Los Angeles Institute of Architecture and Design
Summer Design Program
Online, USA
Preparatory Program
DURATION
2 months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
Key Summary
About: The LAIAD Summer Design programme is a 2-month intensive design and 3D‑modeling workshop for international students; no prior 2D graphic design experience is required. It teaches a rigorous 2D design process, Rhino and SketchUp proficiency, Grasshopper and T‑Splines modelling, one‑on‑one studio tutorials, weekly critiques and guest reviews, plus an optional fall Portfolio Studio aligned with US MArch deadlines.
Career Outcomes: Graduates pursue admission into US architecture and interior design programmes. Potential career pathways include architectural designer, interior designer, 3D modelling specialist, digital fabrication technician, or portfolio consultant. Skills suit roles in design studios, visualization, parametric design and architectural presentation.
- 2-month summer program with no prior 2D graphic design or experience
- Rigorous 2D Design Process
- Proficiency in the following 3D software: Rhino and Sketchup.
- Optional Portfolio Studio in the Fall
The LAIAD Summer Program for international students is a short, intensive, design and 3D modeling workshop. This program is intended to help international students improve their design and presentation skills, build a portfolio, and orient their work toward acceptance and transfer into the American university system for graduate level study in Architecture or Interior Design. LAIAD’s curriculum is specifically developed to teach the design and thinking skills most sought-after by top-rated American universities.
Summer Program students may elect to take LAIAD’s Portfolio Studio (Ps) in the Fall semester immediately following the Summer Design Program. Attendance in the Portfolio Studio is optional based on the individual student’s needs and skill level. The Portfolio Studio is intended to help build a professional quality portfolio using the same design thinking and studio work produced in the Summer Program. The schedule and timing of the Ps program is made to align with application deadlines of most US based MArch programs.
The style of teaching is one-on-one design workshop, supplemented by a weekly collective review and midterm/final guest reviews. Architectural modeling courses focus on improving students’ ability to create 3D models. The software courses include Rhino surface modeling, Grasshopper parametric design, and T-Splines.
Students will learn different creative expressions from 3D rendering to 2D drawings as well as the portfolio design skills during the compact summer program.
A portfolio is the most significant factor for a successful application to an architecture school in the United States. A good portfolio can help applicants get admitted to the best architecture schools without perfect GPA, GRE, or TOEFL scores. At LAIAD, the process of making a quality portfolio is a statement of design excellence, not just a graphic exercise. In our view, a portfolio is only as good as the work it contains.
DOWNLOAD SUMMER PROGRAM BROCHURE
