Idea, Sketch, Build, Impact
Reading Samuel Mockbee’s, “Rural Studio,” really made me think about what our roles should be as architects and the possibilities that the title holds. He states that he believes architects are given a gift of second sight and that we shouldn’t wait for decisions to be made by politicians or multinational corporations. We have been given the capability to think critically, and we should use that to challenge the political agenda and fight for the community. I agree with Mockbee in the sense that we don’t see many architects in positions of power in our communities because we get so caught up in the work itself, we forget the impact that we are making beyond just the architecture and the opportunities architecture creates for our communities. I think I became more aware of this during my design-build studio in Charleston where we designed a pavilion/outdoor classroom for elementary students. We had the opportunity to teach the students about architecture and give them hands-on experiences that they may not have had otherwise. The pavilion not only acts as a classroom for the students, but also as a symbol of hope for the future of the school and the community. If we hadn’t been engaged in the community and only focused on our own agendas, we wouldn’t have these same impacts on our society.
Design-build studios are at the grassroots of architectural engagement in the community. The opportunity to inform the public of the impact the built environment has on their community is critical to demanding ethical responsibility from the architect and paying client. How can we integrate these teaching and engagement opportunities in a larger-scale design project, and give agency to people that will ultimately be impacted by the space?
ReplyDeleteI agree, Gauge. Architects must remember to engage with the community in which they exist, where they can significantly impact the lives of people around them. We should consider ourselves highly impactful when making fundamental, consequential changes in the local environment, and design-build projects, such as the one you described, are a fantastic way to do that.
ReplyDeleteGauge, I find this to be inspiring! Your work in the design build studio will have a huge impact for the students in the elementary school. Teaching kids the important of community early on and using architecture as a took will help build trust in the community. I'm sure the kids in the elementary school will always remember the pavilion as an important learning tool growing up.
ReplyDeleteGauge, your example of the design-build in Charleston is a great example of impactful architecture for a community that truly need it. I grapple with the fact that we learn these principles in academia and are not given many more chances to participate in it when we enter the profession. How do we market architecture and impactful design to the public and to policy makers so that we have the resources (time and money) to participate in these kind of projects more often?
ReplyDeleteEngagement with the community is crucial to our discipline and should never leave the process of how we design for our society. As we progress through our professional careers, we need to continue to advocate for that collaboration as well as educating the younger/future generations.
ReplyDeleteCommunityBUILD studios are one of the most influential programs I feel an architecture student can be a part of during their education. Not only are you getting to learn about design, but you also get to engage with all types of communities, both old and new, to create positive change in their neighborhood. These types of programs should be integrated into all architecture schools as it builds knowledge and a sense of agency to make an impact beyond your education. I am already thinking of ways to use the skills I learned from the studio to make a difference in the world. We all should.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing up community BUILD there. I completely agree gauge. I'd go as far to say it was a strong learning outcome for us as it was for the students or faculty at Edith L. Frierson. As someone who is from a state that does not do architecture, there has always been a strong desire and feeling like I need to take my knowledge back to my home state and help those who need it.
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