Each summer, the School of Architecture and Planning conducts the Summer Institute for Architecture (SIA) featuring numerous undergraduate and graduate level courses. Among these are design studios and elective courses, including history of architecture, graphics, furniture design, theory and computer-aided design/fabrication. The faculty consists of selected members of the School of Architecture and Planning and those invited from other institutions.

At SIA students pursue and investigate the discipline of architecture with a rigor and intensity that is difficult to attain in conventional practices or academic environments. SIA presents students with opportunities to epand their understandings of broader social, cultural, technological and aesthetic issues into an integrated, comprehensive understanding of architecture. Through the interactions of various creative individuals and the common research theme investigated each year, students exchange ideas and test them. They engage in direct and indirect debates in an open-ended, expansive environment, interactions that give rise to views alternative to those we are often accustomed to.

The Summer Institute for Architecture accepts students from other academic schools at The Catholic University of America and from other institutions internationally. Interested students should contact the office of the School of Architecture and Planning at 202-319-5188 for further information and applications.

Experiences in Architecture

The School of Architecture and Planning conducts two three-week sessions for high schools or college students who are interested in investigating the field of architecture as a possible career. The students are introduced to all aspects of the study and practice of architecture, from design and history to office practice. The students live on campus and work in the design studio alongside architecture students attending the Summer Institute. Interested students should contact the office of the School of Architecture and Planning for further information and applications.