Architecture & Design course (Oxford Royale Academy)

Age: 16-18 years old.

Dates, 2026:
In Oxford: 5–18 July, 19 July–1 August, 2–15 August.
In Cambridge: 5–18 July, 19 July–2 August.
In London: 29 June–11 July, 12–25 July.

The course introduces students to the fascinating theme of architecture. The course is suitable for students interested in studying architecture who enjoy drawing and love to explore beautiful historical sites and buildings. For children planning an career as an architect, the course will be the first step towards realizing the dream of designing their own building!

The course provides insights into building a career in architecture, giving students an understanding of what it means to be an architect and how architecture interacts with construction and engineering.

At the end of the course, students:

• Get acquainted with the basic principles of design, planning and spatial arrangement of buildings.
• Understand how basic engineering and construction concepts work.
• Add to their portfolio new architectural drawings of magnificent UK buildings.

Cambridge is a city that combines strikingly beautiful architecture with a bustling modern centre with superb shops, restaurants and cafes. The city is steeped in history and saturated with academic spirit, because there are many colleges at Cambridge University, some of them are almost 800 years old!

Pupils of the Oxford Royale summer courses have a unique opportunity to live and study in this amazing city, explore all its famous sights and unravel its secrets. Thanks to superbly organized trips and a rich evening program of activities, students will get to know all the best that Oxford has to offer.

Children stroll along the cobbled streets, admire the spiers and stone buildings, walk in the footsteps of the most influential figures in history, including prime ministers, presidents, scientists, Nobel laureates and writers.

KEY FACTORS

• Maximum 15 people in class and at workshops.
• A practical study of the famous historic buildings of Cambridge and Britain.
• Through a variety of homework, presentations and practical tasks, students will develop their communication skills (both written and oral), problem solving and analytical thinking.
• Throughout the course, students work on their portfolio for the competition, in team with other students.
• Visiting the Architecture course provides students with an educational experience that they can talk about when they enter university. Thus showing that they are self-motivated and enthusiastic about learning.
• In addition to the specific practical and technical skills that students will learn in this course, they will also receive knowledge and skills that will then be used at school, university and beyond. These are: teamwork, effective communication and spatial thinking.

PROGRAM

The Architecture and Design Summer School at Oxford allows students to bring their design ideas to life at one of the richest artistic and architectural locations in the world. They will apply the core principles of architecture, including planning, design and spatial mapping, as they fast track their future to becoming a world-class architect. Students will also apply their learning in the “City of the Future” design challenge, where they will collaborate on a design team and propose and present architectural solutions for the urban city of 2050.

As part of the Summer School, students immerse themselves in the buildings, colleges, art collections and museums in Oxford, observing ‘case studies’ which illustrate the development of art and architecture in Europe between the Roman and Norman Conquests, to the architecture of the University in the 20th and 21st centuries. They will produce a range of architectural drawings and build their professional portfolio as they practice technical drawing and model construction in both manual and digital formats.

We have the great privilege of being able to offer attendees access to world-leading experts in the field, whose collective years of experience as professors and practising architects and urban planners offer a profound depth of knowledge rarely afforded to pre-university students. Under the aegis of these expert guides, students will: 

• Develop observational and technical drawing and scale modelling skills
• Gain an overview of architectural history from Ancient Greece to the present day, including the latest trend and discourse surrounding our constructed environments
• Explore local buildings and urban environs, treating these as architectural case studies
• Examine the variety of pathways available to early career architects
• Gain an understanding of the level of ambition and commitment that is expected of architecture undergraduates

These are exciting times to become an architect, as global interconnectivity and technological reliance augments, creating a need for design which reflects changing social, commercial, and domestic organisation. To discover how well suited they are to this fast-paced professional environment, students will:

• Work on an industry-grade project, putting theories surrounding the modern built environment as they design their own ‘City of the Future’
• Learn about sustainable design in the context of climate change and other existential risks
• Learn to conduct a site survey, an essential component of any architectural or interior design project
• Benefit from subject-specific sessions on preparing for a future in architecture, as well as general academic enrichment workshops which form part of our extracurricular calendar

During their final week, attendees will get involved in a forward-facing urban design project titled ‘City of the Future’. Pulling together everything they have learned over the course of the programme, this is an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their learning both to peers and tutors at Oxford Royale, and to future admissions faculty and employers as a unique addition to their portfolios.

ACCOMMODATION

Students aged live on the campuses of Cambridge University. Accommodation in single and double rooms. Bathrooms are typically shared by students of the same gender, although private baths are available in some cases. Accommodation is standard accommodation for university students, so course participants will be able to feel the life of a real Cambridge student.

SPORT

Fencing, Zumba, archery, tennis, rounders, football, basketball, softball, cricket, table tennis, cricket, salsa.

ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES

In the evenings, a special team organizes entertainment events: quizzes, watching movies, karaoke and talent shows! During the course, 2 large theme parties take place: one in the middle of the course, the second is a grand graduation evening. Examples of party themes: Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, James Bond, circus and many others.

EXCURSIONS

• Visits to museums that are within walking distance of campuses.
• City tours. One of the best ways to see the city is with a walking tour led by an expert on culture and history. Students will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the sights and history of the city and the university, tours are complemented by funny jokes about the life of Cambridge. In addition to the colleges where students will live, they will also be able to visit other beautiful historical colleges and enjoy their stunning architecture and history.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE OF THE DAY

7:30 - Breakfast

9:00 - Lesson

10:30 - Break

11:00 - Lesson

12:30 - Lunch

13:30 - Lesson / Activities

16:00 - Activities / City tour / Master classes / Lectures of invited teachers

18:00 - Lunch

19:30 - Evening activities

22:30 – Lights out

COST, 2026

In Oxford and Cambridge - £6,995 for 2 weeks.
In London - £6,495 for 2 weeks.

Included in cost

• Teaching
• Accommodation and meals
• All sports, recreational activities and excursions

Extra paid

• Flight
• Visa
• Insurance
• Transfers from and to the airport
• Services of an educational company

WHY OXFORD ROYALE ACADEMY?

The Oxford Royale Academy (Royal Academy of Oxford) is a market leader in high-quality summer programs at Oxford. And these are not just words: many awards received by the Academy confirm the commitment to high standards of education, service and safety.

AWARDS

• Royal Entrepreneurship Award 2019. The Academy received the same award in 2012 and 2016. This is the most prestigious award for businessmen in the UK. The Academy was honoured to receive an award from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The victory in the International Trade category is the result of an ever-increasing number of students from other countries studying at the Academy.
• The British Educational Travel Association (BETA) awarded the Academy an award in the category "Best Educational Project in the Field of Youth Travel" in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015. And in 2017, the Academy won the main award - “The Best Educational Project”. The award is awarded to successful youth, student and educational travel companies. Victory is a clear indicator of the Academy's desire to provide young people with the opportunity to gain an unforgettable learning experience.
• In 2016, the Academy received an award from the Investing in Education magazine in the Export Excellence category. This is an unconditional recognition of the high quality of Oxford Academy's international educational services.

SEVEN REASONS TO CHOOSE OXFORD ROYALE ACADEMY

1. Full immersion in college life. Oxford Royale Academy students’ study, eat, and sleep at Oxford University College — just like university students. This provides an exceptional opportunity to experience the mesmerizing college student life.
2. Accommodation in a 17th-century manor or in the best UK boarding school. Students have the exclusive opportunity to live and study in magnificent historic estates or in superbly equipped schools with better living conditions.
3. Highest award for British businessmen. In 2012, 2016 and 2019, the Academy received the Royal Entrepreneurship Award. This is the highest award that can be awarded to a company in the UK - proof of the uncompromising excellence of studying at the Academy.
4. Highly qualified teaching staff. Oxford Royale Academy students are taught by professors of the highest status, many of whom have studied at Oxford University or currently work there. Teachers are deeply interested in developing students' visions of new perspectives and helping to realize their educational potential.
5. Students from all over the world study at the Academy. Last year, students from 150 countries attended the Academy. Summer school is an exceptional opportunity to make friends from all over the world.
6. A delightful cultural and entertainment program as a complement to learning. Summer educational courses are complemented by a carefully selected schedule of diverse activities. Their goal is to give students the opportunity to have fun and get the most out of their studies at Oxford. The list includes classic Oxford events: boating with a pole and croquet.
7. Visiting attractions. All programs include bus excursions to spectacular sights including Stonehenge, Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace, which is one of the most magnificent buildings in the world.

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT FROM OTHER COMPANIES

• We operate since 1996
• Choose camps with a minimum number of Russian speakers
• We place children only in camps which provides good accommodation
• Conducted a personal inspection of almost all the schools that we offer
• We do not work with the mass segment, only camps for discerning customers
• You can call us 24/7