Architecture Career Discovery Course: Self-Paced
In this 2-lessons-per-week self-paced Architecture course with a friendly university professor, students curious about becoming an architect will get a taste of what architecture school and a career in architecture is like.
Amber D Nelson
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(65)
What's included
14 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentHomework
4+ hours per week. Students will be expected to complete work related to the topic and skill learned in the week and submit it to the classroom for review by Amber and sharing with classmates for group learning. Assignments are all visual representations of their design, and may take as little as 1 hour, but could take several evenings if the student is inspired to "run with it." Architecture is a great alternative to TV and social media. ;) PLEASE NOTE: this class is simulating a college-level course, so it is best for mature learners who can handle complex instructions, and are able to time-manage homework assignments. If a learner falls behind, the provided videos and slideshows will help them catch up. I'm also available and I encourage questions to be posted publicly for the enrichment of all learners. Additionally, class interaction between teacher-learner and learner-learner is expected and very important.Assessment
Feedback on assignments is done weekly. There is a mid-review and final review in which the learner will submit a recorded video presentation. Progress is measured simply by submitting the homework for review and putting effort into it. It is easy to know when a student has rushed through their designs as opposed to carefully composed them. Personal satisfaction of the learner's work is also directly related to the amount of effort put in. Please message Amber before class begins if this class is to be counted as credit. She is happy to work with your grading rubric and provide assessment appropriate for your learner's school system.Grading
Overall letter grade offered upon request at the beginning of the course.Class Experience
US Grade 7 - 10
Beginner - Intermediate Level
In this course, learners discover what architecture school is REALLY like. This flexible schedule format will be ideal for learners who have a changing schedule or live outside of the timezone the other formats are offered. Amber will still give individualized attention and feedback on work, so that the quality of learning remains high. No prior knowledge of architecture or drawing needed. Prefer Live Online Classes? See my profile for other classes I offer! 🏡Class Structure🏡 As a Self-Paced Course, learners will not meet at defined times with Amber. New material is delivered via pre-recorded videos sent 2 times a week for 8 weeks. Learners will complete assignments on a Google Slide file that is shared with Amber, who checks it and gives feedback on their design project. At the half-way point (mid-review) and last meeting (final review), learners are expected to use of the Outschool recording feature to record their voice and a short slideshow presentation showcasing the work completed so far.
Learning Goals
🌇Goals of the class🌇
•To simulate an architecture "studio" class in college.
•To get a taste of what an architect does in his/her career.
•To learn the basic tools that architects use during school and to do their job.
•To acquire skills on how to take an idea out of your head and into the real world to solve a problem!
•To have fun while learning some critical tips about time management (just in time for college).
Please see above in the "Class Experience" section for topics and skills students will learn each week.
Syllabus
8 Units
14 Lessons
over 8 WeeksUnit 1: The Design Process Step 1: Site study
Lesson 1:
Introduction & Sketching
TOPIC: Introduction to this course and architecture as a profession. Site study.
SKILL: sketching the world around us Lesson 2:
Site Conditions & Program
Unit 2: The Design Process Step 2: Program + Precedent Study
Lesson 3:
Sacred Places & Precedents
TOPIC: Beloved childhood places, precedent study
SKILL: sketching our memories Unit 3: The Design Process Step 3: Conceptual Design
Lesson 4:
Diagrams & Scale
TOPIC: Solving problems with design, conceptual design
SKILL: diagrams and program Other Details
Parental Guidance
I've designed this class to be a simulation of a real-life, client-architect situation, in which the family will serve as clients (the encouraging, supportive kind). Additionally, we'll need different supplies throughout the course, so it will be helpful if you are checking in regularly to the posts to see what materials you will need for the next class.
Supply List
A comprehensive materials list is posted with the other class resources (or by navigating to https://cutt.ly/Architecture_Discovery_Materials_Flex ). Assuming that many of the supplies you will already have at home, the rest should cost around $45-60 and are available at any craft store or online at Amazon. In the above link, there are Amazon links to each material.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined April, 2020
4.9
65reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from University of California - Berkeley
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Columbia University in the City of New York
When I was 16, I took a similar architecture career discovery course that cemented my conviction to study architecture. Now I'd like to return the favor! During my architectural studies at Columbia University and UC Berkeley, as well as afterwards, I was fortunate to teach many design courses, ranging from visual representation, construction, and environmental design, to sacred landscapes and design studios. I have also taught over 7 courses online.Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$20
weekly14 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 178 learners
Ages: 11-18
