A Doll's Space short course at SCI-Arc utilises the concept of a doll's house to inform architectural and spatial practice, with guidance on modelling and drawing skills.

A Doll's Space is a vertical design studio at SCI-Arc that examines architecture through the lens of domestic scale, representation and distortion. Using the dollhouse as both subject and instrument, the studio challenges conventional ideas of space, authorship and control within architectural design.

Students begin by analysing historical and contemporary dollhouses as constructed worlds, focusing on proportion, hierarchy, ornament and narrative. These references are then transformed through digital and physical processes that stretched, fragmented and recomposed domestic space.

Modelling, drawing, image based workflows and fabrication are treated as equally active design tools, allowing students to move fluidly between representation and object.

The studio operates across multiple scales, from interior fragments to speculative architectural forms, encouraging students to question how intimacy, power and identity are embedded within spatial systems.

Emphasis was placed on iteration, precision and the development of a distinct visual language rather than predefined solutions.

Work produced in the studio included models, drawings, and hybrid artefacts that blurred the boundary between architecture, object and figure. A Doll's Space introduces students to critical approaches to domesticity, authorship and contemporary design practice through the production of models, drawings and hybrid artefacts.

School: SCI-Arc
Course: A Doll's Space
Type: Short course
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Course dates: January to April 2026 (spring semester)
Application deadline: 15 March 2026

Find out more about the course and apply ›

What will I learn during this course?

– Representation and distortion
– Studio challenges conventional ideas of space, authorship and control within architectural design

What are the requirements?

– Must be a fourth year undergraduate student or graduate level

What facilities and resources are available?

– In-person learning
– SCI-Arc Fabrication Lab
– Personal studio space

What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?

Various architecture and design pathways.

Who teaches this course?

– William Virgil, coordinator

Dezeen Courses

Dezeen Courses is a service from Dezeen that provides details of architecture, interiors and design courses around the world. Click here for more information.