A Current Student's Reflection on her Architecture Education

What is architecture school like in 2022? How are the studio courses structured? What kind of projects do architecture students of today work on? Architecture schools of 2022 can be influenced by many factors: digital and physical tools, history, sustainability, professional experience, outside activities, and connection with others.

My name is Abby McCue, and I am from Northborough, MA. I am a rising third-year architecture student at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. I am also pursuing minors in music composition and landscape architecture. In addition to my education, at NC State I participate in multiple activities to build my leadership, teamwork, and time management skills. Some of the organizations that I am part of include AIAS, my sorority, and an honor fraternity. Outside of school, I run a small Etsy shop, do freelance graphic design, and am a childcare provider.

These different opportunities and activities help shape my unique experiences in architecture school. Being exposed to multiple avenues of creativity has allowed me to learn more about my interests and approach to the design process. I have found that exploring different areas of interest is helpful in the broad scope of architecture, as it is a cross-disciplinary field.

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Reflecting on Sustainability in Architecture on Earth Day 2022

Earth Day is a day we are called upon to focus on environmental sustainability. Sustainability, in the architecture and building industry, is becoming more significant as the urban built environment is responsible for 75% of annual global GHG emissions: and buildings alone account for 39%.

When the first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970, air pollution was a major problem in most US cities. Now, a half century and a geologic age worth of carbon later, global carbon emissions are up about 90%, and we are facing a new crisis. On this earth day, people and companies are taking time to reflect on the beauty of our planet, and recognizing the importance of taking care of it for future generations.

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Toward Carbon Positive Architecture

Educational Program to be Held at WPI on April 6 at 5pm

Carbon positive and net zero energy buildings are a cornerstone of reversing runaway greenhouse gas emissions.

Join the Central Massachusetts AIA for an educational session that will look at lessons learned from more than a decade in net-zero construction and its evolution from mission-driven clients to potential mass market adoption.

Blake Jackson (pictured, right), AIA/LEED Fellow, US Northeast Sustainability Leader from Stantec Boston will present two case studies of recent projects, as part of his presentation:

1) the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO (a LEED Platinum, 2011 AIA COTE Top 10 Award winning project), and

2) Evolv1, a developer core/shell office building in Waterloo, Ontario (LEED Platinum and Canada’s 1st verified Carbon Positive Building – 2018).

Letter from AIA Central Massachusetts President, Jack Moran

Dear AIA Central Massachusetts Member,

Happy New Year! We begin 2022 with cautious optimism that it will bring back a sense of normalcy – even if that means a new normal. 

Despite all the challenges that 2021 threw at us, we had a very successful year. We organized 8 programs, providing our members with the opportunity to earn 13.5 continuing education learning units, including:  

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