Posted on August 27, 2026 by Steven Temple
Campers participating in architecture activities.
Over the past summer, Klesse College held its annual Summer Academy in Architecture, an experience designed to help area high school students and prospective transfer students explore their interests in architectural design. The Summer Academy was started in 2013 after it was discovered that freshman students could benefit from more time to explore the discipline and determine where their interests lie.
The Summer Academy is a two-week program that offers an introduction to the educational experiences and career paths of architects and interior designers, with an annual enrollment averaging forty students per year. Taught by faculty of the School of Architecture and Planning, typically with student assistants, the program exposes students to hands-on learning experiences typically encountered in the first year of design school to address the question: “How do designers think? Two days of the program are directed to office visits and experiences with construction managers on actual construction sites, enabling students to get a first-hand view of life as an active practitioner.
Through participation in the Summer Academy, students were able to gain clarity about the education of design professionals by developing an appreciation of the designed environment through exploration of drawing, modeling, and design thinking, creative, and visual thinking skills that utilize observation and communication skills.
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— Steven Temple
