College of Built Environments at the University of Washington.
Teaching by Example
Wednesday October 2008
Since the 1990s, design-build workshops have flourished in US universities, and this month Architectural Record brings several prominent professors together for a telephone roundtable to discuss the popularity, challenges, and impacts of these. For UW's CAUP, professor Steve Badanes, points out that many students attend the UW CAUP for the Neighborhood Design/Build Studio, for both a practical experience in construction and design, as well as to become involved directly with issues of social responsibiltiy. The design/build workshops have become avenues to not only engage students with their profession from a practial perspective - to help them become better builders and designers - but have helped generate interest in social justice in underserved communities as well. Other questions raised by Architectural Record include logistics, to build local or go abroad; format, to go large or small; politics, issues of fundraising and support; and participation, how to encourage involvement and active participation when only one of potentially many student designs is picked.
Professor Steve Badaners recommends design-build studios go small, as in this example of a small public space at the Garden Gathering Place his students completed for the Danny Woo Community Gardens in 2007.
For the complete article, please visit Architectural Record online.
Additionally, in the same issue, a new book with essays contributed by both Steve Badanes and CAUP Associate Professor Jeff Hou is reviewed. Book review online here.