Workshop Descriptions

Please note: We offer all of the classes in English or Spanish.

An Airport: We will look at different  airports around the world, understand how they function and then design and create an airport in model form.

Amusement Parks: We will look at amusement parks around the world and discuss what works and what doesn’t work in a park. The students will share their experiences and develop a “program”, a list of requirements, for the park. Then the fun begins as the students draw and build their parks either in teams or on an individual basis.

Atlantis: There have been myths and stories based on an island that mysteriously disappeared centuries ago. We will explore those stories along with images that have been created of this lost island. Today designers are exploring how we can live and work on the water and in the oceans. After seeing what architects and engineers are proposing now, the students will create their own modern-day  idea of Atlantis through drawings and models.Bridges: We will look at a wide range of bridges, historic to contemporary, talk about how each one was built and learn about various bridge structures. Then, the students will design and build their own bridges individually or in teams.

Castles: Each castle has its own interesting story. We will focus on three castles, learn why they were built and how people lived and worked within the surrounding walls of the castle.

Then the student will develop their own contemporary design based on some of the ideas that can be used today

Computer Drawing: For students who want to learn programs that designers and architects use, we offer training on Rhino, a 3D program that brings design ideas to life.

For this class, the student selects a building type and develops a design in the form of sketches. Then the design idea is developed on the computer with the one-to-one assistance of our teaching staff.

Because the student develops a design before developing it on the computer, this class is a total of 6 hours.

Please note that basic computer skills and a mouse are required for this class.

Contemporary Architecture: Architects today have a responsibility to design buildings that are sustainable and use less resources, from the building materials selected and their origin to the mechanical, electrical and water systems designed.

We will look at today’s architects and their projects

After discussing the work of contemporary architects, the student will select a building type and, after being introduced to the type of drawing architects create, the student will design and build their own sustainable structure or interior space.

Egyptian Architecture and Design: We will look at the history of the pyramid, the obelisk, the temple and other architectural forms of the Egyptian Period and understand how they were built and why. There will also be discussion about how those built forms and designs are used today.

The student will then be able to create a design project based on three aspects of Egyptian design in a contemporary form.

Emergency Shelter: In this class we look at the ideas others have developed, creating shelters that are easy to construct and can be built in different environments, providing safety and warmth for anyone in any location.

After discussing what designers and architects have created, the students will have the opportunity to design and create a model showing their ideas.

Fictional Architecture: Have you sometimes wanted to design the layout of a hobbit hut or Ollievander’s Wand Shop in Hogsmeade Village? Now is your opportunity to use your imagination and create interiors as well as the exterior of a building, city or vehicle based on your favorite characters or movies.

For additional information about this class, check out the Fictional Architecture page.

Hand Drawing: This class has an emphasis on learning how to draw beginning with how to draw a line to drawing in perspective.

The student develops the skills to communicate effectively through hand-drawn sketches as designers and architects are able to do.

There is an opportunity to design a specific building then study the design in plan, elevation and perspective.

A Hotel: We will explore hotel design by looking at examples around the world and different hotel types, discuss what it takes for a hotel to function and run smoothly along with sustainable practices. The students will have the opportunity to design a hotel by doing sketches and creating models of their ideas.

Interior Design: This is an opportunity to explore the subject of interior design, learn the basics and design the interior of a restaurant, hotel lobby, house or an office space. You will learn how to put together a presentation board for a client with drawings, furniture and finishes.

Life on Mars: NASA’s Perseverance robot has left Earth on a mission to detect life on Mars.

What could life on Mars look like in the next century?

We will explore the possibilities, see what engineers and scientists are discovering and planning and then design a house or a city on Mars.

For more on this subject, see NASA’s Moon to Mars Overview and Perseverance robot launches to detect life on the Red Planet.

Modern to Contemporary Architecture and Design: The class will cover the Bauhaus School in Germany, De Stijl, the Modern Movement in America, the Post Modern era, Deconstructivism and continue to contemporary architecture including green architecture as well as prefabricated and modular structures. We will look at the social movements of each period and how that impacted our built environment.

On and Under the Water: Designers, architects and engineers are beginning to consider how we can live on and under the water as sea levels rise.

In this class we will study these ideas and students will have an opportunity to develop their own designs.     

Patterns in Nature and Architectural Design: Many times we take our inspiration from the natural environment around us.

In this class we will see how architects have used patterns in nature to develop their designs. Then the student will be able to choose a pattern that they find and develop a design around the imagery.         

Students Considering a Career in Architecture:

Sometimes a student expresses a strong interest in architecture and wants to learn more about the path to being an architect.

For those students, we offer additional guidance during the workshops. The class structure is as follows:

Goals

To learn:

The process of becoming an architect

What classes to take in high school

How to select the right school for you

What students do in school

What you should know when going into an office

What we do in an office

Process of a project

For a further description, see For students considering a career in architecture.       

                                                                                                                             A Sustainable House: The students will have an opportunity to look at examples of sustainable houses and communities and discuss their ideas on how to create a place that leaves as small a footprint as possible on the planet and uses resources wisely. Factors such as prevailing winds, sun exposure, water collection and wind generated energy will be discussed and incorporated into a design that the students create. We will evaluate the use of local materials and the architectural styles of the location that is selected. The students will make determinations of what they will use in their designs.

Tiny Houses: Students will be introduced to tiny houses built in different countries and have the opportunity to design their own tiny house.

After the designs are complete, the students will create a model to scale of their project.

Town Planning: We will look at layouts of cities around the world and use those ideas for designing a town at a pre-determined location.

The students will develop a layout of the town and become aware of adjacencies and how towns and cities are zoned. The students will then create models of buildings, cars, signs and other aspects of the town that they consider to be important.

Ecological issues will also be discussed and will be addressed in the plan for the town.