Since 2022, Designing Spaces for Humans has empowered Index students to approach architecture as both a technical craft and a human-centered way of thinking. Now available in an asynchronous format, this course invites you to explore architectural thinking on your own time and at your own pace.

Architecture is more than buildings. It’s a creative discipline rooted in the human experience, and a way of seeing the world, shaped by culture, technology, and imagination. Many who study architecture go on to do great things outside the field, and this course offers the reverse — an opportunity for creatives in any medium to become skilled in spatial design, and versed in the vocabulary of architecture.

Ultimately, architecture is a creative practice rooted in the human experience, and a reflection of current culture and technology. This course asks, how can we imagine new futures, and influence human behaviors through space? How can we make spaces more human?

This course is designed for absolute beginners. It demystifies a traditionally intimidating field through accessible examples and hands-on projects that relate to everyday life. Over six sessions, you’ll learn the foundations of architectural thinking and gain practical skills in 3D modeling using Rhinoceros (Rhino). Step by step, you’ll develop your own “dream space,” using drawings, renderings, and diagrams to express your concept with clarity and creativity.

By the end of the course, you’ll walk away with:

• A basic vocabulary for talking about space and design
• A personal architectural project visualized in Rhino
• The confidence to see architecture as a tool for creative expression

By the end of this course, students will:

• Understand how architecture can be used as a human-centered design tool across creative disciplines
• Gain fluency in architectural concepts such as diagramming, program, and parti
• Develop foundational hand-drawing and surveying skills to observe and analyze space
• Learn 2D and 3D modeling techniques using Rhinoceros (Rhino)
• Explore architectural storytelling through drawings, renderings, and animation
• Use tools like Rhino, Photoshop, and Luma AI to craft expressive visual narratives
• Complete a fully conceptualized personal project: a “dream space” that reflects your values, aesthetics, and desired state of flow

Part 1 — Hand Drawing Foundations

Lecture:

• Introduction to hand drawing and spatial analysis
• Mapping space as a tool to understand user journeys and spatial experience

Demo:

• How to survey a space by hand

Exercise:

• Survey a space in your home and map the most important vectors — what do you value in this space?
• Watch the Virgil Abloh lecture for inspiration

Part 2 — Diagrams & 2D Drawing

Lecture:

• The diagram as a design thesis: using program, parti, and precedent to shape concept
• How 2D plans communicate intention and strategy

Demo:

• Rhino 2D drawing basics using a pre-built template

Exercise:

• Trace the plans of a project you love in Rhino — why does it resonate with you?
• Begin ideating your own “dream space” that puts you into flow (a writing cabin, vacation home, community kitchen — anything is possible)

Part 3 — 3D Modeling Basics

Lecture:

• Transitioning from 2D to 3D
• Introduction to architectural elements and critical regionalism: designing with a sense of place

Demo:

• Rhino 3D modeling fundamentals: daylight, camera angles, and spatial design tools

Exercise:

• Begin translating your 2D plan into a 3D space in Rhino
• Sketch or model your parti, collect imagery, and begin your spatial composition

Part 4 — Storytelling & Point of View

Lecture:

• Architecture as narrative: who uses your space, how, and why?
• Visuals as storytelling tools

Demo:

• Exporting from Rhino, adding 3D objects (via open-source sites), and creating custom materials

Exercise:

• Storyboard your project: what moments or visuals best tell the story of your space?
• Create an experimental sectional drawing to illustrate the entry experience

Part 5 — Representation & Experimentation

Lecture:

• Exploring expressive forms of architectural representation
• Building a cohesive visual language for your project

Demo:

• 3D scanning objects with Luma and integrating them into your Rhino model
• Photoshop techniques for layering detail into renderings

Exercise:

• Use your storyboard to create three key scenes
• Combine scanned objects and Photoshop techniques to animate and elevate your renderings

Part 6 — Introduction to Animation

Lecture:

• Animation as a tool for spatial storytelling
• Communicating the user journey through movement

Demo:

• Basics of animation in Rhino: camera paths, timing, and exporting

Exercise:

• Animate a 1-minute sequence that captures the user’s journey through your dream space
• Focus on atmosphere, rhythm, and emotional impact

“For one of the assignments I remember making an architectural plan of my dream studio space. About 9 months after your class wrapped up, one of my roommates moved out and I was able to turn his old bedroom into a studio modeled after my homework assignment! It's been home base for a lot of wonderful creative exploration. The space is much smaller than the one I sketched for class but, hey, gotta start somewhere ... Thank you for the inspiration.” – Aaron, Fall 2023

“Such amazing ideas. She is so encouraging and clearly so knowledgeable — an expert in the field! I was blown away by her experience and how she was able to make it all so accessible.” – Student, Summer 2022

“An intimate and welcoming space. Sharon was able to condense a lot of information into a digestible way!” – Student, Summer 2022

“I really enjoyed the structure of the course. The lecture portion was comprehensive in introducing us to architectural history and was a great way to learn about precedents in the discipline.” – Student, Summer 2022

“Insert Complicated Title Here” Virgil Abloh

“In an architectural arena, we solve problems in a very structured way...But that logic works in an analogous way in every aspect of culture. We focus on living. We focus on design - providing good design as a humanitarian effort - and this way of thinking can essentially be applied to everything.”

“We must conjure our gods before we obey them”(Lecture) Michael Rock

“As designers we have a choice...are we embellishing the existing system, or are we making a new system? At what point do you reframe your problem for design?”

“Constant’s New Babylon - The Hyper-Architecture of Desire” Mark Wigley

“...a new type of social space is necessary, one that can generate and permit encounters, as well as the play that sustains pleasure and leads the ephemeral as much significance as the eternal. ‘Living becomes rest, the pause after a climax,’ writes Constant.”

“Mine Not Yours” Mabel O. Wilson

“Your heart races, anxiety sets in. What if someone doesn’t know you’re a visiting professor and thinks you are trying to break in?”

“Elements of Architecture” Rem Koolhaas

“…architecture is a strange mixture of persistence and flux, an amalgamation of elements that have been around for over 5,000 years and others that were (re)invented yesterday…”

Check out a past student work by Tina Nguyen from a previous session of Designing Spaces for Humans.

Sharon SM Leung (she/her) is a trained architect, educator and researcher based in Los Angeles. She’s been researching and practising architecture since 2009 with projects in Toronto, New York City and LA. Sharon has been an invited guest critic at the schools of architecture at Pratt, Columbia University and NYIT. Currently, she’s writing about the link between the mind and body connection and her own personal health journey since moving from NYC to LA.

We are happy to do a partial refund within 7 days of purchase if you mistakenly purchased the course and have not started watching any of the videos. Once you start watching the videos, we won’t be able to refund your purchase.