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College of Design
School of Architecture | College of Design

Public Interest Design Incubator Studio

The goal of the Public Interest Design Incubator Studio is to engage the public to understand challenges, develop partners, and create design responses. The course will explore methods of how design can address the critical issues faced by communities. Students will actively develop a real community-based project by engaging the public to understand challenges, developing partners and proposing design solutions. Design assignments will cover incubating a project from initial community contact through programming and schematic design. Assignments will integrate form throughout the process, including the design, construction,  and installation of a small design/build project as a catalyst.

This studio is open to advanced undergraduate and graduate students.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Leverage stakeholders assets to address project challenges through available and appropriate resources;
  • Develop a public interest design project through programming and schematic stages;
  • Use a rapid iteration and  a team brainstorming process to design collaboratively and with a community as a partner;
  • Research the need of a community and then analyze the potential social, economic, and environmental impact of a design project.