The Boston Architectural Center (BAC) is pleased to announce that Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has agreed to give the commencement address at its 114th graduation exercises on June 14, 2003. New England's largest design college and the leading proponent of practice-based design education in the United States, the BAC offers bachelor's and master's programs in both architecture and interior design. In January 2002, the BAC learned that the National Architectural Accrediting Board had accredited its Master of Architecture program, placing the BAC in the ranks of a select number of New England universities with accredited master's programs in architecture. In November 2002, the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER) determined that the BAC's bachelor's and master's programs in interior design met FIDER's Professional Standards and accredited both programs for six years. The BAC's master's program is only the second Master of Interior Design program in the United States to achieve FIDER accreditation. "Mayor Menino's presence at this spring's commencement exercises will be an appropriate capstone to an exciting year in the history of the BAC," said President Theodore C. Landsmark.
Founded in the 1880s as a club for architects in the Boston area, the BAC has maintained close ties to the professional design community throughout its history. These ties are evident today in the BAC's faculty of practicing professionals, many of whom volunteer their time at the college, and in the BAC's commitment to concurrent academic and practice-based curricula as the cornerstone of a design education. The BAC has also remained true to its founding principles of affordability and accessibility, making an education in design available to all those who express an interest.
In addition to its degree programs in architecture and interior design, the BAC offers an extensive array of continuing education courses. Through the recently created historic preservation certificate program, the BAC offers students and practitioners alike the opportunity to participate in study tours to Havana, Cuba; Montreal, Canada; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Charleston, South Carolina. A successful certificate program in sustainable design attracts practicing professionals seeking an additional credential to assist in the design of buildings and interiors that minimize energy use, make wise use of resources, and reduce waste.
Vibrant public programming such as free exhibits and lectures ensures that the BAC serves as an open forum for the discussion of design-related issues pertinent to the city and region. One such public event, an exhibit and lecture series documenting the reconstruction of Shakespeare's Rose Playhouse in the Berkshires, was the recipient of a Cultural Agenda Fund grant from the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs in 2003.
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