Architectural Drawing Summer School

The built environment is both a laboratory and an archive, where new works continue to take their place beside the old. ‘By far the most complex of humanity's creations is our built environment. It's the culture that we all live in, and that we contribute to and work in, and yet no one studies it formally at primary level or secondary level.’ states Andrew Clancy, Professor of Architecture at Kingston University.

This, he asserts, ‘produces two things: first of all a kind of collective lack of awareness of the value of architecture and the built environment; but secondly a kind of a rupture between those who might be interested in studying architecture and an understanding of what it is that they might do’. During the course of the Summer school, students are encouraged to see their environment in new ways, and to map those experiences and the insights gained through drawing.

‘I never realised the impact sketching would have on the way you thought about space’, remarks 2018 student Niamh McNamee. The programme has been widely praised by students as providing an unrivalled insight into architecture as a subject, and their likely life in university. Siva Kulkarni, who took part in the 2018 Summer school, states that the programme provided direct benefits to students and that ‘everything we have been doing will actually help us to get into university’.

The 2019 Summer School is organised by the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust in association with Drawing Matter, Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Kingston School of Art, Queens University Belfast and Bruton School for Girls with generous sponsorship from Eric Parry, Peter Wilson and Níall McLaughlin Architects, and individual scholarships funded by a growing list of architectural practices in the UK and Europe.

Successful applicants receive bed and board in the facilities of Bruton School for Girls. Working in the town of Bruton, students will liaise intensively with educational facilities and staff at Hauser & Wirth Somerset and will have the opportunity to learn from leading thinkers in architectural education today.

Applications for the 2019 programme are open until Monday 6th May 2019. If you would like to nominate a pupil from your school, or would like to apply yourself, please find more information on the link here or download an application form.