Two additional architecture courses were added to the University of Maryland’s Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s list of “Fearless Ideas Courses” for 2015. The two courses—a bridge design course taught by Assistant Professor Powell Draper and a course in ecological design thinking co-taught by Assistant Professor Hooman Koliji and Environmental Sciences Professor David Tilley—bring the tally of “Fearless” architecture courses to five, making it the second largest represented program in the academy cadre. Comprising a variety of disciplines across campus, “Fearless Ideas Courses” are designed to stretch the boundaries of critical thinking and creative solutions in unexpected ways.
The “Fearless” MAPP courses are:
Arch 270: Design in Practice
Taught by Professor Madlen Simon, this class introduces students to creative design thinking in a very collaborative way. Last spring’s project challenged student teams to create chairs out of three cardboard flats, using no adhesive or fasteners. Students could then either develop a proposal to take their product to market or learn about creating architectural environments with digital tools. Design in Practice will be available again in fall 2015.
Arch 403/407: Architecture and Urbanism Vertical Studio
This graduate/undergraduate blended class, taught by Assistant Professors Luis Quiros and Jana VanderGoot, explores relationships between cultural, social and ecological systems in the built environment through a real-world project. Arch 407 debuted in 2014 with a studio in Salisbury, Md., where students collaborated with the community to create a revitalization plan for the downtown area.
ARCH478D / 678D & ARTT438O / ARTT638A: Making Place: Public Art and Design
Overseen by Associate Professor Ronit Eisenbach, Sculptor John Ruppert and Professor Gerrit Knaap, the course harnesses the talents of UMD students in creating vibrant, engaging communities through art and design in the face of social, economic, political and environmental change. In addition to its “Fearless” status, this year’s course is also one of the first courses to be initiated with the City of College Park as part of the University’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability.
ARCH478 / 678 Bridge Design and New Sustainable Technologies
Taught by Assistant Professor Powell Draper, ARCH 478/678 challenges students to think creatively—and innovatively—to reimagine these majestic symbols of infrastructure and tackle the issue of age, transform communities and “bridge” the built and natural environments.
ARCH489 / 689 Ecological Design Thinking
A collaboration between Assistant Professor Hooman Koliji and Associate Professor of Ecological Engineering David Tilley, students work as a team to turn ideas into prototypes, integrating sustainable ecosystems into cutting-edge designs.
Along with the recognition of being named a “Fearless Ideas Course” comes a $5000 award and a designation as an Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (AIE) Distinguished Fellow. Each course will run at least once a year for the next three years.
To see the full list of 18 Fearless Ideas Courses, click here.