Congratulations and welcome to Explore USC! These special events for admitted students include studio visits, guided tours, and a behindthe-scenes look at what a typical day is like for a USC Architecture student. We’re excited to help you experience life at USC and see what your future could be like.
We are dedicated to a single, core mission: to be a school that shapes not only a new generation of future leaders, but also the creative fields and professions of architecture, landscape architecture, building science, and heritage conservation.
We’re uniquely positioned to pursue this mission as the only architecture school offering professional programs across all four disciplines. Our school goes beyond a single subject, embracing interdisciplinary teaching, research, and practice. This platform enables our students and faculty to thrive, innovate, and shape the future. Located in Southern California within one of the world’s top private research universities, and in the heart of Los Angeles — one of the world’s most influential creative economies — we are uniquely positioned to drive global impact across architecture, the arts, and creative industries. We’re grateful you’ve taken the time to visit and learn more.
– Brett Steele
Photo credit: Teddy Slowik, Adjunct Assistant Professor
SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8
4:30 PM PT
↳ Virtual
USC ARCHITECTURE
WELCOME SESSION & STUDENT PANEL
INTRODUCTION
Elisabeth Archer
UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSION COORDINATOR
WHY STUDY AT USC ARCHITECTURE?
Lauren Matchison
DIRECTOR OF B.ARCH & B.S.A.S. PROGRAMS
Scott Mitchell
DIRECTOR OF B.S. AIT PROGRAM
STUDENT PANEL
Architecture Student Ambassadors
SATURDAY, APRIL 25
10:00 AM PT
↳ On campus
EXPLORE USC OPEN HOUSE
WHY STUDY AT USC ARCHITECTURE?
PROGRAM OVERVIEWS, STUDENT PANEL & LUNCH
Lauren Matchison
DIRECTOR OF B.ARCH & B.S.A.S. PROGRAMS
Scott Mitchell DIRECTOR OF B.S. AIT PROGRAM
STUDENT LED TOURS
Architecture Student Ambassadors
MONDAY, APRIL 06
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
MONDAY, APRIL 20
9:00 AM
↳ On campus
EXPLORE USC
WELCOME
USC Admission
ACADEMIC INFO SESSION & TOUR OF USC ARCHITECTURE
Jennifer Park ASSISTANT DEAN FOR STUDENT SERVICES
Elisabeth Archer UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSION COORDINATOR
LUNCH WITH USC ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS (ON-CAMPUS)
AFTERNOON TOURS & SESSIONS
USC Admission
PROGRAM DIRECTORS
Lauren Matchison lmatchis@usc.edu
Director, Bachelor of Architecture & B.S. Architectural Studies
Lauren is a Professor of Practice and a licensed architect in California, currently serving as Director of the Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) and Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies (BSAS) programs at USC. She previously served as Director of Pre-College Programs and Interim Director of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism, and has been teaching at USC Architecture since 2007. Her work centers on teaching core architectural fundamentals to undergraduate students. She teaches courses in design, drawing, culture, research, and shelter, emphasizing foundational skills and critical thinking. In recognition of her teaching, she received the Provost’s Office Teaching Award in 2019. In 2020, Lauren and Amy Murphy received the ACSA Diversity Achievement Award for their work on A-LAB and the School’s diversity initiatives. She has also received multiple USC Good Neighbors grants supporting A-LAB’s mission to expand opportunities for local high school students. Her research focuses on architectural education and pedagogy, and socio-cultural practices. Her recent papers, "Achieving Educational Equity: Architecture Development Programs as Transformative Models to Increase Inclusivity in University Admissions" and "Creating an Academic Community of Inquiry: Educating Architects to Replace Parameters with People," reflect these interests. Lauren holds a Master of Architecture from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona.
Lee Olvera olvera@usc.edu
Scott Mitchell r.scott.mitchell@usc.edu
Associate Director
Bachelor of Architecture and B.S. Architectural
Studies
Lee Olvera is a Professor of Practice in Architecture. He earned his Bachelor of Environmental Design degree from Texas A+M University and his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with distinction receiving the Henry Adams Certificate for Scholastic Achievement and the American Institute of Architects Scholastic Medal. He teaches thesis level design studio, critical theory and research seminars as well as color theory. His current research projects include Realm, Images of an Imagined City, a collection of his drawings based on the story-telling structure developed in wordless novels of the 1920’s-1950’s and Land, a series of drawings that explore landscape imagery as a combination of both analytical botanical drawing and romantic pictorial vistas. His current teaching focuses on the issues of craft and making as an exploration of the return to the value placed on methods of making, the how and why of designed objects, spaces and buildings. His professional practice centers on the design of arts-related residential projects that investigate the typologies of house and studio, domestic and creative space. Formerly a Design Associate with Frederick Fisher and Partners, he was responsible for the design of a diverse range of projects including the Annenberg Community Beach House, the Annenberg Center and Gardens at the Retreat at Sunnylands, the Cotsen and numerous private houses. In addition to his teaching and research work, he is currently a consulting Design Partner and Art Director at NA+AA in Houston, Texas.
Director, B.S. Architecture and Inventive Technologies
R. Scott Mitchell is the owner/principal of Gigante AG, a Los Angeles design-build and fabrication consulting firm. He has worked for Gehry Partners, Morphosis, Bestor Architecture and Atelier Van Lieshout. Early in his career he worked as both a laboratory machinist, welder and engineering fabricator. His work has appeared in Fast Company, Wired, Architectural Record, Dwell, Dezeen, Designboom, Art News, ArtForum, and Paper Magazine. He has been an AEC research resident at Autodesk's Boston Technology Center since 2018. Scott has exhibited at High Desert Test Sites, Vox Populi Gallery and Socrates Sculpture Park, where he was a Socrates Emerging Artist Fellow. Since 2007 he has been teaching digital fabrication and design at the USC School of Architecture. He is on the advisory boards of 826LA, a children's educational non-profit, and MADWORKSHOP, a design education non-profit. He holds an M.Arch II from SCI-Arc and a BA in Architectural Studies from Brown University.
FIRST YEAR CLASSES
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
ARCHITECTURE
FIRST YEAR CLASSES BSAIT
DIGITAL FABRICATION MACHINES
PLS 6150
Material Dimensions: 18”x32”
Materials: Paper, Plastic, Wood
3D PRINTERS
PRUSA XL Multi-Head
Bed Dimensions: 14x14x14”
Compatible Materials: PLA, PETG, ABS
PRUSA MK4S
Bed Dimensions: 8.5x8.5x8.5”
Compatible Materials: PLA, PETG, FLEX
POJET 660 PRO
Bed Dimensions: 15x10x8"
Compatible Materials: Powder
FORMLABS FORM 3+
Bed Dimensions: 5.5x5.5x7.5”
Compatible Materials: Resin
ROBOTICS
TECHNO LC
Bed Dimensions: 4x8' Materials: Wood, Plastic, Foam
Compatible Materials: Metal
MISC.
KR 6 R900 SIXX (KR AGILUS)
HAAS DM-1
KUKA KR120
WAZER WATERJET CUTTER
MICROSCRIBE G2
DIWIRE Material: Metal wire
RESOURCES
The Architecture and Fine Arts (AFA) Library provides a broad range of resources to support research in architecture, design, and the visual arts, including specialized architecture databases that offer access to scholarly articles, professional publications, and image collections. Researchers can find peer-reviewed academic sources across disciplines, along with extensive visual materials through image databases and the USC Digital Library. The Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals serves as a comprehensive index to international literature on architecture and architectural design, covering scholarly and popular periodicals, professional association publications, and major serials from around the world. For sustainable design research, BuildingGreen offers indepth information on green building strategies, environmentally responsible materials, high-performance building case studies, a searchable product database, and current news on sustainability in the built environment.
CONTACT
SHANNON ROBINSON, Head Helen Topping Architecture & Fine Arts Library (AFA) shannon.robinson@usc.edu
