Between 2007 and 2017, Yi-Hsiu Yeh served as an adjunct professor at Woodbury University School of Architecture. During this period, she co-taught first-, second-, and third-year Core Studios, fourth-year Comprehensive Studios, portfolio workshops, and the Interior Architecture Tectonics Studio. She also developed and led her own Advanced Object Making Studio, Fieldwork LA Studios, Professional Practice II course, and Degree Project/Undergrad Thesis program.
Over these ten years, Yeh witnessed a generational shift in the approach to architecture and architectural education. She reflected deeply on the essential skills, knowledge, and methods of inquiry that young architects must acquire—emphasizing the importance of keen observation and empathy for urban environments. She considered how these attributes should be nurtured through the curriculum, individual studios, assignments, and daily interactions with dedicated and compassionate educators. Her teaching philosophy added an experimental dimension to the Yeh Design Lab, reinforcing the lab’s commitment to architecture’s role in shaping urban spaces.
For Yeh, teaching is both a service and a gift. Her most rewarding moments come when students achieve significant growth from one studio to the next, surprising themselves with the quality of their design work. This gift of teaching continually offers new rewards, and a selection of those moments is shared here.