T H E  C O R E  P R O G R A M  
@  S F I A 

We recommend the Core Program as a starting point for all students of Architectural and Ecological Design.

The Core Program deals with self-liberating creative processes (D-4), fundamental to everything else you'll do in design.

The Program introduces the methods used to design the world's greatest buildings (D-6) and the methods of the greatest architectural innovators and designers of modern times (D-1).

And it provides the fundamentals of construction materials and technology -- the nuts and bolts of making buildings that work, enhance human life, and support the natural environment (T-1 and E-1).

D-1 STUDIO: CREATIVE DESIGN PROCESS

D-4 THE ARCHITECTURAL MIND: CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

D-6 HISTORY & THEORY OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

E-1 THE ECOLOGICAL THINK TANK

T-1 CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS & METHODS

A B O U T   E C O L O G I C A L   D E S I G N

Ecological design is still the least understood and utilized of all design disciplines. Most architecture schools still only teach it in part, if at all.

SFIA has pioneered in creating a comprehensive Ecological Design course menu for architecture students and a Master of Ecological Design degree program for those who want to work professionally in this realm.

SFIA offers a full array of courses on alternative materials and construction methods, solar and wind resources, bioremediation, plantscaping and landscaping, recycling in construction, healthy environments, alternative lighting, and related topics. The basic Ecological Design courses for the Fall 2002 semester are listed below.

E-1 THE ECOLOGICAL THINK TANK
An exploration of the science of ecology.

Instructor: Tracey Mellor, BSc. in Geography and Biology, has worked for 6 years as an ecologist, naturalist and environmental educator.

3 units. Mondays, 6:30 - 7:40 p.m.

PREVIEW: 6:30 p.m., Monday, September 16.

Ecology, its historical development, and how we measure and understand our place in the ecosphere. We will review some of the basics of our earth's nature systems, how physical and biological processes work together, and how we as humans fit within that sytem. Includes a mixture of lectures, visuals, open discussion and group work. Weekend field trips may be included.

D-7 STUDIES IN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN & ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE.
Exceptional architects and ecological design consultants show their work in this public lecture series. The lectures are open to all.

Students can earn 3 units by enrolling in D-7 as an independent study course for credit. The credit options will be explained Thursdays, September 19 & 26, 8:00 p.m. Future lecture events will be announced at that time.

First lecture, September 19: Fred Stitt on: Everything you Wanted to Know about Education and Careers in Architecture and Ecological Design.

E-51 BUCKY FULLER, ECO DESIGN & THE FUTURE OF ARCHITECTURE
The revolutionary ideas of one of the greatest originators of ecological architecture.

Instructor: Jay Baldwin, former editor of Whole Earth Review and author of Buckyworks.

3 units. Wednesdays, 7:45 - 9:15 p.m.

PREVIEW: 7:45 p.m., Wednesday, September 18.

Jay Baldwin, a pioneer in alternative design and construction methods, studied Bucky Fuller's work for over 30 years. He describes some of Bucky's strategies and the theme of this class: "Learn all there is to know about a problem. . . . Attend to what nature is
trying to do -- opposing nature is futile, inefficient, and an old-mode way of regarding
the world."

DE-210 URBAN ECOLOGY: PLANNING THE ECO ARK
Planning the rehabilitation of a large barge structure, to create a school and research laboratory for ecological design.

Instructor: Fred Stitt and guests.

3 units. Thursdays, 6:30 - 7:40 p.m.

PREVIEW: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, September 19

The SFIA Eco Ark is intended to be a showplace of applied urban ecology, using bioclimatic design and alternative systems in a challenging environment. This will be a research seminar focusing on the latest in solar water heating systems, passive solar, photovoltaic systems, wind powered generators, greenhouse design, and bioremediation and plantscaping systems. Readings and research topics will be assigned to students and student teams, to help plan new ecological facilities to add to the Eco Ark. Students will report weekly on their findings and create an action plan for implementation. Actual rehab construction will hopefully begin in late 2002 or early 2003.

A B O U T   A R C H I T E C T U R A L  D E S I G N

Many design schools treat the creative design process as a mystery, as an arcane skill that you either "have or don't have." The fact is that anyone can learn how to be a good designer, and with a little extra work, can learn to become a great designer.

But you have to know what the finest designers and architects actually do when they design, and learn from their methods. You have to be free to explore, experiment, and make mistakes, to hone your skills. That requires a liberating and fully-supportive environment, such as that offered at SFIA.

D-1 STUDIO: CREATIVE DESIGN PROCESS
The theories and practices of creative design and nature-based architecture. (Semester 1 of 2.)

Instructor, Fred Stitt, Director, SFIA. Fred Stitt, Architect, is the Founder and Director of SFIA. He is the author of numerous books and manuals on architectural practice. His most recent book is The Ecological Design Handbook, published by McGraw-Hill.

5 units. Mondays, 7:45 p.m.

PREVIEW: 7:45 p.m., Monday, September 16.

This core course shows how to create extraordinary buildings -- buildings that are wholly integrated with the needs of the users, with the site, and within themselves as works of art. The creative design process is extremely well understood, thanks to the testimonies of generations of the world's most creative architects. The focus of this class is on how to use natural creative skills, experiment with them, and evolve and maximize your inherent and original design abilities.

D-1 is coordinated with other core courses: D-6 (History & Theory of Architectural Design), T-1 (Construction Materials & Methods), and D-4 (The Architectural Mind). As with all SFIA courses, no prerequisites are necessary. Free-ranging exploration and experimentation are strongly encouraged.

D-4 THE ARCHITECTURAL MIND
The world's most advanced creative thinking and problem-solving tools.

Instructor: Fred Stitt, Director, SFIA.

3 units. Mondays, 6:30 - 7:40 p.m.

PREVIEW: 6:30 p.m., Monday, September 16.

This course presents the mental and emotional processes that precede, precipitate, support . . . or hinder the process of design. It teaches today's most advanced methods for inducing inspiration, original thinking, independent thinking, and creative design and problem solving. You'll learn of the latest discoveries on brain function and creative problem-solving techniques, such as Mind Maps, advanced Brainstorming methods, Lateral Thinking, Synectics, Morphological Thinking, and many others. Includes much new information on the brain, consciousness, the design process, methods enlarging the scope of consciousness, and the most effective methods for solving any type of problem.

D-6 HISTORY & THEORY OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
How architects design using organizing principles from ancient Egypt, through Asia and the Western world. (Semester 1 of 2.)

Instructor: Fred Stitt, Director, SFIA.

3 units. Wednesdays, 7:45 - 9:00 p.m.

PREVIEW: 7:45 p.m., Wednesday, September 18.

You can't understand architecture without understanding the little-known systems used to design buildings and the technology required to build them. This course shows how architects designed and built the great monuments of Ancient Egypt, Northern Europe & Stonehenge, Greece, Rome, the Byzantine & Islamic Empires, India, China, and Japan. D-6 is unique among architectural history courses, in that it also focuses on the dominant ideas and methods of thought in each historical period.

D-13 ARCHITECTURAL FREEHAND DRAWING
Fundamentals of seeing, visualizing, and drawing.

Instructor: Suren Gunasekara, M. Arch, SFIA. Suren Gunasekara is a "second generation" architect educated at Wentworth School of Architecture in Boston, Massachusettes. He earned an M.Arch at SFIA and consistently earns the highest ratings from SFIA students.

3 units. Tuesdays, 6:30 - 7:40 p.m.

PREVIEW: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 17.

How to use drawing to solve problems and communicate your designs. Four parts: Freehand Environmental Drawing, 2-D Freehand Drawing, 3-D Drawing, Media & Presentation Techniques. Anyone can draw, and anyone who draws can do it better -- especially in a free, supportive, and collaborative environment.

D-14 COMMUNICATING YOUR DESIGNS: PERSPECTIVE DRAWING & MEDIA
Self study video tape course created by Kirby Lockard, a master of graphic techniques.

3 units. Scheduled at students' convenience.

Independent, self-paced, self-study video course. Excellent introduction to the principles and techniques of manual perspective drawing and rendering.

See SFIA Director Fred Stitt, to arrange to pick up video tapes and work materials. Introductory video available upon request from Fred Stitt.

D-19 MODEL MAKING AS A DESIGN TOOL
Models as an aid to design conceptualization, as well as presentation and communication.

Instructor: Suren Gunasekara, M. Arch, SFIA.

3 units. Tuesdays, 7:45 - 9:00 p.m.

PREVIEW: 7:45 p.m., Tuesday, September 17.

An introduction to design model building, introspective exploration, and experimentation through three-dimensional media. Learn to do site models, massing, quick study models; the professional techniques of making presentation models; and uses of abstract landscape features, color, and photography.

D-21 MATHEMATICS & GEOMETRY FOR CREATIVE DESIGN
The inner geometries of nature that are essential for the creation of integrity and beauty in every aspect of design.

Instructor: Matt Fulvio, M.Arch. SFIA.

3 units. Mondays, 7:45 - 9 p.m.

PREVIEW: 7:45 p.m., Monday, September 16.

The inner workings of the universe around us, from the structures of minerals to the growth patterns of plants, are best understood by recreating the harmonic mathematical patterns that underlie all natural phenomena. These same patterns are also the "secret" behind the world's greatest architecture.

Using a visual and hands-on approach -- polyhedra, tilings, proportion, gnomons, magic squares -- this course explores the mathematical mind and the history of math concepts throughout history.

Topics include harmony, proportion, polyhedra, and much more.

D-34 CLIENTOLOGY & PATTERN LANGUAGE
The client as your first resource and inspiration for design.

Instructor: Thaddeus Kusmierski, Architect.

3 units. Tuesdays, 6:30 - 7:40 p.m.

PREVIEW: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 17.

An exploration of the professional design process, utilizing client-centered communication and the principles of Pattern Language, as articulated by Christopher Alexander. Includes client-architect role playing and hands-on demonstrations of how to integrate clients' living patterns and values in a nature-sensitive environment.

Thaddeus is a well known Berkeley architect, who has been instrumental in the preservation and restoration of Berkeley landmark buildings by Julia Morgan and Bernard Maybeck. He first learned "client-centered" design methods from the visionary architect Bruce Goff, and has consistently applied them for many years in his own practice.

 D-36 DESIGNING LEARNING AND LIVING SPACES FOR KIDS
Architecture that respects young minds is almost non-existent; this is a chance to rectify that.

Instructor: Penny Burbank, Publications Director, Independent Institute.

3 units. Tuesdays, 7:45 - 9:00 p.m.

PREVIEW: 7:45 p.m., Tuesday, September 17.

Hypotheses: Good architecture is good for the mind. Rational architecture teaches reason. Beautiful architecture teaches aesthetics. Imaginative architecture rewards and opens up the senses.

This research course will explore everything that would be most needed and desired in new spaces for children. It's a course in defining design problems, solving them, and creating criteria for prototype design of the most desirable educational and living environments.

Participants will explore the primary problems and deficits of existing design for children, look at the best ideas currently in use, seek visionary new alternatives, and establish new standards and ideas for future design.

ST-1 STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING FOR CREATIVE DESIGN
How to understand and predict the behavior of materials in construction.

Instructor: Jill Kerston, Structural Engineer.

3 units. Wednesdays, 6:30 - 7:40 p.m.

PREVIEW: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 18.

Basic engineering concepts and calculations for computing strength of materials; calculating forces that act on materials; and understanding the variety of forces at work in a building. Excellent introductory preparation for the architectural license examination.

T-1 CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS & METHODS
The nature and best uses of traditional and alternative construction materials, from dirt to high tech. (Semester 1 of 2.)

Instructor: Fred Stitt, Director, SFIA.

3 units. Wednesdays, 6:30 - 7:40 p.m.

PREVIEW: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 18.

This course shows how creative architectural design is derived from the nature of materials and construction processes. We start with the simplest materials of earth and stone, then brick, tile, concrete, and wood. In the second semester the progression continues through more complex material combinations, with an emphasis on the causes and prevention of building failures. T-1 is coordinated with D-6 History and the D-1 Studio. Each material is reviewed from the standpoint of its internal nature and how to best utilize that nature in creative architectural design. Each is illustrated in many variations of historic use and studied in terms of potential failure and the most creative applications.

Adobe, tamped earth, straw bale, recycled materials and other alternative materials are given special attention, along with all basic conventional building methods and materials.

TE-3 HANDS-ON ECONSTRUCTION WORKSHOPS
Instructors: Daniel Liebermann, architect, and construction supervisors.

Dates to be announced, but weekend workshops will be available through most of the fall of 2002.

Help build one of the few authentic ecological architectural complexes -- Dan Liebermann's Ridge project in Inverness, in Marin County.

Weekend, one-week, and two-week options: Study nature and the nature of construction, do some drafting, camp in the glorious Inverness landscape, and put in lots of hands-on labor, while learning how to build with alternative materials and construction methods.

Dan Liebermann is one of the few totally uncompromising organic/ecological architects of our time. Dan integrates design theory, nature study, and the hands-on, nuts-and-bolts mechanics of construction, to create an exceptional learning experience.

Option 1. Weekends. Can be taken repeatedly during the semester. Arrive Friday evening to pitch tent and get oriented. Do supervised work Saturday and Sunday, return late Sunday afternoon. Over the summer, work will include everything from foundations to framing, site clearing to roofing.

Option 2. One week: Start with a weekend, as in Option 1, continue through to Friday, or add 2 days, for an additional weekend. Includes instruction, visualization, and the techniques of eco building and how they differ or relate to conventional
construction.

Option 3. Two-week comprehensive. The advantage of the longer workshop is seeing work start and continue through its many steps. It's like Option 2, only more of it.

Some partial shelter is provided; otherwise, it's a camping environment with basic water, bath, and camp cooking facilities.

Fees:

Option 1: $120 per weekend. 1 unit SFIA credit.

Option 2: $250. One week, 2 units SFIA credit, with photo or written documentation
of work and learning experience.

Option 3: $350. Two weeks, 4 units SFIA credit, with detailed photo or written
documentation of work and learning experiences.

The first workshop is the opening meeting for all three options. Date to be announced.

Alternative schedule: Week-long and two-week workshops can start later, according to your individual schedule, as arranged with SFIA and Daniel Liebermann.

C series CADD CLASSES

AutoCad, MiniCad/Vectorworks, ArchiCad.

Classes follow a different schedule from our 12-week semester.
Announcements will be mailed and posted.

Please enroll me in the courses listed below:

Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Daytime Phone:

Evening Phone:

E-mail:

__ New student

__ Current or previous student

Credit/Noncredit
C NC

__ __ E-1 THE ECOLOGICAL THINK TANK 3 units. Mondays, 6:30 p.m.

__ __ E-51 BUCKY FULLER, ECO DES. & THE FUTURE OF ARCH. 3 units. Weds., 7:45 p.m.

__ __ DE-210 URBAN ECOLOGY: PLANNING THE ECO ARK 3 units. Thurs., 6:30 p.m.

__ __ D-1 STUDIO: CREATIVE DESIGN PROCESS 5 units. Mondays, 7:45 p.m.

__ __ D-4 THE ARCH. MIND: CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING 3 units. Mondays, 6:30 p.m.

__ __ D-6 HISTORY & THEORY OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 3 units. Weds., 7:45 p.m.

__ __ D-7 STUDIES IN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN & ORGANIC ARCH. 3 unit option. Thurs., 8 p.m.

__ __ D-13 ARCHITECTURAL FREEHAND DRAWING 3 units. Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.

__ __ D-14 COMMUNICATING YOUR DESIGNS: PERSPECTIVE DWG. & MEDIA 3 units. (Video course.)

__ __ D-19 MODEL MAKING AS A DESIGN TOOL 3 units. Tuesdays, 7:45 p.m.

__ __ D-21 MATHEMATICS & GEOMETRY FOR CREATIVE DESIGN 3 units. Mondays, 7:45 p.m.

__ __ D-34 CLIENTOLOGY & PATTERN LANGUAGE 3 units. Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.

__ __ D-36 DESIGNING LEARNING & LIVING SPACES FOR KIDS 3 units. Tuesdays, 7:45 p.m.

__ __ ST-1 STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING FOR CREATIVE DESIGN 3 units. Weds., 6:30 p.m.

__ __ T-1 CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS & METHODS 3 units. Weds., 6:30 p.m.

__ __ TE-3 HANDS-ON ECONSTRUCTION WORKSHOPS First meeting date to be announced.

FEES

3-unit classes are $360 for credit, $250 noncredit.

5-unit studio classes are $660 for credit, $420 noncredit.

TE-3 Workshops:
__ weekend, 1 unit, $120 __ 1 week, 2 units, $250 __ 2 weeks, 4 units $350

TOTAL TUITION FOR YOUR COURSES: $ _______

(Students may withdraw with full refund minus $30 administration fee up to September 27. After that date refunds are made on a prorata basis. Noncredit classes can be upgraded with added payment, but credit classes cannot be changed to noncredit.)

__ Full tuition payment enclosed.

__ I need an installment payment plan. I am paying 50% down, and I will pay the balance in two equal installments to be received at SFIA by October 11 and November 8. (If you are paying installments by credit card, SFIA will charge your account on those dates.)

__ Check or Money Order payable to SFIA

__ Master Card or Visa #

Exp. date:

Cardholder's name:

SFIA

INFORMATION OFFICE

Box 2590, Alameda, CA 94501

510-523-5174

Fax 510-523-5175

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