Budding architects learn the trade at UM summer camp

Imagine youre 8, 10 or even 15 years old and youre being asked to describe your dream house. Not just describe it, but also sketch, map out and build a model of it. Would it look like your house?

For a group of students who attended the 2013 Architects in the Making (AIM) summer camp at the University of Miami, this was one of their projects along with designing sneakers, building structures out of plastic straws and creating animals out of recycled materials.

AIM summer camp is a two-week program that happens once a year. Children ages 8-15 attend from all over Miami-Dade County for $100, director Rick Ruiz said. Now in its eighth year, AIM has expanded by bringing in better materials, field trips and programs such as the Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin Program, which teaches students to research, design and construct their own models for environmental sites.

Every morning, about 90 kids make their way into the the lecture hall at the University of Miamis School of Architecture for a brief presentation before splitting up into studios to work on their projects.

Doug Patt, creator of the YouTube series and website How to Architect, explained how to sketch last week via Skype.

Kids think its complicated, Ruiz said. But he simplifies the way sketching is done.

The university donates the space, including School of Architecture studios, where campers learn about sustainability and green architecture, historic preservation and the principles of design.

Architecture is everywhere, camp counselor Pilar Alva said. Kids are divided into three studios: beginning, intermediate and advanced.

In the advanced studio, campers learn about incorporating sustainable practices into their projects, Alva said. Some kids built models with plants that use rainwater to grow and survive.

Matthew Vasquez, 10, came up with his own solar-panel bookbag with outlets inside.

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Budding architects learn the trade at UM summer camp