The School | IE School of Architecture and Design

The School

REDEFINING DESIGN EDUCATION

IE School of Architecture and Design redefines design education based on pedagogical and technological innovation,  project-based learning and environmental responsibility. In an international and entrepreneurial environment, the IE School of Architecture and Design seeks to bridge the traditional gaps between academia and the professional world and to connect architecture and design with the broader society.

Create Meaningful Environments | IE School of Architecture and Design

CREATE MEANINGFUL ENVIRONMENTS

Architecture and design can be global and local at the same time. Understanding global challenges while focusing on a user-centered design approach is key.

OUR MISSION

Our School is an innovative, international institution, which embraces expanding roles for architecture and design to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR LEARNING

IE School of Architecture and Design believes that learning occurs inside and outside the classroom and that different people learn in different ways. With this in mind, faculty, students, and staff are united in building a challenging and rewarding learning experience. Our faculty lead this process, in which students are considered active participants in their own learning experience and that of their fellow students. We also encourage students to take part in IE Clubs, Labs, internship opportunities, academic exchanges, and the numerous special lecture and events series organized at IE.

We have gained invaluable insight and ability from the challenges presented by the pandemic. Through it all, we did not miss a single day of class, and invented new modes of teaching and learning, on the fly. Our educational community has grown from this experience, and we are ready for any unexpected future challenges that may arise.

A university degree is much more than just mastering a discipline. At IE School of Architecture and Design we believe that learning implies being able to apply skills and knowledge creatively, and to bring ideas to fruition in a sustainable manner.

We believe that architects and designers are unique professionals who see opportunities where others see obstacles. They can approach problems with an understanding of many viewpoints, by using multiple techniques and tools. They can envision the future.  This ability to understand space and imagine things in three dimensions differentiates designers from other professionals.  However, it is not sufficient to envisage future projects and designs; one must be able to sustainably bring them into fruition.  We often work in teams and through the process of analyzing, testing, refining, innovating and testing again; we are able to come with the best, sustainable solutions.

Our vision | IE School of Architecture and Design

OUR VISION

OUR TEACHING METHODOLOGIES 

IE School of Architecture and Design combines rigorous disciplinary study with a hands-on, practical approach, and a holistic understanding of the subject matter. In all our programs– ranging from architecture to design, interiors, real estate, and urban studies–we apply the most advanced learning objectives and the methodologies that best help us reach these. We include knowledge and resources from related fields and illustrate concepts through practical cases. Our approach is highly interactive, combining dynamic lectures with workshops, group work, tutorials, special lectures, and study trips. We believe that understanding the world around us and our potential impacts will help make us better and more innovative professionals. Collaborative group work combined with individual assignments brings together the best of both worlds.

We have applied to all our programs, design-based and otherwise, the learning-by-doing strategy, commonly used in architecture and design studies to create projects and experiment with prototypes. With this method, our students develop innovative, sustainable solutions through analysis, proposals, testing, refining, innovation, and retesting. Our architecture and design prog-based programs, meanwhile, are based primarily in studio-based learning, which embodies ideas of on-going projects, dedicated workspaces, and learning from both instructors and colleagues.

With the onset of COVID-19, IE University developed the Liquid Learning Model, which recognizes the need to be flexible when unexpected challenges affect our normal schedules. This methodology relies on making the most out of new technologies, novel applications of software, and diverse methods of creating and sharing knowledge, allowing us to transcend the boundaries of normal classroom settings.

Academic excellence | IE School of Architecture and Design

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in future leaders.

To be a top school means striving for excellence in many ways. The people who make up our School are outstanding academics and professionals with a love of teaching, who are also experienced professionals in diverse roles. They are always seeking new ways of sharing and creating knowledge.  Our use of technology for teaching and experimenting, as in our FabLab, means new ideas, flexibility and keeping up to date with the latest developments in the field.

IE - REINVENTING HIGHER EDUCATION