Designing Spaces for Humans
Sharon SM Leung
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
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
