Accelerate
What is Accelerate?
Accelerate is Open City's free, pioneering, built environment education programme for young people from underrepresented backgrounds.
Through a series of skills development workshops and professional mentoring, the programme supports young people aged 16-18 to explore careers in architecture, landscape, planning, engineering, and related fields, equipping them with the skills, portfolios, networks, and confidence to make informed progression choices.
What does it include?
Skills development workshops
The course includes a series of skills development workshops on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
Mentoring sessions with a built environment professional
Students are put in groups and allocated to a built environment professional practice for a series of mentoring sessions. Your mentor could be an architect, engineer, landscape architects, or a specialist of another kind. This experience is designed to give you first-hand experience of the range of jobs and roles available across the built environment sector.
What skills will you develop?
Sketching and drawing
Model making with a range of media
Casting
Site observation and surveying
Public speaking
What does Accelerate include?
Workshops include visits to the campuses of our university partners, where you will learn about the courses they offer and the experiences of the students currently studying there. These days will also include a campus tour and the opportunity to ask questions throughout the day.<\/p>", "button": { "buttonText": "Make It" }, "imageId": "64f9c1b6f4175536e1d5398b", "image": { "id": "64f9c1b6f4175536e1d5398b", "recordType": 2, "addedOn": 1694089654324, "updatedOn": 1694089654379, "workflowState": 1, "publishOn": 1694089654324, "authorId": "5ebee99a75609200ce72b310", "systemDataId": "b833e898-4c0f-49c8-adad-4d7659fc6024", "systemDataVariants": "3000x2000,100w,300w,500w,750w,1000w,1500w,2500w", "systemDataSourceType": "JPG", "filename": "Accelerate 2022_23 - Brixton by Luke O'Donovan.jpg", "mediaFocalPoint": { "x": 0.5, "y": 0.5, "source": 3 }, "colorData": { "topLeftAverage": "5d4f42", "topRightAverage": "a69d9c", "bottomLeftAverage": "3f444e", "bottomRightAverage": "a7b0bb", "centerAverage": "a6958c", "suggestedBgColor": "7e6d62" }, "urlId": "y41njclwavqb2u6oh81l0bnjtbhrh8", "title": "", "body": null, "likeCount": 0, "commentCount": 0, "publicCommentCount": 0, "commentState": 2, "unsaved": false, "assetUrl": "https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec1071a180f7335c3346217/b833e898-4c0f-49c8-adad-4d7659fc6024/Accelerate+2022_23+-+Brixton+by+Luke+O%27Donovan.jpg", "contentType": "image/jpeg", "items": [ ], "pushedServices": { }, "pendingPushedServices": { }, "originalSize": "3000x2000", "recordTypeLabel": "image" } }, { "title": "Professional Mentoring", "description": "
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Creative Workshops
Site Visits
University Visits
Professional Mentoring
Accelerate Summer Exhibition
“ I really enjoyed the Accelerate programme due to its creative and friendly atmosphere which I found myself easily immersed in. Over the course of the10 workshops, I learnt valuable skills such as quick sketching, making models to scale and experimenting with materials. This helped me to develop the mindset of an architect which I can use in the workplace further down the line. ”
Levi,
Accelerate Student 2024/25
Our Mission
To provide young people from under-represented backgrounds with the opportunity to explore professions in the built environment sector, so they can develop the skills and knowledge to participate and make informed and supported future choices.
Gallery
Past Accelerate Summer Exhibitions
Our Sponsors
Host Universities
Our Mentors
