When Amanda Koch ’11 (IA+D) graduated from MIAD she was prepared to continue her studies, going on to receive her Masters of Architecture from UW-Milwaukee in 2015.
Bird’s Eye Stadium View
“At MIAD, I was really able to learn a lot of the fundamentals of design as well as valuable skills such as digital and physical modeling and drawing. Having that foundation was so helpful in my graduate studies,” said Koch.
Koch’s master’s thesis “No White Elephants” sought to create an Olympic stadium that would be converted to a mixed-use residential neighborhood after the games concluded. The stadium would be dismantled and each piece would be utilized to create a completely new, and functional, design.
“No White Elephants emphasized the transition from stadium to neighborhood as massive structural fins were transformed from a unified, continuous stadium form to a series of fragmented frameworks that defined the 28 neighborhood buildings,” said Koch.
Ground Level Stadium View
Koch is currently an Architectural Designer at Engberg Anderson Architects, a position that has allowed her to work on various types of projects, at many stages of the design process. So far her work has focused mainly on the early stages of the design process, “doing things like site planning, massing studies, and developing design drawings and renderings for our clients,” added Koch.
For current students considering post-graduate studies Koch advises them to do their research and maintain connections to their current professors, “ask for their advice, let them know what you’re up to, and try to stay connected through things like Gallery Night and studio reviews,” said Koch.
“MIAD is a wonderful, tight-knit community that makes it easy to get to know your professors one-on-one – make sure you use that to your advantage,” added Koch.
To learn more about MIAD’s Interior Architecture and Design program, click here.
