4 weeks·12 ECTS▾·IDB Bali, Denpasar·Taught in English
Four weeks where bamboo is a structural conversation, climate is a design constraint, and Tri Hita Karana, the Balinese principle of harmony between people, nature and the divine, shapes every site you'll visit.
Summer 2027 · 24 Jul – 28 Aug 2027One intake per year12 ECTSVIP list, then public registration
Summer 2026 · Registration closed
Loadingdays to goSummer 2026 · 1 – 29 Aug · IDB Bali, Denpasar
Summer 2026 is in session until 29 August, with 35 confirmed students at IDB Bali. Follow the studios and site visits on Instagram. Your turn comes in Summer 2027, and the VIP list is where it begins.
India Monae · USA · Tropical Architecture Summer School
Plays from YouTubeIndia's story2 minutes · straight from YouTube
AM
"Simply the best four weeks of my life."
Awab Mohamed · Sudan
KD
"I came here 2 years ago and fell in love with the country, and this gives you such a good opportunity to learn more about the culture, the way that they design over here. It's just an amazing experience."
Kayleigh Davies · UK
MM
"Everyone is so welcoming and you feel so at home in a place that you've never been, and that's incredible."
Marina Mirea · Romania
BC
"The west meets east is going to be a really nice project from us."
Bárbara Côrtes · Brazil
GD
"I think it's a good opportunity for international students to come here and see architecture and design that you wouldn't otherwise get to see back home and it's a very neat experience."
Garreth Dorscheid · Canada
KH
"The summer school brings together a group of students from all over the world, all with different backgrounds. It is great to learn in such a nice environment."
Taught, examined and credited by IDB Bali, Department Interior Design. Up to 12 ECTS. About 6 US credits is a rough workload comparison, not a recognition guarantee. The academic documents come from IDB Bali; we help you provide them to your home registrar.
01
Balinese Landscape and Architecture+ details
Traditional Balinese architecture as a mirror of culture, geography and belief. Tri Hita Karana, design principles, and how traditional concepts translate into modern contexts.
2 ECTS
02
Bali Resort and Hospitality Design+ details
How Bali's landscape shapes resort and villa architecture. Site planning, indoor-outdoor living and case studies through visits to leading resorts and villas.
2 ECTS
03
Green Design+ details
Sustainable design in tropical climates: bamboo and timber, ecological balance, energy efficiency, and structures that sit inside their natural surroundings.
2 ECTS
04
Interior Design & Amenities+ details
Tropical interiors with local materials, bamboo, rattan, tropical wood, and amenities that lift the guest experience without breaking harmony with the setting.
2 ECTS
05
Studio Project+ details
The heart of the Summer School. In groups you design a hospitality or resort project under the theme East Meets West, from concept to final pin-up with IDB faculty.
4 ECTS
= 12
ECTS, a credited short course. Transcript and Letter of Completion from IDB Bali travel home with you.
Workshops & excursions include
Traditional Balinese village and temple visitArchitectural sketching workshopBiji World, Gdas and Titi Batu tour with architect Pak Oka3D and AI in architecture workshop with George HutchinsVisit to Green Village and the bamboo factoryBamboo construction workshop with Bamboo UVisit to Ulaman Eco ResortGuided villa tour with an architectArchitecture studio visit
Green VillageBamboo construction workshop · Bamboo UTiti Batu tourNuanu site visit
Your group's East Meets West studio project, developed across all four weeks and pinned up before IDB faculty and guest critics. A portfolio piece with a story behind it.
The paper
12 ECTS, black on white
Transcript and Letter of Completion from IDB Bali documenting 12 ECTS. Workload comparisons can support a review in other credit systems, but your home institution alone decides recognition.
The people
Friends from 21+ countries
Last cohort's students came from more than 21 countries. You arrive alone, you leave with a group chat that never goes quiet.
The shift
A new way to see buildings
Tri Hita Karana, bamboo as structure, climate as brief. It changes what you sketch when you get home.
"We come back to Morocco and we're creating the same vision of mixing both of old culture and new culture, to create harmony in the houses."KKenza · Morocco
Summer 2027 fees and dates.
Registration for Summer 2026 has closed. For Summer 2027, each intake moves through Early Bird, Regular and Late, and your fee is set by the phase on the day you register. The VIP list gets in before everyone else.
All figures include the €350 registration, refundable when you cancel more than 8 weeks before intake, minus a €100 processing fee. Excludes accommodation, flights and food. Summer 2026 did not include the student visa; Summer 2027 includes it.
Ulaman Eco Resort · Summer School site visit
StudyInBali · Tropical Architecture Summer School · IDB Bali · Bali
Summer 2027 · VIP list
VIP registration opens on 1 October.
Registration for Summer 2027 opens to the public on 16 October. The VIP list opens on 1 October, two weeks before the public window. Joining is free and commits you to nothing.
One PDF, straight to your inbox: program overview and modules, weekly schedule, workshops and excursions, living in Bali, fees and key dates, how to join. One PDF with the whole month, dates and fees.
IDB Bali campus · Denpasar
Your host institution
Your Summer School host: IDB Bali.
IDB Bali, the Institut Desain & Bisnis Bali, is a private design and business institute in Denpasar that has hosted StudyInBali architecture programs since 2017. The creative campus offers design studios and labs, a computer and iMac lab, a library and a cafeteria, with additional field sites across Bali. Your modules are taught, examined and credited here.
Good to know.
Where you stay, the visa and ways to fund four weeks.
VIP access, eligibility, workload, credits, portfolio and materials.
How does the VIP list work?
Joining is free and commits you to nothing. On 1 October 2026 everyone on the list gets a private registration link for Summer 2027 with VIP conditions, two weeks before public registration. On 16 October, Early Bird opens for everyone at €2,050. The VIP window closes 15 October and does not come back.
Do I need to be an architecture student?
Most participants are architecture, interior design or landscape students, but we welcome related design fields and graduates with a clear portfolio interest. Send a short paragraph in the application if your background is from an adjacent field.
How intensive is it really?
It is a full-time month. Campus lectures and studio on Monday and Tuesday, excursions and workshops midweek, and the Studio Project running through all four weeks. Plan to treat it like a job you happen to love, with weekends free for the island.
Will my home university accept the 12 ECTS?
The programme documents 12 ECTS. Your home institution alone decides whether and how the credits count, so confirm this with your registrar before applying. We provide the academic documentation for that review.
Is there a portfolio or pre-screening?
No portfolio review. The application asks for your home institution, year and a short motivation. The cohort is curated for diversity of background and stage.
What materials do I need to bring?
Sketchbook, drawing tools and a laptop. The studio provides desk space and access to the design labs. A pre-arrival kit list is sent on confirmation.
Apply for this program.
Registration opens 16 Oct · VIP list first
Summer 2026 is closed and Summer 2027 opens on 16 October. The VIP list gets in on 1 October, two weeks before the public window. Free to join, 30 seconds, no commitment.
VIP window 1 – 15 Oct 2026 · price by email · VIP list only
India's story2 minutes · straight from YouTube
MondayCampus lectures
TuesdayDesign studio
WednesdayExcursion day
ThursdayWorkshop day
FridayFlexible Friday
on this program