There’s a reason people talk about Spain as a place where creativity feels “alive.” It’s in the street life, the craft traditions, the bold contemporary design scene and the way cities like Madrid keep reinventing themselves while places like Segovia remind you that timeless ideas never go out of style. IE School of Architecture and Design sits right in the middle of that contrast, operating across Madrid, Segovia, and beyond.
What makes this school different from “traditional” design education in Spain?
IE School of Architecture and Design is built around an ethos called Design Ahead, and this is our “why”, a forward-thinking approach that prioritizes anticipating future needs and creating solutions before the market (or society) even asks for them.
- Undergraduate programs: choose your creative lane (and keep your options open)
For undergraduate students, the school offers three core bachelor’s routes, each taught in English, plus additional dual-degree options. Here’s a quick snapshot:
5 years | English | Segovia | Full-time | In-person
A project-based program designed to help students synthesize creative, technical, environmental and social considerations, preparing them to create meaningful environments.
4 years | English | Segovia + Madrid | Full-time | In-person
A program that moves with you: the first two years in Segovia, the last two in Madrid, ideal if you want the focus of a campus setting and the energy of a capital city.
4 years | English | Segovia + Madrid | Full-time | In-person
A craft-meets-industry approach with sustainability and innovation at the core, combining traditional craftsmanship with new technologies.
The creative campus mindset: learn by doing, not by watching
A lot of schools say they’re hands-on. IE School of Architecture and Design builds that promise into its identity: learning by doing is central, with students engaging in the full creative process of ideation, making, testing and refining.
The Fab Lab in Segovia: where ideas become prototypes
One of the most concrete expressions of that philosophy is the IE University Fab Lab, a space designed for experimentation across both digital fabrication tools and traditional making techniques (woodworking, ceramics, casting). A quote from the school’s dean captures the point neatly: it’s not enough to have a good idea, designers and architects need to understand how things are actually made, and the fastest way to learn that is to build prototypes.
Partnerships, studios, and a wider world (yes, including study abroad)
Creative careers are built on two things: skill and network. IE School of Architecture and Design emphasizes both, through academic collaboration (including exchanges, workshops, short courses) and partnerships that extend into real projects, challenges, sponsored studios, and masterclasses. The partner ecosystem spans brands and institutions tied to design, sustainability, and the built environment. Examples featured include ECOALF, Madrid Design Festival, UNStudio, and ULI (Urban Land Institute).
A student project that shows what “Design Ahead” looks like in practice
Sometimes the best way to understand a school is to look at what students actually create.
“City Under a Tree” (Málaga)
This project explores how a space can serve both public life and private events, remaining active year-round while generating revenue to support community activities. Designed with sustainability in mind, it integrates features like solar panels, rainwater collection, natural ventilation, and improved bike paths, showing how design choices can translate into environmental and social impact.
If you’re looking for an undergraduate experience in Spain that blends creativity, entrepreneurship and hands-on making, IE School of Architecture and Design is built to feel less like a lecture series and more like a creative engine. Explore the undergraduate programs, compare your options, and apply to the track that fits your creative ambition.