Catherine Wetzel Catherine Wetzel

Catherine Wetzel is an associate professor in the College of Architecture, and an expert in beginning design education, integrating structures in studio teaching and visual studies and material processes. Her work in curriculum development has been recognized by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Professor Wetzel began teaching as a Muschenheim Fellow at the University of Michigan and has been a member of the faculty at IIT since 1990. As a long time faculty member, she has contributed to both the Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture programs in teaching and leadership. Professor Wetzel’s scholarship in pedagogy develops curricular content with respect to the legacy Miesian curriculum in new modes. Her courses, Pure Form and Collage Making, emphasize the importance of material processes and visual acuity. Her studio courses bring together haptic and full-scale learning with structural and material principles. She has led numerous study abroad trips to Europe and Japan with a focus on contemporary architecture. She has been a regular contributor to the National Conference on the Beginning Design Student and an ACSA representative for the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

Professor Wetzel is also known for her creative practice in textiles, collage and furniture. The work repurposes and collages upholstery off-cuts and up-cycled materials in the creation of domestic furnishings of bold colors and patterns. There is a strong link between the compositional explorations, material processes and her teaching practice.

Catherine Wetzel is a registered architect and partner in Zed Architects, a Chicago-based firm specializing in residential, commercial and religious work since 1991.