Teaching
Teaching the Future: Virginia Tech Chicago Studio
As a design practicum, architecture grows out of intellectual and community engagement. In order to bring this into our daily lives and engage with the future generation of design leaders, von Weise Associates hosts a Chicago residency program for 4th year Virginia Tech architecture students which combines the intellectual rigor of the academic studio with lessons and experiences from everyday practice. Fourteen students come to Chicago each semester, live in dormitory housing upstairs from our office and participate in a design studio, a building technology seminar and a professional practice course. In addition to von Weise Associates, various firms throughout the city including SOM, Studio Gang, Gensler, Booth Hansen, Liederbach and Graham, dSpace Studio, Perkins + Will, and Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture mentor and host students as well as offer a three week internship at the end of each semester.
Teaching is led by Chip von Weise who is the Director of the Chicago Studio and who teaches the design and building technology courses. John M. Syvertsen currently teaches the professional practice. Numerous architectural firm principals and staff throughout the city, vWA staff, construction companies, building developers, consulting engineers and Virginia Tech alumni participate in teaching, mentoring and supporting the students during their stay in Chicago.