Programs and Objectives

The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture is deeply committed to creating a just, sustainable, and imaginative future for a rapidly urbanizing planet. Through innovative research and interdisciplinary collaboration, the degree programs in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, and Sustainability in the Urban Environment seek to educate a diverse student body to become engaged professionals, both reflecting and enriching the complex communities of local and global environments. The School acts in the spirit of the City College of New York’s historic Ephebic Oath: “To transmit the city, not only not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.”

The Architecture program empowers students to design for the betterment of our shared global community. At the School, the only public school of architecture in New York City, our professional B.Arch. program is shaped by the diversity of our students, the inventive research of our faculty, and by multidisciplinary collaborations. We prepare students to be-come engaged designers and to deploy an expansive set of skills to address pressing social, cultural, environmental, and professional challenges. With a rigorous foundation in the core competencies of building design, history, theory, and technologies, and with an emphasis on agile thinking, the Architecture programs aim to educate the next generation of innovators redefining the role of the architect in the twenty-first century.

The Architecture program leads students through the artistic, technical, intellectual and social process of designing buildings, communities and open spaces. All students are enrolled in this course of study, which leads to the Bachelor of Architecture (the professional degree for licensure) in five years.

A student may elect to obtain the B.S. in Architectural Studies after four years of study. An individual who obtains the 4-year B.S. in Architectural Studies degree at City College may not obtain a Bachelor of Architecture degree at City College.

History

The program in architecture leading to the professional degree was initiated in September 1961, within the School of Engineering and Architecture. In July 1968, a separate School of Architecture and Environmental Studies was created. In September 1971, the Urban Landscape and Urban Design options were added to the programs of the School. The J. Max Bond Center for Urban Futures evolved from the City College Architectural Center, which was founded in 1980. With the inauguration of our current building, in 2009 the School was renamed The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture.

Curriculum

The educational program of the School is separated into two interdependent phases. Each phase has a specific emphasis.

In Phase 1 (first, second, and third years), the student is offered a general education in liberal arts and sciences as well as  a core curriculum within the School; the core curriculum is comprised of architectural design, history of architecture, architectural technology & structures, visual and computational studies. Together, these courses provide essential and varied core competencies that empower the student to deploy and expansive set of skills to address pressing social, cultural, environmental, and professional challenges.    

Phase 2 (fourth and fifth years) is devoted to advanced studies in architecture along with the development of the student’s independent thinking and interests.  Along with electives in and outside of the School, the student participates in Advanced Studios. These are design and research laboratories that seek – through specific proposals – to address a range of discreet pressing topics and interests. 

Liberal Arts Credit Requirements

The following applies to all students who enter The City College of New York either as a first year or a transfer student: To obtain a Bachelor of Science degree, a minimum of sixty (60) credits must be earned in courses that are classified as Liberal Arts and Science courses. For a Bachelor of Architecture a minimum of thirty (30) credits must be earned in courses that are classified as Liberal Arts and Sciences courses. Credits taken at or transferred into City College are subject to this requirement based on New York State Regulations.

Research

The J. Max Bond Center is founded on the legacy of architect and former Dean J. Max Bond, Jr. (1935-2009) and the City College Architecture Center (CCAC), which operated in the 1980s and 1990s as an influential pro bono architecture and planning service for underserved communities throughout New York City.

To architect J. Max Bond, Jr. (1935-2009), social equity was a core value, as was design integrity. Founded in 2011 and through 2015 The J. Max Bond Center for the Just City at CCNY advanced Max’s vision through collaborative faculty research projects, urban design advocacy and projects, leadership development, and educational programs at its home within the Spitzer School of Architecture.

The center was re-established and renamed The J. Max Bond Center for Urban Futures in 2018. The Center honors its past with its mission to advance our collective urban futures toward greater social equity and cultural cohesion. Our methodology and belief is that social impact and innovation are both achievable and actionable through applied research and design.

The center offers research opportunities for students including independent study for credit. 

Selected Awards, Scholarships and Honors

Alumni Association Scholarships

Architecture Alumni Group Scholarship

Most Outstanding Student Awards: Years 1 – 5

Faculty History and Theory Award

Bernard L. Spanier Memorial Scholarship Fund

Ecole D’Art de Fontainebleau Scholarship

AIA New York Center for Architecture Design Scholarship

AIA/New York Chapter Eleanor Allwork Scholarship

AIA Bronx Empowerment Scholarship Award

AIA/Certificate of Merit

Carol J. Weissman Kurth Women in Architecture Scholarship

AIA Medal of Academic Excellence

Henry Adams Award

Alpha Rho Chi Bronze Medal
Academic Excellence in Core Medal

J. Max Bond, Jr. Award

FXCollaborative Diversity

FX Collaborative Scholarship

Gerner, Kronick & Valcarcel Art of Architecture Scholarship

HOK NY x CCNY Diversity Scholarship
Joseph L. Fleischer, FAIA, Scholarship for Design Excellence Scholarship

WX Women in Real Estate Scholarships

Bernard and Anne Spitzer Tuition Scholarships

Frank J. Sciame Jr Design Scholarship 

Castagna Scholarships

Accreditation

In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards. 

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree. 

The City College of the City University of New York, Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs: 

B. Arch. (160 undergraduate credits) 

M. Arch. (non-professional degree + 108 credits) 

Next accreditation visit for all NAAB-accredited programs: 2025.

The five-year professional degree (Bachelor of Architecture) is registered by the New York State Education Department.

Admissions

Freshmen

For information about academic requirements, application procedures, placement examinations and special admissions programs, consult the front of this Bulletin.

Changing Majors within the College

Students at City College who want to change their major to architecture must apply to the School of Architecture. A limited number of applicants may be accepted each year.

Transfer and Previous Degree Students

Students with previous college course work or degrees may be exempted from some of the required and elective general education courses. An evaluation of a student’s transfer credits is made by the Spitzer School advisement. Those wishing to apply must complete a CUNY Transfer Application. Once accepted students are individually evaluated on the basis of past academic work. A portfolio is required only for those who previously studied architecture.

Applicants from Other Institutions

Applicants who have earned a B.S. degree in Architecture at another institution should submit a transfer student application. Accepted applicants will be asked to present a portfolio containing examples of their work. Placement in studio is based on portfolio evaluation.

Registration and Advisement

Pre-Registration

All Architecture students must see an academic advisor before registration. At these times, advisors will consult on matters of registration, program, credits, academic standing, or personal problems related to the student’s professional career.

Program Planning Procedures

Entering freshmen are advised by an advisor in the School of Architecture. At the advisement session, they prepare a program for the coming semester. The approval of an advisor is required for any change in an approved curricular program.

Most courses offered by the School are part of a sequence. Since every course in this Bulletin is not offered every semester, students should be careful to plan programs that can be completed in the required number of semesters.

Depending on prior coursework and or math placement, a student may be required to complete the prerequisite sequence Math 19000 to Math 19500.

Most courses offered by the School have prerequisites, which are listed immediately after the course descriptions. The prerequisites must be successfully completed before the course that requires them can be taken.

Students may not register for two sequential courses simultaneously in Architectural Studio, History/Theory, or Construction Technology, unless they have been granted permission by an Academic Advisor in consultation with course faculty.

If the student wishes to drop a course that is a corequisite of another course, both must be dropped.

During Phase 1, students with an overall average of 2.33 and a 2.33 in professional courses and a successful portfolio review are permitted to proceed from second year to third year. During Phase 2, all students are required to submit an acceptable portfolio at the beginning of the second semester of fourth year.

Students who have earned a B average in the preceding term, and who have no grade below a C in any subject studied that term, may be permitted to take more than 17 credits.

Students are expected to attend the School full-time and carry a minimum of 12 credits.

Students are responsible for seeing that they complete all requirements necessary for graduation. Students are also responsible for informing the Office of the Registrar if at any time they have reason to believe their records are incorrect.

Students who suspend their studies must apply for re-entry.

Advisement

Director of Undergraduate Affairs

Ms. Amy Daniel
SSA 133; 650-8748

Senior Academic Advisor

Mr. Tony Bowles
SSA 131; 650-5406

Facilities

The Architecture Library

The Architecture Library contains more than 30,000 volumes related to the programs of the School. It currently receives 70 periodicals, and has a collection of 11,000 pamphlets and pictures. Public workstations in the library offer web access. The Morris Raphael Cohen Library and the Science/Engineering Library are also available for student use. Professor Nilda Sanchez-Rodriguez is the Chief Librarian of the Architectural Library.

The Fabrication Shops

Students use the shop to make models that enable them to study design solutions in three dimensions and to analyze construction details and methods. The shop is equipped with laser cutter, 3d printers and CNC equipment as well as hand and power tools for wood and plastic. Instruction is provided in the use of equipment. Use of the shop is integral to the design curriculum, beginning with the first year studio.

The Digital Labs

The Digital Labs, housed in large central spaces in the School, provide students with a variety of networked computer equipment for carrying out graphic and design and building modeling projects. Advanced software for drafting, drawing, mapping and rendering as well as other applications are available. The labs are also used for teaching the various computer courses offered in the School.

 Faculty

Ahu Aydogan, Associate Professor 
B.Arch., Uludag University, M.Arch., M.S. Izmir Institute of Technology; M.S., Ph.D. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Nandini Bagchee, Associate Professor
B.Arch., Cooper Union; S.M.Arch.S, M.I.T; R.A.

Cesare Birignani, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Columbia University

Mohammad Bolhassani, Assistant Professor
B.Sc. K.N. Toosi Univ. of Tech. (Iran); M.S., Drexel Univ., Ph.D.

Mi-Tsung Chang, Assistant Professor
B.Arch., Pratt Institute, M.Arch.; Ph.D., Union Institute 

Jeremy Edmiston, Associate Professor
B. Arch., Univ. of Technology (Australia); M.S., Columbia Univ.; R.A.

Ifeoma Ebo, Assistant Professor
B. Arch., Cornell University; M.C.P., MIT

Gordon A. Gebert, Professor
B.Arch., M.I.T.; M.Arch., Princeton Univ.; R.A.

Marta Gutman, Professor and Dean
B.A., Brown Univ.; M.Arch., Columbia Univ.; Ph.D., Univ. of California (Berkeley)

Jerome Haferd, Assistant Professor
B.S., Ohio State University, M.Arch., Yale University

Denise Hoffman-Brandt, Professor
B.A., Univ. of Pennsylvania; M.F.A., Pratt Institute; M.L.A, University of Pennsylvania; A.S.L.A.

Bradley Horn, Associate Professor
B.Arch., The Cooper Union; M.Arch., Columbia Univ.; R.A.

Fran Leadon, Associate Professor
B.Arch., Univ. of Florida; M.Arch, Yale Univ.; R.A.

Fabian Llonch, Associate Professor
M.Arch., Univ. of Washington

Frank Melendez, Associate Professor
B.A., University of Arizona; M.Arch., Yale Univ.

Shawn Rickenbacker, Associate Professor
B.Arch., Syracuse Univ.; M.Arch., Univ. of Virginia

Julio Salcedo-Fernandez, Associate Professor
B.A., Rice Univ.; M. Arch., Harvard Univ.; R.A.

Elisabetta Terragni, Professor
M.Arch., Facolta di Architettura, Politecnico di Milano

Christian Volkmann, Associate Professor
Dipl. Arch. ETH, Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule (Switzerland)

Laura Wainer, Assistant Professor
B.A., Universidad de Buenos Aires, M.S. The New School University, Ph.D., M.I.T.

Sean Weiss, Associate Professor and Chair
B.A., Vassar College; Ph.D., Art History, Graduate Center, CUNY

June P. Williamson, Professor and Director of M.Arch and M.S. in Arch
B.A., Yale Univ.; M.Arch., M.I.T.; M.U.P., The City College of New York; R.A.

Zihao Zhang, Assistant Professor
B.Eng., Beijing Forestry University, M.L.A., University of Virginia, Ph.D., University of Virginia

Professors Emeriti

Jonathan Barnett
Carmi Bee
Horst Berger
Hillary Brown
Lance Jay Brown
Alan Feigenberg
M. Paul Friedberg
Peter Gisolfi
David E. Guise
Ghislaine Hermanuz
James B. Jarrett
Hanque Macari
Garrison McNeil
M. Rosaria Piomelli
Labelle Prussin
Donald P. Ryder
Bernard P. Spring
Achva Benzinberg Stein
Lee Weintraub