Summer Studio in Classical Architecture 2022 | Week Two

Each year, the ICAA National Office holds the Summer Studio in Classical Architecture, a four-week immersive program that introduces a cohort of university-level students to the core tenets of classical design. Students divide their time between the design studio and New York City itself, using the city as a 'living laboratory' for measured and analytical drawing; the relationship of the city's architecture to principles of urbanism; and more. Alongside these studies, students have the opportunity to meet emerging professional mentors and instructors, as well as visit classical design firms based in New York.

Follow along with the cohort of the 2022 Summer Studio, taking place from June 13th through July 9th, as students describe this year's experience in their own words.

You can read articles for other weeks of the program here: Week One | Week Three

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Over the course of the second week of this year's Summer Studio in Classical Architecture, students completed a wide variety of courses in preparation for the concentrated work on their final design project that would begin the following week.

"We began this week by following the École of Beaux-Arts curriculum of esquisse-making as a way to establish an idea for our design project: designing a pavilion for Prospect Park in Brooklyn," wrote Sijia Zheng, a rising sophomore at the University of Miami. "We were given a time constraint to come up with partis and then an esquisse that sketches out our general idea for our pavilions. The challenge is to stick with our esquisses throughout the entire project. I am very excited to see how that turns out for all of us!"

The group also completed their studies of the classical orders early in the week through studio sessions in the Ionic and Corinthian orders. These studio sessions were supplemented by field visits to buildings in the ICAA's neighborhood, such as the University Club, to see the elements in use and to take analytical and measured drawings in their sketchbooks.

"I have learned so much this week," commented Claire Francois, a rising sophomore at Benedictine College. "We started to week with an esquisse for our design project and haven't slowed down since! We learned so much from precedent last week and I have been astounded at how much I have learned from just a few buildings and am now guiding my own design towards these classical examples. Our instructors and T.A.s have been incredible in demonstrating the construction of the classical orders and how they can be the framework for any building. Learning these proportions and then being able to immediately incorporate them in our own designs has been so exciting. We have also had a number of exciting field exercises! My favorite was walking around the ICAA's neighborhood and collecting measured drawings of different moldings and learning about buildings' connections with the ground."

"On my first day of the program, I knew very little about classical architecture," Sijia added. "Yet, within these few weeks, I was able to distinguish the five orders and read with clarity the components that make up the ornateness of classical architecture."

Alongside their work on the elements and field drawing, students were also introduced to the geometric constructions that make up the basis of architectural proportion, as well as the treatises, monographs, and other books that are critical supplements to an architect's education. In addition to utilizing the ICAA's own library collection, students visited the Morgan Library to view 16th century copies of key treatises such as Vignola's Canon of the Five Orders of Architecture, Palladio's Four Books of Architecture, and more.

The week ended with a two-day introduction and field study covering the principles of urban design. "Something this week that has been different from last week is that we learned about urban design and focused more on the big picture of a neighborhood or park than just on one specific facade or monument," said Claire. "Taking on this new perspective was a bit of a challenge for me but I could tell just after a day and a half that I am thinking beyond smaller elements and focusing on how my contributions to architecture will unify with the beauty that surrounds them!"

This study of urban elements is an important part of expanding the students' understanding of the context in which they will construct their final project. As Sijia noted, "On Friday and Saturday, we went on walking tours to locations in New York and measured the pathways, lawns, benches, and fountains. After experiencing the different urban models of Bryant Park, Bethesda Terrace, and Conservatory Garden, we were able to gain ideas of the feelings we wanted in the urban spaces of our pavilions at Prospect Park." In the third week of the program, the students will apply their newfound knowledge from these field studies to their developing designs in the studio.

Special thanks to our 2022 Summer Studio sponsors, Timothy Corrigan and David M. Schwarz Architects.

Tags: Summer Studio, education