Dezeen School Shows: a centre for people with Alzheimer's disease that features biophilic design elements is among the architecture projects from California Baptist University.

Also included is a theatre featuring wave-like forms to immerse guests in the theatrical experience, and an in-depth study of a palace in South Korea.

California Baptist University

Institution: California Baptist University
School: College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design
Course: The Architecture Programme
Tutors: Krysten Allbeck, Ryan Chung, Susan Duemer, Aaron Greene, Keelan Kaiser, Matthew Niermann, David Ogoli, Katherine Kaford Papineau, Karim Youssef and Jacob Slagill

School statement:

"California Baptist University (CBU) architecture students design for the public good. The architecture programme at CBU prepares students to serve as design professionals rooted in the Christian faith tradition.

"This unique approach to architectural education encourages students to be inspired and guided by their faith perspective as they endeavour to serve the public good.

"The CBU architecture programme offers an accelerated five-year accredited Master of Architecture degree in the Inland Empire area of Southern California, USA, and features a variety of opportunities for interdisciplinary inquiry, professional development, global study and engagement.

"The design curriculum within the CBU architecture programme emphasises an analytical and data-driven approach to understanding the impact of architecture on human experience and the natural environment across a range of project types.

"The work in this school show represents the imagination of a plurality of questions and courses by students who, as a whole, participate in critical investigations of design, material and the ephemeral."

Solace by Sarah Schober

"It is a collective human experience to seek out an understanding of purpose on a meta-level, yet we cannot achieve this without intention.

"By producing a quietly beautiful and intimate physical environment, the curious individual is permitted to sit alone with their thoughts and transcend a tangible world, immersing themselves within the ultimate reality of their existence.

"It is in this abstract space where one confronts their reality to discover peaceful understanding in the spiritual.

"By referencing academic and natural precedents, the project produces an environment of intimate seclusion and immersion into thought, which enables one to transcend their physical reality to discover peaceful understanding in the spiritual."

Student: Sarah Schober
Course: ARC410
Tutor: Jacob Slagill

Maggie's Centre by Cabot Ferguson

"The Maggie's Centre is a sanctuary of quiet resilience, honouring both the visible strength and unseen complexities of those affected by cancer.

"This project reflects an architecture of both fortitude and fragility, where light, material and space create a gentle interplay of shelter and openness, understanding and exploration, solitude and support.

"Here, walls embrace rather than confine – they are thresholds designed to encourage reflection.

"In this space of empathy, healing is not only physical but deeply human, where strength and tenderness find harmony. This project embraces and protects, and is embodied and communicated meaningfully through this sectional representation."

Student: Cabot Ferguson
Course: ARC510
Tutor: Susan Duemer

Travel Drawing In Situ by Nikolas Kaiser

"This spring, I participated in a study abroad trip to South Korea's capital, Seoul. The first place we visited during the programme was Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of South Korea's main landmarks.

"It contains a large collection of traditional Korean buildings with varying styles and histories. This is a study sketch of the craftsmanship of the entrance gate.

"I chose to draw the subject in a contour-line style, trying to capture the many interlocking pieces and how they formed a complex system of parts to whole."

Student: Nikolas Kaiser
Course: ARC564G
Tutors: Ryan Chung and Matthew Niermann

Between Precision and Imagination by Joshua Dicken

"Between Precision and Imagination is a cross comparison of three of architecture's most infamous representations of the city: Nolli's Nuova Pianta Di Roma, Piranesi's Campo Marzio and Aldo Rossi's La Citta Analoga collage.

"This study investigates each author's interpretation and employment of the part – or the fragment – as both an act of imagination with rigorous compositional precision.

"This drawing is from a part of the study of the Rossi collage. The ground in the analogous city collage is never determined. Each figure appears to fall back into 'deep space' while simultaneously overlapping with a new figure.

"The superimposition of perspective views further demonstrates the depth of the image as they appear to cut through the various layers of the drawing."

Student: Joshua Dicken
Course: ARC560
Tutor: Keelan Kaiser

Assemblies by Jace Dong

"In this second-year construction introduction course, students explore the relationships between material, assembly and expression.

"Through physical modelling of assemblies and material components, students are able to wrestle with the relationships between facade design, interior spatial relationships, building systems and material finishes.

"The model demonstrates the spatial relationships, the structure and the facade and roof layers that might be involved in a conventional two-story commercial building."

Student: Jace Dong
Course: ARC280
Tutor: Jacob Slagill

Transparente by Idannia Arriaga

"The most unforgettable moment in the Catedral Primada Toledo, in Spain, was standing beneath the Transparente, a Baroque skylight and sculptural altarpiece created by Narciso Tomé in the 18th century.

"Sunlight pierced through an opening in the ceiling, casting golden beams across marble angels, clouds and swirling light, making it feel like the heavens were opening above me.

"The play between darkness and divine illumination was powerful, almost theatrical and it reminded me that sacred architecture isn't just built to house worship, but to shape spiritual experience through space, material and light."

Student: Idannia Arriaga
Course: ARC460
Tutors: Krysten Allbeck and Karim Youssef

Wellness Centre by Dean Menchaca

"The design is guided by a three-goal narrative that embodies Caltech's core values: physical wellbeing, mental and academic growth and community engagement.

"The design not only responds to the site's unique conditions but also reflects Caltech's broader mission to advance research that benefits society.

"Through its deliberate use of materials, thoughtful site planning and intentional spatial organisation, the project reinforces these values while showcasing the institute's commitment to global progress."

Student: Dean Menchaca
Course: ARC515
Tutor: Ryan Chung

Travel Drawing In Situ by Grace Oweiss

"My drawing experience of the Villa Rotonda in the countryside near Vicenza, Italy, was perfectly balanced and framed by the soft hills and gardens.

"I found a quiet spot under a tree and began to sketch, carefully drawing clean lines to capture its symmetry and elegance. Focusing on the details, the columns, dome and shifting shadows.

"Sketching wasn't just about copying what I saw, it became a way to really see, to notice subtle details, proportions and the quiet harmony that makes the villa so timeless."

Student: Grace Oweiss
Course: ARC460
Tutors: Jacob Slagill and Matthew Niermann

Community Care by Karina Lervick

"This studio explored the role of architecture in fostering community and support for residents with Alzheimer's disease.

"Part of a multi-year study of architectural strategies in designing for memory care residents, this project paid particular attention to drawing the natural world into the interior, celebrating biophilic impulses, employing intuitive wayfinding systems and connecting residents to enriching material experiences.

"Resident comfort through empathetic design approaches is evidenced in this work."

Student: Karina Lervick
Course: ARC510
Tutor: Keelan Kaiser

Ribbon of Redlands by Grace Oweiss

"Ribbon of Redlands presents an interconnected theatrical experience, where three distinct theatre "knots" are united by a flowing architectural design.

"The journey mimics a ribbon – fluid, continuous and dynamic – emphasising movement and storytelling beyond traditional stage boundaries.

"At its heart is the canyon, a tranquil green space offering shaded paths, water features and moments of reflection between performances.

"The ebb tide theatre features soft, curving forms and integrated lighting that mimic the ebb and flow of performance, blurring the lines between audience and stage.

"Together, these elements create an immersive environment where space, light and story are in constant, graceful motion."

Student: Grace Oweiss
Course: ARC312
Tutor: Krysten Allbeck

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and California Baptist University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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