Welcome to the Department of Architecture

Students are the strength of Cal Poly Pomona Architecture (CPP/ARC). Many are the first in their family to attend college, most come from diverse backgrounds and a substantial number of students transfer from a community college to fulfill their dream of becoming an architect. The students of CPP/ARC bring a drive and work ethic that allows them to excel, to establish their careers and to contribute to the design of the built environments of California and beyond.

The Architecture program at Cal Poly Pomona emerged from the creative and practical incubator of Los Angeles, which has long encouraged experimentation as it continually reinvents itself. Our Department also owes its diverse population and perspectives about the practice of architecture to the multicultural demographics of Southern California and the broad spectrum of creative opportunities found in the region. Experimental movements in architecture, along with the influences of high-tech, film, aerospace, and the region’s real estate development economy, are manifest in the department curriculum. The program begins with a core foundation in design, followed by the technical training necessary for the practice of architecture. At the upper division, students explore electives, topic studios, and culminating projects that range from the theoretical to the practical. Many students focus on sustainability, preservation, urban design, healthcare, education, and hospitality design. Along this journey students build awareness of cultural phenomena, and emerging fabrication and construction techniques, which enriches their work, leading to a variety of careers in architecture.

Our program consistently graduates well-trained, creative and socially responsible designers that land terrific jobs or pursue challenging graduate studies. As we move forward, new ideas about architecture will transform the built environment, technologies will evolve, practice will surely change, and the students of CPP/ARC will graduate prepared to make valuable contributions to the profession.

Cal Poly Pomona Architecture, values our relationship with industry. Our program owes much to the architecture and development communities, who are always welcome into our studios as critics, mentors, and ultimately as employers. We consider you a lifelong partner that completes the training initiated in our programs. Come see the work, come meet our students and faculty, you are always welcome!

George Proctor

Chair, and Professor

The Department of Architecture at the College of Environmental Design has made the DesignIntelligence list of the Top 25 undergraduate and graduate architecture programs in the country for the fourth year in a row. The Department of Architecture’s excellence (and top ten status) was noted in several categories:

• Top 25 UNDERGRADUATE (BArch) Program in the United States: No. 12 Nationally
• Top Ten GRADUATE INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE (M.Int.Arch.) Program in the United States: No. 8 Nationally
• Top Ten Program in PROJECT PLANNING and MANAGEMENT in the United States: No. 7 Nationally
• Top Ten Program in PRACTICE MANAGEMENT in the United States: No. 5 Nationally
• Top Ten Program in ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS in the United States: No. 5 Nationally
• Top Ten Program in CONSTRUCTION METHODS and MATERIALS in the United States: No. 6 Nationally
• Top Ten Program in HEALTHY BUILT ENVIRONMENTS in the United States: No. 8 Nationally
• Top Ten Program in SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENTS/ADAPTIVE DESIGN/RESILIENT DESIGN in the United States: No. 10 Nationally