Students and faculty in ARH 255 Studio 4 onsite and online sections met up in Los Angeles to experience architecture together.

Students visited several architectural landmarks, including seminal projects essential to their architectural education—such as Richard Neutra’s VDL House and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House. They also explored major urban projects in Downtown Los Angeles, including the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters by Morphosis, The Broad Museum by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry.

In addition, students were invited to tour the office of Bureau Spectacular, where Jimenez Lai, owner of the firm and faculty at USC School of Architecture, gave an inspiring presentation of his work.

The cohort also had the opportunity to visit and extensively document their own studio project site, gaining firsthand insight into the urban context for which they will design.

This trip emphasized the value of experiencing architecture beyond the classroom—engaging in the physical presence of architecture and building awareness of place and space in ways that lectures and slides alone cannot convey. It was also a meaningful opportunity to foster connections among students and strengthen bonds across onsite and online sections. These peer relationships often become long-term professional networks, proving invaluable not only during their academic journey but well into their professional lives.

Experiencing architecture in person, engaging with faculty on site, and discussing real-world urban conditions as they unfold in context nurtures a deeper understanding of scale, materiality, and proportion—knowledge that is simply unmatched by classroom images.