Building Our Future Summer Camp
Have you ever wondered how modern buildings go from idea to reality?
What if you could learn how to design our future buildings?
Building Our Future invites high school students to explore the artistic and technical aspects of designing high-performance buildings. This five-day overnight camp will feature experiences curated by architectural engineering professors representing specializations in structural, construction, mechanical, and lighting design.
Why Architectural Engineering?
- Enhance the built environment
- Improve our well-being
- Contribute to a sustainable future
Camp Highlights
- Learn from top design experts
- Tour historical architecture
- Apply light to reshape the spaces around you
- Get hands-on with the next generation of sustainable building technologies
Experience Campus Life
- Stay in campus residence halls
- Eat in campus dining halls
- Explore Penn State favorites, including ice cream from the world-famous Berkey Creamery
2025 Schedule
Monday, July 14 — Construction
Noon – 1 p.m. | Family Campus Tour | 405 Engineering Collaborative Research and Education Building (ECoRE)
1 – 2:30 p.m. | Camp Check-In | South Halls
3 p.m. | Welcoming Circle | 105 Engineering Design and Innovation (EDI) Building
3:30 – 5 p.m. | Concrete Construction | 105 EDI
6 p.m. | Dinner | Pollock Commons
Tuesday, July 15 — Lighting
8 – 9 a.m. | Breakfast | Pollock Commons
10 – 11 a.m. | Layers of Light | 501E ECoRE
11 – 1 p.m. | Light Lab | 516 ECoRE
1 – 2 p.m. | Lunch |516 ECoRE
2 – 5 p.m. | Landscape Lighting Design | Arboretum
6 p.m. | Dinner | Pollock Commons
9 p.m. | Landscape Design Narratives | Arboretum
Wednesday, July 16 — Structural
8-9 am Breakfast Pollock Commons
10-1 pm Historical Architecture Tour Bellefonte, PA
1-2 pm Lunch Bellefonte, PA
2-5 pm Photogrammetry Modeling 331 ECoRE
6 pm Dinner Pollock Commons
Thursday, July 17 — Mechanical
8 – 9 a.m. Breakfast | Pollock Commons
10 – 11 a.m. | Sustainability Tour | Morningstar House
11 – 1 p.m. | Natural Ventilation Tour | Indoor Track Building
1 – 2 p.m. | Lunch | 516 ECoRE
2 – 5 p.m. | Become the Thermostat | Arboretum
6 p.m. | Dinner | Pollock Commons
Friday, July 18 — Construction
8 – 9 a.m. | Breakfast | Pollock Commons
10 a.m. – noon | Concrete Demolition | 105 EDI
Noon – 1 p.m. | Lunch & Closing Circle | 516 ECoRE
2 – 4 p.m. | Camp Check-Out | South Halls
Questions
For more information about registration, please contact psuconferences@psu.edu. Contact J Mundinger at jjm565@psu.edu with all other questions.
- Who: High school students ages 15+
- When: July 14–18, 2025
- Where: Penn State University Park
- Cost: $1,150
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