Harrisonburg, VA — James Madison University’s Architectural Design (ARCD) program is steadily emerging as a distinctive presence within Virginia’s architectural education landscape. Housed in the School of Art, Design and Art History, ARCD offers a pre-professional Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Architectural Design grounded in studio culture, liberal arts inquiry, and environmental responsibility. The program evolved out of interior design around 10 years ago and is now one of the fastest growing majors at JMU.
ARCD’s curriculum reflects the evolving demands of the discipline. The program positions architecture as both a cultural and material practice. Students complete a four-year, studio-centered curriculum supported by coursework in architectural history and theory, materials and methods,digital representation and professional design practice. The sequence emphasizes design as a disciplined process of investigation—through drawing, modeling, material study, and site-based research.Recently the program has offered courses in environmental systems, structures, resilience and advanced digital representation.
“Architecture is both a cultural and environmental act,” says Professor Jori Erdman, architect and Associate Director of the School of Art, Design and Art History. “At JMU, we encourage our students to see design as a process of engagement—with people, materials, places, and ideas. We aim to prepare them not only for graduate study and licensure, but also for thoughtful, responsible work in the world.”
The studio-based curriculum encourages hands-on exploration and interdisciplinary collaboration. Students often work across disciplines, participating in research projects with faculty from engineering, environmental science, history, and community engagement. In recent years, ARCD students have contributed to projects focused on coastal resilience in the Chesapeake Bay, design-build projects on campus, and environmental investigations in downtown Staunton. Faculty and students alike are active in broader disciplinary conversations through organizations like AIA Virginia, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, American Institute of Architecture Students and National Organization of Minority Architecture Students.
The program has been participating in the AIA VA Virginia Prize over the last 3 years, including authoring this year’s brief for a Third Space in Bridgewater, Virginia. Faculty members Nick Brinen, AIA, and Jori Erdman, AIA, serve on the AIA VA Design Committee and Outreach Advisory Committee respectively.
One of the distinctive features of the program is its close-knit studio culture. Faculty members are practicing architects, researchers, and educators who mentor students through intensive feedback and individualized instruction. The program’s structure culminates in a capstone design project in the senior year, where students develop an individually conceived architectural proposal grounded in site, program, and research.
Graduates of ARCD pursue a range of paths. Many continue their education in NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture programs at institutions including the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Harvard, Yale, the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Rhode Island School of Design. Others enter architecture and related design fields, bringing with them a foundation in critical inquiry, environmental thinking, and material exploration.
2020 graduate Caitlin Morgan has been working in the field since she graduated, including service on the AIA VA Board of Directors and the AIA National Associates Committee. She notes, “Since graduating from JMU, I’ve seen first-hand how closely the ARCD program is working with industry leaders to prepare students for our evolving challenges. Our studios’ adaptive program nurtures conversations that have strengthened our alumni network and speaks volumes about how JMU is reframing architectural education.”
As architectural education continues to evolve across the Commonwealth, JMU’s ARCD program contributes a studio-driven, research-oriented BFA model rooted in the liberal arts tradition. With its strong emphasis on critical inquiry and social engagement, the program equips students with the skills and sensibilities needed to navigate—and shape—the complex built environments of today and tomorrow.
AIA Virginia members are invited to mentor, hire, and collaborate with JMU’s ARCD students, faculty, and graduates. Their broad education—grounded in thinking through making—has prepared them to contribute thoughtfully and critically to the architectural profession.
Contact:
Professor Jori Erdman, AIA, Program Coordinator and Associate Director
JMU School of Art, Design and Art History
Architectural Design Program
erdmanja@jmu.edu
