On a recent Thursday evening, a group of Upper School students and a faculty member traveled from East End Avenue to the East Village with three-dimensional projects tucked into their backpacks and tote bags. As they gathered in the grand lobby of The Cooper Union’s landmarked Foundation Building to wait for their teacher, it was clear that these scholars were part of something amazing.
Thanks to a new partnership with the world-renowned Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Chapin students now have the opportunity to take a deep dive into the thrilling world of professional architecture.
An immersive, 12-week course – aptly named “Introduction to Architecture” – is co-taught by Kayla Montes de Oca, an adjunct instructor and Cooper Union graduate, and Frederick (Didi) Rapp, a fifth-year undergraduate student in the School of Architecture. Upper School Learning Specialist Katharine Reeves, who has a longtime interest in architecture, serves as the Chapin liaison and joins the students for the classes, which are held alternately at Cooper Union, Chapin and online.
As Ms. Reeves explained, the curriculum is organized around four, three-week foundational exercises: learning through drawing; orthographic projection, which is a way to represent three-dimensional objects in two dimensions; volume and surface development; and collage, tiling and tessellation.
For the initial class meeting in January, each student was tasked with selecting a vessel from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s vast digital collection in the Egyptian, Arts of Africa or Asian Wing. For each exercise, they analyze and reimagine their particular vessel through digital drawing and model-making endeavors. While developing technical proficiency, critical thinking skills and analytic acumen, class members also experiment, innovate and have fun.
After signing in at the front desk, the nine students (one in Class 9, five in Class 10, two in Class 11 and one in Class 12), Ms. Reeves and this writer followed Ms. Montes de Oca into a giant elevator and up to the third floor where Mr. Rapp was eager to show them an exhibit of sculptures in glass cases. (Masks and proof of vaccination were required.)
The class then made their way to a cluster of chairs and an oversized computer monitor in an open area overlooking Cooper Square and East 7th Street. From their bags and backpacks, the students removed their projects and placed them on a wooden table.
“I’m so happy to see all of your models,” said Ms. Montes de Oca as Mr. Rapp helped her arrange the pieces in a neat row.
This ninth lesson focused on curved versus linear surface structuring, and the assignment was to construct a three-dimensional object by translating its surface structure using a sequence of curves and linear elements. The students used Rhino 7, a computer-aided design (CAD) software, and Adobe Illustrator to make their digital drawings and paper and glue to construct their physical vessels.
One by one, the students each shared their two components. While the teachers examined the models, their companion digital work was projected on the monitor through a shared whiteboard platform. Both Mr. Rapp and Ms. Montes de Oca offered praise and constructive feedback, giving each class member thoughtful attention.
In the supportive, workshop-like environment, the students had the chance to elaborate on the process, including any challenges they encountered and how they felt about their final products. They also studied completed models made by Cooper Union students as a point of comparison and inspiration.
The Chapin students’ work was impressive as was their determination to expand their knowledge and skills in this exceptional class. For the last few minutes, Mr. Rapp took the students on a quick tour of the studios where the architecture students create long into the night. Being exposed to such incredible imagination and artistry, they could perhaps see themselves continuing their pursuit of architecture in college and beyond. This Cooper Union experience is certainly an excellent beginning.
