STUDIO FIRST Project 1: A peek at “delightful” work
Over five weeks, STUDIO FIRST participants work on three separate projects designed to produce portfolio material, develop design thinking, and lay the foundations for architectural studies.
The students currently in the May 13 to June 17 online course have completed Project 1, led by Adjunct Professor Adriana Ross.
They come from a wide variety of academic backgrounds, including business, biology, communications, economics, engineering, history and theory of architecture, interior design, international development, psychology, and more.
"The work they produced was delightful, refreshingly original, and of high quality," says Ross. See examples below.
STUDIO FIRST is accepting applications for the final session of 2025. It takes place online from June 24 to July 29. Apply here.
Student work, May 2025
Each project is designed to produce suitable portfolio material and elucidate a method of architectural practice. Participants receive a “mystery box” of materials and tools to complete each project.
The materials in the boxes are imagined at different scales and within different contexts to catalyze architectural thinking.
Student work, May 2025
"Over the past two weeks, the students embarked on an exploratory journey—a learning path rich with discovery, medium translation, and insightful iterations of their design ideas," says Prof. Ross.
Student work, May 2025
“Through processes of traces and time and revealing and concealing, the mediums were questioned as tools of representation, allowing for deeper exploration of their properties and potentials—not as limitations, but as creative and constructive methods for testing design work,” she explains.
“Students were encouraged to recognize, imagine, and visualize new spatial configurations while building authentic experiential libraries.”
Student work, May 2025
ABOUT STUDIO FIRST
STUDIO FIRST is a full-time five-week studio in architectural design for students with no formal background who want to explore or pursue graduate studies in architecture, urban design, or landscape architecture.
The program allows people from diverse backgrounds to immerse themselves in studio culture and creativity and determine whether architecture is the right path to follow.
STUDIO FIRST helps participants create a competitive portfolio for application to a three-year master of architecture program or any environmental design field.
Students receive a box of art supplies, work on three separate studio projects, attend lectures on architectural theory and practice, learn how to use key digital media tools, participate in workshops on portfolio preparation and graduate school applications, enjoy individual attention and guidance, and receive a certificate of completion.
STUDIO FIRST alumni have been accepted to top schools across North America, Australia, and the UK.
