LA Architecture Firm Announces $30,000 Sponsorship For Students

NORTHRIDGE-CHATSWORTH, CA – A Los Angeles-based architecture firm, IR Architects, has announced a $30,000 sponsorship for Woodbury School of Architecture and its first-year studios. IR Architects was founded by Woodbury Architecture alumnus Ignacio Rodriguez. The sponsorship will contribute to student education in their initial studio year through increased access to construction techniques and skill building, as well as formal and spatial explorations. It will expand the school's capacity to provide high-quality education to the widest range of students, and recognizes the importance of strong foundation skills in securing a successful career post-graduation.

The sponsorship gives students early exposure to user experience, similar to techniques used in virtual and augmented reality, the press release said. Students will learn how to visualize architecture from a user's perspective as means of expanding their technical abilities and conceptual design skills. IR Architects Studios follows Gensler’s Formwork Studio, taught by assistant professor Yasushi Ishida.

“We sponsored the studio mainly to support the school, as it is the alma mater of both my wife and I,” Rodriguez said. “In the process, we hope to observe and identify the natural talent of students just beginning their journey into architecture and get their fresh perspective on form and design. This is why we sponsored a first-year studio rather than a third or fourth year.”

IR Architects Studios follow the success of the first year 1B studio coordinated by professor Heather Flood, which recently won the 2017 Architect Magazine Studio Prize. The prize recognizes thoughtful, innovative, and ethical studio courses at accredited architecture schools. The 1B studio will be featured in the September issue of Architect Magazine.

“We’re coordinating the first year studios to explore how the early stages of architectural education can transform the intellectual and technical abilities of students,” said Flood in a statement. “The studios reveal an optimism and willingness to experiment, fail and try new things. We are incredibly thankful to Ignacio and IR Architects for recognizing the impact that foundational learning has on the long-term success of students.”

The IR Architects Sponsorship will support the fall 2017 and spring 2018 first year architecture studios at Woodbury School of Architecture.

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