Saturday Sequence Architecture Class

The Center for Architecture Explorations at Carnegie Mellon University is holding a Saturday Sequence Architecture Class on December 12, 2026, at the College of Fine Arts Building (5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213). It's a beginner class, so it doesn't matter if your kid has never touched a drafting square in their life.

The whole session starts with a simple idea: that architects and designers have long been inspired by the natural world. From there, the class looks at natural forms and systems and how they help shape the built environment. Along the way, students pick up basic architectural vocabulary and skills—the kind of things you'll actually use if you're thinking about design. That includes drawing plans and sections and building models, so they'll be working with their hands as much as they're thinking through the concepts.

One of the best parts is that it's open to a wide age range. The session is pitched at three separate groups—K-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12—so kids get to work with others around their own age and skill level rather than being lumped into one big room. If you've got a younger one just starting to get curious about how things are made and an older one who's already sketching in the margins of their notebooks, they can both do this.

It runs from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Saturday, December 12, and the cost is $200.00. The class is held at the College of Fine Arts Building on Forbes Avenue, right in the heart of the CMU campus.