Other projects require the designing of very non-traditional houses and buildings, such as Bill Schillig's recent assignments to design houses like refrigerators and airplanes. In the airplane project, they build model airplanes out of balsa wood and fly them before beginning their house design. If we stay inside, we are only able to do what's been done before. Students in Basic Design use a variety of media in their projects, including photography, silk screen, film etching, and woodwork. According to Bob Hogan, basic design courses in most schools of architecture have traditionally dealt with buildings and building sites.
Hogan believes there is time enough to learn basic skills in later courses.
Hogan believes that this approach to teaching basic design has resulted in better student attitudes toward architecture as a major, as compared with previous years in which the course was taught using a more traditional approach. Another change in the course occurred recently when students were given their own desks and work space. Hogan believes this new arrangement has also helped to improve student attitudes. The students are able to see what others are doing, and they learn from their fellow students. Students appear to find the lab to be an intensive learning experience.