Graduate Concentrations

CULTURAL STUDIES/SACRED SPACE

Program: Graduate students participating in this program explore the impact of culture and the sacred in architecture, settlement, geography and landscape. This exploration occurs primarily in the design studio and related seminars, as well as extensive global travel, that examine a variety of historic case studies, theoretical positions and architectural strategies within a cultural context and, in particular, in the articulation of sacred space.

Objective: The School of Architecture and Planning, founded in 1911, has a long history of exploring issues in this concentration. While the core issues of this concentration are intrinsic to the university's mission, the program also explores ecumenical and broader definitions of sacredness. Moreover, as culture, landscape and the sacred are of increasing concern in global architectural practice, the concentration draws upon and hosts a highly diverse student body from throughout the world, especially from Washington's international community.

Resources: In addition to the concentration courses offered within the School of Architecture and Planning, many other opportunities exist for students within the concentration. The school offers off-campus workshops exploring the spirit of place through historic and contemporary architecture and landscapes in the Middle East, Asia, South America and Europe, most notably Spirit of Place|Spirit of Design. Studio-based Foreign Study programs allow students to explore European cultural contexts in cities such as Rome, Barcelona and Paris. The program takes advantage of the National Geographic Society, as well as courses drawn from the university's School of Theology and Religious Studies, the departments of anthropology and art, and courses offered through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.

Director: Travis Price, AIA
tel: 202-364-0092 ext. 1; e-mail: pricet@cua.edu