2021 AIA/ACSA Intersections Research Conference: Communities

Architecture & STE(A)M : Investing in Community Leadership Through Early Design Education

Fall Conference Proceedings

Author(s): Rhett Russo

Architecture is a STEAM profession, and a model for education that relies on both the arts and the sciences to address the built environment, community engagement, diversity, and civic leadership. This paper provides a case study for a collaborative pedagogical model that introduces architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design in early design education as part of Rise High School’s, funded after school program for underrepresented minorities. The mission of the Rise High program is to cultivate leadership in the community and an enthusiasm for science. The goal is to enable the next generation of students to attend college and pursue higher paying jobs. Working with experts from industry, and academia, students from Rise High School in Schenectady, New York, participated in an urban design proposal to design a public space in downtown Schenectady. The architecture and design module consisted of three workshops with hands on activities that introduced the students to the role of critical thinking and problem solving as they relate to design and community based leadership. All of the workshops were conducted remotely in the spring of 2021, using a combination of Zoom, Miro, and Tinkercad.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AIA.Inter.21.14

Volume Editors
Rico Quirindongo & Georgeen Theodore

ISBN
978-1-944214-39-5