Summer Intensive in Classical Architecture
Program Dates: July 13-26, 2025
Join the Waitlist for Summer 2025
The Summer 2025 intensive is at capacity. A waitlist is available if you wish to register and be added to it. If you have any questions, or if you are interested in the upcoming Summer 2026 intensive, please contact us.
The Benedictine College Architecture Program is excited to offer an Intensive in Classical Architecture for a range of young adults: from current and graduating high school students to students who may have completed a year of college and are discerning the architecture major. Under the personal instruction of architecture department faculty and current majors, students will have the opportunity to experience the energy of a program that studies the ‘languages’ of timeless expressions of architecture that provide the paradigmatic forms of reading the greatest buildings of the past and present. Students will observe the time-honored intersection of architecture and the Transcendentals (such as Truth, Goodness, and Beauty) in a rigorous program that aims to open their eyes and minds to the future challenges of architecture school.
Highlights
- Discover the Benedictine College experience by living in the residence halls, praying at the abbey, and enjoying an on-campus dining experience
- Learn from Benedictine College faculty, alumni and current architecture students
- Explore the beauty and history of the campus, the common grounds of St. Benedict’s Abbey, and the city of Atchison
- Develop your portfolio by designing and rendering an aedicule or facade and pavilion
- Immerse yourself in a traditional classical architecture studio to learn timeless skills like:
- hand-drafting
- field sketching
- composition
- proportion and precedent study
- intro to architectural theory and history
- Join professional architects for a final review followed by a luncheon with family
Registration Requirements
The program is limited to 18 total participants. We welcome registrations from rising sophomore, junior, senior and recently-graduated high school students of any nationality or background. With your registration, please submit:
- A personal statement (~500 words).
- Verification of completion of the freshman (9th grade) level of high school. Requested for grade level verification only. There is no minimum GPA, nor is there a portfolio requirement.
Deposit: A $250 deposit is required at the time of registration. If you opt to pay only the deposit, the remainder of the program cost is due by 10:00 p.m. Central Time on June 9, 2025.
Cancellations: If we cancel the program, all payments, including the deposit, will be refunded. If you elect to cancel after the deadline of June 9, 2025, all but the $250 deposit will be refunded.
Acceptance: Participants will be notified of their acceptance status within two weeks of receipt of complete application and payment in full. If all positions in the program are filled, we will accept applicants on a waiting list.
Additional Information
Accommodations: Participants will stay in on-campus residence halls, separated for men and women according to campus policy; double occupancy is standard.
Transportation: Participants are responsible for transportation to and from Benedictine College. 5 Guys Transportation is a shuttle option for participants traveling to and from Kansas City International Airport.
Time Commitment: The word “intensive” in the title of the program means that the days will be long! There will be scheduled leisure activities but for the most part this program provides the high school student, to the extent possible, an experience that closely approximates that of the typical undergraduate architecture degree program.
Faith: Participants will be encouraged to participate in regular liturgies, including Mass and Vespers, at St. Benedict’s Abbey
Physical Activity Rating: Slightly strenuous; requires sitting on stools/chairs and standing at drafting tables for considerable periods of time; requires extended walking over uneven ground as well as the ability to climb stairs.