This post is brought to you by Southern California Institute of Architecture

Architecture, for the uninitiated, is a daunting subject—it can sometimes takes years of formal schooling just to grasp the complexities of architect-speak. Luckily for adults who want to learn more about the profession for a potential change in career, there’s SCI-Arc’s Making+Meaning. Every summer, SCI-Arc organizes two independent programs open to anyone interested in the discipline of architecture, whether gauging their interest in the field or beginning an architectural degree. 

Making+Meaning is a four-week summer studio program that introduces students to architectural experimentation and transformative design techniques in a unique and lively studio setting. Students learn basic skills in drawing and model making as they craft a short series of designs focusing on composition, color, pattern, form, shape, and function. The designs increase in complexity and scale as students engage in an intensive introduction to the latest in computer modeling and digital representation. The results are innovative, fresh, and beautiful—a great addition to a portfolio, a way to enliven a professional career, or a new beginning to a regular in-semester architectural education.

Along with Rochas, last year's program faculty was led by Maya Alam, Matthew Au, and David Eskenazi. Through their expertise and specialities, they led their students in the basics of digital fabrication, providing hands-on instruction in 3D-scanning and various design softwares. Over the course of the program, students also explored the creation of texture and form across various media, including Rhino, Adobe Photoshop, hand-built paper models, model photography and augmented reality visualization. 

For students who only know that they have a drive and a passion to make and create, Making+Meaning is a perfect place to expand your horizons and challenge yourself, all within the vibrant, diverse setting of Los Angeles’s downtown Arts District.

The Making+Meaning program is equivalent to 3 units. Students who enroll in the M.Arch 1 program at SCI-Arc after completing the Making+Meaning program will receive credit for one Visual Studies (VS) elective course. 

Those who wish to jump-start a career in architecture receive a number of the benefits of a SCI-Arc education:

• One-on-one instruction with top design professionals and academics
• Access to SCI-Arc’s state-of-the-art Robot House and the Magic Box, our 3D digital fabrication facility
• Juried reviews and guest lectures with noted architects and designers

The program begins July 8th! To learn more about the program or to register click here.