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Architecture

B.S. Architecture

   » College of Art & Architecture


  • INTRODUCTION
  • WHAT IT TAKES
  • WHAT PEOPLE DO
  • GET INVOLVED
  • FACULTY
Randall Teal and student look at architecture plans

The Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S. Arch) at the University of Idaho is an excellent first step toward a career in the dynamic field of architecture. If you want to become a licensed architect, the B.S. Arch provides seamless entry into our accredited Master of Architecture (M. Arch) program. The B.S. degree also prepares you for many other industry-related career opportunities that don’t require licensure.


As a B.S. Arch student, you will study the built environment in a variety of contexts and explore topics such as urban and community planning, sustainable design, environmental control, construction methods and the history and theory of architecture. Students graduate with strong design and technical skills and an in-depth understanding of how architecture affects everyday lifestyles.


The program’s intensive design studios give you a chance to practice what you learn and create solutions for real design problems. You’ll collaborate with students and expert faculty from all art and design disciplines in the College of Art and Architecture. This experience gives you a solid creative foundation in both art and architecture – something you won’t get from most other architecture programs.


Graduate students discuss architecture model

Prepare for Success

If you are creative and drawn to the arts, but you also have an interest in science and engineering, a career in architecture is a perfect fit. Architecture requires imagination, creativity, and the ability to visualize, conceptualize and apply highly technical information. You should also have solid verbal and written communication skills. To prepare for the program, build your skills in math, drawing, design, technology and engineering.


Your First Year

The architecture program includes courses in architectural design, the history and theory of architecture, environmental control, structures, materials and methods of construction, urban theory and professional practice. Your first year of the four-year Bachelor of Science in Architecture program is devoted to introductory courses and general university requirements. During your first year, you may take:

  • Arch 151 – Introduction to the Built Environment
  • Arch 154 – Introduction to Architectural Graphics
  • Art 100 – World Art and Culture
  • Art 110 – Visual Communication
  • Art 111 – Drawing 
  • Art 121 – Design Process 
  • Math 143 – Pre-calculus Algebra and Analytic Geometry
  • Physics 111 – General Physics
If you decide to continue your education in order to qualify for licensure, you can apply for the professional Master of Architecture program during your fourth year.


Current Students

What You Can Do

The four-year, preprofessional Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S. Arch) prepares you for many career options. You may become a:

  • Site architect
  • Architecture firm manager
  • Specification writer
  • Architecture designer
  • Architectural journalist/critic
  • Architectural historian
  • Architecture firm manager
  • Draftsperson
  • Building researcher
  • Carpenter
  • Surveyor
  • Urban planner
  • Art director
  • Real estate broker
  • Building inspector
  • Set designer
  • Professor (with a Master of Science in Architecture)

The B.S. Arch is designed for seamless entry into the Master of Architecture, the accredited professional degree required for practice as a licensed architect. It is also excellent preparation for the Master of Science in Architecture, the research-focused degree for those wanting a career in academia.


Student reading achitecture plans

Opportunities

The University of Idaho has an excellent reputation for producing quality graduates who are well prepared to succeed in the field of architecture. From designing new homes and conceptualizing high-tech skyscrapers to restoring historical buildings and planning sustainable communities, a career in architecture gives you the ability to positively affect the daily lives of people around the world.


Students in an art studio around a laptop talking.

Current Research

University of Idaho architecture and interior design faculty members are nationally and internationally recognized for research and expertise in:

  • Sustainable Design
  • Green Design
  • Health and Wellness Issues
  • Social Justice

University of Idaho students at the Idaho Urban Research and Design Center (located in Boise) are currently engaged in the following research projects:

  • City Hall
  • Pioneer Corridor
  • Graduate Seminar, Toward a Thesis


Activities

American Institute of Architecture Students


Hands-On Experience

The Department of Architecture and Interior Design offers many quality opportunities for hands-on learning through programs such as the following:

  • International Programs: We offer exciting international study programs. You’ll gain a global perspective by learning and exploring in historically and culturally rich architectural environments, such as Thailand and Rome.
  • Idaho Urban Research and Design Center (IURDC): The IURDC provides a unique opportunity for architecture students to reside in Boise for educational and preprofessional experiences. In addition to course work in urban design and architecture, students may participate in collaborative projects and research with project participants from government, the arts, and cultural, business and residential communities.
  • Service-Learning Design Studios: The department's community partnerships allow you to work with professionals and community members to develop solutions to actual design problems.


Facilities

Technical Laboratory and Workshops: Tools and materials in our advanced technical labs and workshops will give you the resources (and expertise from the laboratory manager) you need to create. 


Online & Outreach

Integrated Design Laboratory (IDL): The IDL, located in Boise, is operated by the University of Idaho and sustained by grants from the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's (NEEA) BetterBricks program, Idaho Power, The Idaho Energy Division, as well as matching funds by the University of Idaho and project clients. The IDL provides project-based education services to designers in the disciplines of daylighting, electric lighting, HVAC, and other high-performance, sustainable practices.

Prichard Art Gallery: An outreach facility of the University of Idaho College of Art and Architecture. Located in downtown Moscow, the gallery exhibits the work of regional artisans and art and design students.



Diane Armpriest
Diane Armpriest
Associate Professor; Chair
Research Areas: Architectural materials and construction methods; Integration and expression of building technology in architectural form; Architectural design; Resource-efficient design and construction; Relationship between building systems and the natural systems and processes of the site
» View Diane Armpriest's profile
Matt Brehm
Matthew Brehm
Associate Professor
Research Areas: Design communication; Design process; Architectural history; Architectural education; Drawing and painting technique; Sacred architecture; Landscape design
» View Matt Brehm's profile
Ken Carper, Visiting Faculty
Kenneth L. Carper
Visiting Faculty
Research Areas: Architectural structure systems: timber, steel, reinforced concrete and masonry; Multi-hazard design: seismic, wind, flood and fire; Forensic engineering; Professional ethics
» View Ken Carper's profile
Jeff Filler, Visiting Faculty
Jeff Filler
Affiliate Faculty
Research Areas: Structural Engineering, in particular wood structures
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Bruce Haglund
Bruce Haglund
Professor
Research Areas: Environmental technologies (heating, cooling, lighting, acoustics, water use); Passive solar heating and cooling; Natural lighting; Architectural design; Green architecture; Computer applications; Historic preservation; Vernacular architecture; Small town revitalization; Sustainable urban design issues; English green architecture
» View Bruce Haglund's profile
Xiao Hu
Xiao Hu
Assistant Professor
Research Areas: Urban and community design; Cultural, social and political representations of architecture; Spatial identity; non-Western architectural philosophies and history; Sustainable design; Interdisciplinary and cross-cultural learning
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Frank Jacobus
Frank Jacobus
Assistant Professor
Research Areas: Design Theory with a particular focus on the relationship of architecture and emerging/evolving medias; Design-Build; Furniture Design and Construction; Architectural Programming
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Anne Marshall
Anne L Marshall, PhD
Professor
Research Areas: Indigenous architecture and landscapes in North America; Architectural history; Social and cultural dimensions of global architecture and urban space; Architectural design; Urban and community design and regeneration
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Wendy McClure
Wendy McClure
Professor
Research Areas: Architectural design; Community revitalization; Designing for sustainability; Adaptive use of historic structures; Studio teaching emphasis on outreach in the community context in association with the College of Art and Architecture's Rural Planning and Design Center and in collaboration with Landscape Architecture
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Sherry McKibben
Sherry McKibben
Associate Professor; Director, Idaho Urban Research and Design Center
Research Areas: Architectural and urban design; Master planning; Community design/revitalization; Regenerative design/sustainable development; Renovation/adaptive reuse of historic structures; Urban research and outreach projects serving Idaho through the Idaho Urban Research and Design Center (IURDC)
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Phillip Mead
Phillip G. Mead
Associate Professor; Architecture Associate Program Coordinator
Research Areas: Health and design issues: light, air and view impacts on wellness and emotion, environmental systems, building components, and site impacts on wellness; History and theory; Design's impact on the imagination and emotions; Beginning design pedagogy
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Roman Montoto
Román Montoto
Associate Professor
Research Areas: Design; Design Theory and Process; Graphic Communication; Digital Technologies and Cross-disciplinary Exploration for Spatial Discovery including Time-based Imagery
» View Román Montoto's profile
Randall Teal
Randall Teal
Associate Professor
Research Areas: Design pedagogy and theory with particular focus on perception, emotion, process and place.
» View Randy Teal's profile
Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg
Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, PhD
Assistant Professor; Director - Integrated Design Lab, Boise
Research Areas: Daylighting and simulation techniques for integrated design; Daylight and energy
» View Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg's profile