Overview
Course summary
We invite you to join our active 5-day Architecture Summer School for students aged 15-18. This course is ideal for young people who would like the opportunity to experience and explore what it would be like to study architecture. You will get the opportunity to experiment with design through drawing, model-making and photography in our purpose built architecture studios. There will also be a chance to discuss your work with architects in practice, visit buildings and exhibitions, and network with others in your position.
Who is this course for?
Would you like to experience what it’s like being an architecture student?
Are you interested in studying architecture or interior architecture at University?
Would you like help preparing your portfolio?
Do you want advice on your personal statement?
The University of Westminster has one of the leading Schools of Architecture and Cities in the UK with excellent studios, workshops and teaching staff located in the heart of London. Our students have won many awards and go on to forge successful professional careers. Our values of equality, diversity and inclusion extend to all students studying and visiting the University from the UK or Internationally.
This course is for enthusiastic and imaginative 15 – 18 year olds currently studying at school or college for GCSE’s, A-level or B-TEC qualifications. If you enjoy making and drawing by hand or are eager to try it out, come and join us! Some aspects of the course involve group working methods along with travel to building/exhibition visits.
Course outcomes
By the end of the Summer School you will have a better understanding of:
- What it’s like to be an architecture student
- How to choose the right university course for you
- How to put together an impacting portfolio and personal statement
- The skills involved in studying architecture and interior architecture
Based on attending at least 80% of the course, a certificate of attendance will be issued to you. This is something you might like to include in your CV as clear evidence of motivation, aspiration, and extracurricular activity.
Course aims
By joining us on the course, you will:
- Start to develop skills relevant to studying architecture
- Have the opportunity to get support with your portfolio preparations through a creative 2D and 3D studio project supported by our experienced architect and interior tutors
- Build awareness on a range of ideas and themes through taster mini-lectures
- Get advice from our team of expert tutors on course choice and your personal statement
- Gain insight into how the topic of sustainability, which is core to our teaching practice and the future of the profession
- Experience our world-class Fabrication Lab to create 3D elements for your design, which will provide you with the essential tools and materials to do all of the above!
Course structure
As a group, we will explore a topical (or relevant) brief, receive feedback from expert architect tutors, explore exciting buildings, visit exhibitions in the heart of London and receive mini-lectures by practicing architects. You will have the unique opportunity to experience the University environment in our beautiful purpose built studios and state of the art Fabrication Lab.
Over the 5 days, the structure of the Summer School will take you through the process of a University design brief. We will:
- Respond to a brief
- Explore and record a given site
- Discover architectural precedents through building/exhibition visits
- Explore experimental design methods to develop designs for an imaginative architectural proposal through model making and drawing
- Record work through photography
- Lay out portfolio sheet of your work
- Celebrate your work by creating a group exhibition
- Create list of potential references and buildings to visit in support of your University application
The short course consists of five full days and its content is as follows:
Day 1:
- Introductions
- Site visit and collaborative drawing/collage
- End of day review and social
Day 2:
- Fabrication of viewing devices
- 3-D modelling
Day 3:
- Exhibition visit
- Sketch/precedent studies
- 3D Modelling and drawing
Day 4:
- Architect lecture
- Photography in the Fabrication Lab
Day 5:
- Portfolio layout
- Personal statement
- Group exhibition and celebration
How to apply
Parent/guardian consent form
As this course is aimed at people aged 15 - 18, a consent form will need to be submitted before your place is confirmed on the course. Once you have placed your booking, we'll send you a link to complete the form.
The form must be completed by your parent or guardian. We need this information to make sure we know about any additional requirements you may have.
If the form is not completed, you will not be able to attend the summer school. If you have any problems filling in this form, get in touch with us.
Portfolio and interview guidance
Watch our portfolio and interview guidance video for applicants to our undergraduate architecture and interiors courses.
Booking
Thank you for your interest in this course.
New dates will be announced shortly - fill in our enquiry form to be the first to know when bookings reopen.
If you have questions about the course in the meantime, please contact us.
Testimonials
Many of our Summer School students have gone on to win university places in architecture and interior architecture courses. The following are feedback from previous Summer School attendees:
Attending the summer school was definitely one of my best decisions as it opened my eyes to the world of Architecture and I gained lots of inspiration and knowledge.
I am definitely going to apply to university next year to take architecture - all aspects of the course confirmed this. It was a great taster for what uni will be like.
I thought it was a thoroughly enjoyable course with a huge range of media used. I found the visits to Regent’s Park and the Royal Academy were also very interesting and helped to bring the project alive.
I really enjoyed the modelling throughout the course alongside the inspiring site visits, as the modelling was quite freeing and I had to think quite creatively to incorporate allocated materials.
