Yesterday, three shipping containers arrived on the REALM high school site, steps from the door of Studio H’s woodshop. These three containers will be the structural armature for an outdoor flex space our fifth/sixth period students are designing and building. As a program, Studio H responds to the social and economic context of our community, and as a group, we decided that our first responsibility is to our school community. Because of constrained facilities in our new high school location, there is a great need for a flexible classroom/eating/gathering space for students and staff. All classrooms (including Studio H’s) are shared by multiple classes and teachers throughout the day, so we hope to ease some of the burden by building new, beautiful spaces for all of us to use and inhabit.

Starting this week, students will be divided into a few design/build teams: roof trusses, seating, surfaces, landscape, and graphics. Over the course of the rest of the semester, we’ll design and construct each of these elements to complete the space. Our students are quickly developing a wide toolbox of building skills, from tablesaw and carpentry skills to welding, metalwork, digital fabrication, and more. Let the building begin…

A few weeks ago, our fifth period class started a project called “Unit(ed) We Stand,” in which students designed a small-scale cardboard building unit in two dimensions, which could be put together to create a 3-d enclosure. Students learned how to use the laser cutter and Adobe Illustrator to draft and cut hundreds of the units, then prototyped a structure made from them. Then we took it to full scale, cutting hundreds more of the units at a larger size, by hand (no laser cutter this time).

At full scale, the cardboard units were the same shape, but functioned slightly differently because of their increased size. Students re-modeled their enclosure designs using the full-scale modules in the courtyard space at the high school. Each group had a unique module: some more linear, others hexagonal, one of them bone-shaped.

As an exercise, Unit(ed) We Stand taught both digital and hand-fabrication, scale, geometry, structures, and the physical limitations of material and design. Soon we will be building at full scale in more structural materials, and the foundational skills learned in this lesson will help us better understand future architecture projects.

In collaboration with Ms. Wu’s 10th grade English class, we did a quick cross-disciplinary project in which students wrote six-word manifestos for their life, and then used Adobe Illustrator and the laser cutter to produce a poster. For back to school night, all 100 posters were put up on the main wall in the high school woodshop building.

The manifestos were developed through a writing exercise in Ms. Wu’s class, and then the design and production skills developed within Studio H. Each student wrote an “I believe” poem about their life, and then chose words from the poem to pare it down to a concise, direct manifesto.

In Illustrator, students learned basic layout, type tools, and printed their layout to the laser printer. In chipboard, their words were cut out, and backed with neon orange poster board. A few of them read:

“They prepared me for the streets.”

“Rip my mind apart with complexity.”

“Have heart. Claim righteousness. Be unstoppable.”

“REALM makes me a better me.”

“Bring me to where I belong.”

In our year-long Studio H (advanced) course, we have begun the year by looking at an individual 2-dimensional unit and how it can be aggregated into a 3-dimensional space. Starting small-scale, we designed the units themselves, tessellating them graphically so that they could easily be produced on the laser cutter. Once each group of five students had a designed 2-d unit, we produced 100 of them to begin building. At a 2×2″ scale, the pieces are at about 1/6 the size of the final product: a small enclosure (about the size of a phone booth) that must have a threshold and house a single human body. This 3-dimensional enclosure must be made entirely out of the 2-d pieces, laser cut out of sheets of cardboard.

The challenge is simple enough, but as an introductory activity, gives students an initial understanding of both graphic shape and how it might translate into inhabitable space. Using a simple material such as cardboard, we can cost-effectively construct space based on a replicable module, thinking about architecture as a whole and in its parts. The photos included here show the first phase of the project; soon we will produce the same modules at full scale (about 1×1 feet), design the enclosure based on the geometry of the module and discoveries at 1/6 scale, and build the people-sized enclosures out in the yard.

Our lesson plan can be found below, or downloaded here as a pdf.

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Unit(ed) We Stand

Purpose
It is critical that we come out of the gates “making.” The initial conversation will circulate between the making of space and the making of units, that, when aggregated together will define inhabitable space. Through lectures, intense sessions of design and critique, and hands-on fabrication students will grasp a solid understanding of both historic and modern construction methodologies as they relate to standard units of building.

Skills
measurement and layout
cut/fold/slot techniques of joinery
basic shop safety
collaborative design
2d and 3d visualization
spatial understanding of the human body and inhabitation
Adobe Illustrator / Laser Engraver
Rhino 3d digital modeling software

Scope
We will begin with a lecture on building units—historically and in modern construction. Students will get into groups of no more than four and charrette around the creation of a 2d shape that, when multiplied hundreds of times, may be aggregated together to form an enclosure (walls, roof, and threshold) for one of their teammates. Teams will have one week to develop the unit through scale models and full-scale prototypes. The second week will be devoted to the production of full-scale units and the construction of the final, inhabitable space. A jury of peers and instructors will critique final projects. The third and final week, students will be introduced to Adobe Illustrator, Rhinoceros 3d modeling software, and the Laser Engraving machine. Through this new digital medium, students will produce 3d renderings and laser-cut, hand-assembled physical models of their full-scale pieces.

Materials
chipboard
cardboard

Tools
X-acto knife
scissors
straight edge
measuring utensils

Timeline/Sequence of Tasks

Week One
9.4 student show & tell / syllabus review / tour of shop / intro to “Unit(ed) We Stand” problem

9.5 unit lecture and slideshow—30 minutes
• brick, block and misc. units dating back to pyramids
• cut/fold/slot techniques and visual examples
cut/fold/slot demonstrations with chipboard—15 minutes
• xacto knife safety
• measuring and layout with scale, straight edge and cutting mat
break into groups and produce simple slotted squares as practice—30 minutes
• minimum (16) 2″ squares with 1/2″ deep slots centered in each of 4 sides
• aggregate pieces together to make free-standing object

9.6 gestural drawings around Serra verbs—20 minutes
• we will use these sketches as form generators
desk crits with groups to drive “unit” design out of gestural drawings
• find commonalities in group’s drawings and assign that verb to group
• assigned verb will carry throughout the project as conceptual glue
development of sketches and initial modeling may take place for remainder of class

9.7 continue design development and model making—75 minutes
• groups should be working as well-oiled crew, producing independently and coming back together at intervals to aggregate units and design spatial piece

Week Two
9.10 begin full-scale fabrication of cardboard units—75 minutes
• groups need to establish clear roles
• project manager, production team, assembly team, etc.
• scale? how big are actual units? who are we designing the space around? how tall? wide?

9.11 full-scale fabrication—75 minutes
9.12 full-scale fabrication and full-scale mock-ups of assemblage—75 minutes
9.13 finish production and begin final assemblage—75 minutes
9.14 last minute assembly—15 minutes
group critiques—60 minutes
• each group will receive approximately 10 minutes to present their concept, explain their process and receive critique from their peers and instructors

Week Three
9.17 Intro to Adobe Illustrator—30-45 minutes
• demo using projector, students follow along as instructor introduces tools and techniques and creates simple 2″ square, slotted units
• move to laser cutter and demo printing process
student groups may begin drawing their 2d units in Illustrator—30-45 minutes

9.18 recreate units and shelter in 3d digital space

9.19 continue digital 3d rendering / draw or export 2d to Illustrator
9.20 continue digital 3d rendering / begin laser cutting 2d units in chipboard
9.21 finish digital 3d rendering / assemble laser cut scale model

Assessment

Full-Scale Production
• Engagement, Participation, Teamwork: 25%
• Design and Construction: 65%
• Presentation of Final Work: 10%

Digital Production
• Engagement, Participation, Teamwork: 25%
• Digital Replication and Fabrication: 65%
• Presentation of Final Work: 10%

To kick off our semester-long Studio H (basic) course, which we teach first and second period to a total of 50 REALM sophomores, we went back to basics: the sketchbook. The sketchbook is an essential tool and document for designers, architects, artists, and creative professionals. It is both a tool for studying and understanding the world, catalog ideas, and coming back to them days, weeks, and years down the road. It is both a record (noun), and a tool to record (verb).

In order to promote the use of the sketchbook, and also to activate the hand-mind connection, our students will make their own sketchbooks using traditional book-making techniques (cutting, stitching, sanding individual signatures, binding them into a soft but durable cover of roofing rubber we saved from the farmers market construction in Bertie County).

The process is fairly straight forward, but will require both craft in the making of the book, and an introductory understanding of graphic design for the ornamentation of the cover. We will use Adobe Illustrator to design and produce the cover graphics, which each student will use as an expression of their own vision. The school’s trifecta of words, Love, Grit, and Action, will guide the graphic design process, with the final graphics etched onto the book cover’s rubber using our laser cutter/engraver. At the end, each student will have a basic arsenal of analog and digital skills as a foundation for the rest of the semester’s projects.

The lesson plan is pasted below, or downloadable here as a pdf.

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Problem #1: Record

Purpose
It is critical that we come out of the gates “making” and in this case making a tool for recording your semester’s work. The sketchbook is the designer’s version of a journal—somewhere to write down ideas and inspirations, draw and sketch those ideas, work through problems and, generally, get what’s in your head onto paper. This book will also present an opportunity to express your individuality through the illustration you design and etch (using lasers!) into the cover.

Skills
Hand/eye coordination
Following sequential directions
Adobe Illustrator / Laser Engraver

Materials
8 ½” x 11” white paper
Colored posterboard
Ribbon
Thread
Tacky glue
Mousseline
Paper cement
Binder’s glue
20mil EPDM

Tools
Awl
Exacto knife
Disc sander
Adobe Illustrator
Laser cutter/engraver machine

Process
Each of the steps below will be preceded by a demonstration. Please see the example for quick visual references.

1. fold (2) pieces of 8 1/2″ x 11″ posterboard in half, punch each using template and awl
2. cut (5) 4″ long strips of ribbon and glue to one piece of posterboard, this will be the front cover
3. fold a total of (9) signatures, each comprised of (4) sheets of 8 1/2″ x 11″ white paper
4. punch each signature using template and awl
5. cut 5-6′ of thread, knot one end, thread needle and begin sewing signatures starting with the front cover of posterboard
6. tie off thread after 4 or 5 signatures. cut new length of thread (5-6′) and finish sewing the rest of the signatures together ending with the back cover of posterboard. be sure to tie-off the thread at the back cover.
7. clamp and glue ribbons to back cover of posterboard
8. still in clamp, glue mousseline cloth to spine of book and let dry overnight
9. sand edges of paper and pasterboard to achieve a smooth finish
10. laser engrave rubber cover
11. using paper cement, glue rubber cover to posterboard one side at a time. be sure the cement has air dried before attempting to stick together.
12. trim rubber as needed.

Timeline/Sequence of Tasks

Week One
9.4 student s&t, community builder—15
syllabus review / tour of shop—30
intro to “Sketch” problem—10
demo: layout and measurement utensils—20

9.5 demo: 1st steps to making book—15
hand out materials and begin fabrication—60

9.6 demo: sewing of signatures—15
fabrication: fold, punch, glue, and sew signatures—60

9.7 demo: gluing of spine—15
fabrication: sewing signatures and gluing spines—60

Week Two
9.10 demo: sanding—15
fabrication: sew, glue, sand, ready for cover—60

9.11 point, line, and plane lecture (Emily)—30
“wildcat” drawing exercise—45
gestural sketches if time permits

9.12 demo: Adobe Illustrator—30
Illustrator exercise (in pairs): recreate renegade and rhino from picture—45

9.13 Illustrator exercise—75

9.14 Illustrator exercise—60
homework: pick from hat (love, grit, or action) and bring in an object or photograph that defines that word for you—15

Week Three
9.17 graphic voice lecture (Emily)—30
student share-out of objects, tell story—30
begin designing book covers—15

9.18 develop conceptual schemes for book covers / desk crits—75
9.19 input schemes into Illustrator / desk crits—75
9.20 input schemes into Illustrator / desk crits—75
9.21 demo: cover binding—15
finish illustrator work and export to laser—60

Week Four
9.24 finish exports to laser engraver and cover binding—75

Assessment
Knot craft: 25%
Drawings and written documentation: 50%
Verbal presentation and participation: 25%

Earlier this year, we announced our bittersweet departure from Bertie County, and this summer relocated Studio H to an amazing charter school in Berkeley, California. REALM (Revolutionary Education And Learning Movement) is a free public charter school (middle and high school) in West Berkeley, in its second year of operations. We joined the school because of its revolutionary spirit, dedication to educating the whole child, and gritty implementation of project-based learning.

We arrived in early June and built out our shop/studio space. While space is tight, we will have enough room to accommodate two classes of 25 10th-grade students, and an advanced class of about 15 over the course of the day. The desks from Bertie came with us, and we set up the laser cutter, table saw, a few other saws, a slew of hand tools, and have access to our welding equipment in a shipping container outside the classroom door. The obligatory “Design. Build. Transform.” graphic is plastered at the back of the classroom, stenciled across sheets of steel which we will use as magnetic pin-up space for student work.

On August 25th, the school hosted a family orientation day, during which we recruited a few students and families (and teachers!) to help beautify the high school campus. Last year, when there were only 6th and 9th grade classes, the school was housed in one building, but this year, as 200 students in 2 grades are added, the high school has moved a few blocks away to its own campus. We had quickly designed some concrete tube-cast planter boxes and seating, which we poured on site into 20″-wide Sonotubes (the same tubes we used for the farmers market foundation footers in Bertie County). Parents, students, and our fellow teachers got dirty pouring pods of five units, and by the end of the afternoon, we had created a nice open space outside of the high school buildings for students to congregate during breaks and lunch. More than anything, we were humbled by the support of the REALM community who worked through their Saturday afternoon to help beautify their school grounds.

The first day of school arrived quickly (August 29th!), and as Director of Design for the school, and Matt in a full-time Studio H teaching position, we led the entire school of 400 students through a 3-day Design Challenge. In its commitment to project-based learning, REALM hosts quarterly design challenges for students, each of which asking the student body to look, figure out, and produce. To kick off the year, we wrote the following challenge: “How might we get our hands dirty?” Students had one full day and two half-days to ideate, prototype, and produce a solution for their school or community, using a structure that aligned with both the school’s culture of Love, Grit, Action, and Studio H’s Design, Build, Transform. tenets.

As an advisor, my group of 6th grade girls produced a school cookbook (above) with “unexpected recipes” like breakfast pizza and sweet tamales. Other groups produced videos or educational raps. Mr. Young prototyped a “Bring Your Pet to School Day,” including rats and a chihuahua. At the high school, Matt’s advisory built a wipe-out obstacle course (hilarious video below). The goal of the Design Challenge is to go through the design process and creatively problem-solve, but also to exercise the creative muscle, nurture crazy ideas, and then make sure them come to life in some form.

Following the first three days of Design Challenge, we started regularly scheduled classes, with two class periods of Studio H, 25 students per period, for a semester. We also have a third class of advanced students, who will take Studio H for the full school year and work on a larger-scale housing project for the community. Other projects will range from public furniture to rock climbing hand-holds, hand-made sketchbooks laser-cut with individual graphics, school signage, and cardboard enclosures. We’re so excited to have students in the classroom again. Stay tuned for more next week as we dive into the first projects.

And, read a recently published article in the local Berkeleyside paper, titled “New program at REALM School gets students’ hands dirty.”

04 June 2012

Dear friends and supporters,

After three years of living, teaching, and building in rural Bertie County in eastern North Carolina, Project H will be moving the headquarters of our Studio H high school design/build program to REALM Charter School in Berkeley, California this summer. This decision comes after months of deliberation, planning, and negotiation; please read on for the whole story of both our departure from Bertie and launch at REALM (apologies for our lengthiness: we wanted to be thorough in the communication of this announcement).

As many of you know, we first began working in Bertie County in April 2009, and have since completed a total of 15 architectural and design projects and taught 26 students as part of our Studio H program. In the past two years of Studio H, our junior-year students have inspired us beyond belief, becoming leaders of their small town. They have designed and constructed three public chicken coops in a county where the largest employer is the industrial Perdue chicken processing plant. They launched a farmers market enterprise for their hometown (Bertie County is a designated food desert), including the construction of a 2000-square-foot farmers market pavilion and two smaller iconic farmstands at strategic county intersections, and the organization of the town-managed governing association of 35 local farmers. They worked on these projects as part of their school day, earning high school credit, 17 transferable college credits, and work stipends during construction. Our first cohort (2010-2011 school year students) just graduated from high school, many as the first in their families to move on to college. As for us, we came to school as their teachers every day, getting to know them as students, young citizens, and Bertie County’s next generation of mayors, small businessmen, and visionaries. We believed (and continue to believe) that the combination of creativity and hands-on building skills, put towards full-scale community-centered projects, is an ideal arsenal for engaged public education.

Windsor Super Market pavilion, designed and built by Studio H students
Photo: Brad Feinknopf 2011

When we initially moved operations to Bertie County, we had the steadfast support of a visionary superintendent, who believed that design could be a path to progress in this deep Southern, divided rural community. We wrote the Studio H curriculum as a vocational program for junior-year students within the public high school, with myself (Emily Pilloton, Project H founder/executive director) and Matthew Miller (project manager) in full-time teaching positions. Four weeks before we launched the first academic year of Studio H in August 2010, political tensions between the school district’s board and administration forced our forward-thinking superintendent out of his position (and out of town). With his departure went many programs he spearheaded. Studio H was on the chopping block, and our offered teaching salaries and financial investment from the district were now “off the table.” Despite the 11th-hour resistance from the politically charged school board, we chose to stay in Bertie County to launch Studio H, self-funded without district support, because of the immense support and excitement from students, their families, the greater community, town leaders, and some generous funders who believed in the value of hands-on, vocational, community-driven high school education. To date, all of our Studio H costs (shop equipment, classroom materials, student stipends, salaries, construction materials, etc) have been entirely supported by grants and individual donom (to whom we are deeply grateful).

After two full school years, our program remains unsupported by the school administration despite our role as full-time teachers within the school system, steadfast support from the community, and the quality of the work our students have delivered. This has left us without a shared investment in the long-term success of Studio H, with 100% of the funding burden. Given this unsustainable financial model, our ongoing presence here would be a disservice to future students, as we would not be able to guarantee their enrollment due to our annual reliance on grants. This model is also a disservice to the citizens of Bertie County, who deserve the partnership and support of their local county leadership, as well as a disservice to our organization and the greater design community, as we seek to set an example for how design for social impact can, in fact, become a sustainable fiscal model for creative professionals (our move to REALM Charter School is a great step in the direction of financial viability and shared investment for a socially oriented design practice).

Farmstand designed and built by Studio H

What we know beyond any doubt, is that Studio H’s legacy in Bertie County lives within our students and in the programs and structures they have built with their own sweat and creativity. They have proven to us that Studio H is a transformative approach to education. One of our students put this beautifully: “Studio H has changed the way I approach life. I have learned that no matter what the challenge, to never underestimate what is possible. With these new lessons I can make my future what I want it to be, not what someone else wants it to be.” Studio H has also proven to Bertie County (and supporters around the world) that anything is possible when youth are given the creative and real-world tools to build physical solutions. Our students have made history, as the only high school students in the country to initiate, design, build, fund, and open a local farmers market for their hometown. The farmers market structure which began as sketch models on their desks, was recently featured in Architectural Record. We have absolute confidence that after our departure, their presence and role in Bertie County will continue to garner the support of the local town leaders, families, and neighbors that will change this community for the better. Despite the political turmoil and systemic limitations that were beyond our control, it was our choice to stay in Bertie County, to build, and to teach, and we leave feeling great about what we have accomplished alongside our students.

An outspoken Bertie County resident and Studio H supporter left us with these words in a recent email: “You and your students have absolutely have left a legacy here and I just hope we can honor it moving forward. We can feel your backdraft, so I know we have a chance.”

While we are saddened to leave Bertie County, we are also thrilled to be joining the staff and administration of REALM Charter School in Berkeley starting this August. For the past two years, we have been inspired by REALM, its teachers, students, and principal / executive director / fearless leader Victor Diaz, who opened the school in August 2011 as a “Revolutionary Education And Learning Movement.” The school’s mission is “to cultivate resiliency, develop critical thinking skills, advance knowledge through rigorous studies, and equip students to serve our communities and the world in the 21st century.”

At REALM, we will join a diverse community of teachers and students who will challenge and push Studio H into an even more robust and effective curriculum, presenting new (urban) contexts for the work our students produce. As Studio H has always been rooted in the development and execution of creative solutions that stem from a particular context, we feel confident that REALM’s location and community will inspire new avenues, projects, and outputs that benefit the student body and the greater geographic area. While the limitations of building full-scale architecture in the urban Bay Area are more constrained than rural Bertie County, we will continue to pursue physical, built projects that are visible and in use by our students, their families, and neighbors. Most importantly, we are excited that Studio H will have a chance to grow and thrive in an active and collaborative environment like REALM.

Structurally, REALM offers Project H Design, as an organization, a sustainable source of overhead support and a shared investment in the program’s success. Matthew Miller (our project manager) will join REALM as a full-time Design Instructor, while I (Emily Pilloton, executive director) will serve as REALM’s Design Director, balancing classroom instruction with school-wide leadership for project-based learning and the school’s quarterly design challenges.

Victor Diaz, REALM’s principal and executive director, expressed his own excitement about our partnership: “Studio H brings an expertise, compassion, and imagination that not only encourages action but almost dares students into building the unimaginable. REALM is honored to collaborate with Studio H on this journey to remake public education. REALM, on its own, could never achieve what families, students, and teachers will now be able to accomplish partnering with Studio H–thoughtful and long-lasting community transformation.”

As we make this exciting transition, we are hugely indebted to all our partners and supporters in Bertie County: Mayor Hoggard, Pitt Community College, and the families of the Bertie County Schools. Most importantly, we thank our students, for whom we got up every morning and were inspired every day, and who will carry the torch of progress in Bertie County. Kerron, our Year 1 student, articulated this at the grand opening for the farmers market pavilion, when he told the Mayor, “I hope to come back here with my children someday and tell them I built this.” We hope that this sentiment will be carried on by our new students at REALM Charter School, and we can’t wait to get started.

Onward….

Sincerely,

Emily Pilloton, Founder and Executive Director
Project H Design

Our first cohort of Studio H students (2010-2011 school year) are officially high school graduates! After two semesters, 17 college credits, learning how to use every tool in the wood and metal shop, building a 2000 square foot farmers market for their home town, our 13 Studio H students have successfully completed their high school career and will move on to the next chapter.

Some will be attending 4-year colleges, some are the first in their families to go to college, or graduate high school. Some will go straight into community college vocational certification programs after dabbling in welding and other trade skills during their time in Studio H.

At the ceremony, Kerron (salutatorian) and Colin (valedictorian) gave their speeches, mentioning Studio H as one of the highlights of their high school years. We were proud and teary-eyed “parents,” and had our own chance to address the graduating class to thank them for their hard work, partnership, and vision.

We will be following this class as they venture forth into the world, because after great accomplishment (the only farmers market structure built by high school students, and a feature in Architectural Record!), comes great expectations. We expect great things from this class, that they continue to be citizens and changemakers both in Bertie and beyond.

Congrats to the class of 2012 (Studio H class of 2011)!!!! We love you.

Last Thursday and Friday, we loaded the finished farmstands onto a trailer and delivered them to their final destination: the boys’ team’s “magic carpet” farmstand to downtown Lewiston, and the girls’ team’s “modular box” farmstand to Mr. Wallace Jones’ property on Highway 308. The two were designed 100% by students to be both aesthetically interesting and structurally sound, prefabricated and within the width and height requirements of a standard trailer (less than 96″ wide).

BOYS TEAM: “Team Genie”

We delivered the boys’ farmstand on Thursday, thanks to the partnership of the Mayor of Lewiston, who gave us a prime location on the lawn in front of the Lewiston-Woodville fire department building. We chose Lewiston because of its location in the center of the county and also because it is the home of Mr. Newkirk and family, who have been die-hard vendors and supporters of the Windsor farmers market we built last year. He sells produce and plants almost every day, and now with a farmstand in his hometown, he doesn’t have to go far. He has also done an amazing job promoting the ideals of local food and community, so we hope that this location in Lewiston will further the mission of the farmers market and connect the entire county with his help.

The boys’ farmstand was constructed on a bay-system, using ribs fabricated from lengths of wood cut with a jig-saw. They were bolted together in two layers for additional strength, then connected with spans of steel. The “elephant” shape was actually inspired by the motion of a magic carpet, as it flies out over the front of the structure, providing shade over visitors standing at the counter. The boys did a wonderful job cutting siding pieces as well, creating a randomized green/gray facade.

We went up to take some pictures on Saturday, and Mr. Newkirk and three of his grandchildren were using the stand, and greeted us by yelling “God bless you!” across the lawn. We are so proud of the boys team for building and installing this structure which we know will be used by the Lewiston community for years to come. And a huge thanks to Mr. Newkirk for his partnership and enthusiasm.

GIRLS TEAM: “Team Quad-X”

The girls’ farmstand was designed to be constructed from simple modules. Each box module could be built in a time-efficient manner using simple tools, and together, they were laid out to form the two side walls of the farmstand. The back was a plain wall which the team chose to adorn (against the initial opposition of their instructors) with splatter paint. The roof was constructed using corrugated metal over 16″-spaced joists.

When we arrived on site, Mr. Wallace Jones, a farmer who usually sells his greens elsewhere but is “getting too old to go so far to make a living,” greeted us. He had seen the farmstand design before and was all smiles when it arrived on his property. Over the course of the next few hours, many people stopped by to ask what it was, and his cell phone rang off the hook as neighbors called asking “what’s that crazy thing on your property?!” It was this kind of attention we hoped to bring, not for mere spectacle, but to improve Mr. Jones’ chances of selling his greens and making a more steady income.

We set the farmstand down on some risers and used the same tie-downs used for mobile homes to ensure its stability on the site. The central counter piece (also constructed from the box modules) sits in the center of the farmstand, for storage and counter space. The roof was assembled on site, as was the “GREENS” sign which was attached to the outside of three of the boxes facing the more highly trafficked direction of the highway.

When we were done, Mr. Jones thanked us profusely and gave us more cabbage than we knew what to do with as a gift. While the location of this farmstand is not necessarily “public,” it was an ideal scenario that will ensure its use and accessibility by an older farmer who we know will benefit (economically and physically) from its presence on his property. Thanks, Mr. Jones for being an awesome client! And congrats to the girls’ team for their thoughtful work and commitment to building such a wonderful, wacky, and functional farmstand.

Last night, we attended the annual award banquet for the regional chapter of CEFPI (Council for Educational Facility Planners International). CEFPI is a great group of architects, educators, and business folk who “seek to improve the places where children learn.” I’ve known of them for years now, and last year, was one of the speakers at their annual conference. After hearing about Studio H, the chapter president offered two of our students $1000 college scholarships, though they could not be awarded until this year (now our year 1 students are seniors, going to college next year). The purpose of the scholarship is to financially support students going into related fields (engineering, architecture, etc) who might eventually become members of CEFPI in a professional capacity.

Colin and Kerron, students from last year, were both accepted to NC State, Colin for Biology and Engineering, and Kerron for Computer Engineering. As two of the hardest-working students and leaders from last year’s Studio H cohort, they were natural choices for CEFPI. We all attended the banquet and were greeted by Roger Leeson and Robert Sotolongo from CEFPI, who presented the scholarships.

We are so proud of Colin and Kerron and know they will do great things in whatever field they choose to pursue, hopefully with a secret arsenal of creativity and real-world production skills thanks to Studio H! And a huge thank you to CEFPI for your important mission and for supporting young talent as they continue with their creative careers. We are forever grateful.