Architecture 609: Thesis Design
Fall 2007

Committee Structure

Kent Abraham, chair, with Rauzia Ally, Hazel Edwards, Chris Grech, George Martin, Judith Meany, Lavinia Pasquina and Temple Washington
Matt Geiss, chair, with Lou Boza, Ann Cederna, Caterina Frisone, Vyt Gureckas, Eric Jenkins, Terrance Williams, and John Yanik
Barry Yatt, chair, with Raj Barr, Carlos Barrios, Miriam Gusevich, Bill Jelen, Jay Kabriel, Andreea Mihalace, and Adnan Morshed

For information specific to a particular committee, such as meeting dates and times, click on the chairs names above.

For general information common to all committees, see below:

Click here for an Introduction to a thesis research and design process.
Click here for examples of the kind of layout mock-up required at the Stop-Go review

Final thesis design presentation schedule:

Wednesday, Dec 12: X committee's students
Thursday, Dec 13: X committees' students

Important Notes

First task

At the start of the thesis design semester, each student will prepare a schedule of work (not of time)for their thesis. The schedule will divide the effort needed to complete the thesis into manageable packages. It will indicate the scope of work expected to be prepared for each of the packages, and identify criteria that will be used to determine if that part of the work is complete. There is no need to try to predict the amount of time each package will take to prepare, although students are encouraged to try. This schedule of work will be critiqued at the second thesis design meeting for its feasibility and its usefulness as a guide, both for you and for the faculty members on your committee.

Progress

Once approved, students will be expected to fulfill the scope of work listed for each package in their schedules before continuing to the next. When all of the packages are completed, students will be asked to present their theses at the next regularly scheduled Thesis Jury. Such juries are held twice a year, in December and in May. Students who are not ready for one of these juries, even if by only a few weeks or even days, will be allowed to continue working on their theses until they are ready, and then present at the next regularly scheduled Thesis Jury. There is no implied or expected length of time necessary to complete a thesis--it is a question of how soon a student can complete the work they identify in the schedule they prepare during the first week or two of their first thesis design semester.

Consultants

Two thesis consultants are available to help any thesis student wishing a consultation. Take advantage of their availability:

Glen Smith on issues of landscape architecture. For an appointment, e-mail him at glarue@earthlink.net or phone him at 202-387-4626.
Antonio Elmiger on issues of structure and constructibility. For an appointment, phone him at 202-265-9139 or look for the appointment request sheet he usually posts in the thesis student part way through the semester.

Submittal

At the conclusion of their theses, all students will be required to submit two permanently bound hard copies as well as CD or DVD copies of their thesis research and design work. They will be submitted to the student's advocate, one for the advocate's collection and the other for the CUA library archive. Failure to do so will delay graduation.

The content of this website and its subsidiary webpages was either developed and written by the thesis faculty, or was submitted by others in response to these contents or the requirements of the course. The School does not warrant the accuracy of the information contained herein. Further, the website does not necessarily reflect the attitudes of the School of Architecture of The Catholic University of America or of American architects in general.

Last Revised 12-Mar-08 08:36 AM.