Seven free online courses for designers and architects. Education Courses in architecture

© photo of the Archikids project

We have selected 7 architectural studios in Moscow, in which children are taught three-dimensional thinking and graphics, introduced to the basics of urban planning and helped to develop spatial imagination.

Children's art school "Start"

Photo from the website of the Children's Art School "Start"

"Start" is one of the oldest and definitely the most famous architectural school in Moscow. Moreover, this is not just a circle, but an entire art school, which has the status of additional education. The school has a free department:

Pre-professional general education program - lasts five years

General education general development program - three and a half years

A comprehensive program at an in-depth level - seven years.

There is a lot of competition and serious entrance exams for the budget department. There is also a paid department where they admit without entrance exams:

Preschool workshop

Optional classes

University preparation classes

School students participate in international competitions, many continue to engage in architecture or design after graduation.

From 5 to 16 years

Free and paid (from 2000 rubles per month)

School of Architectural Development "SHAR"

The work of a student at the Shar school. Photo from the school website.

The SHAR school was included in the list of the ten most interesting children's clubs in Moscow according to Forbes magazine seven years ago. There are classes for children from four years of age and special program for applicants architectural faculties. In "SHAR" there is a school, divided into 10 levels, approximately coinciding with the school classes, and there are master classes and summer schools. Within these levels there are many courses: architectural graphics, spatial modeling and so on.

Classes are held in the buildings of the Moscow Financial and Legal Academy and the Russian International Academy of Tourism. But they are taught by teachers from Moscow Architectural Institute. Admission to the school is based on the results of an interview; you must bring a portfolio with you.

From 4 to 17 years.

21,000 - 25,000 rubles/semester

Children's creative studio of the Union of Moscow Architects

22 workshops of various directions are open every day, seven days a week, from morning to evening, so you can choose the most convenient time. Classes begin in mid-September and continue until the end of May. They are led by practicing architects and teachers from Moscow Architectural Institute. The studio actively participates in festivals and other city events.

From 4.5 to 16 years.

The cost of a monthly subscription is 4,000 rubles.

Children's center at
Museum of Architecture named after. Shchuseva

Opened at the Museum of Architecture child Center with various creative activities. Some courses relate directly to architecture. For example, the course “What an Architect Needs to Know” is intended for children 7–10 years old and their parents. There are courses for older children: the course “Basics of Architectural Photography” is designed for teenagers 12-16 years old. Admission to the course is based on the results of an individual interview, to which you must bring 10-20 of your own photographs.

From 7 to 16 years.

The price for each course is different. “What an architect needs to know” - 2000 rubles for four lessons (child + adult), discounted subscription - 1000 rubles. “Basics of architectural photography” - 6,200 rubles for a course of nine lessons.

Children's club "Horses on the Balcony"

If you, first of all, want to assess your child’s interest and try his hand at architecture, then it is better to choose one of the small, cute studios.

In the children's club "Horses on the Balcony", programs are developed at the intersection of disciplines: architects with animators, actors or performers, physicists, psychologists and even chefs. At the end of each program there is an exhibition and a celebration. Each program consists of six lessons. There are four such programs a year. In 2017, classes begin on September 23.

For children from 3 years old.

From 8,000 rubles for one program of six classes.

Children's architectural studio MOGU (Moscow Association of Genius Students)

The MOGU studio develops a child’s spatial imagination and three-dimensional thinking. The name of the studio is no coincidence - its founders promise to teach children to understand that they can do anything. And even create your own reality. The studio offers courses:

Explorer's Diary (0-6 years)

Architectural animation (10-14 years old)

Urbanist (10-14 years old)

The trend in educational policy now is this: the accessibility of education is inversely proportional to the desire to learn. Universities are closed like street stalls, and state universities skimp on budget places. But if you abstract from the treasured crust and tune in to the wave of active knowledge, then you can still learn. Moreover, learn with interest and at your own pace - without fitting into Procrustean bed schedules, tight deadlines and endless cash costs. So here's the digest alternative ways learn more about architecture, improve your qualifications and even get a specialty.

10.10.2013, 12:55 |

• Education
  • Ilya Filimonov: “We already have enough entertainment, we need to focus on the educational part”
  • 8 non-standard ways get an education in architecture
  • "New Leaders of Territorial Development": Applications for the new academic year close on November 1

1

All about architecture and architects

The architecturecourses.org portal was created by a group of Canadian designers and architects who decided to help students with affordable educational materials. Over time, the project grew into a serious system training courses. They are popular among both established professionals and amateurs.

There is a lot of information on design and architecture collected here. You can delve into the history of architecture and understand the variety of styles, learn to distinguish the subtleties of national architectures, or delve into professional terminology. The Design section features two core courses: elements and principles of design. As a useful bonus, there is a detailed guide for aspiring architects, which reveals the pros and cons of the profession and gives advice on choosing internships. In the “links” section, architecture textbooks are available for free download, albeit in an inconvenient txt format.

For whom:

designed for students, but will be interesting for anyone who wants to expand their knowledge

Fine:

For free

High-quality illustrative material

The site is well structured

Badly:

Mainly textual information, which is occasionally diluted with illustrations. Not enough multimedia

Open education at Moscow Architectural Institute

MARCHI open educational courses have been available to a wide audience since 2009. All programs are divided into three groups according to the criterion of three-stage education: there are courses for applicants, for students and for teachers who improve their qualifications. A certificate is not issued upon completion of the course, but nothing is required from the student. Having selected the course of interest, the student goes to the lectures section, which are available in pdf format. Lectures are accompanied by lists of additional literature, as well as tasks for self-study. The topics of the courses are very specific, no general “architectures in human life.” Particularly interesting are programs devoted to the study of legal issues: intellectual property in architecture, urban planning code.

For whom:

popular with applicants, but will also be interesting for professionals

Fine:

All courses are in Russian

For free

Popular topics

Additional materials

Badly:

No feedback. Many assignments for lectures involve working on an abstract, which, alas, no one can check

3

Lectures from Yale and beyond

The portal academicearth.org is developing with the slogan “Watch, learn, share, discuss.” This is a great example of affordable and quality education, which activates consciousness and gives rise to discussions. Here are video courses covering almost all scientific fields. Lectures are given by professors from the best universities in the world. Architecture is worthily represented by Yale University with a series of lectures on Roman architecture. The architecture section also includes a series of four lectures “God, Caesar and Robin Hood: How the Middle Ages were built.”

For whom:

for anyone who speaks English

Fine:

For free

Convenient search

There are thematic playlists of lectures

Badly:

There are only 2 courses offered in architecture

4

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Architectural Workshop

The Institute offers a lot distance programs, among them several courses on architecture and design fundamentals. Particularly interesting is the course Building in Landscapes, which is devoted to the problem of combining natural landscapes with architectural objects. Video recordings from lectures are posted on the course page, and notes with illustrations are attached to them.

For whom:

The annotations for the courses indicate the expected level of training of the student (student or graduate student). But in reality, anyone can delve into the intricacies of architecture

Fine:

Large selection of programs

The course of lectures can be downloaded in one fell swoop in the archive, or you can watch it online

Badly:

The quality of the video is “YouTube”, but it leaves much to be desired. Layouts that explain the material sometimes fade into a blur due to unclear images

Course in English

University of the Arts LondonSaintMartins

Architectural Drawing Course

You don't have to go to London to master the basics of drawing. The original course, developed by an Icelandic architect, combines online seminars and home self-study. The study lasts two months, and live sessions - these same seminars - take place once a week. Architectural knowledge is acquired in mini-groups of 8-12 people: not a single student will be left unattended. To communicate with the teacher, receive a portion of theoretical information from him, and also discuss your homework, just turn on the webcam. And real geographical distances, which in the case of classical education often block a student’s path to his dream, are not a hindrance here, in an online course. Classes begin on October 17, but there are many applicants, and applications must be submitted in advance.

For whom:

People over 18 years of age who are interested in architecture are invited to attend classes. Special education not required.

Fine:

Dialogue with the teacher

Combination of practice and theory

Badly:

Seminars and assignments for English language, therefore, to participate in the program you will need an IETELS certificate with a score of at least 5 in the speaking and written parts

The pleasure is not the cheapest. For two months of intensive training you will have to pay 425 pounds, that is, approximately 22 thousand rubles

When forming groups, the level of students' preparation is not taken into account. Thus, an inquisitive beginner can be a burden to a more savvy student

6

March to MARCH!

The Moscow School of Architecture offers master's programs with a diploma from the University of London, but the cost of such training is prohibitive for most. But in the summer, MARCH oversees a non-profit project: a round “School” pavilion opens in Muzeon, where meetings with architects are held. This summer, Cornell University students even came and participated in the discussion “The Neighborhood: A View from New York.” According to announcements, the school is open from May 23 to September 20, but for some reason the lecture schedule has not been updated since June.

For whom:

for connoisseurs of quality social spaces and interesting discussions

Fine:

For free

The pavilion is located in the center of city life

Badly:

The MARSH summer school operates rather in an entertaining format

In addition to free lectures in the pavilion in the summer, MARCH enrolls students in special courses (this summer there was a course “Architecture of Light”), but for such pleasure you will have to pay 40 thousand rubles

7

Exploring urban spaces in Strelka

The Strelka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design also has a free summer school, but what is more interesting here is the nine-month program that integrates the cycle of humanities: economics, sociology, politics, architecture and culture. The study of these disciplines, according to the organizers, helps to invent the future. Here they study social spaces, address the problems of urbanism and do research work.

For whom:

for people 25-35 years old with higher education in the field of architecture, media or design, fluent in English (IETELS certificate with a score of at least 6.5 required). The main criterion: the desire to change the world

Fine:

Free, and even a monthly stipend of 980 euros

Saturated syllabus, combining practice and theory

Badly:

It's hard to get in

8

VSSD at MARCHI: changing career guidance

The Higher School of Environmental Design has been operating since 1999. Upon admission, you do not need to pass exams: you need a desire to immerse yourself in the profession and material wealth (each thematic module will cost 33 thousand rubles). An applicant to the School can choose short-term courses(4-8 months) or become a student in a full-fledged two-year program. It all depends on how many topics the student is ready to master. If he decides to become a multidisciplinary designer and chooses the full two years, then after defending his diploma project (by the way, the topic is chosen by the student himself), he will receive an accredited diploma from the Higher School of Art and Design of the Moscow Architectural Institute, which is valued by employers and opens the door to the world of design freelance.

For whom:

The majority of students are people with non-core education. Lawyers, doctors, ballerinas come to VSSD, but there are also architects

Fine:

Students can model the curriculum themselves, choosing thematic modules that interest them

Flexible schedule. You can study at the VSSD both in the morning (from 10 to 13) and in the evening (from 18 to 21). Classes are held 2-3 times a week

Twice a year the School organizes festivals at which the works of not only VSSD students are presented, but also students of other universities and colleges, as well as professional architects

VSSD cooperates with several European universities, so program participants can go on an internship abroad

Atmosphere. Classes are held within the walls of the Moscow Architectural Institute. The space is inspiring. The walls here are flooded with soft sunlight, and the attic windows overlook old Moscow

Badly:

Training is expensive

It is difficult for students to work with specialized programs (AutoCAD, Photoshop, etc.). You will have to learn how to manage them in parallel with the main course.