To examine the current and potential future state of our built environment.



The two directors of Archiculture, David Krantz and Ian Harris, were inspired by their experiences in design school to make the language of design accessible to the public. "At some point throughout your design education you start to see things differently, you start to realize the influence of design on everyday-society," says Krantz. Upon entering the profession of architecture, the two were turned off by how little the profession engaged the public.  Instead of complaining to other designers, they chose to pick up a set of cameras and turn them on the design studio. "Over the past few decades we have seen documentarians tackle global warming, genetically modified food, and the war on water, but we have yet to address the issues of our built environment," Harris says. 

The film is designed to become a forum for larger conversations surrounding architectural design such as technology, sustainability, and environmental psychology. Archiculture aims to examine two predominant themes: the impact the profession of architecture has upon our daily lives, and the act of sacrificing certain aspects of one's live to strive for a goal fueled by dedication and the desire to succeed.



Archiculture opens the doors to design in order to examine the impact and future of our built environment. The documentary follows five design students throughout the entirety of their senior thesis projects as a means to explore issues pertaining to architecture and design.  The students' projects parallel real life controversies concerning sustainability, technology and environmental psychology.

With population on the rise and the life-expectancy of our buildings decreasing, our society must question the long-term effect of our building methodology on society. We now possess unprecedented technological capabilities and unimaginable building materials, yet our buildings remain the world’s largest source of pollution. Archiculture serves as a wake-up call by questioning the current direction of the building industry and the ultimate outcomes this will have on our future built environment. Winston Churchill explained it best when he said, "we shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us." 

By following the next generation of designers, the film offers an entertaining platform to discuss this serious topic. The student-characters are engrossed in the rigorous process of design education, where they often spend days at a time locked inside the studio with only a toothbrush and design supplies. These diverse characters help animate and materialize some of the stereotypes associated with the profession and education of architecture. 






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
2007.08 - Arbuckle Industries is formed
2007.10 - Visit and select host school
2007.11 - David and Ian leave their jobs in San Francisco
2007.12 - Cross country road trip to move to New York for production
2008.01 - Pierce joins team in NYC and production begins
2008.02 - Students selected
2008.03 - Production-Teaser Debut Party NYC
2008.05 - Students graduate and principal photography completed
2008.06 - Post-Production begins with 150+ hours of footage
2008.09 - Associate 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
2009.09 - Trailer Premiere Party in NYC
2009.12 - Third cut of footage to 20 Hours
2010.05 - Trailer Online Release
2010.10 - Rough Cut
2011.01 - Final Cut set and mastered
2011.05 - Design School Premiere via Global 24 Hour Simulcast
2011.06 - Film Festival Tour
2011.08 - Theatrical Distribution
2011.12 - DVD release
2012.04 - Special Double DVD release with full interviews and extras




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.