Professor Fowler's teaching responsibilities include third year design and building technology courses, working with a range of independent study students, co teaching an experimental interdisciplinary fourth year design studio (architecture, architectural engineering, and construction management) and directing his digital media facility founded in 1997, called the Collaborative Integrative-Interdisciplinary Digital-Design Studio (CIDS). This facility provides students with access to the latest digital technology for use in the classroom for the design and construction of a range of interdisciplinary community projects. During Professor Fowler's career he has received a number of awards in recognition of his teaching and research activities, which includes:American Institute of Architects (AIA) Education Honor Award for CIDS in 2008 <http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek08/0314/0314n_edawards.cfm>, selected for the AIA Doer's Profile in 2008 <http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek08/0425/0425dp.cfm>, received the College of Architecture and Environmental Design Wesley Award for Teaching Excellence in 2007, the Architecture Department's Faculty Teaching Award in 2005, nominated by Cal Poly's College of Architecture in both 2001 and 2000 for both the U.S. Professor of the Year Award and the California State University System's "Wang Outstanding Teaching Award", received the "Young Faculty Teaching Award" from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture/American Institute of Architecture Students (ACSA/AIAS) in 1996-1997, and was selected as part of the "Young Architects" Competition, Progressive Architecture Magazine, July 1994. Professor Fowler has served as paper referee for numerous conferences, journals, and has published a range of papers on his design studio teaching methods and interdisciplinary project activities connected with his CIDS facility. He has had a successful track record for successful grants (over 122 million dollars) to support his research activities. He has recently published an essay on teaching titled, "A Teacher's View", in Becoming an Architect, Lee Waldrep, editor, Wiley 2006 (second edition with updated essay being released for 2009). Professor Fowler has served as the third year coordinator for design since 1997. He is also currently serving as the Assistant Department Head with responsibilities for writing the annual accreditation and the university's internal review reports along with assisting the department with preparing for the next reaccreditation visit in 2011. He has also served as the Associate Head of the Architecture Department from 2001 2007. Selected professional service activities include, elected Secretary to the Board of National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) from 2007-2008 (board member 2006-2009), elected Secretary to the Board of the Association of Collegiate School of Architecture (ACSA) from 2004-2006, served as the ACSA faculty representative to the national AIAS Board of Directors from 2002-2004, chaired the national task force 2007-2008 to rewrite the student performance criteria and conditions and has extensive experience participating on National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) visitation teams (17 visits - 8 chaired) around the country. Professor Fowler is a Registered Architect in New York State and is certified by National Council of Registration Boards (NCARB), a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and is a member of the Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture (ACADIA). Scholarship, Teaching and Creative Work CIDS provides multidisciplinary linkages and practice-based connections of industry to all of Professor Fowler's design studio and building technology courses. Use of advanced digital tools allows for students to focus on building systems integration, group case study analysis, design research and collaborative interdisciplinary community design-build projects. Over a third of the undergraduate students have the opportunity to participate in CIDS in one of four ways: enrolling in a required course; signing-up for independent design or research study; joining an interdisciplinary team project; or participating in the competitive annual selection process to join the CIDS work study team. Over 80 interdisciplinary projects have been completed since 1997 (an average of 6 a year and about 2 a quarter), collaborating in the past with the disciplines of new media arts (film), english, Liberal Arts and Engineering Program (LAES), computer science, art & design, architectural engineering, construction management, landscape architecture and city regional planning. Industry professionals collaborated with included: building cladding/concrete subcontractors, shade structure manufacturers, virtual reality and motion tracking software companies. Students involved with CIDS acquire an understanding of the theoretical and procedural foundation for effective utilization of digital media in the design process, while being grounded in traditional media. Also as important, there is an aim to develop awareness and skills so students can succeed in today's media driven profession. The CIDS framework for engaging the students is multi-faceted: a 1-2 day design studio project conceptualization charrette (short duration intense workshop) for interdisciplinary community and/or research grant proposals, 3-4 week interdisciplinary design-build projects, and independent design studio and research projects. The CIDS also provides an environment, which continually assists the student in efforts to give a voice to individual creativity, and establishes a learning environment that feeds itself and evolves as the learners grow.
Articles
Collaborative Integrative-Interdisciplinary Digital-Design Studio (CIDS), Architecture (2008)
CIDS provides for an intensive three-quarter course sequence designed to familiarize undergraduate students in a...
Intimate and Transparent Production of Space, formZ Joint Study Journal 2006-2007 (2006)
This paper illustrates the design work from an integrated third-year Architecture Design Studio and a...
Light Motion Machines, formZ Joint Study Journal 2006-2007 (2006)
Students worked in four teams of three to four each and were assigned the construction...
The Tectonics of Motion, Light and Space, formZ Joint Study Report 2005-2006 (2005)
This paper illustrates the design work from an integrated third year Architecture Design Studio and...
Digital and Analog Strategies for Design Studio, formZ Joint Study Program, 2004-2005 (2004)
In a third year design studio, assignments are crafted for students to refine skills in...