Fay Jones School Twice Ranked No. 1 as ‘Top Brand’ of Architecture Education

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The Fay Jones School of Architecture is twice ranked No. 1 in a national survey of “top brands” in architectural education, according to a survey in the November/December 2012 issue of DesignIntelligence.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Fay Jones School of Architecture is twice ranked No. 1 in a national survey of “top brands” in architectural education, according to a survey conducted by the Design Futures Council. The results are published in the November/December 2012 issue of DesignIntelligence.

The Fay Jones School was included in this survey of the “top brands,” a sampling of architecture school brand strengths based on surveys and interviews by DesignIntelligence editors. The school tied for No. 1 in the nation in the “Top for Regional Respect and Admiration” category, sharing that distinction with California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and the University of Oregon. The Fay Jones School also tied for No. 1 in the nation in the “Best Small School Design Program” category, sharing that with Rice University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“We are very pleased to receive this recognition. It is a clear indication of the quality of our faculty, staff and students, and of the great work they do,” said Jeff Shannon, dean of the Fay Jones School.

The Fay Jones School is also ranked 19th in the nation in the 13th annual survey of “America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools,” a study conducted by the Design Futures Council and also published in the November/December 2012 issue of DesignIntelligence. The survey lists the top 20 undergraduate architecture programs for 2013.

In this ranking, the Fay Jones School was the eighth best program among public universities. Since its last ranking by DesignIntelligence, in 2008, the school has improved one spot overall and three spots among public universities.

In regional rankings based on all responses, the Fay Jones School’s undergraduate architecture program also ranked No. 5 among “Top Schools in the South.” In regional rankings by top firms in the country, the Fay Jones School tied for No. 7 for best schools ranked by firms in the Midwest and tied for No. 6 for best schools ranked by firms in the South.

In addition, architecture professor David Buege was selected as one of the “30 Most Admired Educators for 2013.” The DesignIntelligence staff solicited input from design professionals, academic leaders and students. They said Buege “brings a clarity and consistency of rigor, focus and exploration to his work with faculty, administration and students. He has become well known for high standards and getting the best out of each person he works with. He makes the difficult easier to understand.”

The top 20 undergraduate architecture programs for 2013, as listed by this recent report by James P. Cramer, editor of DesignIntelligence, have distinguished themselves over time on the basis of rankings by professional firms, architecture deans and chairs and student evaluations, among other criteria.

The survey, conducted in mid-2012, queried professional design practice leaders across the United States about the programs they considered best in preparing students for professional success, based on design firms’ hiring experiences in the past five years. They were also asked to cite programs they considered best in educating and training for specific skills.

The survey tapped nearly 400 firms practicing in the fields of architecture, industrial design, interior design and landscape architecture in the United States. The survey also included deans and chairs from some 351 academic programs, and more than 2,840 architecture and landscape architecture students who completed surveys about their design education experience. For more information, visit the website for Design Intelligence.

Previously, DesignIntelligence designated the Fay Jones School of Architecture as one of five “hidden gems of architecture education” for 2010. DesignIntelligence also named Dean Shannon one of the 25 “Most Admired Educators” of 2011.