Beaux Arts/Architecture Program

ABOUT THE PROGRAM:
This intensive 5-week summer session is open to Bachelors and Masters of Architecture students interested in developing their observational and conceptual skills through analog visual media (drawing, collage, model making, photography, painting, scenography). The program emphasizes drawing as a tool for observation and creativity, and the importance of collaboration. Students work with a diverse group of talented colleagues, and engage in multidisciplinary work through weekly collaborations with musicians and composers. The program also offers immersion in French urbanism, history, landscape and culture, and emphasizes our role in the envornment in the context of climate crisis. A unique opportunity to live and work in the Chateau and Forest of Fontainebleau that is not to be missed!

The 2026 session will run for 5-weeks from Sunday, June 28 to Wednesday, July 29 at the Chateau de Fontainebleau. All classes are conducted in English. 

2026 SESSION: JUNE 28 – JULY 29
APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 28, 2026

Application Requirements + Submission

In Fontainebleau, workshops, lectures, visits and studios will be organized. Formal visual disciplines including hand drawing and sketching, watercolor, graphic design and theater design will be practiced during the session.

Highlights of the Session Include:

  • 4 weeks of collaborative design projects in Fontainebleau with fellow architects and musicians/composers
  • 3 day final trip to visit canonical architectural sites in France

Scroll down for more information

A musician playing a double bass in a historic architectural setting, surrounded by students engaged in drawing and listening.
Drawing Sound with Music Faculty (2024)
Vintage poster for Fontainebleau School of Fine Arts featuring bold red stripes and text listing various disciplines like architecture, painting, and sculpture, along with a photograph of the Château de Fontainebleau.
A collage featuring a stylized illustration of the Eiffel Tower, accompanied by text in red emphasizing 'FINE ARTS SCHOOL' and 'SPACE AND STRUCTURE', along with various images and information related to the school's workshops and activities from 1982.
A watercolor illustration depicting the interior architecture of a gothic-style building, focusing on intricate ceiling details and a stained glass window.
Students engaging in artistic activities at the Château de Fontainebleau, including drawing and musical performance.
A group of architecture students sitting together outdoors, holding sketchbooks or drawing pads while engaging in a collaborative drawing exercise in front of a stone archway.
A historic black and white photograph depicting a group of artists working in a large studio filled with art supplies, easels, and murals on the walls. The environment is lively, showcasing collaboration and creativity.
Entrance of the American School of Arts with a sign for the Conservatory of Music and the School of Fine Arts.
A close-up of a person's hand painting in a sketchbook, surrounded by art supplies including watercolors, paintbrushes, and pens on a cluttered table.
A student playing a violin in a workshop setting, with peers observing in the background. Visual aids and drawings are displayed on the wall.
Collage of images showcasing architecture students engaging in activities during Week Three of a summer program. Includes students by a reflective pond, the Château de Fontainebleau in the background, and various artistic endeavors like painting and presentations.
Students engaged in various design activities and workshops during the first week of an architecture program focused on urbanism.
A group of architecture students attentively listening to an instructor holding a sketchbook while discussing design concepts outdoors at the Chateau de Fontainebleau.
An open sketchbook with watercolor illustrations resting on a stone surface near a pond, accompanied by a watercolor palette.
A mixed media drawing of a street scene featuring buildings, a hanging light fixture, and figures walking. The artwork employs a blend of sketches and translucent colors, depicting an urban environment.
A detailed sketch of an architectural interior featuring vaulted ceilings and arched columns, illustrating a grand, historical space.
Two women playing violins in a sunlit room with music sheets displayed on a vertical stand.
A black and white sketch of the rooftops and spires of an architectural structure, showcasing intricate details and varying heights.
Line drawing of the Château de Fontainebleau showcasing its architectural features.
A watercolor painting depicting a Parisian street scene, featuring buildings with balconies, trees, and a boulangerie with red and blue awnings.
Pencil sketch of a building facade with arches, trees, and a cobblestone path, depicting a serene architectural scene.
A close-up of a hand holding a color palette grid showcasing various shades in front of an elegant historic building with architectural details under a clear blue sky.
Sketch of an ornate architectural interior, depicting figures in a gathering space with detailed decorations in the background.
A blurred image of a person playing a violin, emphasizing the motion and energy of the performance.
A historic black and white photo showing a group of people engaged in an art class, with two men and a woman working on paintings on easels and a nun observing. The background features various artworks displayed on the wall.
1938
A group of students examining a detailed architectural model of an urban area, with various buildings and landscaping visible.
Interior view of a grand hall in the Chateau de Fontainebleau, featuring ornate architecture, frescoes on the walls, and a group of people engaged in a music performance.

Dates and Basic Information

The 2026 session will run for 5-weeks from Sunday, June 28 to Wednesday, July 29 at the Chateau de Fontainebleau. All classes are conducted in English.

The program is structured as a series of short 1-week topics in which students work individually and collaboratively with a small team to develop visual and conceptual language around the theme and faculty topic. There will be 4 weeks of these thematic workshops, lectures, visits and projects in and around the Château de Fontainebleau. This will be followed by a 3 days tour of sites in France.

Students work on the grounds of the Chateau of Fontainebleau and live in the town of Fontainebleau. Conservatory Musicians and Composers share meals and experience with the Architects, and Architects are immersed in the world of music and sound for the duration of their time in Fontainebleau. In addition to the urban and ecological setting of Fontainebleau, the invisible space of sound is also an important site of investigation for the studio-based work.

After 4 weeks of immersion and design, Architects embark on a three day trip together to significant modern and historic architectural sites in France.

Accommodation and Meals

You will be lodged within walking distance from the Chateau in collective housing with fellow students. Lunch and Dinner Monday through Friday are provided.

Background

Located 60 kilometers southeast of Paris, the Château Fontainebleau is designated as a Unesco World Heritage site. The Château, a former residence of both kings and emperors, was built on the premises of a royal hunting lodge erected prior to the 12th century. For over 700 years the site has displayed the most glowing examples of French architecture, sculpture, painting, decorating and landscaping. This serves to justify the title that Napoleon gave to the Château: “The House of the Centuries.” Student housing and restaurants are in the town of Fontainebleau, which is surrounded by one of the most beautiful forests in France.

A historic black and white photograph of a studio workshop where artists are working on various projects, with large murals visible on the walls and multiple worktables set up around the room.
1928 Fresco Studio

Program

Since 1923, The Fontainebleau Schools have brought together different artistic disciplines in order to explore new ways of seeing, thinking and making architecture. The presence of the Music Conservatory represents a remarkable opportunity for the design students to explore the relationship between architecture and music, develop collaborative projects with composers, or simply enjoy listening to rehearsals and concerts. Architecture and music students live, dine, and work together. Housing and meals are provided within walking distance from the Château. In addition to artistic pursuits, a variety of French social, cultural activities are arranged for both architecture and music students.

Student Selection

Students are recruited from around the world, with a majority coming from US Universities. Selection criteria are based on application materials, portfolio works, references and a brief introductory interview with faculty. Each year the school selects 16 Fine Arts students with diverse backgrounds and aptitudes. The common language among Architects is the ability to conceptualize and to communicate easily through drawing and visual media.

Eligibility

The program is open to International and American undergraduate and graduate students in architecture or related disciplines (landscape, scenic design, interior architecture), to undergraduate students with outstanding portfolios in architectural design and also to young professionals, three or less years out of school. Enrollment is limited to 16 students and students are required to commit to the full 5-weeks of the program.

Credits

Most universities grant academic credits for courses offered at Fontainebleau — your home institution must determine the number of credits and you are responsible for coordinating an Independent Study or similar course to receive credits. Fontainebleau issues a certificate Diploma at the end of the program. School credit value in the US has varied between institutions and students. Each of the first four weeks includes 1.0 studio credit, 30 hours/week and 0.3 lecture or field trip credits, 5 hours/week. The field trips are worth 0.8 credit. The total credit value has been estimated at 6.0 units. Transcripts are furnished to the students at their request or at the request of their institutions.

Language

All courses and design studios are held in English, French is not a requirement. Please understand that French is often spoken and translated during lectures, visits and juries given the wide array of French faculty, staff and visitors to the program.

The First Prize Fellowship

To culminate the four-week design program, the “Premier Prix de l’Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Fontainebleau” will be awarded. This Fellowship gives one Architecture student from the session the opportunity to join the faculty during the following Summer as a teaching assistant, and subsequently to spend time as an architect-in-residence in the heart of Paris with a studio at the Cité Internationale des Arts. Notable past Premier Prix recipients include Ron Witte (’83), Tom Sheehan (’85), Christine Reinke (’88), Paul Lewis (’91), Amanda Sachs (’99), Garth Goldstein (’04), Nicholas Quiring (’05), Ben Martinson (’06), Chiew-Hong Tan (’07) and Wendy Fok (’08). Other notable Fontainebleau alumni include Charles Moore (’56), William Turnbull (’56) and Tony Tappe.

Scholarships

Generous scholarships are available based on merit and the quality of the application materials submitted. Inquire with your home institution for additional travel scholarships and financial support.

Application Information

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