USC School of Architecture

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USC School of Architecture

The USC School of Architecture offers programs in architecture, landscape architecture + urbanism, b

Established in 1919, the USC School of Architecture offers undergraduate and graduate architectural studies in the context of a world-class research university. The first accredited school of architecture in Southern California, USC counts among its alumni, two Pritzker-Prize-winners, Frank Gehry ’84 and Thom Mayne ’69. Undergraduate students can choose between the 5-year, professional Bachelor of

Architecture, the 4-year Bachelor of Science, and the Bachelor of Science in GeoDesign. At the graduate level, the School offers Master's programs in a diverse range of disciplines (architecture, landscape architecture, building science, and heritage conservation), as well as a unique selection of dual degrees. Students at all levels can take advantage of global studies opportunities in Europe, Asia, and North & South America. Additionally, one of the particular advantages of being a USC Architecture student is the School’s relationship with the USC Architectural Guild, an organization that lends professional guidance and financial support to students, faculty, and alumni, as well as providing a vital link to the profession. All of this (and more) takes place in Los Angeles, a highly original, diverse city that challenges preconceptions and serves as an incubator for new ideas and practices.

09/01/2026

Spend an evening with your peers at USC Fisher Museum of Art with after-hours access to Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered. Free food and beverages and a live DJ!

Join the party September 24, 2026 @ 6 PM – 9 PM

Students RSVP here: https://buff.ly/HXiT4Cg

and.advocacy

08/27/2026

5th Year B.Arch students Ashwin Yogaratnam and Emma Perea represented USC Architecture as Flag and Banner bearers at New Student Convocation, USC's official welcome to the Trojan Family.

Faculty members Valery Augustin and Scott Mitchell served as Marshals.

08/26/2026

Celebrate the opening day of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art with an exclusive evening featuring the architect behind one of Los Angeles’ most anticipated cultural landmarks: Ma Yansong, founder of MAD Architects. Discover how architecture can transcend physical space to create connections between people, cities, and nature.

Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Location: Bovard Auditorium (ADM)
Admission is free and open to everyone. Reservations required.

What to Expect:
Yansong will give a presentation on his architectural practice, including the vision and design of the Lucas Museum, followed by a roundtable discussion moderated by Walter Mariotti, the editorial director of Domus.

RSVP here: https://buff.ly/H5ZdH15

08/25/2026

Dean Steele welcomed 124 incoming undergraduates last Friday at the Undergrad Open House. Welcome, USC Trojans! ✌️ We're so happy to have you here!

08/24/2026

"Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered,” on view NOW at the USC Fisher Museum of Art from through July 2027, with companion exhibitions at LACMA, and Getty Research Institute.

Here is a peek at the first curator walk through led by USC Professor and Associate Dean Amy Murphy.

The exhibition debuts archival drawings, photographs, and plans and pairs them with newly commissioned works by leading contemporary artists, architects, and filmmakers: Edgar Arceneaux; Current Interests (Matthew Au and Mira Henry); enFOLD Collective (Dana McKinney White and Megan Echols); Darell W. Fields; David Hartt; Cory Henry; and Amanda Williams, as well as a selection of existing works by photographers Julius Shulman and Janna Ireland.

08/20/2026

USC Architecture students Isabella Chae and Justin Lee were finalists in an urban toilet designing competition. Faculty members Gary Paige and Amanda Ortland led a design studio where students studied the Tokyo Toilets Initiative and then made a proposal for their own public restroom facility in a chosen location in Tokyo.

AALU ARCH-424: Field Studies in Architecture
Case Study: Anatomy of The Tokyo Toilet
Fall 2025

The Tokyo Toilet Project (TTT), launched in 2020 by the Nippon Foundation, is a groundbreaking public design initiative that reimagines one of the most overlooked aspects of urban infrastructure: public restrooms.

08/18/2026

This past semester, Grayson Seibert had the opportunity to study abroad through the USC Architecture’s Mediterranean Program, living and studying in London, Rome, and Barcelona.

"Experiencing these cities firsthand challenged the way I think about architecture, urbanism, and the role design plays in shaping everyday life.

One of the highlights of the semester was developing El Rebost, a proposal for Escola Pere Vila in Barcelona, which responds to the impacts of mass tourism. The initial research phase was completed alongside Bella Hoffman and Marta Comas, with the final design developed in collaboration with Yasmin Bola-Akindele. Our proposal reimagined the courtyard of Escola Pere Vila as a community kitchen, pantry, and gathering space rooted in the Catalan concept of the rebost. A subterranean playground and climate refuge created shaded public space while preserving the existing courtyard above, exploring how architecture can strengthen local communities through adaptive reuse rather than expansion.

I'm incredibly grateful to my professors, classmates, and everyone who made this experience possible. As I return to USC for my final year of architecture school, I'm excited to carry these lessons and experiences into future projects."

08/11/2026

Housing that adapts to wildfire risk among projects from University of Southern California. Read more in the dezeen article!

https://buff.ly/N7F15qL

Student work:
Swarm Form by Reed Wilson
The Destruction Protocol by Aliya Formeloza
Subversive by AJ Zhang
Cracking for Ferality: The Sidewalk as a Site of Co-Inhabitance by Joseph Monticciolo
Amphibious Futures by Garett Lee

08/03/2026

"Episodic Speckled Interventions" by Tim Sung Bin Son, B.Arch 2026

We live in a reality where we are dealing with buildings of old with short half-lives and building things that are projected to have even shorter ones. In such a condition, architects should not produce a final form, but actively choreograph the uneven persistence and expiration of building parts, assemblies, and spatial forms. The architect's potency lies in setting the lifespans, interfaces, and tectonic logics that steer future behavior, growth, and change. Architecture isn't about resisting decay. It is about staging succession, where the staggered countdowns of components allow for incremental continuation rather than total erasure.

07/29/2026

The Association of Licensed Architects announced the winners of the 2026 ALA Student Merit Awards. Submissions came from architecture programs across the country, and each project was judged on design excellence, technical skill, and creativity. Among the winners was Ruiqiao (Rachel) Wang and Summer Qin winning Honorable Mention for "Amusement! Without Rides"

Address

Watt Hall, Suite 204
Los Angeles, CA
90089

Website

http://arch.usc.edu/

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