i. institutional support and commitment to continuous improvement

School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects
Master of Architecture
Master of Architecture with emphasis in Interior Architecture
o Spring 2010: Frank Hertzman, the IDP coordinator for Illinois, was a guest speaker in ARCH/
INARC 6123 Codes, Specs, Joints, and Seams to discuss internships with the second-year
Architecture and Interior Architecture students and first-year Interior Architecture students.
o Spring 2010: Ten SAIC students (primarily first and third year) attended a special IDP evening
event for students and interns at the AIA Chicago, led by NCARB staff and Frank Hertzman.
o Summer 2010: SAIC representatives (students and IDP coordinator faculty) attended two
IDP events that took place beyond SAIC.
o Summer 2010: Professor Sterk attended the IDP coordinators conference in Chicago and
gained access to AIA IDP coordinator resources.
o Fall 2010: Presentation by NCARB Illinois on professional licensure to MArch students.
2) Education for the practice of architecture
The sixth semester ARCH/INARC 6222 Sustaining Practice Economies is taken by all tracks in the MArch
program. It covers a wider range of material than the IDP and architectural registration, but it clearly repeats
and reinforces the information first delivered in the course ARCH/INARC 6123 Codes, Specs, Joints, and
Seams. Other topics in ARCH/INARC 6222 Sustaining Practice Economies include:
o A survey of the history of practices
o conventional/alternative practices (with field trips to a local cross-section of office sizes and
types)
o IDP, ARE, registration, licensure, reciprocity, and continuing education, as well as the roles
and resources of the AIA and NCARB
o business, contracts, termination, errors and omissions, insurance, binding arbitration, waivers,
and certificates
o relationships with consultants
o job research and search.
3) Education by professional architects
The central location of the AIADO program in Chicago’s Loop facilitates professional architects contributions
to the education of MArch students. Some practicing architects serve as long-time adjunct faculty members
teaching particular classes for years. Despite busy schedules, other practicing architects teach single classes
in collaboration with AIADO faculty members. In Fall 2010 Brian Vitale from Gensler is co-teaching with
Professor Linda Keane in the first semester architecture design studio. Practicing architects also join regular
academic critiques at the mid- and endpoint of each academic term.
4) Education by consulting professional engineers and experts
The Integrated Technical Practice thread of five sequential classes gives professional engineers and experts
substantial time in class to overlap and collaborate with architectural faculty members while teaching.
This class structure presents a genuine reflection of the way generalist architects, experts, and engineers
collaborate in professional offices. Examples include professional structural engineers, professional BIM
experts, electronic systems and programming experts, and HVAC experts—all of whom regularly teach in
required courses in the MArch program side by side with architects. A long-term teaching relationship has
been developed between AIADO department and Thornton Thomasetti structural engineering, and the
department plans to expand its regular teaching relationships to include other firms such as Skidmore,
Owings & Merrill LLP; Gensler & Associates; and O’Donnell, Wicklund, Pigozzi & Peterson Architects, Inc. The
goal in this integrated teaching structure is to present basic engineering ideas and methods in a context
where they are heard, understood, and incorporated into the course assignments by the architectural faculty
who remain present throughout the class, thereby legitimating the engineering knowledge for the students.
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