Success in modern architecture requires innovative and creative thinkers who can put exceptional ideas into practice, dedication to the development of the best young talent, and commitment to the fundamental issues of design in a rapidly changing world. USC actively pursues such success with education and research programs in seismic design, the use of natural lighting, active and passive solar design, housing for special users (elderly, mentally and physically frail), affordable housing, urban design, architectural history, theory, and historic preservation, to name a few.

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. The Dancing House in Prague. The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. All have come to redefine architecture, and all have come from the creative and innovative mind of USC alumnus Frank Gehry. His unconventional use of shape and form, and his use of computer technology to fulfill his artistic vision, has revolutionized the field of architecture and design.

Rome wasn't built in a day, but a new process called Contour Crafting may revolutionize how we build tomorrow's communities. Using a computer-controlled tool that resembles a trowel and nozzle, contour crafting can form plaster, concrete, and even wood particles into three-dimensional shapes. Future applications could include road construction work, building homes, and even providing immediate shelters to areas impacted by natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis.

Co-founded by USC School of Architecture lecturer Jefferson Schierbeek, CADFORCE offers outsourcing services to save architects and homebuilders as much as 75 percent of their production costs on construction documents and other CAD work. The company combines American architects and project managers with an offshore drafting facility.

The USC Center for Sustainable Cities offers a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the unique challenges facing large urban cities such as Los Angeles. Attracting a diversity of faculty from engineering, the natural and social sciences, urban planning, and environmental health sciences, the Center assesses public health and metropolitan growth, including the impact of urban sprawl, as well as focuses on the conservation of natural resources, energy use, and the impact of pollution. Research findings are commonly shared with public policymakers and community-based organizations.

The Keston Institute for Infrastructure, a first for a major research university in California, examines the infrastructure needed to support a population projected to grow substantially by 2020. The institute focuses on issues such as transportation, availability of open space, energy use, and waste treatment and disposal, in order to provide accurate and insightful information that will aid in the development of public policy and innovative solutions.