Studio Studio Studio Studio

Dean Deborah Berke braced the podium at lottery to introduce this season’s players: a bench of domestic heavyweights and a few international vanguards, poised to inspire a disaffected generation of students. From stage right to left, the Fall 2025 Advanced Studio critics: the stadium star Janet Marie Smith was flanked by the veteran Alan Plattus and a monochromatic Matt Rosen,her sunny disposition in high contrast; Caitlin Taylor sat confidently alone, her first time in the lead seat for a studio; beside her an eager Regina Teng and an assured Amin Taha; Michael Young said something about stereos that I didn’t get; Sandra Barclay, Jean Pierre Crousse and Andrew Benner were coordinated in dark tones and their silver locks; Marlon Blackwell worked the crowd, Gavin Hogben as his hype-man; Patrick Bellew, Henry Squire and Tim Newton were matching in their custom Biosphere 2 shirts––not for sale. Deborah’s eyes narrowed, “Are they going to behave for our guests?”

The students sat shifting in their seats, calculating their points for the disembodied algorithm that might place them in the undersubscribed studio(s)––their entire future in the balance! There was a strong divide this year, despite the reassurance that ‘you’ll definitely get your first or second choice.’ 0 1 1 1 2 6 10. The unlucky few ended up in studios with critics at the top of their field, but it did not look like a home run.

Nearing Berke’s ten-year anniversary as dean, her influence is reaching its height. Has her tireless schmoozing to get us the best of the best been for the best? Deborah assumed the role in 2016 after Bob Stern’s 18-year run. His legacy of pulling the who is who of the architecture scene, and a very western one, lives on. In the decade of her leadership, YSoA has hosted internationally renowned critics like Momoyo Kajima, Francis Kéré, Marina Tabassum, Frida Escobedo, Pezo von Ellrichshausen and Ma Yansong to name a few cult celebrities. Last fall, the studio critics represented seven countries, and five continents, bringing a range of perspectives to those of us confined to New Haven. The Advanced Studio lottery is a reminder of everywhere else in the world, with Deborah at the helm.

This semester comes during a tenuous moment in higher education, reflected in the conservative choices for travel this year––Italy, Italy, France, Florida, Tennessee, Arizona. The only travel offered in the southern hemisphere is from the established Barclay Crousse studio to Peru, and, coincidentally, it was the most oversubscribed of the seven offerings. Our desire to travel off the canonical path is no match for border control. Travel-ban worries, and visa runs leading up to Summer Travel this spring set a new precedent. It is ironic that Deborah’s time might close with an administration directly opposed to her work, limiting those global connections that in part defined her time as Dean.

Yet, we are back at our game of stressing over studio assignments and listening to critics inspire solutions in our castle at Rudolph Hall. Janet is pulling us into America’s pastime in the baseball studio, but they promise it is not about sports ––really! Caitlin is taking on regional food systems in the Northeast; which crop are you? Michael recites stereotomy, stereoscopics, stereophonics and stereotypes again in France. Amin speaks up from his stone soapbox; you’d better like excel. Sandra and Jean Pierre are taking us on a mountain climb (remember altitude sickness pills). At least you know where you are traveling with Marlon, even if you do not know what you’re going to make. Tim Newton already CNC’d the site model, so do not stress. The world gets internalized when you are within the walls of bush-hammered concrete.

In two weeks’ time, we will be traveling, but only to a couple of parts of the globe this year. Our flight patterns are a vane of what’s ahead.