The Fanzine Project

The Fanzine Project

The Fanzine Project is an interdisciplinary assignment developed for two courses: INDE 345 – History of Architecture, Interiors, and Furniture I (Fall term) and INDE 346 – History of Architecture, Interiors, and Furniture II (Spring term).

In INDE 345, students select a building from the Classical period through the Industrial Revolution and conduct a thorough precedent analysis to explore its historical, architectural, and interior design significance. Emphasis is placed on understanding how context influences design. Students create analytical diagrams to visually communicate the dominant architectural ideas. The final product is a fanzine that creatively synthesizes their research into a compelling visual narrative that highlights the building’s form, function, and cultural relevance.

In INDE 346, students examine the foundational principles of modern and contemporary design. Through the study of architectural movements, they investigate conceptual, formal, and spatial ideas, as well as the relationship between architecture, interiors, furniture, decorative arts, and broader cultural expressions (including film, dance, music, and fashion). The fanzine is divided into two parts:

1. A precedent study of a selected architectural movement, capturing its key principles.
2. A case study of a local building in Rochester that reflects the same design philosophy, supported by historical and architectural analysis.

This project challenges students to critically connect historical frameworks to modern and contemporary environments while experimenting with visual storytelling and graphic communication.