Design Ethics & Social Justice in Architecture

This course is aimed at first year architecture students as an introduction to social justice and design ethics, and Carnegie Mellon Architecture's pedagogy around these issues. The course looks at architecture at multiple scales: global issues and the “grand challenges” of our time; body, race, privilege and identity; the architecture profession; and individual agency and political action. 

Throughout the course, we discuss how architecture and architects/designers are embedded and entangled in these issues. We also look at how architects might address these issues and make positive contributions in current and future practice, both as citizens and as designers.

This course includes lectures, reading responses, small group discussions and teamwork. Class attendance and participation are required and an essential part of the course.