Design in Action

2018 DIA participant Tyler Johnson

 

Design in Action offers DCPS high school students in 11th and 12th grades the opportunity to learn from professionals in top architecture firms.  Students shadow architects during their spring break, on construction site visits, in design and client meetings, and more. Students also have the opportunity to work on their own design project. 

About the Program

Design in Action introduces students to architecture as a career. This unparalleled immersive experience provides an inside look at daily life in the architecture profession, in working studios around Washington, DC. Students will have a chance to participate in a variety of roles including:

  • Project and design sessions
  • Design charrettes
  • Client meetings
  • Construction site visits

The goal of Design in Action is to introduce high school students with an interest in design and architecture to the creativity and passion that drives accomplished professionals. By showing students what high-quality architecture can be, and by sharing the process that creates it, we hope to inspire students who would not otherwise have an opportunity to pursue their creative interests.

Design in Action provides students with insider knowledge into the architecture profession and provides them with valuable contacts that can work with them throughout their careers. Design in Action engages students on a practical level as they:

  • Practice professional and career development skills
  • Learn about a viable STEM profession
  • Gain professional experience to list on their resumes and college applications

Application for school year 2026-2027, due by February 1, 2027.

Students must attend a mandatory orientation.

For more information about the Design in Action program please contact Heidi Sohng.

This program is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

“I really liked how exposed I got to architecture and that I was able to have a new perspective along with learning new things I didn’t know prior. I also liked that we did things outside of the office!” -India Benet

“This experience was especially impactful because it allowed me to experience architecture in a much more immersive and professional environment. I commuted into Washington, DC each day and experienced what working at an architecture firm is actually like. I learned about the different sectors within the firm and saw how projects develop from early concepts and parti diagrams to floor plans, Revit models, and final presentations used to compete for project bids. It was exciting to see the amount of collaboration, creativity, and technical work involved behind buildings and projects I had passed by for years without realizing the work that went into them.”  -Cameron Thorpe

Design in Action Firms since 2012

AECOM
Array Architects
Ayers Saint Gross
Barnes Vanze Archtiects
Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners
Bowie Gridley Architects
CallisonRTKL
cox graae + spack Architects
Cunningham|Quill Architects
David M. Schwarz Architects
E/L Studio Architecture
Fentress Architects
FXFOWLE Architects, PC
Gensler
Hartman-Cox Architects
Hickok Cole Architects
HGA
HKS Inc.
HOK
Inscape Studio
ISTUDIO Architects
Jacobs Engineering Group
KGP Design Studio
KTGY Architecture and Planning
KUBE architecture
Landscape Architecture Bureau
Leo A Daly
Moody Nolan
Muse Architects, PC
MV+A Architects
Perkins + Will
Perkins Eastman DC, PLLC
R2L: Architecture
Rippeteau Architects, PC
RTKL Associates, Inc.
Shalom Baranes Associates PC
Shinberg.Levinas Architects
SK&I Architecture
Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLC (SOM)
SmithGroupJJR
Smithsonian Institution/Office of Planning, Design, and Construction
Sorg Architects

Stantec
STUDIO 3877
Studio Twenty Seven Architecture
STUDIOS Architecture
Torti Gallas & Partners
WDG Architecture
Wendel
Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planners
WNUK Spurlock Architecture
Winstanley Architects & Planners
ZGF Architects LLP