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Accommodations

More details about accommodations: Out-of-town students have the option to stay on-campus in a student residence. If they are under 18, they must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. Accommodation is not included in the tuition fee.

Are meals provided? Yes

Is Imagine Architecture technology free? Students are introduced to digital design programs.

Property Details

Landscape

More details about property: Building 22 at Carleton University is much more than a fine example of the late-1960s Brutalist architecture. The Architecture Building contains dynamic spatial relationships that display a clear commitment to the exchange of ideas, vitality of community, and democratic ideals. As a purpose-built architecture school, it acts both as a pedagogical tool and a model environment for creative learning.

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In the News

May 8, 2023
Imagine Architecture: Register now for Summer 2023!
Imagine Architecture is a career exploratory studio for grade 10-12 students who are interested in design, architecture, and urbanism.... Read More

July 18, 2022
Last Chance to Register for imagine Architecture LAB 101-Online
LAB 101 ONLINE -July 25-29. Emphasis on human scale, multi-media drawing techniques, architectural conventions, and some physical modeling.... Read More

July 12, 2022
Last chance to register for Imagine Architecture - LAB 103
LAB 103 On-Campus - July 18-22. Emphasis on diagrams and abstract architectural thinking, urban space, and portfolio preparation workshops.... Read More

Stories

• Meet the 2023 Imagine Architecture Team!

   

  Johan Voordouw
  Faculty Advisor
  Associate Professor Johan Voordouw teaches at the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism and serves as the Associate Director, Undergraduate. He is a registered architect in the UK. Before his appointment at Carleton University, Johan taught at the Leicester School of Architecture and London Southbank University in England. He has worked in professional practice in London, most notably at Foster + Partners, and in Canada and the Netherlands. His visual work has been extensively published and exhibited in Canada, the United States, England, Austria, and the Netherlands. Venues include the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna, the International Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam, the Royal Academy Summer Show London, and the Venice Architecture Biennale.

  Stephanie Murray
  Coordinator and Instructor
  Stephanie Murray holds a post-professional Master of Architectural Studies and a professional Master of Architecture degree, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After finishing her degree in Fine Arts, she moved to Whitehorse, Yukon, where she worked for Northern Front Studio and Kobayashi + Zedda Architects, while continuing her art practice. She has exhibited her independent artwork across Canada, as well as overseas in Australia and Iceland. She has also led digital and analog projects at two research labs associated with the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism: the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) and the Carleton Sensory and Liminal Technologies Lab (CSALT). Her research interests are grounded in the effects of representational conventions on material and spatial imaginations in the construction of social and political narratives. She will start doctoral studies this fall at Concordia University.  

  Harrison Lane
  Instructor
  Harrison Lane is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture at Carleton University, having previously earned a Bachelor of Architectural Studies from Laurentian University and a Diploma in Cabinetmaking from Algonquin College. Harrison is interested in making things, material science, and philosophy. He also explores the influences of furniture on spaces and how we interact with furnishings, especially in relation to unconventional modes of living.

  Connor Tamborro
  Instructor
  Connor Tamborro obtained his Master of Architecture degree at Carleton University in 2023. He is preparing to become an intern architect as he begins his career in practice and design education. During the transition from undergraduate studies to the master’s program, Connor worked for two years with a+Link Architecture in London, ON, where he worked on many new projects in the schematic and design development stages.

  Jack Dawson
  Studio Assistant
  Jack Dawson is pursuing a Bachelor of Architectural Studies in the design stream offered at Carleton University. He is interested in brutalist architecture and how modern parametric designs can transform dated utilitarian forms. His appreciation of the built world and interest in the ever-evolving technology and software that architects have at their fingertips made him choose architecture. He participated in Imagine Architecture when he was in high school.

• Meet the Imagine Architecture 2022 Team

   

  Johan Voordouw
  Faculty Advisor
  Associate Professor Johan Voordouw teaches at the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism and serves as the Associate Director, Undergraduate. He is a registered architect in the UK. Before his appointment at Carleton University, Johan taught at the Leicester School of Architecture and London Southbank University in England. He has worked in professional practice in London, most notably at Foster + Partners, and in Canada and the Netherlands. His visual work has been extensively published and exhibited in Canada, the United States, England, Austria, and the Netherlands. Venues include the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna, the International Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam, the Royal Academy Summer Show London, and the Venice Architecture Biennale.

  Stephanie Murray
  Coordinator and Instructor

  Stephanie Murray is currently pursuing a Master of Architectural Studies and holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a professional Master of Architecture degree. After finishing her degree in Fine Arts, she moved to Whitehorse, Yukon, where she worked for Northern Front Studio and Kobayashi + Zedda Architects, while continuing her art practice. Her current research interests are grounded in representations of site that generate identity and spatial narratives. Her work probes at the thresholds of ethical imaginaries through acts of making while looking at questions of authorship, inherited practices, and more than human actors. Stephanie has also led digital and analog projects at two research labs associated with the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism: the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) and the Carleton Sensory and Liminal Technologies Lab (CSALT). 

  Yana Kigel
  Instructor

  Yana Kigel is a Master of Architecture candidate at Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Architectural Studies graduate from the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism, majoring in design. Her thesis explores architecture as a tool for connecting wildlife with humans via a suburban neighbourhood expansion through an addition of a nature-oriented retirement community. She is currently working as a research assistant at the Carleton Immersive Media Studios focusing on projects that aim to re-imagine digital assets and processes produced from digitization into a storytelling narrative. 

  Petros Kapetanakis
  Instructor

  Petros Kapetanakis is a Master of Architecture candidate at Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Architectural Studies graduate from the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism, majoring in design. Their thesis explores architectural representation through storytelling, particularly through the mediums of digital and physical drawing, modeling, and virtual reality. Currently, a research assistant at the Carleton Immersive Media Studio with work focused within the Digitally Assisted Storytelling stream, Petros has partaken in multiple unique projects which require the extensive use of game engines and digital modeling.

• Save your spot for 2021!

  Imagine Architecture brings together high school students from diverse backgrounds to explore architecture and design in the creative atmosphere of the online design studio.

  LAB 101 offer participants an opportunity to learn multi-media drawing techniques, physical modeling, and architectural conventions. LAB 101 focuses on digital representation with Rhino 3D, Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign, including a workshop on portfolio layouts. LAB 103 emphasizes diagrams and abstract architectural thinking, urban space, and portfolio preparation workshops.

  For those who want to explore a range of media and scales, Labs 101, 102, and 103 are designed as a sequence, to build skills and confidence, prepare students for application to undergraduate programs in architecture, and generate portfolio material.

  For those who prefer to take only one LAB, each is designed independently and requires no previous training.

  You can register for any one of them or you can register for all courses without repeating projects. Projects will allow the maximum exposure to creative design skills that will be helpful in creating a design portfolio.

  Comments from 2020 participants:

  I learned so much and had a better time than expected! 

  I am so glad I took this course because what I initially thought schools would want as a portfolio is not actually what they are looking for.

  I took this course to get a feel for what architectural school would be like. I loved the course, so I am now considering applying to architectural schools for my post-secondary education.

  Each class is limited to 36 participants. Register now to avoid disappointment.

  More: https://architecture.carleton.ca/non-degree-programs/imagine-architecture

   

• Meet the Imagine Architecture 2020 Team

  2020 CURRICULUM DIRECTOR

  ZACHARY COLBERT

  Zach Colbert is an assistant professor at the Carleton University Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism. He is an award-winning architect and a licensed practitioner in Ontario, New York, and Arizona. Zach is a member of the Ontario Association of Architects, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the American Institute of Architects, the Ottawa Regional Society of Architects, and the Urban Land Institute (Toronto Chapter). He was previously on faculty at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, and the Parsons New School for Design School of Constructed Environments. His work has been published in magazines, including Art Forum, Architect, and Architectural Record, and showcased in galleries and museums in New York City, Los Angeles, Dubai, Santiago de Chile, Rotterdam, Ottawa, and Beijing. Before practicing independently, he worked for SHoP Architects and Bernard Tschumi Architects in New York City. His externally funded research program at Carleton University focuses on using architectural thinking to productively engage intersections of politics and infrastructure within a changing climate.

  Zach’s professional practice, Zachary Colbert Architects Limited, is a full-service architectural firm dedicated to design research and creative architectural practice. Operating in the realms of architecture, urbanism, and landscape, the firm has built projects for institutional and private clients alongside a portfolio of speculative projects that critically engage infrastructure, nature, and politics.

  INSTRUCTORS

  CONNOR O’GRADY

  Connor O’Grady is a registered intern architect with the Ontario Association of Architects. Connor has almost 10 years of experience working at leading firms in Toronto, New York, and Edmonton. He has worked on all phases of design and construction on a large range of building types, including ecclesiastical, light industrial, multi-unit residential, commercial office, and single-family homes. He has also garnered substantial urban design experience in the form of urban masterplans, residential subdivision layout, development of municipal built form guideline documents, transit-oriented development, and land-use/built-form portions of environmental impact assessments for aviation infrastructure expansion.

   

   

  LIANE LANZAR

  Liane Lanzar is completing a Master of Architecture candidate at Carleton University. She has a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Manitoba. By contributing to the design and organization of events and publications at the architecture school, she developed a keen interest in the graphic representation and communication of architecture. Liane went on to receive first prize in the 2015 Manitoba Book Awards for her work with the student publication, Warehouse Journal 23. She also placed second in the 2013 International Student Video Competition at the Urban Architecture Bi-City Biennale in Shenzhen, China. Liane currently works with the Azrieli School’s communications team and has been the editor of the school’s annual student publication, Building 22, for the past two editions.

  SHELBY HAGERMAN

  Shelby Hagerman is a Master of Architecture candidate at Carleton University, where she also completed her Bachelor of Architectural Studies.  Shelby fell in love with architecture and design when she was in high school, planning and painting sets for theatre productions.  She participated among three of her peers in the OAA Shift 2019 Infrastructure Architecture Challenge with Professor Zachary Colbert and Antonio Gioventu. Their project entitled Urban Energy Shift won the competition, envisioning new methods to generate renewable energy in high-rise multi-family unit dwellings. She continues to conduct research on this project with Professor Colbert, also embracing multi-disciplinary collaboration.  Shelby has also worked at the Parliamentary Protective Service, Indigenous Services Canada, and GRC Architects in Ottawa.

  MAYA JARRAH

  Maya Jarrah has recently completed her Master of Architecture degree at Carleton University. Her thesis, Against Gravity: An Exploration in Post-Conflict Aleppo, explored ways in which designers could instrumentalize architecture as a tool to bring back joy and lightness to a post-war context, contributing to the re-emergence of the social and urban fabric of the city. Maya has an undergraduate degree in Interior Architecture from Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences in Germany. She worked at one of Germany’s leading architecture and design firms, where she contributed to multiple phases of local and international projects like the new stock exchange building in Tehran and a residential-commercial ensemble in Frankfurt.

   

  ABBI BELLIVEAU

  Abbi Belliveau is currently entering her second year in the Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Design Stream program at Carleton University. She is also studying for a minor in History and Theory of Architecture at Carleton. Throughout high school, Abbi always had a love for the arts, completing her AP Studio Portfolio in May 2019. She kept her love for painting and developed an interest in videography through her first-year projects. Abbi is the Vice President of the Azrieli Architecture Student Association and is heavily involved in organizing and planning events for the student body. She will also be a teaching assistant to Professor Roger Connah in August 2020 for a one-week workshop on digital medium exploration for incoming first-year students.

   

   

• PREPARING YOUR PORTFOLIO

  If you want to get into architecture school or any other university or college design program, you will need a strong portfolio. 

  "Your portfolio is the tool you should have as a creative individual to present yourself and your work to architecture schools, and in the future, to your potential employers," says Imagine Architecture instructor Maya Jarrah. "The purpose of the portfolio is not only to show that you can use a certain software, but most importantly to represent your creative process, how you see the world, think critically and how you interpret your ideas."

  Imagine Architecture LABs 101, 102, and 103 will help participants generate portfolio material by teaching creative design skills and providing guidance.

  "The Imagine Architecture LABs aim to teach you ways of preparing a portfolio, by explaining what work you should show, how to curate your work, and by showing examples of successful portfolios," says Jarrah.

  For those who want to explore a range of media and scales, LABs 101, 102 and 103 are designed as a sequence, to build skills and confidence, and to prepare students for application to undergraduate programs in architecture. For those who prefer to take only one LAB, each is designed independently, and requires no previous training.

  "As someone who was excited yet overwhelmed by the creation of a portfolio application to the Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) at Carleton, I am certain that I would have appreciated the insights that the Imagine Architecture Program provides on the process," says Shelby Hagerman, part of the Imagine Architecture teaching team.

  "We will review the portfolio and other application requirements for the program as well as successful portfolio submissions," says Hagerman. "However, what is most important and valuable about Imagine Architecture LABs are the hands-on design exercises that aim to engage and spark the kinds of thoughtful drawings and models that portfolio reviewers search for." 

   

• YOUR TIME TO SHINE

  Imagine Architecture is an online program for teens interested in design, architecture, and building a portfolio. There’s still time to register for any of the three one-week LABs in July. Want to know what to expect? Read the messages below from members of the teaching team.
  
  FEEL CONFIDENT
  Looking for a little clarity? Everyone deserves to feel confident about their career choice.
  

  Prof. Zachary Colbert, 2020 Curriculum Director
  
  Choosing a career in architecture is a big decision that will have impacts lasting for many years. Imagine Architecture participants will discover if architecture is the right fit while simultaneously generating materials suitable for use in their applications to undergraduate architecture programs. Exploring architectural working methods and abstract thinking is fun and intellectually stimulating. Students will leave the program feeling empowered with new skills and confidence in their decision to pursue architectural studies.
  
  YOUR TIME TO SHINE
  Think creatively, solve problems, and shine like the star you are.
  

  Maya Jarrah, Instructor

  Many students who participated in the Imagine Architecture LABs last summer, came with the misconception that they should be able to draw perfectly to enjoy the program, or to succeed in architecture. Imagine Architecture, being an exploratory program, made them realize that drawing is not the only skill they need to become future architects. If you are a creative thinker, a problem solver, like to play with materials, forms, and lines – whether digitally or manually, and willing to work hard, you will likely be a successful designer or architect.
  
  EXPRESS YOURSELF
  Convey your ideas and connect with the group.

  
  Liane Lanzar, Instructor

  Imagine Architecture provides an opportunity for students to express their ideas and develop their understanding of architecture. They will start to examine, analyze, and challenge the built environment. The program creates content for an architecture application portfolio and teaches students the tools and skills to represent their creative ideas while continually questioning the world around them. 

  Teaching an online studio has been an inspiring experience. The instructors have been amazed at how well the students have responded to the online platform. We’ve been able to recreate an environment for large lecture presentations, small group discussions, and individual conversations with the students all within an afternoon studio session. With the studio work at our fingertips, we can comment, leave examples, and even draw beside students’ work. 

  Being able to interact with students every day has been an exciting aspect of the course. As projects develop, students have started to engage each other about their work and share techniques and ideas with the group.
  
  CURIOUS & CREATIVE
  Qualities we love. Did we mention fun?
  

  Shelby Hagerman, Instructor

  This will be my first time as an instructor in the Imagine Architecture program, and I am incredibly proud and excited to share my knowledge and passion for design with you. We are committed to fostering a sense of community within the group and will strive to get to know you and how best to support your goals.  Throughout each LAB, we will nurture your creativity while developing your skillset and creative design thinking.  We will exchange ideas, share insights, and constructive feedback. Whether you are looking to build your portfolio, sharpen your drawing and modeling skills, try digital programs, or are simply wondering what architecture school is like (or all of the above), Imagine Architecture is the program for you. Join us, with your curiosity and open mind… let’s have fun and learn together at home! 
  
  CHANGE the WORLD
  Positively influence the places people carry out their lives.
  

  Connor O’Grady, Instructor

  As someone who came to architecture without participating in a program such as Imagine Architecture, I see tremendous value in the orientation it can provide before completing design portfolios and university applications. I am excited to be part of the team that will introduce you to some of the many elements explored in architecture school.
  
  Personally, this goes beyond the essential technical skills we will teach and wades into the realm of expanding our architectural imagination. This program — and architecture school beyond — is a place to be creative and to challenge the preconceived notions of what architecture means, and what architecture can be. Together, we will work to teach you the foundations of architectural design while striving to empower your own creative voice within such an environment.

  Several years ago, a friend gave me a mug that asks, “What if Architecture can Change the World?” For me, it is a call to find ways to positively influence the places that we all carry out our lives and a personal guide for teaching and practice. Let’s have fun, make a mess, and get inspired!
  
  For more information:
  Website: https://carleton.ca/architecture/programs/imagine-architecture/
  Email: [email protected]

• TAPPING CREATIVITY AT HOME

   

  Working from home is an excellent opportunity for students to immerse themselves in their surroundings. Facing a new reality, how do we observe and interpret the world around us? Although we are living in a socially-distanced world, working in the space you have can be a creative opportunity.

  Students should set-up a studio spot at home to have a designated work area. Provide space to spread out, but also stay organized. The workspace can get messy quickly, so we want to be sure to put tools away properly and manage the space well. 

  Supplies to work with throughout the course can be purchased online as well as scavenged throughout the house. An assortment of material is encouraged. 

  Shopping list: sketchbooks, large and small, basswood sticks, glue stick or glue, felt-tip pens, Prismacolor pencils or oil pastels, drafting kit.

  Scavenger list: Twine, thread, wire, string, Small wood blocks, Ephemera (sheet music, book pages, newspaper bits, pieces of packaging), cardboard, small objects (machine pieces, figures, spools), measuring tape, scissors, etc.

   

• WELCOME TO THE VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO: Projects, Pin-Ups, and Peers

   

  Here's a peek at Imagine Architecture online, where you will experience the culture of design studio and get a feel for architecture school. The  program's expert and empathetic instructors will expand your knowledge and skills, get you started on a portfolio, and guide you in exploring architecture as a potential field of study.

  Instructors will use accessible digital platforms such as Zoom and Conceptboard, to create a virtual studio space in which students can interact, share their work, and receive one-on-one instruction.

  Online Schedule - LAB 101 and LAB 103
  Every morning will start with a presentation to introduce the day’s exercises. Students will then have studio hours to work, while the zoom room remains open for questions and advice for the group. The studio setting is an opportunity to show one’s work and learn from each other.

  In the afternoon, a new activity typically builds off of the morning exercise but challenges the students to apply it to another drawing, model, or context. Students will be working on their projects while still connected to the class.

  Once the projects start to develop, small group discussions will take place in another room. Students have the opportunity to share their ideas on how their projects are developing and get feedback from the group.

  Studio pin-ups will take place on Conceptboard. Here, students will share their screens, and peers will be able to give feedback. At the end of each week, an online exhibition will be available to share the work with everyone, including friends and family. 

  Digital program - LAB 102
  Each day will focus on understanding a variety of software used in architectural design. You will learn how to construct 2D architectural drawings and basic geometric models with Rhino 3D. You will also learn proper workflow to move work between drafting, illustration, and image modification programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Finally, you will use InDesign to construct portfolio pages in a professional way. Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign) software will be provided free of charge. Students will be able to download a trial version of Rhino 3D for free.

   

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