Interested in exploring a career in architecture and design but want to develop foundational skills and grow your design portfolio? Below are featured architecture summer programs from our Archinect Partner Schools that are still accepting applications!
These nine summer programs are offered for kids, high school students, recent high school graduates, and adults. The courses and workshops listed below offer participants, even those without prior design experience, access to the fundamentals of an architectural education. Our list also includes programs for those with existing backgrounds adjacent to architecture looking to explore specific topics with a design emphasis.
Design Immersion Days (DID)
- Los Angeles, CA (In-Person)
Dates: June 10 – July 14
Details: "Design Immersion Days (DID) is an immersive four-week summer program that introduces high school students to design and architecture. It is intended to inspire curiosity about the world of design, introduce basic design knowledge and critical thinking skills, and familiarize students with the expansive architecture and design culture of Los Angeles. Throughout the program, DID students are exposed to examples of design and modes of production at all scales, from analog physical building and traditional drawing to multiple forms of digital output—augmented reality, 3D modeling, 3D printing, and more. In the classroom and beyond, participants explore ways of seeing, thinking, and making that are essential for anyone interested in pursuing a career in architecture or design." Learn more here.
*Note: Scholarships are available. Program is for 9th–12th graders
Making+Meaning (M+M) - Los Angeles, CA (In-Person)
Dates: July 5–28
Details: "Making+Meaning (M+M) is a career exploration and portfolio preparation program. College students, professionals, and students looking to apply to graduate architecture programs may register. The Making+Meaning summer studio program exposes participants to a wide range of techniques within a conceptual design framework, pitting the everyday against the unusual to create exploratory content and experiences." Learn more here.
*Note: Learn more about the NOMA M+M Scholarship. The scholarship covers the full registration fee for SCI-Arc’s Making+Meaning (M+M) summer program. M+M is equivalent to 3 units. Students who enroll in the M.Arch 1 program at SCI-Arc after completing Making+Meaning can receive credit for one Visual Studies (VS) elective course.
Architecture Immersion Studio - Brooklyn, NY and Remote
Dates: July 5–August 1
Details: "This architectural fundamentals course is taught by the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design faculty; and is geared toward professionals and students interested in attending graduate architecture school. Through a series of virtual studio sessions and lectures, the course introduces students to a series of design approaches to conceptualize architectural investigations using the most current techniques, including in visualization. Students typically receive one-to-one technical instruction, such as on digital modeling, drawing representation, and rendering. The work will culminate in a virtual design exhibition with invited Pratt faculty and will be documented in an individually developed portfolio which prepares students to apply for graduate architecture school. Pre-Requisite: Completed Bachelor's Degree." Learn more here.
JumpStart Program - Los Angeles, CA (In-Person)
Dates: July 5–28
Details: "JumpStart is a 3.5-week summer studio for individuals contemplating careers in architecture, design, and related fields. The program is open to students from all backgrounds and carries six quarters of University of California credit. To participate in JumpStart, students must hold a high school diploma (or equivalent). This year’s program will be delivered in person. Students will be assigned to an instructor for a studio on campus, and will attend Technical Seminars, Theory Seminars, as well as group-work sessions in person." Learn more here.
Be sure to read our 2021 exclusive interview with UCLA's AUD Summer Programs Director Julia Koerner.
TeenArch Summer Institute - Los Angeles, CA and Remote
Dates: July 10–28
Details: "TeenArch Studio is a three-week architecture experience for high school students interested in exploring architectural and design thinking. The program carries three-quarter units of University of California credit. TeenArch Studio is open to students who are 14 years of age or older by the first day of Summer Sessions 2023 (July 10, 2023), and enrolled in grades 9 through 12 during Spring 2023. This year’s program will be delivered both in-person and online in a remote learning format." Learn more here.
*Per UCLA - As of 4/12/2023, The UCLA TeenArch Summer Institute Session A (In-Person) is closed to new applicants. Students interested in applying for a 2023 summer institute in architecture are encouraged to apply to the virtual version of the program.
Architecture: Tactile Design and Architecture: Digital Design - New Orleans, LA (In-Person)
Dates: July 3–July 14 (Tactice Design program) and July 17 – July 28 (Digital Design program)
Details: "For Summer 2023, the Tulane School of Architecture is offering two studio-based summer courses that introduce high school students to the study and practice of architecture. Students who are not local to the area can opt into a residential experience. Students can enroll in one or both courses. At the completion of each course, high school students will receive 3 credit hours and an official Tulane transcript. Students who opt to participate in both sessions will receive 6 credits along with a great introduction to the full spectrum of design and making." Learn more here.
Introduction to Architecture - Newark, NJ (In-Person)
Dates: July 16–21
Details: "Through daily interactive project-making and critical analysis, this program will introduce students to the techniques and vocabulary of the discipline. Students will work independently and in groups to make creative drawings and models by hand, engaging with architecture’s most fundamental means of representation. To further students’ exposure to design practice, students will take a field trip and meet with practicing architects." Read more here.
Introduction to Interior Design - Newark, NJ (In-Person)
Dates: July 9–14
Details: "Interior design is not just about how a space looks, but also our experience inside of that space whether commercial, retail, hospitality, healthcare, or residential. This program will introduce students to interior design through hands-on work, basic design-build principles, the use of varying materials in a space, and field trips to experience and see the work of practicing interior designers. At the end of the one-week program, students will present a final project to their peers and faculty in the format of a typical college-level interior design studio review." Learn more here.
*NJIT HCAD school also offers programs in Video Game Design and Industrial Design. Click here to learn more about those programs and dates.
Are you promoting your school or organization's summer program on Archinect? Know of a great summer program that's not listed above? Interested in becoming an Archinect Partner School? Reach out!
No Comments
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.