Architecture
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Architecture Summer Courses
Explore how buildings and spaces are imagined, designed and shaped by the people who use them with Atlas Summer Courses. Our two-week Architecture summer courses, available for students aged 13–15, 16–17 and 18–24, give you the opportunity to investigate architectural ideas, design thinking and the relationship between buildings, people and their environments.
Through academic teaching and independent study, you'll explore how architects respond to practical and creative challenges while developing your ability to analyse designs, communicate ideas and approach problems from different perspectives.
What's Included?
Your residential Architecture summer course includes academic teaching, accommodation, meals, a certificate on completion, airport transfer from Heathrow and insurance.
Choose from Plus, Superior and Premier packages, with accommodation and additional benefits varying by package.
What Is Architecture?
Architecture brings together creativity, technical understanding and an awareness of how people interact with the spaces around them.
Architects consider much more than how a building looks. They think about how spaces will be used, how structures respond to their surroundings and how factors such as materials, function, sustainability and human needs influence design.
Studying Architecture can therefore involve examining both creative and practical questions. Why are buildings designed in particular ways? How does architecture reflect the society that created it? And how can thoughtful design respond to changing environmental and social needs?
An Architecture summer course gives you the opportunity to explore these questions and develop a broader understanding of the thinking behind the built environment.
What Will You Study on an Architecture Summer Course?
There is no prescribed syllabus that every student follows. Atlas Summer Courses tutors create their own syllabi, drawing on their expertise while taking the interests, abilities and learning needs of their students into account.
Depending on your course and age group, you could explore areas such as architectural design, the built environment, materials, structures, sustainability, architectural history or approaches to communicating design ideas.
You might consider questions such as:
- What makes an architectural design successful?
- How do architects balance creativity with practical constraints?
- How does the purpose of a building influence its design?
- How do materials and structures shape architectural possibilities?
- How can architecture respond to environmental challenges?
- How do buildings reflect the cultures and societies that create them?
The depth and approach will reflect the age group you're studying with. Tutors can also develop the course around their own areas of expertise and the interests of their students.
Any syllabus shown on our website is an example from a previous course rather than a guarantee of the exact topics you'll study.
How You'll Learn on an Architecture Summer Course
How you'll study Architecture depends on your age group, with each programme designed to provide an appropriate level of academic challenge and independence.
Ages 13–15
24 hours of small-group seminars
You'll take part in eight seminars where you'll explore architectural ideas through interactive discussion, case studies and activities. You'll be encouraged to analyse designs, consider different approaches and explain the thinking behind your ideas.
12 hours of private study
Between seminars, you'll complete independent work that could involve reading, researching an architectural question, developing ideas or preparing a presentation.
Ages 16–17 and 18–24
18 hours of small-group seminars
You'll take part in six three-hour seminars, exploring architectural ideas through discussion, case studies and activities.
2 hours of tutorials
You'll have one tutorial each week, providing a focused environment in which to discuss the essay or other academic work you've been developing and receive detailed feedback.
Around 20 hours of private study
You'll complete preparation for seminars and work independently on an essay or other academic work for each tutorial.
Across all age groups, you'll be encouraged to participate actively, develop ideas independently and consider architectural challenges from creative, analytical and practical perspectives.
Who Are Our Architecture Summer Courses For?
Our Architecture summer courses are designed for students who are curious about buildings, design and the ways people shape the spaces around them.
You don't need to have studied Architecture before. The courses may particularly appeal to you if you enjoy creative problem-solving, design, art, mathematics or understanding how buildings and cities are developed.
You'll develop transferable skills including creative thinking, analysis, problem-solving, communication, independent study and evaluating different approaches to a design challenge.
Learn from Expert Tutors
Atlas Summer Courses tutors are experienced educators and subject specialists active across academia, industry and education.
They bring their own academic expertise and interests into their teaching and have the freedom to shape their syllabus around both their specialism and the students in their group. This allows each Architecture summer course to explore different aspects of architecture and design while maintaining an appropriate level of academic challenge.
Tutors are confirmed closer to the summer, so profiles on our website are examples of tutors who have previously taught with us rather than confirmation of who will teach your course.
Where Can Architecture Take You?
Architecture connects creative design with technical, historical and social perspectives.
Students interested in the field may go on to study Architecture itself or related subjects such as urban design, landscape architecture, engineering, planning, interior architecture or other design disciplines.
The creative, analytical and problem-solving skills associated with Architecture can also support future paths across architecture, design, planning, construction, property, sustainability and the wider built-environment sector.
An Architecture summer course gives you the opportunity to explore the subject before making longer-term academic decisions and discover which aspects of architecture and design interest you most.
Don’t see the course you’re looking for?
Explore our full range of courses by subject, age, and location using our course finder. With over 40 subjects available across top locations, there’s something for everyone.
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FAQs about Our Summer Courses
No. You don't usually need to have studied your chosen subject before joining an Atlas Summer Courses summer course. Courses are designed for the relevant age group, and tutors can adapt their approach to the abilities, interests and experience of the students in their group.
There is no fixed curriculum that every student follows. Our tutors create their own syllabi based on their academic expertise and the interests and learning needs of their students.
This means the exact topics can vary between courses and years. Any syllabus or topics shown on our website are examples from previous courses and shouldn't be taken as a guarantee of exactly what you'll study.
Teaching depends on your age group. Students aged 9–12 and Scholars aged 12–14 learn through structured, interactive small-group classes. Students aged 13–15 combine small-group seminars with private study, while students aged 16–17 and 18–24 experience seminars, tutorials and independent study.
Across our programmes, teaching is designed to encourage active participation, questioning and independent thinking rather than simply listening to lectures.
Your course includes your academic programme, accommodation, meals and a certificate on completion, alongside the activities and experiences included within your programme.
What's included can vary depending on the programme, age group and package you choose, so we recommend checking the individual course details for the full inclusions before applying.
Explore Our
Summer Courses
Choose from over 40 subjects taught through flexible, age-appropriate programmes. Our tutors adapt their teaching methodologies to different age groups and shape course content around students’ interests, rather than following a fixed curriculum.
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