The School

The Architecture of Urgent Matters

The University of Virginia, since its founding by Thomas Jefferson, has supported a public mandate to educate and develop our democratic culture. As part of this larger mission, the School of Architecture focuses on analysis and design of the public realm, or the “Architecture of Urgent Matters.” Just as democratic culture is a dialogue and cooperative effort of individuals, design in the public realm is a discussion and joint effort of individual disciplines. The School of Architecture composed of four well-defined disciplines — architecture, landscape architecture, history of architecture, and urban and environmental planning — promotes design as a conscious act, which may be associated with the public realm and the values of that culture. Its curriculum places special emphasis on the following themes:

• The deployment of a system of practical ethics in the design and planning processes as a method for evaluating choices and their consequences for the man-made and the natural environment.
• The promotion of community-based design and planning that gives voice to all cultural and economic groups.
• The critical study of the history of architecture and culture as both a discipline and as a foundation for developing innovative design responses in contemporary life.
• Aesthetic applications of technological innovations especially related to the general study of ecology and sustainable environments.
• Emphasis on study abroad and a multi-disciplinary approach to history, design and planning to prepare professionals and scholars for participation in a global design culture.