066: Bethany Lundell Garver: Rethinking Architectural Education with Practice-Based Learning and a Reimagined Studio Culture

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Aug 25

On today’s episode we welcome Bethany Lundell Garver. Beth is Dean of Practice at the Boston Architectural College, where she oversees college-wide courses and career programs that connect academic knowledge to real-world challenges. She directs the Gateway Office BAC, an innovative "community-based design uncenter" that expands design agency through civic engagement.

Before joining the BAC in 2014, she spent many years with Rafael Viñoly Architects, working on significant laboratory and healthcare projects. She was recently recognized with the 2025 AIA/ACSA Practice and Leadership Award and the 2024 AIA Young Architects Award. Beth also maintains a Somerville-based design studio focused on architectural research and practice.

We talk about:

- The importance of pairing an education in architecture with real-world experience and how the BAC has designed and built a robust curriculum that balances academics with required hours in areas of practice.

- We make comparisons to NCARB’s AXP program and Beth shares what her peers in education are thinking regarding licensure pathways and accreditation to broaden access to the profession.

- We discuss the current state of studio culture, encouraging “good enough” design over perfectionism, and how Beth, as an educator, prepares students to manage their time effectively while maintaining work-life balance.

- We end by talking about a growing emphasis on designing for material reuse and how the BAC challenges traditional “infinite materials” assumptions, teaches adaptive, resource-conscious design practices, and collaborates with community partners.

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Links:

Connect with Beth: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-lundell-garver/⁠

Learn about the BAC: ⁠go-bac.org⁠

More about the BAC: ⁠https://www.acsa-arch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BLG-AT-MS-TMB-PL-2025Awards-5.pdf⁠

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