Imagine Architecture
Imagine Architecture is a career exploratory studio for grade 10-12 students who are interested in design, architecture, and urbanism and would like to gain experience in creative design thinking and making.
The fun and intensive workshops are taught by instructors from Carleton University’s Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism. They introduce students to the creative culture of design studio, which is at the core of the Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) curriculum.
Dates for 2024
On-Campus
LAB 101 On-Campus: July 8-12 — $730 + HST
LAB 102 On-Campus: July 15-19 — $730 + HST
LAB 103 On-Campus: July 22-26 — $730 + HST
Three labs (with discount) = $2,040 + HST
Online
LAB 101 Online: July 29-August 2 — $600 + HST
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Scroll down for more details about the LABs, testimonials, and FAQs.
How will this help my application portfolio?
The program aims to give students the tools they need to represent their ideas and develop their creative skill set.
These skills will help them develop a portfolio for any design program in Canada.
Students attend sessions on choosing content for portfolios, illustrated with examples from successful applications.
Discussion includes what admission committees look for, how to approach the written requirements of a good portfolio, and effective organization of graphics.
Imagine Architecture is more than a preparatory course for admissions. It aims to give participants insight to a university experience — what it’s like to a be a student in a school of architecture.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING DESIGN SOFTWARE
Access to specific design software, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign, will be required to participate in Imagine Architecture.
Licenses for this software will need to be obtained by the participant. Rates range from 7-day free trials to $108/month.
Instructions on when and how to purchase these programs will be communicated to participants before the first class.
Available prices and discounts mentioned are subject to change by Adobe.
Cancellation Policy
A refund (minus $45 service charge) will be issued for cancellations up to 14 days before the start of the LAB for which you are registered. Unfortunately, there is no refund for cancellations made less than 14 days before the start of the LAB for which you are registered.
Imagine Architecture FAQ
Imagine Architecture is a career exploratory studio for grade 10-12 students who are interested in design, architecture, and urbanism and would like to gain experience in creative design thinking and making.
The fun and intensive workshops are taught by instructors from Carleton University’s Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism. They introduce students to the creative culture of design studio, which is at the core of the Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) curriculum.
Students who have completed grade 10 – 12. There is no application process. Receipt of your registration form and payment will guarantee your spot in the program.
Registration and payment is done online. Click here to register.
We accept registrations until all spots are taken. Space is limited. You are advised to register early to avoid disappointment.
Registration and payment must be completed at the same time. Your spot is not reserved until we receive payment. If you enter your information but do not complete the payment process, you will have to redo the whole registration process again the next time you come back to pay.
A refund (minus $45 service charge) will be issued for cancellations up to 14 days before the start of the LAB for which you are registered. There is no refund for cancellations that take place less than 14 days before the start of the LAB for which you are registered.
You will receive an auto-response with a copy of your registration and receipt. This is the the official confirmation of your registration and it guarantees your spot in the program.
Two weeks before the start of the program, you will receive a welcome package with all the logistical details.
Do you know a high school student interested in architecture?
Testimonials from 2023 Participants
I just wanted to thank you and the teaching team for a great 3 weeks, it was the highlight of my summer! I really enjoyed experiencing the studio culture, it made me excited to return each day. I appreciated how the teaching team was eager to help us out, giving us relevant advice and challenging us to go further. They did an amazing job preparing us for uni, touching base on a variety of topics and inviting several cool guest speakers. I had such a fantastic experience attending Imagine Architecture, I hope to join ASAU next fall!
I really enjoyed my week. The guest lectures were really interesting and showed me different aspects of studying architecture I hadn’t thought about but added to my interest in the program. I also really enjoyed being guided in the making of our models. I found I had a better understanding of the making process and how to express my thoughts more clearly. They cleared up a lot of the questions I had about how to prepare my portfolio.
I attended all 3 labs and each instructor had new perspectives about architecture to discuss. It was a studio environment I was excited to go back to every day. We covered the whole design process by learning how to develop ideas through studio critiques, working hands-on to make prototype models, exploring editing using industry-standard software and learning how to showcase our final projects in a pin-up.
As someone who was not that experienced with architecture, I think Imagine Architecture was an amazing first look into what I want to do in the future. It provided a very good studio experience and the mentors really aided me in exploring my creativity as well as working in an architecture studio for the first time.
As this is my second year being an Imagine Architecture student I felt it was just as informative as last year and enjoyed it both times. I 100% recommend Imagine Architecture to students who are thinking of fields like architecture for post-secondary since it gives plenty of insight into the programs.
My experience with Imagine Architecture Lab 101 Online was incredible! I enjoyed working in the studio (my room) and experimenting with Photoshop. It provided a diverse approach, emphasizing not only design but also photography and presentation. I’d suggest it, especially to people looking for practical skills and a comprehensive architectural approach.
I really enjoyed my time at Imagine Architecture and had a great experience. It helped me learn more about it and confirmed my passion for architecture. It was very helpful and gave me a greater understanding of what the environment may be like if I pursue it. The coursework and content were all very engaging and fun to complete.
About the LABs
LAB 101
Emphasis on human scale, multi-media drawing techniques, architectural conventions, and some physical modeling
This week-long workshop will include thought-provoking lectures and hands-on design thinking and making activities. You will be immersed in a culture of creativity, inspired motivation, and related skills-building techniques, methods, and projects.
Each day will be dedicated to a specific theme that will culminate in a final exhibition of your projects. There will also be an opportunity to learn about Carleton University’s application process and a workshop in portfolio preparation.
2024 Dates
Time
Cost
July 8-12 (on-campus
July 29-August 2 (online)
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
$730 +HST (on-campus)
$600 + HST (online)
Pencil Drawing/Sketching
Model Making
Architecture Photography
Creative Writing
Architecture Drawing Sets
Observing One’s Environment
Materiality in Architecture
Curation (Exhibition)
LAB 102
Emphasis on digital representation: Rhino 3D, Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. Workshop on page layouts for portfolios
LAB 102 offers a series of unique, engaging workshops that introduce students to essential digital skills used in architectural design. You will learn how to build geometric models with Rhino 3D and refine a compelling project using industry-standard Adobe Creative Cloud software. These geometric models offer an opportunity to explore more advanced fabrication and physical model-making techniques. Participants will learn proper workflow to move between conceptual ideas, modeling, and visualization programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator with the aim of using Adobe InDesign to construct professional portfolio pages.
2024 Date
Time
Cost
July 15-19 (on-campus)
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
$730 + HST (on-campus)
Form Finding
Digital Composition
The Role of the Digital
3D Modeling
Rendering
LAB 103
Emphasis on diagrams and abstract architectural thinking, urban space, and portfolio preparation workshops
LAB 103 is a week-long immersive multi-media workshop, introducing participants to techniques of drawing, small model-building, and architectural representation. A series of choreographed exercises focus on drawing by hand, three-dimensional thinking, and abstract visualization. Topics include concepts of line drawing, plan and section, perspective, cut-and-fold, and composition.
Particularly appropriate for those who want to study architecture at university, LAB 103 places emphasis on abstract and conceptual thinking as well as understanding the kinds of graphic representations suitable for a portfolio.
2024 Date
Time
Cost
July 22-26 (on-campus)
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
$730 + HST
Drawing Techniques
Mixed Media
Abstract Spatial Thinking
Portfolio Graphics
Studio Culture
How We Deliver Imagine Architecture Online
The online program provides participants with tools and support for portfolio-worthy graphic results, as well as an interactive design studio experience.
Instructors use accessible digital platforms to create a virtual studio space in which students can interact, share their work, and receive one-on-one instruction.
Students receive a list of supplies to purchase or scavenge throughout the house.
In 2024, we are offering LAB 101 online as an alternative to attending the program in-person. We look forward to welcoming participants from across Canada and the world.
Imagine Architecture Academic Team
Imagine Architecture Academic Team
Johan Voordouw, Faculty Advisor
Associate Professor Johan Voordouw teaches at the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism and serves as the Associate Director, Undergraduate. He is a registered architect in the UK. Before his appointment at Carleton University, Johan taught at the Leicester School of Architecture and London Southbank University in England. He has worked in professional practice in London, most notably at Foster + Partners, and in Canada and the Netherlands. His visual work has been extensively published and exhibited in Canada, the United States, England, Austria, and the Netherlands. Venues include the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna, the International Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam, the Royal Academy Summer Show London, and the Venice Architecture Biennale.
Choosing a career in architecture is a big decision. Imagine Architecture introduces participants to our school and some key architectural working methods. It uses design thinking in a fun and intellectually stimulating manner to bring the imagination to a designed project. The work developed in Imagine Architecture can be used in your portfolio when you apply to our program or in other design-related applications. Students leave the program feeling empowered with new skills and confidence in deciding whether to pursue Architectural Studies at Carleton University or elsewhere.
Stephanie Murray, Coordinator and Instructor
Stephanie Murray holds both a post-professional Master of Architectural Studies and a professional Master of Architecture degree, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After finishing her degree in Fine Arts, she moved to Whitehorse, Yukon, where she worked for Northern Front Studio and Kobayashi + Zedda Architects, while continuing her art practice. She has exhibited her independent artwork across Canada, as well as overseas in Australia and Iceland. She has also led digital and analog projects at two research labs associated with the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism: the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) and the Carleton Sensory and Liminal Technologies Lab (CSALT). Her research interests are grounded in the effects of representational conventions on material and spatial imaginations in the construction of social and political narratives. She will be commencing doctoral studies this fall at Concordia University.
Developing creative skill sets and learning to apply them critically has been one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors of my career and personal growth. The unique environment of studio learning that architecture offers is rich and often personal in that it develops a student’s own process of questioning and responding to environments. This is a great field for anyone who loves to make things, ask questions, and push their imagination! The architects’ toolkit is diverse and ever-evolving, including everything from drawings to abstract models to experimental media. Honing these techniques is not only fun and exciting but prepares you to find design opportunities almost anywhere.
Connor Tamborro, Instructor
Connor Tamborro obtained his Master of Architecture degree at Carleton University in the spring of 2023. He is preparing to become an intern architect as he begins his career in practice and design education. Connor’s interests in the design world are reflected in ideas of knowledge through making and doing. His passion for making, away from the digital mindset, has been a continuous mode of working throughout his university experience. The research Connor has developed is in the realm of “slowness,” which is an associated way of working in methods, processes, and experiences. He also earned his Bachelor of Architectural Studies at Carleton. During the transition from undergraduate studies to the master’s program, Connor worked for two years with a+Link Architecture in London, ON, where he worked on many new projects in the schematic and design development stages. Besides his contextual interests in architecture, Connor’s spectrum of creative influence is through sketching, foraging, photography, and the use of physical presence in nature.
STATEMENT:
To me, the world of architecture does not mean buildings. It does not mean structure, and it certainly does not mean individuality. Architecture is much, much more than that. It is to see the world entirely differently and to experience something unique around every corner. It is about collaboration, and it is about the way you can make someone feel. It has never been just about buildings; it is about an art transcending through physical engagement at a scale of the human.
Harrison Lane, Instructor
Harrison Lane is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture at Carleton University, having previously earned a Bachelor Architectural Studies from Laurentian University and a Diploma in Cabinetmaking from Algonquin College. Harrison is interested in making things, material science, and philosophy. He also explores the influences of furniture on spaces and how we interact with furnishings, especially in relation to unconventional modes of living.
Pursuing architecture has been a long-standing dream and the most rewarding experience of my life. The ability to engage with ideas in a deep contemplative way, imagining worlds of possibility, making, and drawing. It allows you to challenge conventions and change the world around you, bringing new futures into existence. This is the stuff of magic.
Jack Dawson, Studio Assistant
Jack Dawson is pursuing a Bachelor of Architectural Studies in the design stream offered at Carleton University. He is interested in brutalist architecture and how modern parametric designs can transform dated utilitarian forms. “I couldn’t see myself in any other field than architecture,” he says. “To me it’s one of the most diverse fields to study, with its ties to almost every quality and category of design. My appreciation of the built world and my interest in the ever-evolving technology and software architects have at their fingertips made me choose architecture.”
I am completing my second year at the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism. I took the Imagine Architecture course in high school, and I have nothing but great things to say about it. The program is great for building the skills that you use in the studio. You’ll be provided with skills and knowledge that will be applicable throughout the rest of your degree.
Evan Kettler, Studio Assistant
Evan Kettler is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture at Carleton University, having previously earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Manitoba. During the transition from undergraduate studies to the master’s program, Evan worked for four years with Atelier Dedale in Montreal as a maquettiste building architectural models.
Design studio allows you to chase ideas in a way that is rare in life. The ability to cross-pollinate your thoughts with those of your peers and find unexpected results is delightful. There are a wealth of avenues to explore.
How to Register
Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration will remain open until all spots are taken. If the registration link is still active, then there are still spots left in the program. Register early as space is limited.
Your spot is not guaranteed until payment has been received. Payment by Visa or MasterCard only.
For more information email Maria Cook (mariacook3@cunet.carleton.ca).
