Writing Workshop for Thesis Students (2020)

This is a new course directed at graduate architecture students entering their thesis year. This class will consist of weekly workshops that allow students to bring their writing samples to share and improve in a supportive group setting. The fall term of thesis year is the time to create the foundation for the mini thesis due in December and for the final thesis book that will be completed in April of 2021. The thesis writing process includes the work of sharpening abstracts, structuring the research and narrative into chapters that fit the subject, and testing and critiquing various writing styles. We will focus on grammar and clarity, but more importantly students will help each other to develop a clear style suited to their topic and expressive of their approach to research and design. Some students may benefit from traditional academic formats structured around methodology, case studies, design guidelines, etc. Other students may undertake projects for which narrative, poetry, journalism, or other format allows a deeper investigation of their ideas and concerns.