Archiculture is a documentary centering on five diverse students in a single studio at one university throughout the entirety of their thesis project. The film will convey a mere sliver of time, wholly representative of the experience to create a student’s paramount work. The footage will illustrate the range of emotions and process of this extremely intense period at the conclusion of an academic career. It is our goal for the documentary to possess educational, entertaining, realistic and inspiring qualities in response to the dynamic world these students face.



The profession of architecture deals with the design of spaces for people. Architects study how people interact and respond to space in order to provide a better understanding of the spaces they create. Archiculture documents this study by capturing Architecture students and their interactions with one another within the studio environment.

The idea came about early into my fourth year of study as a student of Landscape Architecture. I was on pace for early graduation and had completed all of my required design studios. I opted to take a graduate studio as an elective course. It was my first glance at the studio environment as an "outsider". I instantly realized how amazing the process was and how wonderful of a story it was. My classmates and I had always struggled to convey to others why we dedicated so much time and energy to our creative studies. We were never able to successfully explain how unique the studio setting was. It is here where my interest in documentaries collided with my captivation with this architectural process.

We have since evolved and elaborated on this idea to ensure that the integrity of the story and studio process is preserved. The film is merely a mirror of this process and aims to reveal two things. The act of sacrificing certain aspects of one's live to strive for a goal fueled by dedication and the desire to succeed. The second goals is to shed some light on the profession of Architecture and tell the little known story of the road to becoming an Architect.



Tapping their feet and chewing pencils, five students nervously await the outcome of five tumultuous years of intense labor. In moments, they will hear from their committee of professors as to the final decision of their senior thesis projects. Archiculture follows these five students and their struggles over the course of their final semester to complete their projects, which are the manifestations of years of hard work, stress and, ultimately, success.

As a film, Archiculture captures the turbulent final semester for five unique architecture students as they struggle and succeed in this rigorous program. The documentary focuses primarily on the diverse characters, each with a strong personality, as well as their interactions with friends and faculty, and the projects they are creating. In an environment where students spend multiple days in a row locked inside the studio, often with only a toothbrush and design supplies, dramatic interactions are commonplace. The audience gets an in-depth look into this creative yet competitive process and the conflicts that arise from immersing oneself into the passionate pursuit of academic achievement.






2006.01 - David and Ian meet at Hart Howerton's San Francisco office
2006.03 - David shares idea with Ian
2006.07 - David and Ian meet Henry Kim of Empty Kingdom Media
2006.08 - Team takes classes with Empty Kingdom
2007.03 - Team wins Short Film Award for Released
2007.08 - Arbuckle Industries is formed
2007.09 - Travel to visit potential host schools
2007.10 - Finalize school selection
2007.11 - David and Ian leave their jobs in San Francisco
2007.12 - Cross country road trip to move to New York
2008.01 - Pierce joins team in NYC and production begins
2008.02 - Students selected
2008.03 - Production-Trailer Debuted
2008.05 - Students graduate and principal photography completed
2008.06 - Post-Production begins with 150+ hours of footage
2008.09 - Editor Pierce Cook provides cut of select footage
2008.12 - First cut of footage to 80 hours
2009.04 - Second cut of footage to 40 Hours
2009.06 - Third cut of footage to 20 Hours
2009.07 - New Trailer Debut
2009.10 - Rough cut of film to 3 hours
2010.01 - Final Cut set and mastered
2010.02 - Post Production is complete
2010.03 - Film Premiers
2010.04 - North American School Tour begins
2011.01 - DVD release




The core audience of Archiculture includes students, professors, and professionals associated with the field of architecture (i.e. graphic designers, urban planners, artists, engineers, developers, and landscape architects). The dramatic storyline, along with engaging characters, are sure to entertain and embrace the general public as they become emotionally involved in the struggles and successes of these charismatic young students. The high-pressure situations and passionate students are reminiscent of the award-wining documentary Spellbound, which showcases highly determined children and their dedication to become a National Spelling Bee champion. Anyone from an adolescent interested in the profession of architecture to a parent or grandparent of a current college student will surely be interested in this story. Each demograph can relate to an aspect of this documentary, whether it is the overall challenges faced by college students, the social issues examined in the film, or the role of architecture in society.



’thesis projects which will bring to light a broad range of issues such as low income housing, the ethics of design, the cultural impact of architecture and sustainable design. The film also uses the main characters to examine the disproportion of gender and minorities within the architecture profession. The filmmakers are discussing with organizations such as the National Organization of Minority Architects and the Association for Women in Architecture in hopes that the film will spur discussion and help facilitate change.



After an extensive search of many schools offering great archicture programs we chose to set our film at the prestigious Pratt Institute. We felt it offered the best potential for bringing our vision to light and we were not disappointed. The campus as well as the student body were full of great opportunities. We are deeply appreciative and honored that they allowed us to document our story with their full support.

“The School of Architecture’s mission is to educate the future leaders of the design disciplines in the professional fields of architecture, urban design, city and regional planning, construction and facilities management, and historic preservation. This effort builds upon a strong context of professional education within an art and design institute that stresses the relationship between intellectual development and creative activity. The school provides a broad cultural and intellectual base in the liberal arts and sciences, while providing the specialized knowledge unique to individual disciplines. The importance of lifelong learning is emphasized through studio-based curricula and research-oriented thesis programs.”



After four years of study, Bachelor of Architecture students embark upon a final project known as the thesis. The subject matter for this design problem predominantly comes from within each individual student to create the greatest potential connection with the design. The student proceeds to digest any and all information regarding their design. This can range from the green roofing of a historic structure, to spatial explorations of a live/work residence, to the material qualities of architectural skins. Through the guidance of their chosen advisors, ranging from seasoned professionals, to theoretical academics, the student constructs a design problem in the form of a program. The program acts as the framework for which they design an architectural form.

The entire fall semester is spent researching and writing to create the program, with brief explorations into conceptual design. The film will open at the beginning of the spring semester when the serious design begins in earnest. The five month term is broken into successive critiques where each student showcases their progression and endures intense questioning from their advisors and peers. The thesis ends with the final presentation. This is where the film will conclude at the climatic rush to produce the last minute details to their academic careers.