Summer Springboard
Middle School Junior Architect
ON THE CAMPUS OF NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
THIS PROGRAM COMBINES ACADEMIC COURSES, INTERACTIVE LABS, AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO GIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS A SUPPORTIVE, FUN, AND ENRICHING SUMMER EXPERIENCE.
THIS IS A ONE-WEEK PROGRAM WHERE YOU’LL FOCUS ON ONE COURSE FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION.
Middle School Junior Architect
- Learn to observe, sketch, and analyze New York City’s most iconic architectural landmarks.
- Explore how different design styles and historical eras have shaped the city’s skyline.
- Discover sustainable building practices, including green materials and energy-efficient design.
- Use computer-aided design (CAD) tools to bring architectural concepts to life.
- Visit top architecture and engineering firms to see how professionals turn blueprints into reality.
- Gain real-world insight into urban planning, design innovation, and careers in architecture.
Summer Springboard
Middle School Junior Architect
About This Course
Students in the Junior Architect commuter program will be introduced to the dynamic world of architecture through the lens of New York City’s diverse urban landscape, where historic brownstones meet cutting-edge skyscrapers and every neighborhood tells a story. Aspiring architects will explore fundamental design principles, sustainability concepts, and the relationship between architecture, culture, and community.
Armed with sketchbook and pencil, students will venture into the city to observe, draw, and analyze real-world structures while developing a design project of their own. Through hands-on sketching, creative problem-solving, and field-based learning, participants will strengthen their spatial awareness and appreciation for the built environment. This program welcomes students of all skill levels and fosters a collaborative, supportive setting where every student can express their unique architectural vision.
TOPICS YOU'LL EXPLORE
Hands-on Learning
Students explore NYC’s architecture through hands-on sketching, field trips, and design projects. They’ll learn about historic and modern styles, sustainable building, and use CAD tools, all while visiting top firms and gaining real-world insight into architecture and urban design.
RESOURCES
Course Infosheet
Course Infosheet Coming Soon!
Program Catalog
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Campus Page
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“It was great here. Almost everything was perfect and I genuinely feel that I gained something from this. I finally know what I want to do in life and want to work hard for it. “
– Malcolm C. | SSB Alumni Student
Summer Springboard
Middle School Junior Architect
Meet Your Instructor
Emma Sumrow is an architectural designer, researcher, artist, and educator whose work examines the intersections of indigeneity, climate, psychology, boundaries, technology, and policy. Based in New York and originally from Texas, she teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and she also serves as an Instructor at the Hillier College of Architecture and Design at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Sumrow is the recipient of the Charles McKim Prize and the Saul Kaplan Traveling Fellowship. Her work reflects a critical, research-driven, and synthetic approach to design and has been featured in ELLE Décor, with a forthcoming publication in the inaugural edition of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Drawing on her professional experience as an Architectural Designer at Bernard Tschumi Architects, she founded studioSMRW (studio sumrow), a practice focused on interrogating diverse intervention typologies as a framework for scalar experimentation.
Sumrow holds a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University.
EMMA SUMROW
Summer Springboard
Middle School Junior Architect
Dates & Tuition
| 2026 Dates |
|---|
| Session 1: June 22 – June 26, 2026 |
| Session 2: June 29 – July 3, 2026 |
| Session 3: July 6 – July 10, 2026 |
| Session 4: July 13 – July 17, 2026 |
| Session 5: July 20 – July 24, 2026 |
Click here to enroll in this course using our online enrollment form.
| Tuition |
|---|
| Commuter Tuition: $1,798 |
| Course Supplement: $250 |
Tuition Protection Plan: Allows for cancellation for any reason up until the day of the program.
| Location |
|---|
| City: New York City |
| State: New York |
| Campus: NYU |
Summer Springboard programs are not run by our campus partners (with the exception of Cal Poly, UW Foster and NYSID which are run in partnership with SSB). Universities and their affiliated departments and partners do not control and are not responsible or liable in any manner for any part of the Summer Springboard program.