AAVS (AA Visiting School London)

A Global Laboratory of Ideas: A Legacy of Experimentation

AA Visiting School (AAVS) is a series of academic programs conducted by the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London one of the world’s most respected centres for architectural education and research. Held across more than 40 cities worldwide, AAVS brings together students, practitioners, and researchers to explore ideas beyond traditional studio environments. Each workshop adapts to its local context and becomes an intensive space for experimentation, research, and collaborative making.

AAVS is not a conventional course it's a global academic movement.

Experimentation as a Method of Thinking

Architecture evolves when ideas are tested, broken, rebuilt, and tested again.
AAVS positions making as a form of knowledge, where understanding emerges through materials, tools, prototypes, failures, and breakthroughs.

Experiments allow us to:

Transform uncertainty into discovery
Understand material behaviour beyond theory
Design more responsibly with awareness of limitations
Develop original ideas instead of repeating established solutions

In a world facing environmental urgency, experimentation is not an option it is a responsibility.

Material Experimentation as Design Methodology

AAVS attracts students and practitioners who want:

To explore architecture beyond drawings and software
To work hands-on with materials and real production environments
To collaborate with global peers, craftspeople, and experts
To learn through real constraints, not hypothetical projects
To build prototypes and document meaningful research
To step outside traditional academic boundaries

If you believe architecture must be experienced, not just theorised , AAVS is the place.

Outcomes Beyond Certificates

Participants leave AAVS with:

Research + Prototyping Experience
Designing, testing, fabricating and documenting at real scale

Portfolio-ready physical work
Valuable for applications to Masters programs, jobs & research positions

Access to global network
Mentors, AA School faculty, practitioners, industry partners & peers worldwide

Deep understanding of sustainable material systems
Learning through real production constraints, waste transformation and craft knowledge

Critical perspective on architecture
Shifting from abstract design to responsible, grounded innovation

Where Material Meets Imagination

At CarbonCraft, students explore architectural thinking through industrial waste-based materials, local craft knowledge, and production environments.
The workshop becomes a hybrid space part factory, part laboratory, part studio.