Director:
William Jelen, AIA
tel: 202-319-5188
email
The mission of CUAdc is to train effective architects with a strong social commitment by guiding architecture students through actual design projects. CUAdc provides opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom, thereby fostering a lifelong commitment to continuing education, and allows them to gain hands-on experience through work on actual projects with community clients.
CUAdc provides architectural services to those nonprofit and community groups in the District of Columbia who could not otherwise afford architectural design services with the ultimate goal of repairing and improving the city, its neighborhoods and its buildings.
CUAdc Model
CUAdc design teams consist of architecture faculty, staff, and students. All teams are directed and supervised by a faculty member with a professional license to practice architecture in the District of Columbia. When appropriate, additional faculty within the school, alumni, and scholars in other CUA departments serve as members of design teams.
Participating faculty members direct and work side-by-side with architecture students. To be eligible, an undergraduate student must have completed three years of their B.S. in Architecture program. All graduate students enrolled in the M.Arch. 2 (or those with advanced standing) are eligible to participate. Students enrolled in the M.Arch. 3 program are eligible after completing their first year.
Students meeting the eligibility requirements are invited to submit applications for CUAdc. Applications consist of a letter of interest, resume and portfolio. A short list of applicants will be interviewed by the participating faculty members and selected based on their academic and design ability, as well as their commitment to the mission and requirements of CUAdc, professionalism, and ability to work within the team structure. All students who participate will receive 3 credits toward their degree requirements. Enrollment in the Intern Development Program (IDP) is required for participation in CUAdc. The number of students retained per semester will vary based upon the number of projects underway.
Client Selection
It is expected that CUAdc clients will include nonprofit institutions in the District of Columbia, including organized community groups and religious organizations. CUAdc is a mission driven program and works with organizations that support its mission, as well as the mission of The Catholic University of America. Projects must be compatible with the research and mission objectives of CUAdc and commensurate with faculty expertise, reasonableness of project, and areas of interest. As an academic institution working with architectural students, projects are pursued on a one-semester basis.
In the selection process, CUAdc will consider a number of factors, including 1) the number of projects currently underway at CUAdc, 2) the scope of work and CUAdc’s ability to manage a project of its size, 3) financial resources in hand that will allow the project to be built in a timely manner and 4) compatibility of client with mission of CUAdc.
Application Process
To work with CUAdc, community groups and organizations should adhere to the following steps:
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Contact William Jelen, director, at 202-319-5188 or by email at jelen@cua.edu to discuss the project.
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If it is determined by CUAdc that the organization and its proposed project might be eligible, a representative of the organization submits an application (see attached).
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Once the application has been received, the request will be reviewed.
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Following a meeting with the organization, CUAdc will provide a written proposal that will address the scope of the work, the parties involved, a schedule of when the work could begin and how long it will last and the cost to execute the work.
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Once the contract agreement has been made, CUAdc will proceed as outlined in the letter of agreement.
Fees
CUAdc’s fees are solely determined by its direct and indirect overhead.
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