The Master of Architecture program trains students to become leaders in the professional practice of architecture with innovative methods of design research and inquiry.
Students: Sophy Feldman & Rowan Price Instructor: Alexandra Barker SP23 Studio 4
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Master of Architecture at Pratt
The MARCH curriculum embraces an integrative approach to design that weaves together technical knowledge and creative practice, building science and environmental stewardship, and professional responsibility and equity. We actively engage the pressing climatic and social challenges of our era through rigorous inquiry. Through case studies that leverage the city as our classroom, students develop innovative design strategies that convey a thorough understanding of the way in which architecture shapes the built environment and its communities. As architects, our inquiry extends across all scales of the built environment, from individual buildings to neighborhoods, cities, and all the way to global systems and ecosystems. What connects our intervention across this broad range of scales is our deep commitment to design work that prioritizes the well-being and safety of all life forms.
The Master of Architecture (M.Arch) is a three-year NAAB-accredited, STEM-certified professional program. Our 84-credit, three-year track is designed for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree, including majors other than one of the architectural design professions. The program is also available in a 56-credit, two-year Advanced Standing track for students with bachelor’s degrees from four-year Architecture or Engineering programs.
The M.Arch program is structured with a core curriculum of design, history-theory, technology, and media courses, followed by an advanced curriculum of applied research and elective courses. The entire curriculum is designed to equip students with the professional knowledge required for becoming a successful architect.
We believe in an integrative approach to architecture. Our curriculum is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the diverse practices and modes of inquiry that converge in the architectural discipline and profession.
In the first three semesters, the core curriculum is structured to coordinate learning across design, technical, historico-theoretical, and media courses. In the fourth semester, this coordinated learning culminates in the Integrative Studio. Unique to the GAUD, the Integrative Studio combines the teaching of architectural design, building systems, and regulatory compliance into a single course. Collaboration is a fundamental aspect of the Integrative studio: students work on a single architectural project in teams, supported by GAUD faculty and a cohort of technical consultants from leading New York City firms. During the last two semesters, our M.Arch program further compliments the Integrative Studio with an advanced curriculum of studio and elective courses. In these advanced courses, students engage in directed research projects alongside a diverse group of faculty members from Pratt Institute and the architectural profession at large.
Our integrative approach begins, does not end, with our program. By integrating different modes of architectural knowledge and practice, and engaging audiences both within and outside the architectural professions, our M.Arch program equips graduates with the unique ability to intervene in the complex systems shaping the building and living environment.
Integrative Design:
Our M.Arch students are trained to make complex design decisions that integrate architectural ideas with structural, building, and regulatory systems. Their integrative thinking advances environmental stewardship, social equity, and community resilience in all aspects of design work.
Environmental Design Practice:
Our M.Arch students are trained to embrace their responsibility as stewards of the environment. Their work reflects a deep awareness of architecture’s impact on the living and building environments by integrating research on fragile ecosystems, ecologically responsive technologies, and sustainable materials.
Inclusive and Equitable Design:
Our M.Arch students are trained to view equity, diversity, and inclusion as an integral aspect of design. They understand their responsibility to consider diverse needs, values, and physical abilities in design practices, and act on that understanding by integrating an ethos of equity and inclusion in their architectural solutions.
Design Knowledge:
Our M.Arch students are trained to think critically about architecture’s role in the world. They use cutting-edge design methods, media, and technologies to advance architectural knowledge within the discipline and in culture more broadly.
Collaborative Design:
Our M.Arch students are trained to practice creative leadership that benefits their clients, communities, and society at large. Their design work builds relationships, from collaborations with consultants and industry experts to outreach with community partners and stakeholders.
Design Learning:
Our M.Arch students are trained to ask thought-provoking questions throughout their careers and their lives. They value forms of inquiry and collaborative exploration that deepen their understanding of architecture’s connections to complex systems, including bodies of historical-theoretical knowledge, socio-economic forces, environmental dynamics, and cultural contexts.
Take A Look At How Our Courses Advance Design Research And Thinking
Our faculty are leading practitioners, scholars, and educators, including a distinctive cohort of PhD candidates from top universities who share a common desire to develop each student’s potential and creativity to the fullest. Bringing different views, methods, and perspectives the faculty provide a rigorous educational model in which students make and learn. See all GAUD faculty and administrators.
Pratt’s department of Graduate Architecture and Urban Design (GAUD) balances knowledge and understanding, enhancing your individual capacities to ask often difficult and challenging questions facing the profession and discipline, specifically through design and with audiences outside of architecture and urban design. This program is intended for students holding a four-year undergraduate, nonprofessional degree in any field. Applicants with degrees from a four-year BSc in Architecture or BScEng in Architecture may qualify for advanced standing.
Integrative Studio
Unique to the GAUD, the Integrative Studio is a combined design and integrative building-systems course and brings together a number of related disciplines into a single project, which students develop in teams. An ensemble of technical consultants from world-leading firms in New York City work directly with GAUD faculty and students on their design projects engaging in facade design, structural design, energy design and more.
Directed Research
In your final two semesters, the advanced curriculum is focused on Directed Research studios and electives. Among the studios, you might apply to participate in the Studio of Experiments, which is an opportunity to work closely with a visiting faculty member on a directed research topic set by the department chair. Learn more about Directed Research.
Seminars, Lectures & Events
Immersive seminars, lectures and events accompany each semester. They explore contemporary issues in architectural practice and research, and foster discussion between students and prominent scholars. Exhibitions spotlight exceptional faculty and student work, and the student publication offers students opportunities to engage in theoretical, editorial, and writing activities.
Study Abroad
Immersing yourself in another culture is an incredible experience that can extend the boundaries of creativity. Study abroad programs are an integral part of the university experience, and Pratt has deep connections with university partners around the world. In the first, second, or third year, students may elect to participate in one or both of our international programs. See where you can go.
Learning Resources
We develop disciplinary fluency in our program of study and we celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of design critical to address the plurality and complexity of the environments in which we operate. Learn about resources.
Our Alumni
Pratt’s distinguished alumni are leading diverse and thriving careers, addressing critical challenges and creating innovative work that reimagines our world.
Career Opportunities:
Graduates from the M.Arch program go on to work in leading architectural firms and other creative fields, both nationally and internationally. Take a look at where some of our recent graduates work:
Where They Work
Architect – Morphosis
Junior Designer – BIG Bjarke Ingels Group
Architectural Designer — Foster + Partners
Director – KPF
Senior Associate – SHoP Architects
Architect – Woods Bagot
Lead Designer – Zaha Hadid Architects
Architectural Designer – UNStudio
Assistant Chair, Interior Design – Pratt Institute
Join us at Pratt. Learn more about admissions requirements, plan your visit, talk to a counselor, and start your application. Take the next step.
You’ll find yourself at home at Pratt. Learn more about our residence halls, student organizations, athletics, gallery exhibitions, events, the amazing City of New York and our Brooklyn neighborhood communities. Check us out.
Franklin D. Israel: A Life in Architecture. Presented by the Author, Todd Gannon Thursday, September 11th 6:15 - 8:15 pm Location: Higgins Hall Auditorium
Todd Gannon is a professor of architecture at The Ohio State University’s Knowlton School, where he was head of the architecture section from 2017 to 2022. He has held the Robert S. Livesey Professorship at the Knowlton School and the Cass Gilbert Visiting Professorship at the University of Minnesota. He also has taught at Otis College of Art and Design, UCLA, and SCI-Arc, where he coordinated the History + Theory curriculum from 2011 to 2017.
His new book, Franklin D. Israel: A Life in Architecture, examines the life and legacy of Franklin D. Israel, an influential member of the Los Angeles school of architects. Acclaimed Los Angeles architect Franklin D. Israel (1945–1996) created innovative residential projects and office interiors that made him one of the most talked-about designers of his generation. In this vivid account, architectural historian Todd Gannon draws on archival resources, analyses of Israel’s buildings, and recent interviews with the architect’s colleagues, clients, and contemporaries, including Frank Gehry, Thom Mayne, and Robert A. M. Stern. Gannon traces Israel’s development from his early years and career on the East Coast to his formative world travels and residence at the American Academy in Rome. The author guides readers through the Los Angeles architectural context, Israel’s influential teaching at UCLA, his dalliance with Hollywood, and the personal motivations behind his architecture and design work—all aspects of an influential career that was cut short by his death from AIDS-related complications at the age of fifty.
3. Tisch / Avnet Offices 4. Snellhouse 5. Goldberg-Bean House 6. Snellhouse 7. Dragerhouse 8. UC Riverside Arts Building 9. Mid-Atlantic Toyota Headquarters Building
@toddngannon
#pratt #prattinstitute #prattgalaud #prattsoa #architecture #lecture #toddgannon #franklindisrael #LAArchitecture #architecturelecture
PRIMER 2
Architectural Mediums Primer 2 is an intensive 2-week studio workshop that investigates concepts of advanced architectural representation and model making. Beginning with historical drawing precedents, students meticulously document, transcribe, and understand the drawing systems to develop a catalog of detailed architectural assets. These assets are used to develop a new representational narrative which is inserted back into the context in which it originally existed. The work is presented as an exhibition of architectural assets based on a historical topic students develop their own method of presentation to include how the final project is viewed, held, and positioned.
Student Work:
1. Courtney Masters | Instructor: Alex Tahinos
2. Harsh Panchal | Instructor: Alex Tahinos
3. Wonhee Cho | Instructor: Alex Tahinos
@tahinos @court.masters @harsh_panchalll @o._.neee_
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MasterofLandscapeArchitecture #MArchStudents #MasterofArchitecture #MSArchStudents #MasterofScienceinArchitecture #MSAUDStudents #MasterofScienceinUrbanDesign #PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA #houses #modelhouse #firstarchitectureproject
Resonance: Spatial Echoes Between Form, City, and System
MS.Arch and MSUD Selected Works | 2024-2025
August 28th - September 12th
Opening Reception: August 28th, Thursday, 6:15 pm
Location: Hazel & Robert H. Siegel Gallery, Higgins Hall
The exhibition features the curated work of Pratt Institute’s 2024–2025 MS.Arch and MSUD students. Spanning scales and temporalities, the projects explore fabrication, urban speculation, infrastructural reinvention, housing innovation, and architectural communication. At their core lies a shared curiosity: how design reverberates, how space can mirror the systems, contexts, and cultural forces that shape it. These echoes are not mere repetitions, but spatial responses - a form that registers its environment, a structure that adapts to pressure, a city that remembers. Together, they form a field of resonance where architecture and urbanism engage the world, reflecting its shifting ground.
@prattmsurbandesign
@aishaikhx @ann_abraham98 @bhavya_prajapati__ @falgunisakpal @dodo._.works @mithilapatil_ @renataaluna
@prattmsarch
@karnparekh_ @gyubbb_kim @a.normal.stone
#resonance #prattinstitute #prattsoa #prattgalaud #prattmsarch #prattmsud #urbandesign #exhibition #architecture #design
MS ARCH / MS UD | Fall 2024 - Summer 2025 | Instructors: Alex Tahinos, Fabian Llonch, Erich Schoenenberger, Oliver Schaper, Valeria Cedillos, and Peter Trummer
This work is the culmination of a year of research and design by students in studios led by Alex Tahinos, Fabian Llonch, Erich Schoenenberger, Oliver Schaper, Valeria Cedillos, and Peter Trummer
The Master of Science in Architecture program prepares students to become leaders in the field by employing innovative design research tools and methodologies to address the social and environmental challenges confronting modern cities.
The MS Urban Design sequence asks the urban surface to demonstrate new formats, media and strategies for urban resilience.Harnessing the space between oversized architectures and undersized territories in increasingly more densely populated 21st-century cities, you will cultivate an understanding of urban design’s central role in addressing climate change and social inequity. Urban fabric registers, and in many cases contributes to the simultaneous increase of human population, temperatures, carbon and flooding.
Student Work:
1. Kim GyuBeom and Jonathan Lee | Instructor: Fabian Llonch
2. Kim Bumsuk | Instructor: Fabian Llonch
3. Mithila Sunil Patil | Instructor: Peter Trummer and Pinar Araci
4. Bhavya Prajapati | Instructor: Peter Trummer and Pinar Araci
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents #PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
Welcome back, students! We are excited to kick off the Fall 2025 semester and look forward to an incredible term ahead.
Please join us tonight at 6:00 PM in the auditorium for the GA/LA/UD Chair’s Welcome.
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents #PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
ARCH 602 | Design 2: Interiorities & Contexts | Spring 2025 | Instructors: Olivia Vien | Students: Matthew Sikorski
This design studio addresses a specific site through its interior. It emphasizes the related conceptual and material impacts of this “inside out” approach. Circulation and its material and spatial qualities are explored through the design of a small building that responds to a detailed ensemble of architectural programs and the multiple contexts of a local institution. For this studio, the project involves designing a middle school on a vacant site in Greenpoint,Brooklyn, NY. Greenpoint is a diverse community located in a rapidly developing area of Brooklyn.
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents #PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
ARCH 704 | Design 4: Integrated Studio | Spring 2025 | Instructors: Hart Marlow | Students:Palesa Shabalala & Nadiri Wilson @nadiriwilson @pali.shab
Nature strives for balance, yet it’s repeatedly disrupted by catastrophic events—from ancient volcanic eruptions and mass extinctions to today’s human-driven CO₂ emissions that accelerate species loss and displace millions. In urban centers like New York City, where food is largely imported, a significant portion of edible food is wasted, missing an opportunity to recycle vital nutrients. Architects have a unique opportunity to contribute to ecological restoration by designing innovative urban infrastructure that minimizes environmental impact and embeds sustainable practices into everyday life. A valuable framework for this work is offered by the permaculture movement, which defines its goal as “the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems that possess the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems” This semester’s architectural challenge addresses the imbalance caused by urban food waste by capturing its nutrients and energy to boost urban agriculture. Students will design a
neighborhood composting facility that transforms food waste into a closed-loop resource for an agricultural greenhouse. Aerobic composting not only produces soil enhancers but also releases CO₂ (5), which can potentially increase agricultural yields by 30 to 40%. Beyond closing the nutrient loop, urban agriculture offers numerous benefits—it fosters self-sufficiency, exemplifies the natural cycles of our environment, generates local jobs, and produces fresh, edible food.
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
ARCH 806 | Design 6: Flow Flux Freeze | Spring 2025 | Instructors: Philip Parker | Students: Nil Islekel & Alara Ata
Students, working individually or in pairs, propose an Archive/Event space situated at the intersection of urban and natural environments in New York City’s parks and edges. The studio, Flow Flux Freeze, imagines architecture as porous and open to connection, attentive to how assemblies emerge through molecular exchanges and localized dynamics among particles, strands, and pressures translating into tectonic shifts at the scale of building. Each project investigates material strategies for embracing temporal change, hybridizing digital and physical archives, and incorporating participatory roles within urban nature. Students develop media that responds to material transformation, while remaining aware of tool-specific limitations and the multiplicity of design and feedback techniques. Projects operate across scales, materials, speeds, and sensory media, proposing new ways to assemble and narrate architectural intent.
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
ARCH 602 | Design 2: Interiorities & Context | Spring 2025 | Instructors: Poyao Shih | Students: Alexandros Vamvakas
This design studio addresses a specific site through its interior. It emphasizes the related conceptual and material impacts of this “inside out” approach. Circulation and its material and spatial qualities are explored through the design of a small building that responds to a detailed ensemble of architectural programs and the multiple contexts of a local institution. For this studio, the project involves designing a middle school on a vacant site in Greenpoint,Brooklyn, NY. Greenpoint is a diverse community located in a rapidly developing area of Brooklyn.
#Architecture #MLAStudents #MArchStudents #MSArchStudents #MSAUDStudents
#PrattMArch #PrattInstitute #Design #StudentWork #PrattGALAUD #PrattSOA
