The Summer Institute for Architecture at The Catholic University of America is pleased to present three cutting-edge studio and/or workshop opportunities for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. We are interested in inviting candidates from other schools to participate in the Summer Institute for Architecture at CUA. The SIA design studios are a unique opportunity for students to work with leading practitioners, to engage with fellow students from a diverse range of other academic institutions, and to experience summer on the east coast.

The following two architectural design studios are 12-week design studios (6-credit hours) with the summer term running from May 7 - August 4, 2012.  

The Diller Scofidio + Renfro studio will be led by Ben Gilmartin, Principal and Design Director at DSR. Diller Scofidio + Renfro is internationally recognized for their innovative, inventive and creative work. Their work includes, in NYC, the High Line, Alice Tully Hall, Julliard School, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Most recently, DSR was short-listed for The National Mall Design Competition to re-vision Union Square and the Sylvan Theatre on the Washington Monument Grounds. Mr. Gilmartin will frame the design problem based upon a theme and students will seek design solutions in response to the critical underpinnings of the studio framework. During the summer, the studio will travel to NYC to visit DSR’s office and have an opportunity to engage in discussion with Liz Diller.

Situated Explorations is a domestic travel studio option offering two city landscapes for students to investigate via three-day intensive interaction and engagement with invited design critics. The Summer 2012 program offers travel to NYC where students will work with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Associates, and to Boston where students will work with Stoss LU. While interacting with design critics at each of the offices, students will use their time in each city to execute field studies, documentation, and develop initial design proposals. Students return to CUA to continue to work on the design problem after each visit. At the end of the term, there will be a final exhibition of work with a roundtable discussion between the guest critics and other invited guests. 

SIA/CUA is also pleased to offer this design-build workshop course: Reclaim + Remake, an 8-week intensive workshop (6 credit hours) running from May 7 – June 29, 2012. Students will deconstruct a historic and abandoned church in rural Ohio near Wheeling, WV, and design-build an installation / structure at the same site using the reclaimed materials. Students will gain knowledge in construction safety and skills, cooperative design and work experiences, community engagement, and the opportunity to create a fully realized design and construction project using reclaimed building materials. A goal of this program is to help define and develop a deep consideration of the consequences of the acts of materials use in design, the value inherent in abandoned places and buildings, and the current social and environmental paradigm of waste and abuse of natural and cultural resources.

Upper-level undergraduate and graduate students can apply to our Summer Program. The application can be found at the following link on the CUA website. (http://summer.cua.edu/applications/index.cfm) Applications for these programs are due by April 15, 2012.

You can also find out more information about the Summer Institute for Architecture at http://architecture.cua.edu/summerprograms/index.cfm.

Contact person:  Julie Ju-Youn Kim RA AIA, Associate Professor / Director, Summer Institute for Architecture
kimk@cua.edu