The Design Immersion Days summer school at SCI-Arc explores design and architecture through analogue and digital methods, equipping students with portfolios for future school admissions.

Design Immersion Days (DID) is an immersive four-week summer programme that introduces high school students to the worlds of design and architecture, fostering curiosity, creativity and critical thinking.

Offered from 15 June to 10 July 2026, DID combines hands-on studio work with exposure to both traditional and digital design tools and techniques. Students explore modes of production ranging from freehand sketching and architectural drafting to advanced digital workflows including 3D modelling, augmented reality and digital fabrication.

Throughout the programme, participants engage in projects that strengthen design acuity and build a visual vocabulary essential to architectural thinking. They work in a simulated college-level studio environment, receiving individualised feedback from SCI-Arc faculty through one-on-one desk critiques and group pin-ups, mirroring professional architectural review processes.

DID also emphasises engagement with the design culture of Los Angeles through field trips to architectural sites, lunchtime conversations with practitioners, and visits to museums and design firms, helping students contextualise their work within the city's material, cultural and economic landscape.

The programme culminates in a public exhibition where students present their final projects to a panel of leading architects and critics and participants complete DID with a refined creative portfolio, an important asset for future design and architecture school applications.

School: SCI-Arc
Course: Design Immersion Days
Type: Summer school
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Course dates: 15 June to 10 July 2026
Application deadline: 15 May 2026

Find out more about the course and apply ›

What will I learn during this course?

– Introduction to architectural thinking and producing polished work for admissions portfolio

What are the requirements?

– Must be in high school and under the age of 18

What facilities and resources are available?

– In-person programme includes dedicated studio space and access to 3D-printing and laser-cutters

What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?

Participants can progress to undergraduate architecture schools.

Who teaches this course?

– Angelica Lorenzi, programme coordinator
– Natou Fall, faculty

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