embARC is a four week summer design program at UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design that brings together high school students from diverse backgrounds to explore architecture, urban design and sustainable city planning through integrated components: an Architecture + Urban Design Studio, a Sustainable City Planning Workshop, a Digital Design Workshop, an Environmental Design Conversation Series and a Community Build project.
Video: embARC Summer Design Academy
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Explore architecture, urban design and city planning as possible college majors and careers
Hone and develop skills through college-level coursework
Immerse yourself in design studio culture and the college campus experience
Work in a team environment with peers who have similar interests
Build a design portfolio to use when applying to college
Be exposed to actual public policy issues and make a real impact on your world
Earn a certificate of completion and credit on an official UC Berkeley transcript
embARC students work on real design projects in a studio environment, and engage as genuine stakeholders and participants in a process to develop solutions to authentic urban planning questions. The program’s components together provide a comprehensive framework and multi-disciplinary approach to “placemaking.”
Architecture + Urban Design Studio
Instruction in freehand sketching, drafting, model building and digital representation teaches students how to conceptualize and communicate two and three-dimensional design ideas.
Sustainable City Planning Workshop
Students engage as genuine stakeholders and participants in a community change process through site observations, research and the development of an authentic urban planning question.
Community Build Project
True to UC Berkeley’s public mission, embARC incorporates an element of civic responsibility by partnering with a local non-profit organization on a Community Build project. Students work alongside trained shop staff to fabricate infrastructure and experience the give-and-take that is at the heart of the client/designer relationship.
Environmental Design Conversation Series
Presentations and talks by invited professional practitioners and CED-based guest lecturers provide a framework for the ideas and methods that support the theory and practice of environmental design. Students are given the opportunity to engage in the discourses of the discipline in guided discussion groups.
Digital Design Workshop
Building skills in digital representation, this series of focused workshops prepares students for technology-driven college-level design curricula, while also introducing participants to the latest software and digital tools available in the profession.
“It [the Architecture and Urban Design Studio] really taught me how to widen how I thought about things. It showed me very many different aspects of what really goes into architecture design. It also gave me a feel for what it would be like to take studio in college and what that atmosphere is like. Also the GSI’s were always encouraging and would help push students to new levels that way we spent time improving and learning…”
-embARC student
“Working hands-on for a project going toward a good cause was equally educational and rewarding. Because I love how design, specifically architecture, can be used as a medium to positively impact people, the Community Build was definitely one of my most favorite parts of the program.”
-embARC student
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 am | A+D Studio | Environmental Design Conversations | A+D Studio | A+D Studio | Site Visits/Field Work/Social Activities |
| 10 am | |||||
| 11 am | |||||
| 12 pm | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |
| 1 pm | Community Build | Sustainable City Planning Workshop | Digital Design Workshop | Sustainable City Planning Workshop | |
| 2 pm | |||||
| 3 pm | |||||
| 4 pm |
Students who fulfill the course requirements receive 1-5 units of credit on an official UC Berkeley transcript upon course completion. All classes are held at the College of Environmental Design in Wurster Hall on the UC Berkeley campus. Classes meet Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
