People and Place Matter

Samuel Mockbee wrote that, “‘there is something divine in a work of architecture,’ he declares, ‘and we must maintain faith in the wonder of architecture to bring us into accord with the natural world, the supernatural world, with our fellow human beings and the great unknown.’” (pg. 105 Constructing a New Agenda). What’s interesting about Mockbee, which is pointed out in the reading, is that he rejected the prevailing idea of ‘star-chitecture’ in favor of this hands-on idea that the architect could build, and through that the architect could prove to have a more positive impact on the place and the people where he built. Mockbee’s legacy lives on through the Rural studio at Auburn. I think that the studio and specifically the 20k homes perfectly encapsulate Mockbee’s idea of ‘subversive leadership’. The goal of this specific project is to design and build “beautiful, affordable, equity building, energy-efficient homes for our community.” Which the studio has done since 2004. (ruralstudio.org).