The Introduction to Architecture Program is an intensive six-week class that introduces high school students to ideas, principles, and methods of exploring architectural problems in a studio setting. Through a graduated sequence of exercises culminating in a final project, students study architectural concepts of space, form, function, environment, and technology. Field trips investigate contemporary architecture within the context of Upstate New York sites of production, fabrication, and resources.
High school students spend mornings in lectures and integrated workshops exploring architectural principles including composition, history, preservation, landscape architecture, planning, and urban design. The afternoon studio puts into practice the information learned in morning lectures. The studio is taught in the Rem Koolhaas–designed Milstein Hall, by Department of Architecture faculty members and recent graduates of Cornell's esteemed bachelor's and master's programs. The program also incorporates periodic studio reviews by invited faculty and guest critics. Intensive individual instruction and regular progress reviews prepare students for a final project presentation.
Students can expect to learn the fundamentals of the architectural program including:
- The art of making and the importance of craft
- The relationship between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional design
- Drawing and model making as a means of discovery and exploration
- Analog and introductory digital representation
- Conceptual clarity and expression
- The basics of architectural composition
Location(s)
- Remote
Schedule
- Six weeks from mid June to late July
Cost/Compensation
- $1,680 tuition per credit
Eligibility Requirements
- The program is open to high school students who are interested in a career in architecture — no specialized knowledge or background beyond a serious interest in architectural design is required.
Deadline
- Late May
Application or Entry Requirements
You will be officially enrolled when you have submitted full payment and completed all of your forms:
Notifications of Decisions
Financial Aid Details
Precollege Studies awards a limited number of partial scholarships based on:
- A family's demonstrated financial need
- A student's academic achievement and promise
- The availability of funds.
Scholarships are reserved for credit-bearing online summer courses.
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
Have other questions?
Cornell University is a private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York. Founded in 1865, Cornell is comprised of nine undergraduate schools and four graduate and professional schools in Ithaca, two medical graduate and professional certificate programs in New York City, and one in Doha, Qatar.
The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University is the only department in the Ivy League that offers the Bachelor of Architecture degree. Cornell AAP aims to advance research, scholarship, and critical and creative practices to build a more sustainable, just, and resilient world.
