University of Michigan Taubman College

ArcStart
Midwest

ArcStart is a three-week long residential program for high school students that offers students the opportunity to explore the built environment firsthand through an introduction to architectural design. Participants will experience the rewarding intensity of an engaging college architecture studio, partake in skill-building workshops that reinforce analytical and conceptual problem solving skills, and visit architecturally significant projects in Ann Arbor and the immediate region. Over the course of the program, students will witness how a design education prepares students to engage the world around them within the context of a rigorous academic setting at a leading design institution. Students will engage in thought provoking discussions that challenge their understanding of architectural design and push them to think more broadly about space and the built environment. The curriculum is aimed at introducing and enhancing a wide variety of skill sets including hand drawing, model making, diagramming, photography, and sketching. Students will employ a variety of digital and analog tools to aid in the design process of their own projects and will also be introduced to the possibilities of advanced 2D and 3D modeling and printing facilities at the college's advanced Digital Fabrication Lab.

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