Department News
"The study of architecture should prepare students to play a responsible part in the various architectural decisions that they will have to make, both as individuals and as members of groups, in their mature life."
-Henry-Russell Hitchcock, "The Study of Architecture in the Liberal Arts College"
"The role of the architect is to not only be able to design, and technically deliver a structure, but the role of the architect is also to lift, to inspire an individual or community -- and to inspire in a very democratic way. So that what we do for an individual not only improves that person's life, but it's also being responsible to the environment in which that person lives, that community. And not just the community of us humans but also the environment itself."
- Samuel Mockbee PBS interview
Our courses explore the fields of architecture and the built environment within the context of Bowdoin’s commitment to the liberal arts. In our studios, we stress the importance of design driven by a concern for the environment, materials, quality of life, and a visual aesthetic derived from purpose, not mere ornamentation. Our history courses focus on buildings, landscapes, city form, and their changes over time in relation to cultural values, technological advancement, aesthetic theories, and social structure. In sum, we see architecture as the ultimate liberal art.
Contact Information
Jill Pearlman
Lecturer in Environmental Studies
jpearlm@bowdoin.edu
207-721-3854
Wiebke N. Theodore
Visiting Assistant Professor of Art
wtheodor@bowdoin.edu
207-725-3697
Mailing Address:
Architectural Studies
Bowdoin College
6700 College Station
Brunswick, ME 04011