Experience a college architecture design studio
Learn drawing and modeling techniques to design architecture projects
The TeenArch Studio Summer Institute program is offered by the UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design. This program is an intensive three week-long, full-time summer architecture experience for high school students interested in exploring architecture and design thinking.
Structured around the experience of a design studio typically offered within an undergraduate curriculum, the program exposes high school students to the architecture discipline, giving them a sense of the life of a college student. Students will get the chance to experience the architecture profession through the design of a project plus more and receive mentorship from current UCLA Architecture and Urban Design students, alumni, and faculty.
TeenArch Studio Summer Institute Program Overview
This program covers an exploratory design studio in which students will work alongside their studio instructors through several design exercises and projects.
TeenArch Studio activities include:
- Creating space by designing architecture projects
- Learning drawing and modeling techniques
- Participating in group and one-on-one instruction led by architects and designers
- Taking part in group reviews and critiques while presenting projects to guest designers, critics, and instructors
Studio Topic: Fold to Form
From point to line to plane to volume – architecture takes shape – and it begins with a single sheet of paper. It has been said that there is nothing more terrifying for a designer than a blank piece of paper because it is the embodiment of limitless possibilities. A single point could become a line in infinitely many directions, branching then again in infinitely more directions. But every design has a through line – a way to describe from beginning to end the process taken to arrive at the final product.
Students will begin by studying the ancient Japanese art form of origami. They will understand how form and volume take shape through a series of deliberate operations. Through diagrammatic drawing and modeling they will learn how to generate codified systems in order to abstract inspiration and figuration from a seemingly abstract form to create order in the form of a simple enclosure. Students will then develop a pavilion dedicated to the courtyard plaza in front of Perloff Hall, UCLA Architecture and Urban Design’s home on the UCLA campus. They will use their origami models and architectural drawings to inform their design, taking into consideration feedback they have received over the course of the studio.
Lecture Series
Local and visiting architects, designers, and talented professionals in related fields are invited to present their work. These lecture series give students the opportunity to learn more about each guest through their own perspective.
Final Review and Exhibition
The last day of the program is dedicated to reviewing the students’ work in the group demonstration format. Faculty members from different Los Angeles architecture schools are invited to contribute to the discussion of each individual student’s work, promoting an engaging conversation that enhances architectural production at large.
For questions about the program curriculum, please contact summer@aud.ucla.edu.
Application deadlines:
Residential – June 6, 2025
Commuter/Virtual – June 13, 2025
Applications are reviewed and admission to the program is granted on a rolling basis starting February 15th. Applying at your earliest convenience is highly recommended.
The program has application requirements for admission. Eligible applicants who successfully submit all requirements will be reviewed and notified via email of an admission decision within 3 weeks.
Applicants are required to provide the following during the online registration process:
- An unofficial transcript from grade 9 to present reflecting a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher
- If your school transcript utilizes a different grading system, please submit your transcript as is. If available, please attach a translation/equivalency guide.
- INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: If you are an international student, a transcript refers to your complete secondary academic record. To learn more about converting your grades into a US-based GPA, please click here.
- If your school has a translation/equivalency guide, please also include it with your transcript. If you do not have a translation/equivalency guide, please still submit your most up-to-date transcript as is for staff to review.
- Value statement: At the time of registration, ALL applicants will be prompted to submit a few short sentences reflecting on their pursuit of participation in a UCLA Precollege Summer Institute. Please note that students are strongly discouraged from relying on ChatGpt/AI tools for their application responses and are encouraged to submit original and authentic answers.
Due to the intense nature of the TeenArch Studio Summer Institute and the time commitment involved, a residential track is available.
All residential precollege program tracks also feature scheduled non-curricular evening and weekend activities that all residential track students are expected to participate in. The nature of these scheduled activities is at the sole discretion of the individual academic department offering the program, and are not operated by UCLA Summer Sessions. To learn more about when your selected program will host such activities, please consult the schedules for each program, or contact the department in question directly: summer@aud.ucla.edu
Most of our residential precollege programs will hold check-in on the Sunday before the start of the program between 4-6pm, and hold check-out the Saturday after the final day of class at 11am. Please contact the department in question directly to confirm check-in and check-out times: summer@aud.ucla.edu
For more information on UCLA housing precollege programs, please see the Housing for Minors page.
As an alternative to the mandatory housing track of the TeenArch Summer Institute, UCLA is also offering a commuter-only program option. There is NO on-campus housing available for the commuter program through the institute program or UCLA Summer Sessions. Additionally, please note that only students aged 17 and older as of June 23rd, 2025 are eligible to sign a housing contract, and not all program dates correspond to when contracts are available. Students interested in exploring this option should review information at UCLA Summer Housing.
Participants of the TeenArch Summer Institute – commuter track must commute to the UCLA campus each day of the program. Specific location information (e.g. classroom) will be provided to enrolled students closer to the start of the program.
Parking
Summer Sessions parking permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Students have the option to purchase a summer term permit or a daily permit.
Please review the Transportation and Parking Services web page and read the “Summer Quarter Parking (All Students)” section for more information on all permit types, including cost.
The TeenArch Studio Summer Institute (Virtual) will be conducted virtually (online). All meeting times will take place in Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), unless otherwise noted on program schedule and syllabus. Participants must log-in to virtual sessions at the times indicated on the program schedule.
Students in the virtual program will not be offered housing.
Coursework
Architecture & Urban Design 1; 3 units
Grading
Students will receive a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) upon completion. To receive a “Pass” notation, students must earn a letter grade of C or better. See University Credit, Grades and Transcripts for more information about academic credit.
In order to successfully complete the program, students must not have more than 3 excused or unexcused absences.
UCLA Summer Sessions Summer Scholars Support
Qualified students attending grades 9th – 11th in Spring 2025 in the state of California may be eligible for Summer Scholars Support, a need- and merit-based scholarship offered by the UCLA Summer Sessions Office. Students must be 15 years old by the first day of Summer Sessions 2025 on June 23rd in order to participate in a Precollege Summer Institute and/or apply for Summer Scholars Support. A limited number of full and partial scholarships are available to support enrollment in SCIP/eSCIP, one Summer Course, or a Precollege Summer Institute.
Summer 2025 deadline to apply: March 15.
Session A.1: Residential
June 29 – July 19, 2025
Session A.2: Commuter
June 30- July 18, 2025
Session B: Virtual
June 30 – July 18, 2025
Program Eligibility: 9th-12th grade in Spring 2025*
Application Deadline:
Residential – June 6, 2025
Commuter/Virtual – June 13, 2025
Enrollment Deadline:
Residential – June 20, 2025
Commuter/Virtual – June 27, 2025
*All participants must be at least 15 years of age by the first day of Summer Sessions 2025 on June 23rd, no exceptions allowed.
The schedule and syllabus are subject to change. Enrolled students will be given updated materials closer to the program start date.
Fees and Payment Info
The program fee includes the unit fees for the UCLA coursework offered as part of the program and thus varies by UC student status. The program fee also includes the cost of UCLA Housing (for mandatory housing programs). In addition to the program fee, students are assessed other campus and administrative fees during the summer. This is a summary of fees that commonly apply to the selected student type.
Actual tuition and fees are subject to change by the University of California. Visit the fees, payment, and financial aid section for important disclaimer, as well as more details on fees, payment instructions, and information on delinquency, refunds, and financial aid.
VIRTUAL PROGRAM FEES:
The program fee listed in the selection are for the In-Person version only. The following are the program fees for the Virtual version.
- High School Student = $2,567
- Incoming UCLA Student = $2,249
- Incoming UC Student = $2,249
All other fees listed will remain the same for the Virtual version.
Meet your instructors
Julia Koerner
Associate Adjunct Professor and Director, Summer ProgramsJulia Koerner is an award-winning Austrian designer working at the convergence of architecture, product and fashion design. She is internationally recognised for design innovation in 3D-Printing, Julia’s work stands out at the top of these disciplines. Her designs have been featured in the National Geographic Magazine, VICE, WIRED and the New York Times among other publications. Museums and Institutions which have exhibited her work include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (MET), the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, Museum of Applied Arts MAK Vienna, Ars Electronica, among others. The constantly intriguing aspect of Julia’s work is its embodiment of a beautiful organic aesthetic.
Julia is founder of JK Design GmbH, specialising in digital design for 3D-Printing. In 2015, Julia launched an entirely 3D-Printed ready-to-wear collection entitled ‘Sporophyte’. Her collaborations involved 3D-Printed fashion pieces developed with Haute Couture Houses for Paris Fashion week and 3D printed costumes for Hollywood entertainment productions such as Marvel’s Black Panther in collaboration with Ruth Carter which recently won an Oscar for Best Costume Design. She further collaborated with Swarovski on a showpiece which displays Swarovski’s continued strive for innovation and the early developments of 3D-printing technology with glass.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, Julia received master degrees in Architecture from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and the Architectural Association in London. She is currently based between Los Angeles and Salzburg and has previously practiced in London and New York. Julia is the Director of UCLA Architecture and Urban Design’s Summer Programs Jumpstart and TeenArch Studio and has been a faculty member since 2012. She previously held academic appointments at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Lund University in Sweden and the Architectural Association Visiting Schools in France and Jordan.
Julia will lead a team of UCLA Architecture and Urban Design students and alumni to deliver the TeenArch Studio Summer Institute program.
Morgane Copp
Lecturer and Associate Director, Summer ProgramsMorgane Copp is a French-American architectural designer based in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She holds a BArch from the University of Nottingham and an MArch I from UCLA AUD, where she graduated with distinction. She has taught at UCLA AUD and California College of Arts (CCA), as well as served as Associate Director of the AUD Summer Programs. Copp has been a critic at UCLA AUD, USC, USD, CCA, and UC Berkeley. Her work and research focus on image-making through speculative scenarios, whilst always questioning the default. Her latest work interrogates the role of the architect in dense forms of urbanism, exploring opportunities that can be found in between existing structures, whilst challenging the conventions of preservation.
Copp has practiced architecture internationally in Athens, New York, Basel, San Diego, and Los Angeles, at offices including Herzog & de Meuron and Rob Wellington Quigley Architects. She has worked on a wide array of typologies and scales, ranging from high-end commercial towers to affordable housing projects in California. Copp is now Project Designer at Young & Ayata, leading the international winning-competition entry of an Agriculture Institute in South Korea.
TeenArch Studio Summer Institute FAQ
No background is needed – beginners are welcome to apply.
Yes, a laptop is required to participate in the program for both in-person and virtual sessions. Students should have access to a laptop that is NOT a Macbook Air or Chromebook as these laptops cannot support the software needed for the program (Trial version Rhino). Students are also able to borrow a laptop from the UCLA library if needed, the program will gather laptop need information from enrolled participants closer to the start of the program.
Materials will be provided by the department for students participating in the program either in residential or commuter versions. However, students participating virtually students will need to purchase materials per the guidelines distributed by the department (list of materials will be added in Spring 2025).
All course meeting times are in Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). If completing the program virtually in a different time zone, please make sure to account for the time difference. The program schedule is subject to change.
Still have questions? Check out the general Summer Institutes FAQ.