[ARCH V1020y] Introduction To Architectural Design and Visual Culture

I am not sure why the reviews below are quite so positive. Yes, I agree that Madeline is a nice person, but she is a terrible teacher! She changes her mind constantly, which is very inconvenient when you've spent time (and usually money) changing something to make it the way she wants, only to have her tell you that you shouldn't have changed it the very next class. I spent most of my time in the class being confused on the content and point of the assignments, as she rarely took the time to fully explain these things. The one good thing I have to say is she does reward effort...if you put in way more effort than should be required in an intro level class intended for non-majors.

Madeleine is a gem at this university. A gift to this world. I have never encountered a creative genius who is so motivating and demanding and inspiring all at the same time. She is overflowing with ideas, and sometimes she spits them out so fast, you can't figure out how she jumped from one to the other. She is kind and encouraging, and demands continuous reevaluation. The course demanded time and thought, but that is exactly what is necessary in the field. I am now pursuing architecture because of this woman, though I don't think I will ever encounter someone like her again.

Madeline is great! Her class can be frustrating, but it is worth it. She is a teacher, a friend, and a muse.

This class is a very interesting introduction to architecture and forces you to see things through an entirely new perspective. The second two projects for this class were more exciting than the first, mainly because it was more hands-on and more related to architecture.

While Anda is helpful at times, the way in which she conveys what she wants is rather convoluted. She expects us to extract all information from the vague directions in the project assignment sheets, and when she is asked to clarify the assignment, she tells us to refer back to the assignment sheet.

Additionally, be prepared to face incredibly harsh critics- most of them were her classmates from architecture school. An analogy for review day is- swimming in a tank of piranhas, and Anda being one of them. If you think you'll be all alone defending your project in front of the panel of critics, you will be. She does not attempt to save you from any attack from the critics, and attacks you, as well.

The class is enjoyable, but be prepared to come back feeling awfully miserable from a critique.