Summer Academy is an introductory course in architecture that assumes no prior study in the field, but rather a great familiarity with it through the experience of occupying places. The five-week session focuses on a series of individual design projects that introduce many important aspects of architecture and inspire personal exploration. The identity of a place, what it feels like and what it means to us arises from qualities that are both visual and non-visual. Consequently the academy encourages design solutions based on an investigation of experience and perception.
Students devote the majority of their time to individual studio work.
The program centers on a series of studio design projects to which each student develops their own response. Because of the cross-disciplinary nature of architecture, studio projects will also address design concerns of landscape architecture and urban design. Students are provided individual studio space in which to work for the five-week session. Particular attention is paid to developing skills in drawing and modeling designs, and students are encouraged to explore other means of representation such as photographic processes, painting, writing, and full-scale constructions. The Academy is open to applicants 16 or older regardless of experience.