Portfolio-Ready Design Project
What's included
A design portfolio piece produced under the mentorship of practising architects that you can take directly into any architecture school application.
What is the architecture lab
Architects shape how people feel, how they move, and how they live. The buildings and spaces around you like the school you sit in, the streets you walk, the home you come back to, were all designed by someone who made thousands of decisions before a single brick was laid.
That's what this program is about. Learning to make those decisions.
Over 12 weeks, 30 high schoolers are selected to join this competitive lab led by architects from Studio BuildByThought, trained at the Manchester School of Architecture. You will design a real building against a real brief, talk to the people your building is for, develop your ideas, and produce drawings, models, and presentation boards that go straight into your architecture school portfolio.
Why this lab
There are plenty of ways to learn about architecture. Very few give you the chance to actually learn by doing.
This lab puts you through the same process a practising architect goes through on every project, from brief to concept to drawings to defence. You work through real briefs, get critiqued by practicing architects, and leave with work that reflects genuine design thinking.
Unlike a workshop or a course, this lab is designed to give you the experience of working at an architecture studio.
what you leave with
Hands-On Design Practice
What's included
Real studio workflows such as sketching, modelling, drawing, and presenting, so you learn how architects actually work.
Your Personal Studio Archive
What's included
A documented archive of your process: research, iterations, critiques, and final boards that show how your thinking evolved across the lab.
Recognition & Recommendation
What's included
A certificate of completion and a mentor recommendation letter from Studio BuildByThought for your applications.
Who this is for
High school students in Grades 8–12, anywhere in the world.
Students who want to study architecture and want to find out what it actually demands.
Students building a portfolio for architecture or design school applications.
[04]phases
Program Structure
PHASE 1
Weeks 1-4Foundation & Discovery
This phase introduces students to the way architects think before they design. Through sketching, observation, interviews, and research, students begin understanding people, space, and atmosphere as the foundation of architecture.
Includes
- Sketchbook thinking
- Spatial observation
- User interviews
- Empathy mapping
- Research & reflection
Deliverables
Sketches, written reflections, user personas, and problem statements.
PHASE 2
Weeks 5-8Read & Conceptualise
Students learn how to analyse a real site through climate, culture, movement, and context, then begin transforming their research into architectural ideas, concepts, and spatial directions.
Includes
- Site analysis
- Mapping & contextual research
- Concept sketches
- Design direction
- Spatial storytelling
Deliverables
Site reports, precedent studies, diagrams, concept sketches, and design narratives.
PHASE 3
Weeks 9-12Design & Defend
Ideas evolve into fully developed architectural proposals through drawings, model-making, visualisation, and final presentation preparation. Students conclude the studio by presenting and defending their work before practising architects.
Includes
- Plans & sections
- Physical model-making
- Drawing development
- Presentation boards
- Final jury & critique
Deliverables
Final architectural proposal, study models, presentation boards, drawing sets, and studio portfolio.
lab deliverables
Every architecture project starts with a brief that focuses on a real problem, a real user, and a set of constraints that push you to think.
In this lab, your brief is your project for ten weeks. You will read it, question it, visit the site it lives on, talk to the people it is designed for, and slowly turn it into a building. By the end, every decision you have made, every wall, every window, every material has a reason behind it.
Every brief is set in a city chosen by the team. One team member's home city becomes the site, making every project genuinely local and every portfolio piece completely unique.
Sample Briefs
01
THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN
A community kitchen designed for a neighbourhood that has none.
This brief explores how architecture can create gathering, dignity, and shared space through food and community interaction.
Students will learn how thoughtful design can strengthen social bonds and turn everyday routines into meaningful community experiences.
Your lab leads.
About Studio BuildByThought
Founded in 2021, Studio BuildByThought is a design-led practice working across architecture, urban design, interiors, and furniture.
Their work is rooted in the belief that spaces are not just buildings, they are stories, experiences, and atmospheres that shape how people live.
Together Rishit and Rajvi bring a global perspective and a shared commitment to design that is both deeply considered and deeply human.
[05]Global reach
Our Student Community
Our students come from schools across six continents. When you join the lab, you are designing alongside students who see the world differently from you and that perspective will show up in your designs.
Akshara International
Heritage International School
Pathways World School
Thomas Jefferson high School
CNS Pune
Kodaikanal International School
Riverside Academy - Qatar
Woodstock School
Gems Modern Academy - Abu Dhabi
Oakridge International
The Doon School
Akshara International
Heritage International School
Pathways World School
Thomas Jefferson high School
CNS Pune
Kodaikanal International School
Riverside Academy - Qatar
Woodstock School
Gems Modern Academy - Abu Dhabi
Oakridge International
The Doon School
Bishops School Pune
International Academy
Prudence School
Vidyagyan School
Future Kids School Hyderabad
MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul
Stonehill International School
Billabong High International
Indus Pune
Pine View School
Vidya Valley School
Bishops School Pune
International Academy
Prudence School
Vidyagyan School
Future Kids School Hyderabad
MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul
Stonehill International School
Billabong High International
Indus Pune
Pine View School
Vidya Valley School
Enko International Schools
Mahindra United World College
Shri Ram School
BD Somani
Indus Bangalore
Pestalozzi Education Center
TISB
Cygnus World School
Mahindra International School
San Mateo High School
Enko International Schools
Mahindra United World College
Shri Ram School
BD Somani
Indus Bangalore
Pestalozzi Education Center
TISB
Cygnus World School
Mahindra International School
San Mateo High School
[05]Outcomes
BuildUp student admits
Our students progress to globally respected universities through deliverable-focused, world-class projects, rigorous mentorship, and unique profiles.
Brown University
King’s College London
NYU
University of Oxford
Carnegie Mellon University
London Business School
UC Berkeley
University of Warwick
Brown University
King’s College London
NYU
University of Oxford
Carnegie Mellon University
London Business School
UC Berkeley
University of Warwick
Duke University
LSE
UCLA
USC
Harvard University
NUS
University College London
Duke University
LSE
UCLA
USC
Harvard University
NUS
University College London
[06]Apply Now
July 2026 cohort
Program starts July 1
Start your application.
The Architecture Lab is a selective program with a small cohort of 30 students and dedicated mentorship from Studio BuildByThought throughout. If you want to spend 12 weeks doing real design work that builds your architecture school portfolio, apply below.
- Program starts
- July 1
- Tuition
- USD 2,250
- Cohort
- 30 students
- Duration
- 12 weeks
Apply Now
Rolling admissions. 30 seats per cohort. Selection based on application and a short interview.
[07]Before You Ask
FAQ's
Still have a question?
Questions about the lab or your application? Get in touch with BuildUp.
Email us+91 77589 61835Privacy PolicyTerms & Conditions
Not necessarily. Many students join the lab curious about the different fields of design, architecture being one of them but unsure if it is the right path. The program is designed to give you a real sense of what this industry demands, so you leave knowing whether it is for you or not.
No. The lab starts from scratch. Phase 1 builds the foundations every student needs before any design work begins.
The lab is open to students in Grades 8 through 12, anywhere in the world.
Live sessions run on Saturdays and Sundays. Outside of that, expect additional team work and independent study of around 3 to 4 hours per week.
Sessions are scheduled to accommodate students across multiple time zones. All sessions are recorded for students who cannot attend live due to unavoidable time zone conflicts.
A laptop with a working camera and microphone, a reliable internet connection, a sketchbook, and basic drawing materials.
No. All digital tools used in the program are either free or browser based. A full tools list will be shared before the program begins.
Teams of 4 to 6 students are formed at the end of Week 1 based on brief preferences, home city, grade level, and time zone. Studio BuildByThought and BuildUp form teams to ensure a mix of backgrounds and geographies within each group.
A live session on Zoom with a panel of external practising architects. Each team presents their full project and defends their design decisions, exactly as they would in architecture school.
A team design folio with presentation boards, drawings, and model documentation built across 12 weeks. This can go directly into a design school application.
Most programs teach you about architecture. This one puts you through the actual process of designing a building, with real industry mentors, feedback, and a real portfolio piece at the end.
Submit your application online before June 15. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a short interview with the BuildUp team. Final decisions are communicated on a rolling basis.