Rural Studio and the Role of the Architect
One of the key ways that Rural Studio has impacted the role of the architect is by placing a strong emphasis on community service. Rather than simply designing buildings for clients, Rural Studio's students work directly with local communities to identify their needs and develop solutions that are tailored to their specific circumstances. This approach has helped to foster a deeper sense of collaboration between architects and the communities they serve, and has helped to create a more democratic and participatory approach to design.
Rural Studio has also had a significant impact on the role of the architect in the area of social justice. Mockbee believed that architecture should be used as a tool for social change, and that architects have a responsibility to address the needs of underserved and marginalized communities. Rural Studio's projects have often focused on serving these communities, including low-income families, people with disabilities, and those living in rural areas. This has helped to demonstrate that architecture can be a powerful force for social justice, and has inspired many architects to take a more activist approach to their work.
In a world where the profession is regarded to only designing for those that have the means, how can we use our knowledge and skills to help those that truly need our expertise but aren't able to be billed at the same rate as our usual clients? How do we break this ongoing cycle in this ultra-capitalist country so that designing for underserved and marginalized communities become more of a norm in our profession?
Powerful last paragraph, Erin. Maybe we as designs try to commit to doing atleast a bit of pro bono work. If enough of us do it maybe it will make a major impact on these communities
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely interesting to trace the impact and history of the Rural Studio. In perhaps one of the most isolated situations for material and access (at least in the United States), these designers are having one of the greatest impacts. It begs the question of how much more of an impact we could have with more resources available.
ReplyDeleteRural studio would be an excellent case study to look at 10-30 years in the future. Rural studio has a lot of similarities to the biome and economy of West Virginia. There needs to be firms in more states that focus on a demographic similar to them and create innovative designs for those who are forgotten.
ReplyDeleteHey Erin! I totally agree that we need to break the cycle of ultra-capitalism and demand that community oriented design should take its place. I think one of the first steps towards this would be to implement programs such as Rural Studio into Architecture Programs - creating a heightened sense of awareness at the professional level (putting pressure on the profession to do the same/similar) - the other step would be obviously at the political level (which unfortunately within America would take too long for change to happen or be unsuccessful all together).
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