Parsons School of Design MA Architecture and Design Criticism program theses, PC

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1 Parsons School of Design MA Architecture and Design Criticism program theses, PC This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit June 18, 2018 Describing Archives: A Content Standard Parsons Institutional Collections June 18, th Avenue lobby New York, New York archivist@newschool.edu

2 Table of Contents Collection Overview... 2 Historical Note... 3 Scope and Content of Collection... 4 Organization and Arrangement... 4 Administrative Information... 4 Keywords for Searching Related Subjects... 5 Collection Inventory... 5 Collection Overview Repository Parsons Institutional Collections Creator Parsons School of Design. Environmental Design Department. Title Parsons School of Design MA Architecture and Design Criticism program theses Date [inclusive] Extent 0.8 linear ft: 2 boxes (11 theses) Language of Materials English Summary The Master of the Arts in Liberal Arts: Architecture and Design Criticism graduate program began in 1986 and graduated its last student in The program was jointly administered by Parsons School of Design, where it fell within the Environmental Design program (now the School of Constructed Environments), and the New School for Social Research s - Page 2 -

3 Graduate Faculty. The collection contains eleven theses written by students who graduated from the program between 1987 and Preferred Citation note [Author and title of thesis], [date (if known)], Parsons School of Design MA Architecture and Design Criticism program theses, , PC.02.04, box, folder, New School Archives and Special Collections, The New School, New York, New York. Historical Note The Master of Arts in Liberal Arts: Architecture and Design Criticism graduate program was jointly administered by Parsons School of Design, where it fell within the Environmental Design department (now the School of Constructed Environments), and the New School for Social Research s Graduate Faculty. The program s first year was the academic year and it graduated its last student in The program was hailed as the first in the nation dedicated to architecture and design criticism. The idea for a graduate program in Architecture and Design Criticism originated with Parsons faculty members Herbert Muschamp and Patricia Phillips and was implemented under the leadership of James Wines, chairman of the Environmental Design program. Planning for Architecture and Design Criticism began in 1984 and the first class of students began in September of Initial proposals for an Architecture and Design Criticism program stated that, The idea for the program stems from a recognition of the tremendous growth in public interest in architecture and design Given the new information the public seeks over a wide range of subjects that involve architecture and design, there is a need for accomplished critics in these fields who write for a wide range of publications and who can evaluate the state of our knowledge, encourage the values that define good work and sustain high standards. In recent years, such accomplished critics have been in short supply. [1] The MA Architecture and Design Criticism curriculum was 36 credit hours and emphasized writing. The curriculum culminated in a thesis of approximately 60 pages, which would demonstrate the student s ability to conduct original research, develop an argument and synthesize the diverse information and knowledge required to complete a thesis. [2] The program s curriculum was intended to draw on the strengths of both The New School and Parsons. Existing courses in The New School s Graduate Faculty with an interdisciplinary approach to aesthetics, literary criticism, art history, and historical studies were available as electives to students in the Architecture and Design Criticism Program. Likewise, students were encouraged to learn from Parsons practical approach to art and design by interacting with their peers in the Environmental Design program. This engagement coupled with interdisciplinary coursework was intended to give students an understanding of contemporary design processes from historical, political, economic, and social perspectives. - Page 3 -

4 Original plans for the Architecture and Design Criticism program envisioned a class of students per year, but it appears the program only graduated six students at its height in The program was geared towards aspiring journalists focused on architecture and design criticism. Herbert Muschamp, who was the New York Times architecture critic from , served as the first program chair through the academic year. In Jayne Merkel took over as acting chair, and then served as chair for the following year. Patricia C. Phillips was the program coordinator in the early years of the program. Other faculty members included Jane Aaron, Donald Albrecht, Glynis Berry, Georgia Daskalakis, Peggy Deamer, Deborah Fausch, Deborah Gans, Jean Gardner, Tom Killian, Peter McCleary, Clay Miller, Patricia C. Phillips, Mildred Schmertz, and Grahame Shane. [1] Letter to the Provost from Judith B. Walzer, December 9, 1985, New School Office of the President Records, 2015.NS.05, unprocessed collection, New School Archives, The New School, New York, New York. [2] Parsons the New School for Design. Parsons School of Design, Graduate Studies Vol. 12 No Sept Parsons School of Design course catalog collection. New School Archives and Special Collections Digital Archive. Web. 31 May Scope and Content of Collection Collection consists entirely of theses submitted as part of graduation requirements. Organization and Arrangement Arranged chronologically by submission date on thesis title page. Administrative Information Publication Information Parsons Institutional Collections June 18, 2018 Access Restrictions Collection is open for research use. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for appointment. Use Restrictions - Page 4 -

5 In accordance with The New School's Intellectual Property Rights Policy, copyright is held by the author of each thesis. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the user. Custodial History note These theses may have once been cataloged and placed "on reserve" in the Adam and Sophie Gimbel Art and Design Library of Parsons School of Design. Immediate Source of Acquisition Transferred from the Adam and Sophie Gimbel Art and Design Library of Parsons School of Design, Keywords for Searching Related Subjects Genre(s) Masters theses. Subject(s) Architecture -- Environmental aspects. Architecture -- Study and teaching -- New York (State) -- New York -- 20th century. Architecture. Decoration and ornament, Architectural -- United States -- 20th century. Design -- History -- 20th century. Collection Inventory Box Folder Aaron, Jane E. "Parabuildings: Crossing Lines," 1987 Aug LaFrank, Kathleen. "Seaside: Postmodern Utopia," 1991 May 1 2 Walsh, Brigid. "The Oregon Experiment Revisited: Christopher Alexander," May 8 Rosen, Aileen. "Printed Places: A Journal of Environmental Design in 1 4 Context," 1993 Jan Smith, Margaret Jackson. "Hospital Hotel: The Post-Modern Milstein 1 5 Building," 1993 Jan Waters, Debra. "Laying the Foundation for the Future: The Architecture of Public Schools in the South Bronx," 1993 May Page 5 -

6 Harbour, Kimberly. "Communities of Memory: Religious Architecture in America (700 AD AD)," 1993 May Harbour, Kimberly. "Communities of Memory: Rediscovering Symbols, Identity, and Community in a New Age," 1993 Oct Mandel, Nancy Brooke. "Planning at the Edge: The Harlem River Rail Yards and Beyond," 1993 Dec 3 Boorstein, Jonathan. "Limited Visions: Media Representation of Regional Interior Design Styles," 1994 Madrid, Marisa R. "Dislocation by Development: Randall's, Wards and Roosevelt Islands," 1995 May Page 6 -