The California Polytechnic School, now known as California Polytechnic State University, was originally founded in 1901 as a college to give a practical education in the fields of engineering and agriculture for working people of California. Over time, the school grew in popularity, and eventually became a university. Over the course of time, Cal Poly not only became a name brought up when mentioning exceptional schools for engineering and agriculture; but one that was now brought up when mentioning nationally renowned architecture schools. In 2015, Cal Poly was named the number two architecture program in the nation by the Architectural Record. But Cal Poly had not always been known for this, so what led them to become nationally recognized? The answer lies in their “Learn by Doing” philosophy, a passionate leader in the faculty, and the usage of an incredibly unique location on the Cal Poly campus: the Architectural Design Village.
Suzanne Stephens, “America’s Top Architecture Schools 2015,” Architectural Record, 2015, accessed January 28, 2016 , http://www.architecturalrecord.com/topics/146-america-s-best-architecture-school
