Doerfler, Jim  

Architecture

3.30/4.00

10 evaluations


FNR 233


Graduate Student
C
General Ed
Nov 2016
Missed the first day, went to the second day. Went to the midterm. Went to the Final. Three days of class total. I got a B, easy. This kind of shit gives our school a bad name.

ARCH 341


5th Year Senior
N/A
Required (Major)
Jan 2008
It is unfortunate that the previous commenter posses such negative comments about Jim. I've had the opportunity to have Jim for Arch 341/2 and Arch x410. In both classes, Jim illustrates contemporary issues in building technology using contemporary examples. His lectures provide real-world examples of how architecture theory can be implemented in practice. I've referenced a number of his lectures while studying abroad and determining what architecture to visit. Although I was not in his design studio, my friends who were have nothing but positive remarks about it. I have, however, received feedback from Jim during reviews and he has nothing but constructive criticism without the typical arch professor ego. Overall, Jim does an excellent job laying out the future of architecture and building technology.

ARCH 342


Junior
C
Required (Major)
Jun 2006
Doerfler is sooooooooo boring his class is not worth going to! Ask any 3rd year ARCH student and they will tell you they never went to Doerfler's class because 10 minutes seems like 4 hours. his tests are hard, with arbitrary questions that dont occur anywhere in the material presented, and the class is lecture only, so there is nothing that determines your grade but 2 midterms and a final. After you realize how pointless the tests are when it comes to relating to the class, you just don't go. the first midterm, the average of the class was 50%! horrible! and thats when everyone went! he talks to the ground and says um about 160 times in an hour (we actually counted because we were so bored!). if you have a choice at all, DONT TAKE ANYTHING FROM HIM!


Junior
B
Required (Major)
Apr 2008
Jim is the best studio professor I've ever had at Cal Poly. He assigns a fair work load and always offers constructive and effective advice. Jim is extremely knowledgeable not only about architectural practice, but also the history, theory, design process and structural aspects. Because of this, Jim is capable of offering many great suggestions and ideas. Jim is a hard grader and expects hard workers, but anyone who takes him will learn to respect him greatly and will therefore be willing to put in the hard work. If you're looking for an easy A and an easy quarter, don't take Jim. But if you want a challenging quarter, you're willing to put in hard work (but don't want to suffer through a Fowler course-load), and you want to greatly improve your design capabilities, i highly recommend him.

ARCH 352


Senior
N/A
Required (Major)
Feb 2008
This is my second architecture school that I have had the chance to attend. Jim is a great teacher, who has a nice balance of theory and practicality in his studio. Take him.


Senior
B
Required (Major)
Feb 2008
Jim is a knowledgeable, fantastic instructor. I was lucky enough to crash his design studio the only quarter he was able to teach during my 3rd year. He grades difficultly but always has a slew of suggestions and never goes on the typical 'architecture professor rants'. He doesn't feel the need to name drop or show off who he's worked for and what he's done. He simply informs you when such situations become relevant to your project. If you're choosing your studio professor based solely on the grade you anticipate receiving don't take Jim and think about switching out of architecture. Studio is about developing yourself as an architect/designer/etc - for that Jim is the perfect instructor. I am nearing the end of my 5 years at Poly and still regard Jim as one of two of the best studio professors I have taken. In regards to his lectures during practice, I much prefer a lecture based on details and photographs of completed projects as opposed to those of theoretical projects without context. It is much easier to understand and apply the strategies Jim mentions when you have seen it in its built form. That said, Jim's tests are quite difficult, there is no denying that.


Senior
A
Required (Major)
Apr 2008
Jim is the most balanced arch professor I have had to date. He does a very good job of combining theory with practicality and expresses an genuine interest in the growth of his students. The work load he assigns is a bit more than most classes, but is by no means unreasonable. The projects he assigns are pretty interesting with very indepth programs that really start to tackle issues you will see in a real office, but he makes sure that the program does not limit your design. Overall he is very open with design ideas and doesn't try to impress his own design method on you. I would definatly take Jim a priority for 3rd year design. On a side note his 341/342 lectures are not the best, 342 is definatly better than 341 but he admits they are not his strong point. Watch out for his quizes though, he has the ability to pull some pretty specific questions out of some dense readings.


Junior
B
Required (Major)
Jun 2008
Jim is the best studio professor I've had at Cal Poly in all three years. His projects are practical and fun, he keeps his students motivated, he is a reasonable grader, and he is always there to offer help. The suggestions Jim gave me for my projects were extremely helpful and intelligent methods of problem solving, and those suggestions are what guided my project to success. He is very thorough, extremely knowledgeable about the material, and the work load is reasonable/ comparable to other professors (well... not fowler). Jim will push you to do your best, and will be there to offer guidance every step of the way. I highly recommend this professor!


Senior
N/A
Required (Major)
Mar 2010
Jim is great. His projects are a wonderful balance of practical and theoretical. He encourages deep thought, solid concepts, and thorough development. He manages to talk to every student at least twice per week, so you get plenty of feed-back, which is enough to keep you motivated if you\'re the type who needs a more structured class to stay on track. He is highly knowledgeable and will provide you with the names of precedents specific to your concept. I never pulled an all-nighter and still finished on time, but most of the class pulled more than one.

ARCH 353


Senior
B
Required (Major)
May 2008
Jim was such a breath of fresh air from most architecture teachers. He is reasonable and really cares about your project and helps you through your conceptual process like no other. He won't push you too much, so you need to stay motivated, but he will always be there to help you and you must take advantage of that. He is very intelligent and is very open to experiments. I highly recommend him.