The structures and construction area emphasizes an understanding of buildings as things which are made out of real materials. The purpose of research in this area is to find aesthetic/technical solutions that enable the structure to define architectural space and that integrate construction methods and project management into the overall design process. This program of study may have an experimental or an analytical emphasis. Research may be conducted in joint cooperation with the Department of Civil Engineering and/or with the Earthquake Engineering Research Center.

Those applying to the Structures and Construction study area should also apply concurrently to another of the program study areas.