Classical Architecture and Interiors Institute
Summer School in Dublin, Ireland 2026
June 21 - June 27, 2026
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 8, 2026
Classical Architecture and Interiors Institute
Summer School in Dublin, Ireland 2026
June 21 – June 27, 2026
About the Program
An Immersion in Ireland's Architectural Golden Age
Join a one-week summer school in Dublin dedicated to eighteenth-century architecture, interiors, and furniture in the classical tradition. Set in one of Europe’s most beautifully preserved Georgian cities, the programme offers an unparalleled opportunity to study the spaces where these timeless design principles come to life.
Through expert-led lectures, hands-on analytical drawing exercises, and access to historic houses, participants develop a deep understanding of how architecture, interior design, and decorative arts were conceived as a unified discipline. Every element, from proportion and spatial arrangement to ornamentation and furnishings, is explored in context, providing practical insight into creating harmony and order. Guided by leading specialists, attendees leave the programme with the ability to read, analyze, and apply classical design principles with confidence and precision. These skills can be immediately translated into professional practice or advanced study.
About the Program
An Immersion in Ireland's Architectural Golden Age
Join a one-week summer school in Dublin dedicated to eighteenth-century architecture, interiors, and furniture in the classical tradition. Set in one of Europe’s most beautifully preserved Georgian cities, the programme offers an unparalleled opportunity to study the spaces where these timeless design principles come to life.
Through expert-led lectures, hands-on analytical drawing exercises, and access to historic houses, participants develop a deep understanding of how architecture, interior design, and decorative arts were conceived as a unified discipline. Every element, from proportion and spatial arrangement to ornamentation and furnishings, is explored in context, providing practical insight into creating harmony and order. Guided by leading specialists, attendees leave the programme with the ability to read, analyze, and apply classical design principles with confidence and precision. These skills can be immediately translated into professional practice or advanced study.
What Students Will Learn
Over the week, participants develop a structured and in-depth understanding of eighteenth-century design, exploring the defining principles, characteristics, and evolution of the classical tradition. The programme combines historical knowledge with practical insight, equipping students to analyse and apply these ideas in their own work.
- Architecture:
Explore the development of eighteenth-century architecture, from the strength of early Neo-Palladian design to the refinement of late Neo-Classical expression. Focus is placed on proportion, spatial composition, and the influence of continental Europe on Irish architecture.
- Interior Design:
Study interiors as complete compositions, with attention to scale, hierarchy, and decorative plasterwork. Learn how ornament is integrated with architecture, drawing on classical influences and their interpretation in Irish country houses.
- Furniture:
Trace the evolution of furniture across the Georgian period, from George I to George III. Understand key stylistic developments and how furniture was conceived to complement the architectural setting.
- Practical Application: Reinforce your learning through hands-on workshops in architectural drawing, documentation, and analysis, developing the ability to interpret and communicate classical design with precision.
What Students Will Learn
Over the week, participants develop a structured and in-depth understanding of eighteenth-century design, exploring the defining principles, characteristics, and evolution of the classical tradition. The programme combines historical knowledge with practical insight, equipping students to analyse and apply these ideas in their own work.
Architecture
Explore the development of eighteenth-century architecture, from the strength of early Neo-Palladian design to the refinement of late Neo-Classical expression. Focus is placed on proportion, spatial composition, and the influence of continental Europe on Irish architecture.
Interior Design
Study interiors as complete compositions, with attention to scale, hierarchy, and decorative plasterwork. Learn how ornament is integrated with architecture, drawing on classical influences and their interpretation in Irish country houses.
Furniture and Decorative Arts
Trace the evolution of furniture across the Georgian period, from George I to George III. Understand key stylistic developments and how furniture was conceived to complement the architectural setting.
Practical Application
Reinforce your learning through hands-on workshops in architectural drawing, documentation, and analysis, developing the ability to interpret and communicate classical design with precision.
SCHEDULE & VISITS
Step into a week of discovery, where each day brings you closer to the heart of eighteenth-century design. Small group tutorials and expert-led sessions ensure personal guidance while exploring the architecture, interiors, and furniture that define the classical tradition.
Monday to Friday
- 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Learn from leading specialists in architecture, interior design, and furniture
- 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Enjoy lunch in the beautifully restored garden at Society House
- 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Explore Dublin’s historic streets and gain access to remarkable Georgian houses
- 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Hands-on drawing and documentation sessions
Saturday Excursion
Experience a full-day visit to a magnificent eighteenth-century country house outside Dublin, where classical design principles come alive in an inspiring setting.
Every moment of the programme is designed to immerse you in elegance, harmony, and precision, leaving you inspired and confident to bring these principles into your own work.
SCHEDULE & VISITS
Step into a week of discovery, where each day brings you closer to the heart of eighteenth-century design. Small group tutorials and expert-led sessions ensure personal guidance while exploring the architecture, interiors, and furniture that define the classical tradition.
Monday to Friday
- 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Learn from leading specialists in architecture, interior design, and furniture
- 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Enjoy lunch in the beautifully restored garden at Society House
- 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Explore Dublin’s historic streets and gain access to remarkable Georgian houses
- 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Hands-on drawing and documentation sessions
Saturday Excursion
Experience a full-day visit to a magnificent eighteenth-century country house outside Dublin, where classical design principles come alive in an inspiring setting.
Every moment of the programme is designed to immerse you in elegance, harmony, and precision, leaving you inspired and confident to bring these principles into your own work.
INSTRUCTORs
Meet Our Tour Leader – Dr. Conor Lucey
Dr. Conor Lucey is Associate Professor of architectural history in the School of Art History and Cultural Policy at University College Dublin, Ireland. He is a Board Member of the Irish Georgian Foundation and of the Castletown Foundation, and a former President of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (2017-2020). Dr Lucey sits on the editorial board of Vernacular Architecture and Irish Architectural & Decorative Studies journals.
An historian of eighteenth-century architecture and design, Conor’s recent monograph, Building Reputations: Architecture and the Artisan, 1750-1830 (Manchester University Press, 2018), was awarded the prestigious Alice Davis Hitchcock Medallion, granted annually by the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain for a book that “provides an outstanding contribution to the study or knowledge of architectural history.” A recent edited volume, entitled House and Home in Georgian Ireland: Spaces and Cultures of Domestic Life (Four Courts Press, 2022), examines how domestic space was shaped by diverse needs, motivations and identities.
Books:
2022: House and Home in Georgian Ireland: Spaces and Cultures of Domestic Life
2018: Building Reputations: Architecture and the Artisan, 1750–1830
2012: Decorative Plasterwork in Ireland and Europe: Ornament and the Early Modern Interior
2007: The Stapleton Collection, Designs for the Neoclassical Irish Interior
INSTRUCTORs
Meet Our Tour Leader – Dr. Conor Lucey
Dr. Conor Lucey is Associate Professor of architectural history in the School of Art History and Cultural Policy at University College Dublin, Ireland. He is a Board Member of the Irish Georgian Foundation and of the Castletown Foundation, and a former President of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (2017-2020). Dr Lucey sits on the editorial board of Vernacular Architecture and Irish Architectural & Decorative Studies journals.
An historian of eighteenth-century architecture and design, Conor’s recent monograph, Building Reputations: Architecture and the Artisan, 1750-1830 (Manchester University Press, 2018), was awarded the prestigious Alice Davis Hitchcock Medallion, granted annually by the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain for a book that “provides an outstanding contribution to the study or knowledge of architectural history.” A recent edited volume, entitled House and Home in Georgian Ireland: Spaces and Cultures of Domestic Life (Four Courts Press, 2022), examines how domestic space was shaped by diverse needs, motivations and identities.
Books:
2022: House and Home in Georgian Ireland: Spaces and Cultures of Domestic Life
2018: Building Reputations: Architecture and the Artisan, 1750–1830
2012: Decorative Plasterwork in Ireland and Europe: Ornament and the Early Modern Interior
2007: The Stapleton Collection, Designs for the Neoclassical Irish Interior
LOCATION and VENUE
Prestigious Venues In The Heart Of Dublin
Accommodation – Trinity College Dublin: Reside in the heart of Dublin at Ireland’s oldest university, surrounded by remarkable 18th-century architecture, including the iconic Great Library and the historic Examination Hall.
Accommodation – Trinity College Dublin: Reside in the heart of Dublin at Ireland’s oldest university, surrounded by remarkable 18th-century architecture, including the iconic Great Library and the historic Examination Hall.
Lectures – Trinity College, Dublin: Just a short walk from the university, ‘Society House’ at 63 Merrion Square is a fine, well preserved and representative example of a Dublin townhouse of the 1790’s. Here, participants will have access to historic rooms and beautifully restored gardens, bringing the city’s architectural and interior heritage vividly to life.
LOCATION and VENUE
Prestigious Venues In The Heart Of Dublin
Accommodation – Trinity College Dublin: Reside in the heart of Dublin at Ireland’s oldest university, surrounded by remarkable 18th-century architecture, including the iconic Great Library and the historic Examination Hall.
Our Pricing
Our small group tutorials and seminars, led by expert tutors, will help prepare you for future academic pursuits and professional careers while considering the experience you already have in your chosen subject. With a dynamic social and cultural programme, you’ll get valuable insights and create unforgettable memories.
Programme Cost:
Option 1 – Full Residential, Double Room
$1,800 | 21–27 June
- Room and board with a shared double room and private bath.
Option 2 – Day Student
$1,200 | 22–26 June | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Morning lectures, lunch, and afternoon tours.
Option 3 – Lectures Only
$600 | 22–26 June
- Access to all lectures at the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland.
Our Pricing
Our small group tutorials and seminars, led by expert tutors, will help prepare you for future academic pursuits and professional careers while considering the experience you already have in your chosen subject. With a dynamic social and cultural programme, you’ll get valuable insights and create unforgettable memories.
Programme Cost:
$15.00-$2200.00
Option 1B – Full Residential, Double Room
$1,800 | 21–27 June
- Room and board with a shared double room and private bath.
Option 2 – Day Student
$1,200 | 22–26 June | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Morning lectures, lunch, and afternoon tours.
Option 3 – Lectures Only
$600 | 22–26 June
- Access to all lectures at the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland.
Our Mission
The Classical Architecture and Interiors Institute is dedicated to the preservation, study, and advancement of traditional design. Our mission is to provide an immersive, unparalleled educational experience that unites the fields of architecture, interior design, and the decorative arts. We believe that understanding the unified design principles of the past is essential for creating beautiful, enduring spaces in the modern world.
The Director – Terry Sullivan
Terry Sullivan is the lead educator and curator of the Neoclassical Interiors Program, with years of professional experience in classical and historically informed interiors. As founder of the Classical Architecture and Interiors Institute, she combines scholarly expertise and hands-on design practice to guide participants in understanding, analyzing, and applying classical design principles.
Terry served on the ICAA Mid-Atlantic Chapter Education Committee (2021-2023) and her work is endorsed by leading architects and curators, including Peter H. Miller, Hon. AIA, Anthony S. Barnes, FAIA, LEED AP, and Michael Patrick, AIA, making her programs a trusted source for professionals and scholars seeking expertise in neoclassical interiors. She developed and led AIA-accredited lectures for the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA), collaborating with leading experts such as Dr. Conor Lucey and Patrick Baty. These online lectures include Decorative Plasterwork in Georgian Ireland and Britain (2022), The Use of Colour ca. 1700-1820 (2022), and Analysis of the Paint at Stowe House (2023), all contributing to professional AIA Building Arts credit.
In addition to lectures, Terry organized immersive period room tours with museum curators, offering participants firsthand experience of historic interiors such as the Lansdowne Dining Room Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), Salon Doré at the Corcoran Gallery (Washington, DC), and the Green Room of the White House and Mount Vernon, VA. Her programs are praised for clarity, rigor, and the integration of architecture, interiors, and decorative arts.
Our Mission
The Classical Architecture and Interiors Institute is dedicated to the preservation, study, and advancement of traditional design. Our mission is to provide an immersive, unparalleled educational experience that unites the fields of architecture, interior design, and the decorative arts. We believe that understanding the unified design principles of the past is essential for creating beautiful, enduring spaces in the modern world.
The Director – Terry Sullivan
Terry Sullivan is the lead educator and curator of the Neoclassical Interiors Program, with years of professional experience in classical and historically informed interiors. As founder of the Classical Architecture and Interiors Institute, she combines scholarly expertise and hands-on design practice to guide participants in understanding, analyzing, and applying classical design principles.
Terry served on the ICAA Mid-Atlantic Chapter Education Committee (2021-2023) and her work is endorsed by leading architects and curators, including Peter H. Miller, Hon. AIA, Anthony S. Barnes, FAIA, LEED AP, and Michael Patrick, AIA, making her programs a trusted source for professionals and scholars seeking expertise in neoclassical interiors. She developed and led AIA-accredited lectures for the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA), collaborating with leading experts such as Dr. Conor Lucey and Patrick Baty. These online lectures include Decorative Plasterwork in Georgian Ireland and Britain (2022), The Use of Colour ca. 1700-1820 (2022), and Analysis of the Paint at Stowe House (2023), all contributing to professional AIA Building Arts credit.
In addition to lectures, Terry organized immersive period room tours with museum curators, offering participants firsthand experience of historic interiors such as the Lansdowne Dining Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), Salon Doré at the Corcoran Gallery (Washington, DC), and the Green Room of the White House and Mount Vernon, VA. Her programs are praised for clarity, rigor, and the integration of architecture, interiors, and decorative arts.
The Student Takeaway
The Practical Takeaway: Transforming Spaces
This program goes beyond history it is about practical application. Whether you are a design student or a practicing professional, you will leave Dublin with a deep, actionable understanding of classical proportions. Using the principles of the 18th-century Irish Georgian era, you will learn to identify distinct period motifs and gain the ability to sketch and transform modern interior spaces with authentic classical elegance.
NOTE : Images used with permission or in public domain, complete list to be provided.
The Student Takeaway
The Practical Takeaway: Transforming Spaces
This program goes beyond history it is about practical application. Whether you are a design student or a practicing professional, you will leave Dublin with a deep, actionable understanding of classical proportions. Using the principles of the 18th-century Irish Georgian era, you will learn to identify distinct period motifs and gain the ability to sketch and transform modern interior spaces with authentic classical elegance.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The program is designed for architecture and interior design students, practicing professionals, historians, and enthusiasts with a passion for classical design and the built heritage of Ireland.
There is no application deadline, it is all registration and only application if you register as a full boarder. There is a link to a page in jotform
Yes, a limited number of scholarships are available for tuition costs only.
Depending on your tier, fees cover expert tuition, daily excursions, venue access, and accommodation at Trinity College. Airfare and travel to Dublin are not included.
Yes! We offer a virtual and recorded session option for $200 (15 lectures) or $15 per single lecture. Please visit our Eventbrite page to register for the online format.
NOTE : Images used with permission or in public domain, complete list to be provided.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The program is designed for architecture and interior design students, practicing professionals, historians, and enthusiasts with a passion for classical design and the built heritage of Ireland.
There is no application deadline, it is all registration and only application if you register as a full boarder. There is a link to a page in jotform
Yes, a limited number of scholarships are available for tuition costs only.
Depending on your tier, fees cover expert tuition, daily excursions, venue access, and accommodation at Trinity College. Airfare and travel to Dublin are not included.
Yes! We offer a virtual and recorded session option for $200 (15 lectures) or $15 per single lecture. Please visit our Eventbrite page to register for the online format.
NOTE: Images used with permission or in the public domain, complete list to be provided.
VIDEO COMING SOON..
