CIEE HS Summer Abroad: Architecture & Culture in Europe

Dive into two of Europe’s most iconic cities and trace the evolution of Western architecture and European modernity. In Rome, explore ancient innovations, Renaissance balance, and Baroque flair. Then, head to Paris to study Gothic cathedrals, modernist landmarks, and the transformation from winding medieval alleys to Haussmann’s grand boulevards. In each city, you’ll build design knowledge, sketch on-site, and learn how buildings reflect culture and identity.

Compare architectural styles shaped by major cultural shifts, explore civic spaces and streetscapes, and develop the ability to see cities through the eyes of a designer. You’ll create a sketch portfolio, reflect in your journal, and develop a final project complete with visual concepts and a written artist statement to present to peers and invited local professionals.

You'll wind your way through Western Europe, taking a day trip to Florence for Renaissance palaces and piazzas and wandering Versailles’ gilded halls and extravagant gardens. Come home with a sketchbook full of ideas, a new crew of friends, and the confidence to see the world like a designer.