The 2026 New York Intensive in Classical Architecture

Each year, professionals, students, and enthusiasts of traditional design come together for the Intensive in Classical Architecture, an eight-day immersion in the ICAA’s classical design curriculum. The most recent session of the ICAA’s longest-running program took place January 10 – 17 and was hosted in the General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen’s library—a larger space than the ICAA’s classroom—to meet the high level of interest in the program.

Demand for the Intensive has continued to grow in recent years as participants see the program as one of the few opportunities to study the principles of classical design in a structured environment. Some participants cite their professional work or graduate school applications as their primary reason for attending, while others simply want to learn about traditional design as a subject of personal interest.

This year’s Intensive had a cohort of 30 participants, representing 14 states and Canada, and included professional architects, interior designers, and builders; an architecture professor; students in architecture, interior design, and urban planning; and non-professional enthusiasts, including a neurologist. Several enthusiasts from non-design backgrounds also joined, including a neurologist who was interviewed for the video above. Some participants also joined through scholarships offered via the ICAA’s National Office and several of its Chapters, making the program accessible regardless of financial background.

During the Intensive, participants took part in a takeover of the ICAA's Instagram account (@classicist_org).

The Intensive features classwork in the elements of classical architecture, proportion, the literature of classical architecture, measured and analytical drawing, hand drafting, and wash rendering, culminating in a final design exercise for a pavilion set in Prospect Park. The program incorporates several field visits to study classical architecture in New York City, including the University Club of New York and the American Museum of Natural History.

In addition to the participants, the Intensive is also a training opportunity for its instructors and teaching assistants. Through the teaching assistant program, previous attendees at ICAA programs like the Intensive and Summer Studio can refine their skills and go on to lead the program in future years. Such is the case with Claire Pardo, an architect at C. Brandon Ingram Design in Atlanta who attended the 2024 New York Intensive. This year, she returned as an instructor for the program, and she is also teaching through other ICAA education initiatives at the National Office and Southeast Chapter. Other program instructors, like Kate Chambers Beck (an architect at Tippett Sease Baker Architecture in Birmingham), come to the ICAA through existing academic connections—in her case, as a former Assistant Professor at the University of Notre Dame. You can learn more about their teaching experiences in the video above.

The ICAA looks forward to continuing the ongoing series of Intensive programs with the 2026 Regional Intensive this summer and the 2027 New York Intensive next January. Registration will be available soon for both programs.

Tags: intensive, education