Weitzman architecture students explore urban housing in mid-year reviews

Architecture students at the University of Pennsylvania's Weitzman School of Design have showcased their latest work in this video produced by Dezeen.

The video reel showcases projects from first-, second- and third-year studios, offering a snapshot of how students are engaging with contemporary architectural questions ranging from public space to innovative housing models.

Applications for the programme's upcoming fall term are now open.

Students at the Weitzman School of Design showcase their architecture projects during mid-year reviews

First-year studios explore the fundamentals of architectural thinking, introducing students to issues such as the boundary between interior and exterior space and the public role of contemporary art institutions.

Projects progress in scale from small objects to full buildings, establishing a foundation in spatial investigation and design practice.

Second-year students, meanwhile, participate in the Urban Housing Studio, which reframes housing beyond conventional programmatic approaches.

The programme focuses on reusing existing structures, emphasising sustainability, cultural continuity and the latent value found in vernacular urban fabric.

The syllabus describes public space as a catalyst for examining shared resources and social infrastructures, prompting students to develop new modes of ground, landscape and threshold that support public engagement.

An installation of work by second-year students within the architecture department presented ideas emerging from this inquiry into housing and public space.

Students responded to questions around defining "publicness" and considered how architectural organisations can serve both residents and surrounding communities.

Third-year option studios shift outward to global contexts, examining design problems situated in domestic and international urban areas.

The Department of Architecture at the Weitzman School of Design offers graduate and post-professional degrees spanning architecture, environmental building design and robotics.

Students exhibited select projects from the Urban Housing Studio during this year's Venice Biennale in an exhibition titled Under Pressure: Vacancy, Urgency and the Architecture of Conversion.

Applications for the Master of Architecture 2025 programme's fall term are currently open.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen in partnership with University of Pennsylvania. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.