Architectural Design

Architectural Design at the Guthrie Center allows students to explore the many opportunities available in the field of architecture. Our Architectural Design faculty, having come from decades of industry work in the USA and abroad, believe critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving spark further learning. Students are introduced to architectural history and become proficient in architectural sketching, perspectives, and technical drawing. They also learn industry-standard programs used by the architectural profession including AutoCAD, Revit, Photoshop, Sketch Up Pro, TwinMotion, as well as Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

Students are educated in the process of architectural design through various projects and the annual Michael G. Meyers Design Competition – a scholarship competition sponsored by the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. This contest provides students the opportunity to network with practicing architects and professors of architecture for this semester long experience. Our students have achieved great success in this competition by winning scholarship monies and scholarships to the summer architectural program offered at the University of Houston. Architectural students at the Guthrie Center have won over 100 awards and have used the competition as a catapult for acceptance to architectural schools around the world. Second and third year students also compete in a statewide competition hosted by the Texas Society of Architects and a national architecture competition for Association for Learning Environments hosted by SchoolsNext.

When completing the 3 levels of courses in architectural design, students develop a strong portfolio that can be used for admission to competitive architecture schools. Guthrie Architectural Design students have been accepted to architectural schools at Rice, UT Austin, Pratt in NYC, Cornell, Kansas State and Auburn which have been ranked in the top 10 architectural schools in the nation by Design Intelligence in the past 5 years. Many other students gained entrance in architectural programs at Texas A&M, University of Houston, Texas Tech, Tulane, and Oklahoma State. We also have students studying architecture in France and in Japan. See our publications below for more information on our former students, the colleges they went to and the places they are now working in.

The Guthrie Center offers three levels of Architectural Design available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.