Melissa Shin
Lecturer
BS, Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology BS, Art & Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology M.Arch, Yale University
Melissa Shin is a principal and co-founder of Shin Shin, an award-winning architecture firm based in Los Angeles and Detroit. She previously worked in the offices of Greg Lynn FORM (Los Angeles), Herzog de Meuron (Basel, Switzerland and New York), and Gehry Partners (Los Angeles). She has held teaching positions at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (Sci-Arc) and the Yale School of Architecture. She is a licensed architect in California and Michigan.
- 102alArchitectural Design IArchitectural Design I
Examine the critical role of materials and methods for the design and construction of buildings. The primary focus is on materials and systems, their properties and connections, and their intrinsic relationship to structural systems and environmental performance.
Students will develop a fundamental understanding of: the relationship of materiality to construction systems and techniques, how building materials are manufactured, and how a material’s modular form, dimensions and intrinsic qualities influence the design process. Students will learn about various building systems, and how these systems assist in the expression of a design concept, through an examination of precedent projects whose design concepts were generated by material logics and systems. Students will work hands-on with building materials (concrete, wood, metal, etc.) to get an understanding of each material’s properties.