Experiences in Architecture
2008 EiA details are now available!
Session I: June 16-July 3, 2008
Session II: July 7-July 25, 2008
2008 Application (includes information on housing and scholarships)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
David Shove-Brown, AIA
Director, Experiences in Architecture
Tel: 202-319-5786 • Email
 The EXPERIENCES IN ARCHITECTURE (EiA) program at The Catholic University of America is an intense three-week workshop for students interested in architecture or other design-related fields. Students are exposed to both the academic and the professional sides of the architecture arena, as the city of Washington, D.C., becomes their classroom.
The program will better prepare you for the rigors of architecture school, giving you a head start, as well as acquainting you with campus life at the university level. Students who have participated in EiA's summer workshop, or a similar pre-college program, are better prepared for success at the university level.
This unique studio approach enables the students to produce high quality design projects. Over the course of the three-week program, students work on a variety of design problems that explore a variety of issues related to architectural design. Students are asked to represent their design solution in several ways, including two-dimensional scaled drawings, collage and chipboard models. EiA maintains a low student to teacher ratio of 10:1, enabling an efficient and highly interactive program. Completed work in EiA may be used for application to architecture school. Students who have participated in the workshop understand the rigors of architecture school and find themselves in a position of better preparedness for a university setting.
 Through EiA, students have the opportunity to visit local architecture firms of various sizes, from large, international firms such as Leo A Daly and Ellerbe Becket who design projects such as office buildings, commercial centers and airports, to midsize and small firms such as Cole-Prevost Architects and Travis Price Architects, who design churches, community centers and custom homes. Students also visit an architect’s residence where they receive a personal tour. Being situated conveniently on the Metrorail in Washington, D.C., our students benefit from easy visits to a variety of architectural landmarks, galleries, museums and local neighborhoods, which are unparalleled experiences.
In addition, students are exposed to a variety of lectures and films on the profession that explore subjects such as design, sketching, computer graphics, technology, landscape, history and theory. As part of our summer lecture series, students have the opportunity to hear renowned national and international architects speak about the current movements and explorations occurring in architectural design and building technologies. Working alongside full-time architecture students, participants receive individual instruction, group critiques and hands-on design projects. The workshop culminates in the presentation of student projects utilizing architectural drawings, high-tech computer generated graphics and physical models.
Students who successfully complete the program receive a certificate from The Catholic University of America's School of Architecture and Planning.
VISIT THE BLOGS FOR PREVIOUS EiA SESSIONS
The blogs contain detailed information about the schedule and participants, as well as the studio and drawing assignments. The blogs are a valuable resource for students interested in attending the program in the future.
2007
2006
TESTIMONIALS
Read a few of the letters we have received from students and parents after they participated in the EiA program.
CLASS STRUCTURE
The general structure of the program is intense! It will involve a combination of lectures, discussions, field trips and studio exercises. Experiences in Architecture 2008 is intended to help prospective architecture students and enthusiasts to better comprehend the world of architecture both academically and professionally. The discipline of architecture is an inherently interactive discourse and individual participation is essential to the success of the course as a whole. EiA’s philosophy is that the student comprises the essential ingredient to the success of the program.
FACULTY LECTURES
As a part of the Summer Institute for Architecture, students in the Experiences in Architecture program have the opportunity to attend the faculty lecture series, a unique and valuable feature of the summer session. Lectures are designed to address both general and specific issues under exploration in the design studios. Many topics of these lectures will be part of our curriculum.
EVENING LECTURES
The Evening Lecture Series is one of the highlights of the Summer Institute at CUA. Students have the opportunity to hear renowned architects from around the world discuss some of the pertinent issues in the architectural arena today. The lectures for 2007 are still to be announced. Since they are held in the evening, attendance at these lectures is optional, but strongly encouraged. Parents are also encouraged to attend these lectures.
WORK SPACE
There will be a desk assigned to each student along with storage space and model building stations. Our unique studio setup allows participants to work alongside full-time architecture students participating in our Summer Institute for Architecture. Your desk becomes your home for three weeks. We pride ourselves in our wonderful open and light-filled studio space.
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