ARCHICULTURE FILM

Archiculture examines the current and future state of studio-based, design education and highlights the various debates on the impact of architecture on our society. Archiculture takes a thoughtful, yet critical look at the architectural studio. The film offers a never before seen glimpse into the world of studio-based, design education through the eyes of a group of students finishing their final design projects. Interviews with leading professionals, historians and educators help create crucial dialog around the key issues faced by this unique teaching methodology.

Archiculture is a documentary film that examines the strengths and perils of architectural education. The film follows a group of young design students through their final semester at Pratt Institute in New York City. The students interactions and reactions help illustrate the challenges of being a young aspiring designer in todays world. The film weaves back and forth between the architectural studio and the architectural profession creating convincing impressions between students and industry leading professionals.
The audience gets an authentic look at the friendships, culture and habits that result from peer-to-peer learning. From the dedicated all-nighters to the ubiquitous coffee-runs, these students spend day and night together struggling through the same set of questions and problems. In what sometimes seems like aggressive competition, the film illustrates the symbiotic benefits that arise in the shared studio environment. A large portion of the film focuses on the benefits and detriments associated with open criticism. From one-on-one reviews to public juried critiques, the film shows the ups and downs of these often intense interactions. The film also addresses the recent trend in training “star” architects and begs the question of how we should go about training the next generation of designers.