Southern California Institute of Architecture / SCI-Arc

if you are set on pursuing architecture and are interested in producing innovative, avant-​garde designs then this school is for you!
I’m currently in my 1^st year of grad school at SCI-​Arc coming In with bachelor degrees that are completely unrelated, I can give you my two-​cent on how school life here is radically different from any other school life that you’ve been through.
the only degree you can pursue here is architecture with a variation in focuses depending on programs but overall, this school is just architecture so in that sense, all you hear about day-​in and day-​out is architecture. at first, it was too much for me. I wanted to just get away from school at least for the weekend and forget about architecture. but there is no escape since you always need to put in many hours even on the weekends to produce quality work. after one semester, I’ve assimilated myself into this new culture of thinking towards architecture and about my own studio work.
this school is like a sweatshop of architecture. people will work hard in pursuit of producing aesthetically pleasing, quality work at whatever cost. whether it’s paying $ 10k to complete their thesis work, paying $ 200 for one large print job, creating pedestals and shelves to create a gallery quality presentation and also working at school for many days without showering or sleeping. essentially, presentation is everything here. I’ve asked several students who have previously studied at other architecture schools and they all agree: expectations for presentation quality work is much higher here.
people here come from all walks of life. more than half are international students; therefore, people have different ideas/​personalities/​customs/​backgrounds, which has allowed me to open up my mind. but I have to say, I’ve met a lot of interesting and/​or strange people. but perhaps that’s what makes them so creative. this is definitely a whole another world compared to my typical, large, public school undergrad experience. on the upside, people here are nice in the sense that people are willing to help you. there is a sense of studio culture as we all are in it together — a sense of community. however, when it comes to critiques, there is a sense of competitiveness that looms the air. everyone is quite driven here and will take whatever measures to get their presentations right.
in my short time here, I have done countless all-​nighters, stressed out profusely, and have pushed myself harder than I can imagine. I’ve grown as a person and changed my values on life. Having been stripped of my basic needs as a human being, I value sleep more than anything and practice time management with rigor. the one thing I look forward to in the day is eating and that gives me the most pleasure in life for now. This school has definitely reshaped me as a person and Id like to see how much more I can transform and mature.

The School that Changed a City
I write this review not as an alumni but as an Angeleno.
When the Sci-​arc moved to its current location from Marina del Rey in 2000 the surrounding neighborhood was empty, desolate, and filled with crime and homeless. People say there are three things that fuel a thriving community: housing, dining, and schools. It has been almost over a decade since housing and restaurants slowly and carefully moved in, but it wasn’t until Sci-​arc finally purchased the build that it rented for so many years.
That catapulted the community into the fast lane. Housing sky rocked, hip restaurants and boutique stores moved in, mega complexes started to get built. It’s a milestone that changed the entire eastside of Los Angeles.
Architects Home Grown
The connective tissue between Sci-​arc and downtown Los Angeles is undeniable and beneficial to both parties. Students and faculty architects are deeply engrained in the current rising of Downtown Los Angeles.

Took a tour of the historic Sci-​Arc building while an Arts District architectural tour led by docents. If you have the opportunity to walk through the school, you’ll find it quite interesting if you’re even a casual fan of architecture and design. Head up to library and you’ll find a custom made conference table worth admiring and photographing.

Unlike the other reviewers, I went here to look at their Exhibit callled A Confederacy of Heretics, but I had such a difficult time getting in the building (I had walked from Pershing Square!) but between the officious security guard and the lack of any
helpful signs, I was so irritated by the time i had climbed the stairs to look at the
exhibit, that most of it was wasted on me! I did note that one of their grads
got his degree from Washington University (in St Louis) which I attended (while not studying at Berkeley iin the 60’s) and i know they have other luminaries, but the whole
sereis of drawings, cubicles, students working on what i don’t know, just left me
cold. The place did not seem to me to be ‘user friendly’ and there are no signs that tell you the exhibit is actually open on Saturday-​maybe it’s me, but I’ve seen alot
more interesting and understandable work elsewhere, and never have i been
given as rude a ‘welcome’ as the security guard, who should find another line
of work if you ask me. He basically said «What are you doing here?»

I am having a hard time really writing this review because the news I just heard… but here is goes.
Wednesday I went to their Wednesday lecture series to hear Raimund Abraham
. The school is amazing in so many ways. It is located in an old train depot. It is totally open with just walls separating some areas but you just walk right through people doing their presentations and people working in the studios.
During the lecture people had cans of beers and the professors didn’t care. The lecture was great. Raimund Abraham spoke about his life and his work as an architect.
Sadly when trying to pull up how to spell his name I found out that just a few hours after his lecture he was in a car accident downtown (which is where Sci-​Arc is) and died. Very very sad… RIP!
My blog about my experience

Urbanism is at work here at SCI-​Arc, both literally and figuratively. certainly, it’s a school that practices what it preaches.
i remember coming to this formerly abandoned freight depot not so many several years ago… amid the squatters, rat dung, shattered windows, profuse graffitti (hiding a few artistic gems!) and bleak urban wasteland strewn with trash and debris, my bud and i picked up a stray decayed plank of wood and some kinda (URO) Unidentifiable Round Object and had a brief game of baseball ‘inside.’ i use the term ‘inside’ inside the quotes b/​c it was inside in name only, really, it was more like a rotted open-​air shell exposed to the elements.
Fast forward several years later and i’m taking night classes here with a real character of a professor who knows his shit, hangin’ with some friends who are full timers in the M. of Architecture program. It feels good to know something great became of this space!

I’m not a student here and my review is purely for their Wednesday night lecture series that is open to the public. They have some great guest lecturers and forward thinkers that come to speak about their industry and life experiences and you, yes YOU are invited to be a part of the dialogue. Next week Benjamin Bratton will be giving his lecture in his theory of computational theory which is said to be «mind-​blowing.» you can be the judge.
the last lecturer i checked out was dan the automator. pretty cool imho.

Review for Blobwall 2008 Exhibition 30 May 2008.
My friend and I went to see the Blobwall exhibition at SCIArc at the end of may this year. It was a great, although somewhat crowded exhibition, but a good opportunity to see the campus and get a feel for the kind and type of architecture being taught and practiced at the institute.
I understand they have exhibitions like this every so often, and I would be interested to see what other works they will be exhibiting in the future.

I have the poster for an old speaker series on my closet door. The lecturers are a well curated because they chose people who are critical, cross-​disciplinary, and international. I like how they value engagement and innovation. In addition to making models, students have to have an opinion about the issues related to what they create. This is my current dream school, even if I have a different major.

Southern California Institute of Architecture, best known as «SCI-​Arc».
This is not your average Architectural School. Instead of green campus, it’s got concrete slab. Instead of organized metered parking structures, it’s got an empty lot of parking. Instead of ivy league insignia, it’s got. hmm. actually nothing. Instead of classrooms in glorious historic buildings, it’s got sections of studio tables in this mile long abandoned freight depot. Seriously, how cool is that!
If you walk around the building, you’ll find their seasonal Architectural/​Design Exhibitions and some pin-​up of students works. They also organize seasonal lectures of some famous and upcoming architects/​designers/​modern thinkers/​people who influence the latest in architecture.
They also have summer programs called «Making + Meaning» for people who are interested in Architecture and don’t have time for a 5-​years degree.
For more information, check out their website:
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