Introduction to Architecture

Introduction to Architecture is a rigorous six-week program that introduces high school and college students to architectural ideas, principles, and methods of exploring architectural problems in a studio setting. You'll spend mornings in lectures and workshops exploring architectural principles including composition, history, preservation, landscape architecture, planning, and urban design. In afternoon studio sessions, you'll put into practice what you’ve learned in the morning lectures as you develop skills in freehand drawing, architectural drawing, and model making, and experiment with software programs and emerging technologies, including virtual reality and 3D printing. You'll also work on a series of design projects culminating in a final architectural proposition. The program incorporates field trips, studio critiques by teaching associates, and formal reviews by faculty and guest critics. Intensive individual instruction, small design seminars and discussion groups, and frequent progress reviews will prepare you for your final project presentation and portfolio review. No specialized knowledge is needed, beyond a serious interest in architectural design. (College students must register for ARCH 1110 and 1300 through Cornell University Summer Session.) This program requires a design tool kit at an additional cost of approximately $400, as well as the purchase of art supplies as required.