Kean University creates Michael Graves School of Architecture

Kean University announces the newly formed Michael Graves School of Architecture as an integral event that celebrates the 50th anniversary of his Princeton, New Jersey-based firm Michael Graves Architecture & Design. Winner of the AIA Gold Medal, the National Medal of the Arts, the Topaz Medallion and the Driehaus Prize for Architecture, Graves is best known for his contemporary building designs and prominent public commissions.

“Michael Graves and his namesake, Kean’s Michael Graves School of Architecture embrace the University’s principle goals – teaching students to think critically, creatively and globally,” said Kean University President Dawood Farahi. “Providing our students with the opportunity to learn from his visionary philosophy and world-class approach to design will empower them to succeed as premier architects of the 21st century.”

“Developing the curriculum for the Michael Graves School of architecture at Kean University and Wenzhou-Kean University has been a deeply gratifying experience for me,” said Michael Graves. “Students will develop a well rounded understanding of the role of architecture in society, with a respect for its history and clear vision for the future.”

The School’s curriculum will intensively utilize the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area and the Wenzhou region of China, where Kean University has an English-speaking campus, as a pedagogical component of the curriculum. Students will engage with the discipline within a real-world context. The program, which consists of 185 credit hours, will address the increasing level of professional design services required in the 21st century, and the increasing globalization of architectural design. Students are encouraged to complete a 4-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Architectural Studies, followed by a 2-year professional Master of Architecture degree.

David Mohney, Acting Dean of the Michael Graves School of Architecture, describes the unique approach of his former instructor and mentor. “In our technologically savvy world, to this day, Michael Graves’ philosophy is to draw by hand first so that the students see, “feel” and experience the new building spatially. Then, only after the drawing is complete will the students transfer the design to a computer so that the computer becomes an execution tool, not an ideation tool.”

In 1962, after a two year fellowship at the American Academy in Rome, Michael Graves began a 39-year teaching career at Princeton University, where he is now the Robert Schirmer Professor of Architecture, Emeritus. He has received 14 honorary doctorates, is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.

In 2003, an infection left Graves paralyzed from the waist down. He partially credits his strong empathetic sense to design with his ordeal as a patient. Graves remains active in his practice, designing buildings and objects that are beautiful, accessible and highly functional.

“One of the market differentiators of the Michael Graves School of Architecture will be the ability to study architecture abroad such as the classically designed buildings in Italy and some of the oldest buildings in the world in China,” added Dean Mohney.

David Mohney, FAIA, previously worked as the Dean of the College of Design at the University of Kentucky and taught at the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York City, the Graduate School of Design at Harvard, and the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. A practicing architect, he was educated at Harvard University and Princeton’s School of Architecture. David serves on both the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Board of Directors, and the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture Board of Governors.

The Michael Graves School of Architecture will be housed in the award-winning Green Lane Academic Building that opened in early 2014 on Kean’s Union Township campus. There will also be a building designed by Graves that will house the Michael Graves School of Architecture on Kean’s Wenzhou China campus.

The international alliance of UK-based Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Alliance HQE-GBC France developed the guide, Financing Transformation: A Guide to Green Building for Green Bonds and Green Loans, to strengthen global cooperation between the finance and real estate sectors.

Codes and Standards | Jul 8, 2024

New York State building code update would ban fossil fuels in new buildings

New York’s Building Code Council is set to include the All-Electric Buildings Act in its 2025 code update. The Act would ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in new buildings.

Attendees at the AEC Innovate conference on AI in Boston

AEC Tech Innovation | Jul 4, 2024

Caution competes with inevitability at conference exploring artificial intelligence for design and construction

Hosted by PSMJ, AEC Innovate in Boston found an AEC industry anxiously at the threshold of change.

Building Team | Jul 3, 2024

So you want to get published: What’s next?

In the AEC industry, securing media attention is no longer a niche endeavor but an essential component of a holistic marketing strategy.

People Discussing Robotic Prototype of Hand. Computer Science Education Concept

Laboratories | Jul 3, 2024

New science, old buildings: Renovating for efficiency, flexibility, and connection

What does the research space of the future look like? And can it be housed in older buildings—or does it require new construction?

Miami's One Twenty Brickell Residences condo tower provides deeded office unit for every buyer. Rendering ARX Creative

MFPRO+ New Projects | Jul 2, 2024

Miami residential condo tower provides a deeded office unit for every buyer

A new Miami residential condo office tower sweetens the deal for buyers by providing an individual, deeded and furnished office with each condo unit purchased. One Twenty Brickell Residences, a 34-story, 240-unit tower, also offers more than 60,000 sf of exclusive residential amenities.

Two-tower luxury senior living community The Mather features wellness and biophilic elements Photo courtesy Mather

Student Housing | Jul 1, 2024

Two-tower luxury senior living community features wellness and biophilic elements

A new, two-building, 27-story senior living community in Tysons, Va., emphasizes wellness and biophilic design elements. The Mather, a luxury community for adults aged 62 and older, is situated on a small site surrounded by high-rises.

Office Buildings | Jul 1, 2024

Mastering office layouts: 5 primary models for maximum efficiency and productivity

When laying out an office, there are many factors to consider. It’s important to maximize the space, but it’s equally important to make sure the design allows employees to work efficiently.

Smart Buildings | Jul 1, 2024

GSA to invest $80 million on smart building technologies at federal properties

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will invest $80 million from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into smart building technologies within 560 federal buildings. GSA intends to enhance operations through granular controls, expand available reporting with more advanced metering sources, and optimize the operator experience.

Currently Reading

Kean University creates Michael Graves School of Architecture

Tags

Virtual Reality | Jul 8, 2024

Green | Jul 8, 2024

Codes and Standards | Jul 8, 2024

AEC Tech Innovation | Jul 4, 2024

Building Team | Jul 3, 2024

Laboratories | Jul 3, 2024

MFPRO+ New Projects | Jul 2, 2024

Student Housing | Jul 1, 2024

Office Buildings | Jul 1, 2024

Smart Buildings | Jul 1, 2024

Most Popular Content

Magazine Subscription

Get our Newsletters

Follow BD+C: