Weisenthal, Howard  

he's fine, he is the only one teaches the class

Right now all the ARCH 106 lectures are on tapes that have the broadcast quality of streaming internet video. He fumbles around, and the sound is terrible. But he's the only one who teaches the class.

I thought that Mr Weisenthal was a great professor. Even though I didn't have him for the lecture, I wish that I did. He was kind, and was very interested in what he was teaching. He's also a very easy grader, he looks more at the effort you put into a project than the way it comes out, so just work hard on the project. Therefore, take him, because I guarantee that you will learn more from him than the lecture professor.

Weisenthal is enthusiastic, energetic and critical; all key attributes to a motivational instructor. Mind you this evaluation is for the Lab section of 106 (weisenthal does not lecture any longer, much to his enjoyment) He may seem like an insulting guy at first, but he's trying to loosen everybody up. Looking beyond the exterior will help you learn something extra from Weisenthal. Take him.

Professor Weisenthal is a nice guy and is enthusiastic and passionate about construction and materials. He seemed to be kind of grumpy at first, but this was understandable considering that nobody in the class seemed to be interested in anything he had to say. He didn't seem to appreciate the fact that more than half the students didn't stay in lab the first couple of weeks to work on their projects. But those of us that did stay and work, he was very helpful and gave many tips and suggestions. He didn't grade based on how good your lamp looked but on the effort put into it. Definitely a nice guy and very understanding. Take him if you can.

This teacher was cool. We only had three things we had to do. Make joints, a journal and make a lamp. The joints were easy, the journal he didn't really explain so it was unclear on what we were supposed to do, so I wrote the wrong info down and got a B on it even though I did the journal EVERY DAY like he said to. =P The lamp was really cool. Mine turned out great and I got an A on that. He knows what he is talking about on the field trips too. It's a fun class, especially if you like working with wood and metal. (Ended up with a B+ cuz I didn't read the book or study for any of the lecture quizzes which were random-George Stewart taught that though.)

Howard would joke around and 'wax poetic' about materials. He was pretty relaxed and easy going. Many people struggled with the material. I really helps if you have some prior knowledge about construction materials and methods.

howard is a chill guy. he likes to have fun with the class, cracks jokes a lot and still gets the info across. all you do is look at power points and take notes, you watch a few movies. its an easy A if you pay attention and read the book. take him, hes good

The previous review sums it up. Horrible teacher+horrible grader=J. Ward

Howard is a pretty decent professor once you get used to him. At first he comes across as being overly critical and intimidating but he can be really insightful if you have thick skin. Although his expectations can be extremely vague, his grading seems fair enough. If you don't mind being told your projects suck, I completely encourage you to take Howard.

You'll learn a lot but work extremely hard if you take this guy. He likes to rant about how much the class sucks and how when he was a student he would have had his work done the night it was assigned... none of this pulling all-nighters stuff. His rants are long winded and it's always about how much the students suck and how little we actually work compared to how much he worked when he was a student, but if you go into it with thick skin and can handle a lot of being talked down to, you'll actually learn a lot. He's a good 2nd year professor... he builds a good design foundation.

Howard is a laid-back guy. He lets you try to figure out your own style, but will help you if you get stuck. It is not possible to bullshit him--he can smell it a mile away. You just have to be honest and really try hard. Sketchbooks are a big deal to him. You don't have to be "good" at sketching, you just have to sketch a lot to get a good grade on your sketchbook (yes, he grades it). Sketch your projects, ideas, other people's projects, notes, stuff you see while riding the bus, etc. He gives a peanut butter and jelly sandwich fest with lemonade at the end of the quarter. : )

Howard provides great critics. Sometimes he can be very blunt if he thinks your idea/work sucks. When he comments things in a harshful manner, he doesn't mean to offend you or anything. Though sometimes it seems very straightforward. You'll learn a lot from him if you take him for the first quarter because he provides great suggestions and will help you if you ask. Sometimes he gives you an approach to solving a design problem, but if you come to class the next day and surprise him with a better solution rather than his opinion, he will be amaze. He's a very fun professor. Sketchbook is important to all arch student and it's not just because of his class. You can only improve your sketching skills if you practice all the time.

Howard is a great guy! a lot of people don't jive well with his personality, but i really liked him. he is a man who highly values craft, maybe a bit too much, but that can only help you improve. i personally don't have a high level of craft and he was constantly on my case about it, but i didn't find him at all abrasive like i have heard others say. i would definitely recommend taking him just to experience his unique perspective on things. it definitely depends what quarter you take him on how heavy your work load will be, but i would still say, even under a heavy work load, that he is a worthwhile teacher.

I would disagree that he is a bitter old man who cares only about himself. I loved Howard and thought that he was a good teacher. He didn't push us to think as much on our own in the beginning but towards the end of the quarter he really pushed us to develop our own ideas. I don't know what it is about our year, but years before us loved Howard, and our year seems to hate him. All I have to say to current 2nd yrs is get over yourselves, you can learn from all your teachers and the only reason you think that one teacher sucks is cuz you aren't making the best of the situation you have and you aren't pushing yourselves hard enough!

i'm a sophomore currently taking this class... first of all you should know that this is the ONLY design studio that is a combination of TWO classes.... weisenthall and art chapman teach together in one giant studio. that, in itself (having a huge room with 35 other students) makes taking this class worthwhile. thought Howie and Art co-teach, Howie is really the guy who leads the class. Howie is one of the few professors who seems to actually understand what good design is (in my experience at least). He is VERY good at really understanding everyone's projects. the work may seem a bit... abstract but, good design is good design. whether or not is relates directly to buildings makes no difference. Howie is very helpful and has a lot of good comments and criticisms to say. some people may disagree with taht, but as long as you are willing to LISTEN to what he says, he'll help you. Many students never get anything out of this class simply because they're cocky little shits who think they know better that the teacher. yes, he does pick on people a little, but all in good fun. if he feels you aren't the type to deal with that, he'll leave you alone (more or less). IN short, he is a very helpful, smart and understanding teacher. He appreciates people who work hard and takes that in to consideartion when grading.

HOWARD is the man. he knows what he's doing. he stay in studio late to help you out. very funny guy. watch'out for his RULES to students. he always use these rules to make fun of you. don't take it for grand it. he is probably one of the best teacher for 2nd. put him on your list.

He's a pretty weird guy. Haven't taken him, but seem to encounter him everyday. Comes into other studios randomly, snooping around. Apparently called the fire marshal on our studio once, because he didn't like our mess. His studio conveniently cleaned up all their crap before that. Came into studio once to find something heavy to crack his walnuts. He likes to rag on the studios that do way more work (probably because we have way more stuff in a small studio.) I'm not complaining, I'm just saying... he's just a little bit odd. Haven't quite figured him out yet. I guess if you like quirky, he'll be right up your alley.

this is the worst teacher I have ever had in my life. My second grade teacher could have taught this course better than him. For the love of everything DO NOT TAKE THIS TEACHER. He played favorites all quarter long helping them with every project and completely ignoring the students he didn't like. Then when grades come around what do you know? Everyone he liked got at least an A-. He has no clue what real architecture is and I am amazed that he even got a license. the test must have been ridiculously easy back in the stone age when he took it. if you want a real teacher take arens, peters, golden, and next year fowler. but if you get stuck with howard wiesenthal like me...I am truly sorry...

the first thing you need to know about howie is: "you can never do anything that he will like. he's seen it all, and, quite frankly, he's way better than you will ever be." he said that during several of his hour-long rants about who-knows-what. the second thing you need to know about howie is: you will never ever ever be able to predict how he will react to a project. he practically did one of my projects for me and at the review he still told me that he had no clue what the project was about. the third thing you need to know about howie is: halfway through the quarter i came to the conclusion that him hating my work was probably the highest compliment he could give me, considering the state of the projects he did like. in conclusion, looking at the comments below me... "howard was an inspiration to our entire class. he is extremely entertaining and enjoys mardi gras as much as the rest of us." that is the most disgraceful comment ive ever read. i'm sorry, i'd assumed we should look for an architecture professor we could respect, not one we could get drunk with!

Howie is a great guy. He is interesting and fun to talk to in class. He is very knowledgable about architecture and construction, and he creates a fun studio environment for second year. I recommend taking him first quarter second year, as he starts out with a whole new way of thinking and talking about architecture that seems weird at first, but ultimately helps when explaining ordering principles in architecture. Howie really cares about his students, and although he gets a bad reputation as the "easy" professor, there is a lot to learn about architecture from Howie's perspective, and I definitely recommend him.

Howard is the best, TRUST ME TAKE HIM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. oh wait, you guys waited too late, he's retiring now. Shame on all of you who looked at his polyratings and decided not to take him before and now want him. I hope you learned your lesson.

howie is a stud, but watch out. while he goes on all his 'hot dates' you'll be having a hot date with the lab...... every night. Howard is an excellent professor. If u want to gain a lot of experience with designing and don't mind the (most ) lab hours of 2nd year arch take howard. beware he will run your ass into many all nighters. in his crits he is very blunt to the point but on the money. he will pump out ideas that will amaze any audience. don't mess with his personality cause he will bite you in the ass. ps- do not throw him in the pool he doesn't like it. do not hot glue a spider to his door. and don't post your teats on the class room door.

Howie ROCKS as a professor...you learn SO much, it is absolutely increadible, and he is a hilarious guy. But of course learning does come at the expense of your sanity, a price well worth it when it comes down to it...you end up becoming delirious in lab and then it really doesn't matter what happens, because you find yourself laughing at anything and everything. Howard will often talk about his "hot date," don't get confused, he does mean his wife (not any of the young ladies within the class...or of any other class for that matter...I hope), but don't try to suck up to him and tell him that his wife IS a "hot date," one boy tried that and Howie tired of it quite rapidly, actually don't suck up to him in any way, it looks pathetic and he really doesn't respond to it. Howie responds to hard work and improvement in everyway possible. He is blunt and to the point, something which everyone in class should respect...and for good reason. He helps you to improve yourself and does it in a great way. If you believe that you are right and have the right solution, be open to new ideas, or you will go nowhere in this class. If you think that your specific idea is best and you can articulate it well, then more power to you, but if not, please do not waste your time. You will do well if you always show improvement in your design, and if you keep a great detailed sketchbook...where you are ALWAYS "observing the world." He does grade the notebook. He treats you like his equal and respects every individual within the class, but in all honesty he was like our POPPA. Be ready to work harder than any other second year class and be ready for a quarter full of all-nighters...from beginning to end! P.S. "Don't be fooled by the bike that he's got, he's still, he's still Howie from the block."

Howie is a nice guy. He really gets to know you and you spend a lot of time in the lab with him. He can be hard on grading and just come down on you a lot. You'll have to work hard in the class. He knows whose slacking off and whose always in lab. Sketchbooks are really important to him and he'll have a suprise check on it in the middle of the quarter. He'll have a lot of projects that you won't have a lot of time to spend on them, but he does have good feedback. He'll yap on about nothing in class, but thats just howard and you'll learn to listen to the same stories over and over. I'd say to take him, it was a good experience.

howard was an inspiration to our entire class. he is extremely entertaining and enjoys mardi gras as much as the rest of us. i valued the time i spent in that class, knowing that each minute was as interesting as the last. it did help that we as a class got along great, cracking jokes with howard is very easy to do. he is an extremely logic oriented mind, always looking to design FOR people, and looking for 'gold' in all of our designs. he will force you to think twice about the size of a sidewalk or how far away people are sitting on the lawn. and in between talking about smelling like architecture. yeah baby.

bitter old man who only cares about himself

This teacher is simply unqualified; he is not mentally stable!! he is very unintelligent and annoying! if you like unhappy, horney, old men take Howard!! but if you ask me, I want to actually learn something!

howie as an instructor is always contradicting himself and gives people shit who have great designs while glorifying the uglies things as long as they have the "ordering principles". he makes rude comments and is slightly biased towars women. if he knows champman likes your model he will purposefully rip yours apart just to be the opposite. and he rants forever about the same thing which is a waste of time to the students. overall the class was a downgrade from my previous studio and the 1/2" models look rediculus and ugly and make you feel very bad in comparison to other 2nd year instuctors. i would not recommend him because for the amount of work you put in it is not worth the effort to produce ugly models and he hates computers.

Anybody that wrote negative reviews obviously learned nothing from Howard. If you want to do pretty models and drawings, there is nothing stopping you. The 1/2" models are great ways of visualizing space. He actually does know what he is talking about, which is why his studio is so quick to fill up. I will admit that you might not learn as much about architecture and design as you would from other professors, but Howard teaches you about life more than anything and how to see the world through the eyes of an architect. He is truly one of the best professors you could ever wish for.

I have extremely mixed feelings about this professor. he does know a lot, and there is much you can learn from him, but as far as an actual design philosophy is concerned, he is pretty shallow. i found the most valuable lesson was not one that he taught directly , but one that was indirectly contrived: when the student begins to theorize and adapt their own design strategies, once they may disagree with this man's own. Introducing students to that level of cognitive consideration of design is his greatest asset, whether it is intentional or not. and if you do want to just follow him blindly, you wont come out of the class with a terrible process of design either and will still have learned a lot. On the other hand, i feel that he acts too much on preconceptions, and will begin to judge and correct what he thinks your project is, according to his own (usually false) interpretation before you can even convey what you are trying to do. For this reason, many students think that he is trying to 'take-over' their projects. Also, he may have some respect and admiration for you, but he almost always behaves in a condescending manner, which although may be jocose, is still insulting and demeaning all the same. He picks favourites, but usually due to a student's merit, and i don't believe it has much of a factor while grading is concerned. And, of course he is known for heavy work loads, so you will be sacrificing much of what you call a 'life' to pursue academic endeavors for a quarter...he expects an extremely high level of commitment and will bitch about it if he doesn't get it. so there's the good and bad. i would recommend his class, if you can get past the little things, there's a lot of value in it.( i ended up taking him twice)

I feel that there are two things that ensure success in Howards class. First, an open mind. This class teaches you to forget all the bull shit that every other teacher fills your head with. Howard does not work in floor plans or elevations like alot of other teachers do. He works in 3-D focusing on model making and achitectural space. If you try, with an open mind, you can and will succed in this class. Also, he has alot to offer in the department of advancing your concept of your project. I feel he teaches you to think, not to make architecture. a great class in my opinion. Yet, the work load is unlike anything you can imagine. Also he expect 20+ hour weekends...

Howie is deceptive. He's a really laid back, friendly guy at first. Then, once you're in the class, you realize he's a sexist, insulting jerk. He'll just yell at the students for HOURS if they don't get something, rather than trying to help. He's kind of an entitled asshole.

What stuck with me from this studio was Howie's way of grading you. He said that he'll ask you for what you think you will achieve, and he will grade you on how successfully you achieved what you said. With that said, he has strong opinions about your design, but if you just do what he wants, he'll catch on, trust me ¬¬ ... He's not a bad guy, but he's difficult at times. Overall, his studio was fun, old school and very low tech, but fun...oh and take everything as a suggestion and with a grain of salt

It has actually been several years since I had Howard as a professor. I am doing this review as a sort of catharsis. I took his studio because I had enjoyed talking to him when meeting him on prior occasions. I respected his knowledge and experience. Depending on the person, Howard could be a good teacher; you are already confident in your abilities . If you are at all hesitant or doubtful or still trying to develop your skills and ideas, I do not think he can help you. He is not supportive or constructive and can be overly critical and demeaning. He does not recognize the boundaries or barriers some people have and probably believes his derisive comments and insulting behavior that push these is doing them good. Inevitably it goes to far. In this he fails at his mandate to teach. I left architecture bitter and resentful after this class. But I also owe him some gratitude. At least I learned that architecture is not a profession I want to pursue if this is the way it is taught and practiced; where insults and ego are an important part of the design process. I am now much happier (and successful) in another career, surrounded by people doing real good in the world.

Howard has been one of the best studio professors I have had. He does a lot of one-on-one discussion with you about your project, and allows you to experiment and go your own direction with your project. He realizes that each person ha a different style and technique and doesn't push his ideas onto you, but moreso makes sure you are getting your ideas across through your design. I highly recommend him as a professor!

Howard Weisenthal is a fantastic professor. I went into the course wanting to learn about how I could approach interior architecture, as that was the one thing I've felt so behind in. He not only addressed that topic, but allowed for me to see the issue in a new dimension. It's not only about interiors and how individuals interact in the space, but how the space caters to the individuals themselves. Gives great critiques and allows for you to choose your own path in design. Definitely recommended. As for addressing the past reviews, Howie isn't that guy. At least, not anymore. He's great.

Howard is a good teacher. He really makes you work for your grade. Half of the class spent the last week in lab and never left for food, their other classes, or showers for that matter. Dead week was the closest I ever came to pulling an all nighter. Those who did always watched movies in lab so they have no right to complain about the work load. Our final project was unbeleivably demanding. We had to redesign the spider building site on campus to hold 4 lecture halls, 10 classrooms, 4 galleries, 4 science labs, 40 apartments, a performing arts center, an amphitheatre, etc. all while accomodating some huge monster of a building. After that assignment, nothing else will seem hard to me. The older students who visited our class said that they have never done an assignment like that yet. So we're all in good shape for 3rd and 4th year. He's an excellent teacher and even bought Fattie's Pizza for the class one time. Take him if you can.

Prof. Weisenthal is an ok teacher. I have classmates who swore he was the best design teacher for second year, however I do not believe he was as amazing as many people believe. He is very passionate about architecture and does care for his students. He also can chew out a class for not being in the lab on Saturday and Sunday (his forms of motivation are def not the best). His initial explanation of a project is vauge and somewhat confsuing as to what he specifically wants (because when he grades it, there are specific thing he looks for, but you didn't know aobut it exaclty). It was hard to get him to talk to you individually because everyone in lab wanted the same thing, so it was difficult to get a decent critique without pulling him aside. As for his personality, he is a little different and out there thats for sure, and he has a tendency to be a womanizer, which is very frustrating and makes it hard to respect him.

As a professor, Howard is very old school. I dont agree with his design approach at all, but that is not the issue i would like to discuss. Howard has an adversely negative affect on second year architecture. As the senior teacher of the year, he feels as though his opinions, views and practices should be implemented upon all the studios. For example, when there is a mess, he calls the janitor in before students can clean it up (and they ALWAYS DO), and the design professor in charge, even if he/she has the situation under control, gets flack from the faculty. This issue usually arises in these studios rather than his, because other students work with more materials and do more work. Howard has also has a horribly negative effect on the progress of second year education. When other teachers bring up new ideas (even in groups) they are shot down or sabotaged by howard. this is not lie. When Guillermo, Moon, and Joines tried to hold a joint gallery show first quarter, he complained to the administration that they were trying to push themselves ahead of other studios. This sabotage is what lead to forcing one of the best design professors this school has ever seen to leave this school for good. As a personal friend of Guillermo Yanguez, i know that he was very frustrated with working with howard and how howard would shoot down all of his ideas. Howard has tenure though, and even when teachers try to over throw his reign as Arens, Moon, Joines, and Michio have been successful at to a small degree, his head keeps rearing up because he has tenure. I find faculty like this to be descructive to our learning envoirnment, so much so that that i feel this school can not foster design. You may think that i can spewing out of my head, but i know what goes on behind the scenes, and it has discusted me to the point that i am so sick of the inept and backwards leadership that this school has, that i am leaving this school.

Howard's studio is one of the best things that have happened to me thus far in my Architectural carrier as a student. First of all his studio is combined with Art Chapman, which while making for a lot of people in studio also allows for a wider variety in projects to learn from. Howard is a very intelligent, thoughtful and quirky guy; he has a knack of keeping his students guessing how he is going to act each and every day. One thing I would like to point out is that sometimes Howard takes his sarcasm and "tough love" attitude a bit too far when trying to motivate his students, often he can be a bit demoralizing; however, by the end of the class you can develop a pretty thick skin for criticism. The only other negative comment I would have about Howard is that he is a bit to old school, he really distains computers and technology in general. Be prepared to do a lot of hand drawing and sketching, if anything your sketching will improve over the course of the quarter if you keep up with the daily sketches. Overall I would have to say that Howard is an excellent mix of design and practical application toward Architecture. He will push you to work harder, but it pays off in the end. He gives a hell of a final project in the spring, but I also feel that you can get the most out of him during the spring quarter because of how comprehensive that final is. Anyone going into second year should defiantly take Howard, you will learn a great deal.

School is over and I can finally comment based on my own judgment.

ABSOLUTE WORST teacher ever!! No one has hurt me as bad as he has! very discouraging teacher...i completely regret taking him. He picks favorites (girls). Talks down on you and thinks students are stupid! Snoops around other studios and talks negatively about them and gets WAY into you personal life! i would never ever ever recommend anyone to take him and strongly feel that he should not be allowed to be a professor!! DO NOT TAKE HIM!!

One of my favorite design teachers so far. Howie is very practical so if you are looking for crazy impossible design then this is not the right class for you. Nice guy willing to help you out whenever you need it!

He was a person that doesn't know how to talk to students. He tries to reduce you to a humiliating position in order to gain control over you and your ideas. He craves the ability to direct the course of your projects, constantly hovering over you and not letting you explore ideas on your own.He has a lot to teach, and he has many years of experience, but he doen't know how to teach it.

I went into this class dreading the 10 weeks ahead of me, but in the end found that it wasn't as horrible as people make it out to be. He's definitely his own kind of character, but if you can get past all the attitude is a relatively nice guy. His philosophy with architecture is that you should be producing ideas for a design studio, not pristine basswood models. While I understand the reasoning behind this teaching method, I personally find it hard to become passionate about my design when he's constantly encouraging you to tear it apart, redesign it, and throw together a bunch of cardboard. I don't disagree with the grade I received as I myself was not very pleased with my final project, but openly believe that the class' "cut, glue, tear, reglue, tear, reglue, cut" methodology had a negative impact on my performance in the class.

Howie is a caring and supportive professor. He creates a family like environment between students and is not sexist like some said. He simply jokes with males and females equally. He is much like Jim Bagnall where you either love his class or simply get through it. I recommend this class for anyone who enjoys communicating through drawing and sketching because unlike other classes such a skill is appreciated and becomes a strength to communicate design ideas. I appreciate how Howie teaches his students to design with every detail being supported by a purpose while also supporting the overall intent.

I actually took Howard several years ago in the spring of 2009. I thought my review could be helpful to students who are more or less forced to take him, as he is usually the last professor available. That's not to say he is terrible, but he won't make your top 10 either. Wiesenthal is a little all over the place, on Monday he might be kind, understanding and even humorous, then come Wednesday he is disgusted by the entire class... However, if you must take him, do not dwell on this bipolar tendency, there is a lot of wisdom in that brain of his, you just have to be a little like him to get it out. To be honest, I really disliked this guy at the time I took him, yet his bit of advice has stuck with me for the last 7 years more so than the best teachers - the Fowlers, Cabrinhas, Silver Fox's, and McDonalds... This advice? - Firstly, pull your all nighters in the initial weeks of class, it will dramatically improve your design later on (great life advice too people). And secondly, we all may put in a Honda effort sometimes, but there is a Ferrari in the garage just waiting to get out and crush it. Use the Ferrari - sell the Honda. To sum it up, he's a C grade teacher. But if you must take him, you can squeeze a lot out of his class, just take it upon yourself to do so and ask him a ton of questions, you may even score some great life advice while you're at it. Good luck