Experiencing Architecture Studio
MIT's Department of Architecture offers this introductory studio course for students with no prior design experience, required for Architecture majors. Working with scale models, students design environments that combine contrasting materials and standard construction systems to shape how people inhabit a space. Studio sessions alternate with lectures covering architectural theory and history, giving students a grounding in the discipline while they test their own aptitude for design thinking. The course is structured to show how architecture differs from other design fields, emphasizing spatial experience over pure form-making. Materials on MIT OpenCourseWare include the syllabus, assignment briefs, and studio project descriptions, useful for anyone curious about how architecture programs teach beginners to think spatially before they learn technical drafting or software.