill sets in a missional setting,
and participate in developing industry leading research. CBU has partnerships with
the following organizations and chapters: American Institute of Architecture Students, CRUX, Association of Christians in Architecture,
Church Design Research Institute, National Organization of Minority Students, and
Freedom by Design.
Option to Complete Graduate Degree in Less Time
CBU Architecture offers a 5-year combined BA and Master of Architecture program which
is rooted in a Christian worldview and missional community engagement. With this combination,
CBU students are able to complete their education requirement in a shorter time, all
while potentially earning a portion of their experience credit for their community
engagement involvement during their time at CBU.
Course explores and develops ability within pre-design services including assessment
of client and user needs; program development and analysis; site selection, analysis,
and design; review of building codes and standards; and assessment of project impact.
ARC 570: Professional Practice
Advanced seminar that addresses laws and regulation, project process and economics,
business practices and management and ethical concerns. Students will critically explore
how daily operations of architectural practice are an expression of personal values.
ARC 550: Architectural Theory II
This course considers selected topics in the history of modern architecture and philosophy
as seen through a missional, Christian worldview.
Associate Professor of Architecture Associate Dean of College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design (CAVAD) Program Lead, Illustration/Interior Design
Office Phone: 951-552-8670 E-mail: mniermann@calbaptist.edu Office Location: James 478
Demonstrate facility with a wide range of communication skills.
Research and analyze multiple theoretical, social, political, economic, cultural and
environmental contexts.
Demonstrate overall design sensibilities and problem solving skills.
Comprehend building technology, including technical aspects of design, systems and
materials, and be able to apply that comprehension to their services.
Appreciate the role of professional practice, including their role in the implementation
of design decisions and the impact of such decisions on the environment.
Integrate their Christian worldview and their profession through service to their
community, and through learning to manage, advocate, and act legally, ethically, and
critically for the good of the client, society and the public.
In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited
professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural
Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional
degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation,
recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture,
and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year term, an eight-year
term with conditions, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on
the extent of its conformance with established educational standards. Doctor of Architecture
and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate
degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by
itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
California Baptist University, College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design offers
the following NAAB-accredited degree programs: M. Arch. (168 university credits, including
30 graduate credits)
Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2029
The latest Architecture Program Report (APR) and NAAB Visiting Team Report (VTR) are
also available for viewing in the ARCH Office at CBU, Room ARCH101, alongside copies
of the latest NAAB Conditions for Accreditation, and Procedures for Accreditation,
and all other accreditation-related documentation.
The Studios Culture of CBU Architecture will value generosity of spirit, open discourse,
continuous testing of ideas and a commitment to excellence on the part of all the
participants. It will promote a culture of engagement in which students develop intellectually,
technically, ethically and spiritually through interaction with problems, opportunities
and people not only within the field of architecture, but beyond it.
2. Process of Implementation and Maintenance
The members of the CBU Architecture community agree to uphold the Studio Culture Policy.
The policy will be a working guide for Studio Culture at CBU. The Policy will be introduced
to students at the Academic School Orientations, posted in the studios themselves,
available on the CAVAD website and included in the Student Undergraduate Catalog.
A team of faculty and students will review the policy annually, determine its efficacy
and ensure its implementation. Revisions to the current policy will be discussed by
the team with the common goal of maintaining a healthy studio environment that supports
holistic growth through the sharing of knowledge, ideas and experiences.
3. Studio Design
Studio is the central component of an effective education in architecture. Studio
learning encourages dialogue, collaboration, risk-taking, innovation, and a “learn-by-doing”
pedagogy. The Studio atmosphere is a unique learning community that fosters increased
scholarship as well as personal connectedness and an attitude of “iron sharpening
iron.”
4. Faculty
Students are encouraged to think of all the faculty of CBU Architecture as “their”
faculty, not just their particular Studio instructor. Interaction between students
in separate studios and between students in separate years of the program is encouraged,
as is interaction between students in the separate disciplines of CAVAD.
5. Time Management
Students and faculty must lead balanced lives and use time wisely, including time
outside the Design Studio, to gain from all aspects of a university education and
life experiences. Although we believe in the Studio as the backbone of the architectural
education, we also believe in the value of a rich, fully engaged life that is deeply
involved in spiritual maturity and service.
6. Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Opportunities
We believe that Design is the integration of many parts, that process is as important
as product, and that the act of design and of professional practice is inherently
interdisciplinary, requiring active and respectful collaboration with others.
The CBU Architecture program is built on a foundation of interdisciplinary learning,
and opportunities to promote and experience this philosophy are inherent throughout
the program. We seek every opportunity for collaborative processes and learning opportunities,
not only within the program, but across the disciplines of CAVAD, CBU and the larger
community outside of our walls. We will highly value cross-disciplinary design studios
and design-build project opportunities that span disciplines and reach into our community.
This is in keeping with our University Student Outcome to “implement a personal and
social ethic that results in informed participation in multiple levels of community.
7. Assessment
Design critique is an integral part of the learning experience. Students will learn
from faculty, but also from peers and from the experience itself. Making clear, understandable
and comprehensive presentations of one’s ideas, both graphic and verbal, and then
learning from the critical feedback that the presentation generates, are vital learning
experiences that help prepare students for professional practice. We highly value
honesty and forthrightness, in a constructive atmosphere of respect and encouragement.
CBU’s architecture program encourages assessment for design and studio courses that
affirms the values of respect for a student’s ideas (intention), the development of
these ideas (process), and the ability to make those ideas spatial & material (product).
Students will therefore be graded on an understanding of the concepts that motivate
and initiate the project at hand (grasp of ideas), the student’s rigor in the development
of ideas and use of information in the process of design (work effort), and the material
and graphic quality of the project’s final products – be they models, drawings or
representations in other media (communication of ideas). Some advanced Studio projects
will also consider the appropriateness of the proposed design solution in its real-world
context.
8. Diversity
CBU Architecture values social, intellectual and disciplinary diversity, as well as
diversity in race, nationality and gender, in its staff, faculty and student population,
as well as in its curriculum. We support active, open discourse, and the Studio must
be a place where diverse life experiences and opinions are shared. A culture of respect
and open inquiry provides the foundation of a life-long learning perspective that
begins in architecture school. This attitude is in keeping with our University Student
Outcome to “respect diverse religious, cultural, philosophical, and aesthetic experiences
and perspectives.” The program is currently recruiting students from high schools
representing a wide cross section of Southern California’s ethnic and socio-economic
communities. We are also involved in the ongoing recruitment of international students.
* Studio Policy is an evolving draft, which is being regularly assessed, negotiated
and ratified with students and faculty.
"Creating livable spaces for seniors battling the impact of dementia and Alzheimer's
disease is the focus of this project. This design explores the value of prospect as
a tool for connecting with deep memories, providing stability and calmness to combat
confusion and loneliness. Producing familiar domestic comfort and emphasizing a connection
to nature in both the foreground and in the distance are priorities of this work."
Student: Aaron Gamez / Course: ARC510 Advanced Design / Tutor: Keelan Kaiser
"Creating livable spaces for seniors battling the impact of dementia and Alzheimer's
disease is the focus of this project. The fluid and continuous circulation between
residences and services is prioritized as well as a direct connection to nature. Materiality
reminiscent of a domestic environment is created with a sense of optimism and hope."
Student: Amalia Sosa / Course: ARC510 Advanced Studio / Tutor: Keelan Kaiser
"The centre acts as a beacon of light and hope within its community – light emanates
through a carefully composed envelope created with a regular pattern of gently tapering
and twisting vertical facade members and continuous glazing. Inside the building,
daylight and surface reflections create a sense of uniformity and synthesis, while
each expressed facade member is uniquely machined and milled."
Student: Alyssa Lee / Course: ARC410 Sacred Space / Tutor: Matthew Niermann
"The land on which this theatre is developed was once considered prosperous by indigenous
people. This project seeks to address contemporary prosperity theology through a regenerative
approach to the theatre, restoring the native site. Thin and translucent architecture
completes the aesthetic approach."
Student: Karissa Mortiz / Course: ARC310 Performance Design / Tutor: Karim Youssef
Alignment, Housing and Urban Agriculture by Cabot Ferguson
"This urban infill project imagines synthetic housing and urban agriculture – it responds
to an unusual site geometry, taking advantage of the inherent form-generating value
within. Situated adjacent to the High Line in New York City, USA, the design responds
with a prominent void following the direction of the High Line, offering vegetated
public spaces on the ground and third floor. This void aims to connect the structure
to the users on the street and around the neighborhood."
Student: Cabot Ferguson / Course: ARC310 Mixed Use / Tutor: Ryan Chung
Riverside Ecology Charter School by Christopher Diaz
"This project is an entry for the Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten for
Students competition, shaping a high school charter school around the subject of ecology
for college preparation in STEM fields. A range of shapes, forms and voids mimic biological
traits like diversity and regeneration. A restrained material palette reinforces the
spatial and volumetric composition, anchoring this proposal onto an important semi-urban
corner on Mission Avenue, USA."
Student: Christopher Diaz / Course: ARC510 Advanced Design / Tutor: Keelan Kaiser
"The ability to see oneself is a feature of this design. Using an analogy of eyes,
mirror and light, this project seeks to create a persuasive reflection of the theatre
through a mirror and the use of light to represent performance. Metamorfosi aims to
create a magical space that allows guests to reflect on themselves, their culture
and their perspectives afresh. This experience then turns the guest around upon departing
as a refreshed and renewed citizen."
Student: Joao Vitor Cousseau Grazziotin / Course: ARC312 Performance Design / Tutor:
Krysten Burton
Skywell Christian Study Centre by Christopher Diaz
"This centre aims to strengthen the connection between people and God. Taking inspiration
from Abbot Suger and contemporary methods, this project seeks to direct an upward
gaze through volumetric and spatial assemblies. The roof bends and lifts from base
to apex, finished with a cascading exterior tiling system to form programmatic volumes
that are dynamically stacked to complete the volumetric effects desired by the designer."
Student: Christopher Diaz / Course: ARC410 Sacred Space / Tutor: Karim Youssef
"An idea about reading and reflection led to this imaginative project, which is a
poetry museum featuring a collection of spaces that highlight the experience of poetic
reflection. Introspective participation and immersion drove the design, providing
users with a spatial experience by combining poetry and education."
Student: Sarah Schoeber / Course: ARC210 Intermediate Design / Tutor: Aaron Greene
"The inspiration for this energy-efficient elementary school came from the lush landscape
of an adjacent park designed by Olmstead and Olmstead. The school's envelope was conceived
as a permeable membrane that creates points of diffusion between interior spaces and
their surroundings. This idea contributed to the optimisation of air, heat, and light
flows throughout the design and opened possibilities for learning environments that
meld the interior and exterior. The integration of learning spaces with the natural
environment encourages student cognition, social-emotional development, and creativity
with the goal of increasing the value of future generations' place in the natural
world."
Name: Abi Ashby / Project: Fairmount School of Art and Ecology / Semester: ARC 410,
Fall 2019
"There is a growing demand in the United States to enhance specialised housing for
elders who cannot be cared for by immediate family due to Alzheimer's disease and
dementia. Design innovation is especially needed to support the quality of life for
those who require various forms of memory care. This project responds to these challenges
by shifting the conventions of inward-focused institutional settings to a personalised
and horizon-oriented posture. The design approach emphasised the importance of empathy
in the development of innovative environments to improve the experiences of residents
and staff."
Name: Victor Robles / Project: Wrightwood Elder Memory Care / Semester: ARC 510, Fall
2019
"Architecture is interpreted as a choreographed event in this design for a community
theatre. Striated bands flow through the project to define a series of spaces as an
interactive transition from the ordinary to the fantastic as patrons enter into performances.
The design extends the influence of the theatre by challenging the horizons of imagination
for audiences and the public alike. By asserting that architecture plays an active
role in the formation of culture, the project explores the potential of design to
unify communities through collective experience."
Name: Andriani Sugianto / Project: Redlands Community Theater / Semester: ARC 312,
Spring 2020
"This centre for the enjoyment of poetry developed from a synthesis of procedurally
generated form, analysis of place, and experimentation in the atmospheric qualities
of architectural character. The design features a series of parallel prisms rotated
about a central garden, which provides a sense of focus and orientation. The openness
and transparency of the perimeter enclosure blurs interior and exterior to invite
exploration and discovery. The project emphasises the importance of holistic sensory
experience to create architecture which is engaging and humane."
Name: Kyle Kerr / Project: Riverside Poetry Foundation / Semester: ARC 212, Spring
2020
"Innovations in communication technology and product manufacturing continue to redefine
the relationship between work and home life in developed economies. This project explores
the architectural implications of this evolution through the design of a hybridized
live-work publishing house in a dense urban neighborhood. An open atrium anchors the
design and floods the core of the project with light and activity while encouraging
the development of a diverse community of residents."
Name: Eduardo Padilla / Project: Urban Live + Work / Semester: ARC 310, Fall 2019
"Flux Performing Arts Center paradoxically acknowledges both its limitations and potentiality
as a container for the human spirit in the performing arts. This thought animates
the composition of the design to orchestrate moments of organic interaction and spontaneous
performance within and beyond its theatre and studio spaces. While the project is
envisioned as a major new cultural venue in a historic district, its ultimate goal
is to draw attention to the beauty hidden in the experience of everyday life."
Name: Samuel Soine / Project: Flux Performing Arts Center / Semester: ARC 312, Spring
2020
Career Possibilities
The path to becoming a licensed architect is a multi-step process that includes education,
experience and examination.
Since 2008, the construction industry and, in parallel, demand for architectural services
has steadily increased. Both total construction and private non-residential construction
are on an increasing trend.
According to American Institute of Architects membership data, 60% of architects are
45 years of age or older. In short, there is an increasing need for new young architects
in America to replace the aging, and soon retiring, population of architects.
