“To draw is to simply think out loud with one’s hands”

the rural studio philosophy suggests that everyone, both rich and poor, deserves the benefits of good design. We constantly reflect on what we should build, rather than what we can build. In all of the Studio’s projects, the students continue to creatively recycle, remake and reuse materials while simultaneously utilizing sustainable, renewable local resources. True to this mission, the fifth year students are working in the public realm on a variety of complex, large-scale, community-based projects. Hand-in-hand with our community partners and elected officials, these projects focus on the various areas of health, welfare, and education. In each of the projects, the student teams aim to knit together the fragile rural fabric while simultaneously reinforcing the collective memory of place.

As an ongoing catalyst for the “Rural Studio Revolution,” the third year students are questioning the way the Studio itself builds, eats, consumes and wastes. The “Rural Studio Farm” project is tasked with guiding our own ethic forward in response to contemporary economic and environmental issues, as well as provoking both our neighbors and ourselves toward a holistic, self-efficient environment.

Through seven years of persistent research and development, Rural Studio has developed a product line of homes that may be built and purchased by the public (both low- and high- income) for a total cost of $20,000. Designed to fit well within a variety of contexts, the current line of “20K Houses” includes shotgun, dogtrot, and square typologies. The outreach students are currently engaged in the development of a fully accessible version of the 20K House. The 20K House project is perfectly suited to Rural Studio’s ability to research and reflect critically on the challenges of creating well-designed, durable, buildable, dignified and affordable housing.

The 20K House is a clear demonstration of Rural Studio’s mission to promote a reasonable and sustainable lifestyle that is beneficial to both homeowner and community alike. The 20K House also aspires to be a significant economic engine. Able to be constructed in three weeks utilizing both local labor and materials, the ultimate vision of the project is to provide the opportunity for the emergence of a cottage industry of locally built, sustainable, long lasting and easy to maintain homes.

Supplementing these three core studio classes, Rural Studio’s elective offerings emphasize the importance of craft. In both the third year watercolor class and the fifth year drawing class, the Studio aims to create an enduring legacy of beautiful artifacts that celebrate the work of the hand. While digital technologies have an important place in the contemporary world of design, Rural Studio believes that the very tools that create architecture also profoundly affect what is made. To draw is to simply think out loud with one’s hands.

Combining Rural Studio’s ethic of craft with the goal of utilizing locally sourced material, the Woodshop continues to explore the range of opportunities inherent in pine, cedar and cypress. The most fundamental of renewable and

sustainable building resources, wood is one of Alabama’s primary agricultural crops. This fact, joined with our ideas of craft and material research, allows the Woodshop to reinforce Rural Studio’s mission of underpinning one of the vital engines of our fragile local economy.

Proceeding boldly toward our third decade, Rural Studio continues to educate “Citizen Architects” with a mixture of hands-on learning and a healthy dose of social activism. At home in Hale County, we persist in grappling with the complex issues of housing, health, education, nutrition and underemployment that endure in the rural area. As always, one single question drives the work of the Studio forward: How can ideas travel more, while materials and resources travel less?

We are also very lucky to continue to have our fabulous group of visitors and consultants who help push the projects forward: Steve Badanes the “bad boy” Jersey Devil, Paul Stoller “Mr. Environmental” out of New York City, “lovely legs” Joe Farruggia our legendary go-to engineer and the engineer provocateur out of Texas: Anderson Inge. It is also fair to say we couldn’t do 40-acre projects like Lions Park without the incredible help and vision of Xavier Vendrell, who you may read more about later in the Newsletter. Last fall, we re-invented the Rural Studio Advisory Group and had a 1½ day gathering in Newbern, touring the recent projects and receiving advice from folks locally, regionally, nationally, and even internationally. Driven on by the lovely Lady Mockbee and Sambo’s self-proclaimed psychiatrist, William Sledge, we had a beautiful couple of days. In attendance was also our great supporter Bob Roloson. It is fair to say that the incredibly generous support that Bob and his wife Winnie, with their family foundation, and the the Potrero Nuevo Fund (see their profile in the Newsletter) have given over the last 10 years as

well as the generous gifts of lumber from Jimmy Rane from Great Southern Wood have literally allowed Rural Studio to keep the doors open. In addition, we are also extremely grateful to receive support from Regions Bank, the PARC Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners and the Jessie Ball duPont Fund as we move

forward with the development of the 20K House and Rural Studio Farm projects. You can see that folks really believe these projects can have a huge impact!

On the international scene, it’s very flattering, (and indeed it makes us very proud!) to have the work recognized at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City and at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. As you can see, our small program in West Alabama is having a tremendous impact on the world.

I hope y’all enjoy this dip into the current Rural Studio along with some of the latest news and events.

Do let us know what you think! Best to you all, and you are always welcome to come visit us in Hale County.

Best,

Andrew Freear, Director, Rural Studio

Letter from Hale County

“the fragility of our local economy is ever present.”

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the new Rural Studio Newsletter!

This year, we are making a greater effort to communicate with our friends and alumni and keep y’all up to date with what’s going on in Hale. The Newsletter takes the form of a physical document that will be supplemented by emails that connect to the latest news on our website. Also, look out for a new Rural Studio website coming in May, where we will keep you up-to-date with all the daily events, activities and goings-on at the Studio.

We must say a huge thank you for both these new initiatives to Clifton Burt, Danny Wicke and Mackenzie Stagg, who have worked tirelessly to get these ventures off the ground.

On the Newbern “Studio gossip” front, there have been some faculty and staff changes. Elena Barthel is adding some “Italian dressing” to the Rural Studio Farm project, directing the 3rd years with John Marusich. Elena is working on her Southern accent by starting to lecture about Rural Studio, although of course her greatest challenge is being married to THE BOSS. Mackenzie Stagg, formerly a VISTA volunteer at the Studio, has replaced the irreplaceable Danny Wicke, who has gone off to even greener pastures with the great Dan Wheeler in Chicago. Mackenzie and Cameron Acheson, who completed the Lions Park Playscape as a thesis student, will be shepherding the Outreach 20K House forward this year. And, of course, the 5th years will have to endure yet another miserable year(s) with Yours Truly…

Steve Long has completely revamped the Woodshop and works with the 3rd years to produce remarkably polished pieces of handcrafted furniture (if y’all don’t believe me, you should come and see!). The Legendary tricky Dick Hudgens continues to torture those poor 3rd years with his interminable house tours and watercolors. Elena Barthel’s drawing class in Greensboro also forces the 5th years to switch from a mouse to a pencil at least once a week. If you call or visit the Newbern Headquarters, Gayle Etheridge, Brenda Wilkerson and, of course, Johnny Parker continue to rule the roost. In Auburn, Development Officer Melissa Denney has been gathering so much money for us, she has to hide it under her mattress; and Rusty Smith, Associate Director, does a fantastic job hiding our naughtiness from the bosses keeping communication channels open between Hale and the mother ship. Perhaps the biggest staffing news is the appointment of 2002 alumna Marion McElroy to plot the future course of the 20K House. After many years of bossing architect Phillip Johnson around in New York City, she now has the role of guiding the future of the world’s smallest, most adorable house in Hale County.

On a serious note, as I’m sure you all know, Hale and surrounding counties were hit hard by weather events in the last year. Where appropriate, we continue to do our best to help our neighbors impacted by these tragic events.

As for the local Newbern news, the fragility of our local economy is ever present. Newbern’s two major institutions have both found themselves in jeopardy over the last few months. Last Spring, our great friend GB Woods retired after 39 years and 10 months as proprietor of Newbern Mercantile, leaving us all fearful for the store’s future. Thankfully a local “youngster,” Ashley Kyser, has taken it over and is offering great short-order cooked food for dine-in or take-out. The beloved postmaster Frances Sullivan has also taken a well-earned retirement, again causing some local anxiety that our single federal outpost and Newbern’s main social meeting place may close. Jimmy “Food Mart” Brown has now taken over as postmaster. The other big news in town is that our Newbern town Mayor, Woody Stokes, HVAC contractor AND plumber, has taken over the running of Hale Supply in Greensboro and renamed it “Magnolia Building Supply.” He has also decided to run for county commissioner. Does the guy ever sleep?

Things are generally going well for the Studio. All kidding aside, our relationship with the University is better than ever, although it is sad to lose our great friend and colleague Dean Dan Bennett to retirement. We are looking forward to a new journey with his incredibly energetic and dynamic replacement, Dr. Vini Nathan. Of course, project-wise, we are always struggling financially; but we have built great local partnerships, particularly with folks in Greensboro and Hale County. Most recently, we proudly celebrated the openings of two extraordinary projects: The Safe House Black History Museum and the Lions Park PLAYscape. In addition, we continue to cultivate a relationship with the USDA Forest Service and the Talledega National Forest, where we are experimenting with timber thinnings and designing new infrastructure inside the forest using trees from the very same forest.

Recent Press

Neighbors \ “Savor the Fresh Taste of Summer: Greensboro Opens New Farmers Market” \ July 2011

This publication by ALFA highlights the communities’ effort to form a new Farmers Market in Greensboro.

Periodicals Web

Kajima \ kajima.co.jp \ “Safe + Save: Case 13” \ January 2012 This Japanese construction’s monthly report features socially-conscious design projects in their Safe + Save section. In January, they featured Perry Lakes Park.

Oxford American \ oxfordamerican.org \ “The Most Creative Teachers in the South”\ August 23, 2011

Andrew Freear has been listed as one of the most creative teachers in the South, according to an online article by the Oxford, Mississippi-based literary magazine.

MSN Real Estate \ realestate.msn.com \ “Yes, you can build a house for $20,000” \ July 27, 2011

This blog briefly describes the 20K House and provides links to other online articles about Rural Studio.

Travel & Leisure \ travelandleisure.com \ “World’s Most Beautiful Buildings” \ Februrary 2011

Karrie Jacobs has named Akron Boys & Girls Club II as one of the world’s most beautiful buildings.

MoMA

V&A Museum

From June 15 to August 30, 2010, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London hosted an exhibition entitled 1:1 Architects Build Small Spaces. Instead of showcasing existing projects, the museum invited nineteen architects to submit designs for a small enclosure around the concept of a ‘retreat.’ Of these nineteen designs, seven were selected to be built for the exhibition. As stated by the museum, “One of the central aims of the exhibition was to move away from explaining architecture through drawings and models and instead allow the visitor to experience the architecture itself.”

Rural Studio was the only non-professional entity invited to the competition, and was one of the seven designers selected for the final exhibition. Rural Studio faculty, who worked on the competition entry, were asked to develop a concept around a laboratory/shed typology. Out of these parameters, the faculty developed an idea for a woodshed, a simple shed structure constructed entirely out of thinnings. The floor, walls, and roof are all constructed if thinnings milled to 6” squares which are then made into bents using a simple gusset plate joint. The bents are then stacked together and held in place by a continuous tensioner, which can be tightened as the wood shrinks. The exterior of the bents are burn treated to protect and prolong the life of the structure.

For the duration of 1:1 Architects Build Small Spaces, the woodshed inhabited the Porter Gallery, at the entry of the V&A Museum. After the exhibition, the woodshed was auctioned at Phillips de Pury & Company in London. The woodshed now resides in the English countryside.

The Museum of Modern Art recently hosted an exhibition that focused on modest design interventions aimed at creating solutions for local, underserved populations. The show, Small Scale Big Change: New Architectures of Social Engagement, ran from October 3 2010 – January 3, 2011 and included eleven projects from five continents. The Museum of Modern Art selected Rural Studio’s 20K House version 8: Dave’s House, as one of the eleven projects. Dave’s House was the only project featured in the exhibition that was completed by an academic institution, which speaks to Rural Studio’s success as an educational model and is a great honor for the Studio.

Accompanying the exhibition was, a catalogue entitled Small Scale Big Change. In the catalogue, Margot Weller, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Architecture and Design, has written a clear and concise summary of the 20K House project, Dave’s House in particular, and the goals of the larger Studio:

With a regenerating pool of students, university funding, and a rich building history, all in relative isolation, Rural Studio is an ideal laboratory. Using the same time-tested methods in operation since 1993—careful research, dedication to the local community, continued stewardship of past projects—the school is slowly, tenaciously setting the framework for a new paradigm of low-income rural housing. With this project, the architect (here in training), often an arbiter between a client’s wishes and practicality, design and budget, is seeding a partnership between residents and local agency.

Inclusion in such a renowned exhibition is a source of pride for the Studio, and affirms our dedication to architectural education.

Integration Quarterly \ “the Rural Studio Revolution” \ Spring 2011

The Rural Studio Farm was featured in the launch issue of Integration Quarterly, a new publication of the Design-Build Institute of America.

Architectural Record \ “Building for Social Change: Lions Park Playscape” \ March 2012

The recently completed Lions Park Playgroud was featured on the cover of the magazine, whose feature article dicusses projects that stimulate social change.

Green Building & Design \ “Citizen Architect” \ May/June 2011Featured on the magazine’s cover, this article describes the history of the program, as well as showcasing some of the Studio’s more recent projects and speaking to the new documentary.

Lotus \ “Lions Park” \ June 2011This article also follows the phases of Lions Park up to the design of the Playscape.

The Wall Street Journal \ “A Real House in a Very Tight Budget” \ July 16, 2011

Available in both print and digital format, this brief article features the newly-constructed 20K v10: Joanne’s House.

a+t \ “Rural Studio: Lions Park” \ Autumn 2011All completed phases of Lions Park, from the baseball fields through the playscape, are photo-documented in this article.

Catalyst \ “Designing Prototypes of Self-Sufficient Living: A Conversation with Elena Barthel for Rural Studio” \ Summer 2011

In this interview, Elena Barthel talks about sustainability, shelter and food in the context of Rural Studio.

New York City, United States

London, England

Introduction to FacultyElena Barthel

“the quality of edible produce has decreased in parallel with the growth of cities and landscapes”

I first heard about Rural Studio in 2000 when a friend of mine gave me a book with the profound dedication: “One day, we should go work with them!” The book was titled Rural Studio: Samuel Mockbee an Architecture of Decency. One year later, I was stacking straw bales and aluminium cans for Rural Studio’s exhibition in Barcelona. After that Spanish experience, I started visiting Newbern once a year and, in 2008, I came to teach the Second Year Studio as a visiting professor.

Faculty ProfileElena Barthel

Italians like to live with their family. I have lived all my life in my own compound: a stone country house surrounded by olive trees. We have homemade wine, olive oil and fresh vegetables, cooked by talented moms and grandmothers, who are the main reasons for the Italian sedentary lifestyle! The Tuscan sun and Brunelleschi are the second and the third reasons to stay home! After my graduation from the School of Architecture of Florence, in 1999, I set up my own practice within the premises of my parents’ business in the historical Santo Spirito district of Florence. The Barthel workshop is famous for its high quality, arts and crafts interior design and the reclaimed furniture, scavenged and salvaged by my father from all over Europe.

Along with the practice, I taught Design Studio at the Department of Urban Design of the University of Florence where I also recently accomplished my PhD with the thesis ‘Design & Build at the Rural Studio: the education of the Citizen Architect’. Within the same department, I led Auburn University’s Study Abroad Program in 2010.

Whilst my Italian roots always bring me back to Tuscany, I love exploring the world. With architecture becoming my major interest in life, I worked in Barcelona at the time of the great architecture boom that was associated with the 1992 Olympic Games. Later, I moved to South Africa to build a community center with an ambulant group of architects. Most recently, I taught at the Architectural Association of London to implement its hands-on approach to education. My first year at Rural Studio involved teaching the second year students. Since the beginning of the Studio, the youngest students were charged to design a single-family house. The group under

my charge took the opportunity to help Rose Lee Turner and her two sons in Footwash, a small community south of Newbern. The course designed the ‘Expandable Courtyard House’ in response to transient nature of the contemporary family.

Currently, I am running the 3rd year Studio and the Rural Studio Farm multi-phased project, focused on the redesign of the Studio’s Campus as an opportunity to experiment with organic food, renewable energies and sustainable building materials. The project is intended as a prototype of self-efficiency, defined as a way of thinking locally with a holistic attitude. It demands a new Rural Studio style of life, provokes the local community and

challenges the students to question the premise that ‘we are what we eat’.

Ultimately, it responds to one of the main poverties affecting contemporary rural settings: the disappearance of the fresh food culture. Over the last one hundred years in West Alabama, most local growers have disappeared, together

with the associated social and economic fabric, replaced by offsite large-scale farming industries and their dramatic environmental consequences. From its origin, frugal, organic and locally fresh produce – the culinary Southern culture – ceases to exist today, replaced by a mass of industrially processed food. At the same time, the quality of edible produce has decreased in parallel with the growth of cities and landscapes. In the last century, rural settlements have been progressively transformed from dense villages to sub-rural sprawls. I believe that, as architects, we should respond to this! Supported by Auburn University, the Rural Studio Farm project aims to test an alternative. It asks the question: How should we live, eat and build in in a contemporary rural setting?

Cody Byrant

Columbiana, AL

Iain Shriver

Madison, AL

Rachel Latham

Montgomery, AL

Whitney Johnson

Fairfield, AL

Sebastian Toro

Auburn, AL

Skyler Keele

Alabaster, AL

Sam O’Leary

Jacksonville, FL

Candace Duffelle

Roanoke, VA

Cierra Heard

Lafayette, AL

Helen Schlesinger

Fairhope, AL

Third Year Program

The project is based on the educational purpose of instigating a new style of life within Rural Studio and its local community. The aim is to live off the land. Eating, building, and living are intended as parallel symbiotic systems driven by the same holistic ethic: challenging the Rural Studio to use the land creatively as a precious resource.

The Rural Studio Farm experiments with the production of food, energy and building materials. It is intended as a prototype that pursues sustainability, a better quality of life, and the privileged opportunity to ask the question: ‘What can the future of farming be in a contemporary rural setting?’

The Rural Studio Farm will continue to explore organic farming techniques and experiment with the appropriate methods of growing, cooking & eating healthy and nutritious food. The ultimate goal is to understand the architectural, economic, social, cultural and environmental implications of farming.

The Rural Studio Farm Phase 1 started in 2009/2010 with the design and construction of a commercial kitchen based on the desire of ‘Thinking, acting and eating locally’. The new kitchen gives the Studio the opportunity to cook site-produced food and so kick-starting the Rural Studio Farm’s long-term project of food self-efficiency.

The Rural Studio Farm Phase 11 2010/2012 is currently focused on the design and building process of a Solar Greenhouse. The new infrastructure includes a hoop house and a seed house working as one self-efficient machine with zero energy consumption. A thermally massive wall, built with barrels and filled with water, will keep the greenhouse warm at night, while a large glass roof will work as a solar collector during the day. The solar greenhouse will extend Rural Studio’s food production through the winter months and will be a tool to teach and inspire architectural students and local farmers.

Since 2009, the 3rd Year Design Studio has been asked to examine a multi-phase project, focused on the re-design of the Rural Studio campus as an opportunity to build the Rural Studio Farm.

Emily Walker

Keller, TX

Instructors: Elena Barthel, John Marusich

Fifth Year Thesis Program

Ally Klinner

Auburn, AL

Andrew Dolder Yesufu Oladipo

Birmingham, AL

Alex Henderson

Albertville, AL

Ben Johnson

Heflin, AL

Jessica Cain

Pensacola, FL

Mary Melissa Yohn

Auburn, AL

Fayetteville, GA

LIONS PARK SCOUTS AND PARKSCAPE

In Lions Park, Greensboro there are two projects that will build on the work of the last six years of effort in the 40-acre park. Over those years, the Studio has completed baseball fields, entrance infrastructures, restrooms, a concessions stand, parking, basketball courts, a pee wee football field, a skatepark and, most recently, a giant playground.

This year, one 5th year team is designing a new headquarters for the local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. This will offer the park another long term resident. Another team plans to implement a park-wide low-maintenance vegetation plan which encompasses rainwater management principles. This will allow the team to enhance the “in-between” spaces of Lions Park and refine its identity.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREENSBORO

Over the last two years the Studio has been working with the City of Greensboro, the newly-formed Boys & Girls Club of Greensboro and the West Alabama Boys & Girls Club to find an appropriate location for the newly chartered Boys & Girls Club in Greensboro.

Rural Studio has designed an 8-phase, 5-year plan for the conversion of the underutilized City Armory into both a Boys & Girls Club and a recreation center. The plan has been embraced by the local city and county administrations with the commitment of financial support.

The first phase started in September 2011, when the Boys & Girls Club officially moved into the Armory. Over the next two years a 5th year team will design and build an extension to the existing Armory compound, providing a new, but separate, Boys & Girls Club facility.

During construction of the Boys & Girls Club wing, the two organizations will share the Armory building and gymnasium. Rural Studio will also complete the renovation of the Armory building over the next 5 years. The Greensboro Recreation Center will offer the city a new center for its youth and a place of recreation for all its citizens.

Stephen Kesel

St. Louis, MO

Benjamin Pendergraft

Atlanta, GA

Elizabeth Whitlock

Cullman, AL

Tyler Allgood

McShan, AL

Sarah Al-Rukhayyes

Yarmouk, Kuwait

The 5th year students are tackling complex, community-based building projects. The Studio is continuing to focus on working with local municipalities to improve their health and recreational facilities, particularly those addressing the area’s youth. These projects are typically completed in 18 to 24 months and are built by teams of three to five students.

Instructors: Andrew Freear, Mackenzie Stagg, and Cameron Acheson

Ingunn Opsahl

Trondheim, Norway

Meaghan Burke

Toronto, Canada

Peter Paller

Fürstenfeld, Austria

Rennie Jones

Farmington Hills, Michigan

Since 2005, Rural Studio Outreach teams have focused on the 20K House Project. The 20K House seeks to provide a well-built, affordable housing alternative to the ubiquitous mobile home for local clients. The homes are designed to be built for $20,000 where around $12,000 is allocated for materials and the remaining $8,000 would cover labor costs and contractor profit. Unlike other Rural Studio projects, the aim of the 20K House is to create a line of homes which could be built by contractors and have a greater impact on local communities. Rural Studio has completed ten iterations of the home, of which the last three homes are viable models for reproduction. So far, the models are one-bedroom, one-bathroom homes, but the goal is to expand to larger homes in the future. This year, the team aims to round out the one-bedroom house models by designing a home that specifically addresses issues of accessibility.

Based on statistical research of potential 20K House clients, the Studio has learned that many individuals in need of one-bedroom houses are elderly individuals or couples. Research also shows a rise in rates of ambulatory disability cases as income level decreases. Based on these factors, the Outreach team deemed it pertinent to incorporate accessible features from the beginning of the design process. Such considerations as accessible entries, floor clearances for mobility assistance devices and blocking for grab bars will allow clients to remain in their own homes as they age.

The Outreach Program was conceived as a way to bring outside students and collaborators into the fold of the Rural Studio. Each year, four non-Auburn University graduates from all over the world move to Newbern and are embedded into the thesis studio. These participants collaborate with the Auburn students, while simultaneously developing a project of their own.

Outreach ProgramInstructors: Andrew Freear, Mackenzie Stagg, Cameron Acheson

20K House

The 20K House project gets its name from the highest realistic mortgage a person receiving median Social Security checks can maintain. The objective of the Rural Studio students is to design and build a model home that could be reproduced on a large scale by a contractor and built for $20,000. Rural Studio has designed ten versions of the 20K House with costs of approximately $12,000 for materials and $8,000 for contracted labor and profit.

In 2009, the 20K House team evaluated the existing seven versions and decided to build upon one of these designs instead of starting from scratch; the 2010 and 2011 teams made the same decision. This intense scrutiny by the studios over three years plus the houses they built became the foundation for the 20K House Product Line. This Product Line will include 20K Houses named for their owners: Dave’s House (2009), MacArthur’s House (2010) and Joanne’s House (2011).

Dave’s house is a 509 square foot, one bedroom/one bathroom plan with a 150 square foot screened porch. The rectangular-shaped shotgun house has an open floor plan for the living room and dining room with a separate bedroom; the entry is on the short end of the rectangle. MacArthur’s house, a modified dogtrot also rectangular in shape and almost equal in square footage, is a collection of smaller rooms with an alcove porch entry centered on the long side. Joanne’s house, a square slightly larger at 533 square feet, has an open living and kitchen space delineated into zones by an interior half wall; the porch occupies a corner of the square-shaped house, pushing out slightly for the entry.In June of 2011, Rural Studio hired Marion McElroy, a 2002 Rural Studio alumna, as the 20K House Product Manager. Marion spent her first months getting acquainted with the projects, talking with people who had expressed interest in the project and those who have experience with low income housing. She is currently formulating a strategic plan to move from 20K Project to 20K Product.

While continuing to research the target clients and how to deliver the product to them, Marion is taking steps to move the projects out of the research area. This includes activities such as conducting complete architectural reviews, including code review and FHA compliance; discussions of the need, placement and method of completing model homes; and a branding and marketing plan.

For more information, contact Marion McElroy at marion@auburn.edu.

“from 20K Project to 20K Product”

The 20K House project began in 2005 as an ongoing Rural Studio research project to address the need for affordable housing in Hale County, provide an alternative to the mobile home, and accommodate potential homeowners who are unable to qualify for commercial credit.

Marion McElroy graduated from Auburn University’s School of Architecture in 2002 and is an alumna of Rural Studio; her thesis project was the Antioch Baptist Church. After graduation, she moved to New York City and for eight years worked on both national and international projects with the firm of Philip Johnson / Alan Ritchie Architects. Marion joined the staff of Rural Studio in 2011 as the Manager of the 20K House product line.

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Consultant ProfileXavier Vendrell

In 1988, my office (Ruisanchez-Vendrell Architects) won the competition for the Poblenou Park in the Olympic Village of Barcelona. My office was involved in several other projects for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. I won the FAD Award in 1997 for the Riumar School. I have also taught at the Barcelona School of Architecture (1990-1998). I have lectured across Europe, USA and Latin America. I have been visiting Professor at Washington University School of Architecture in St. Louis in 1994 and 1996, and visiting professor at UIC School of Architecture in 1999 as the Jens Jensen Visiting Professor in Landscape Urbanism. My works and projects have been published in magazines and books, and presented in several exhibitions internationally. In 1999, I founded Xavier Vendrell Studio Chicago/Barcelona, a collaborative practice of architecture, landscape and design. In January 2002, The Graham Foundation in Chicago presented my work in the exhibition “Xavier Vendrell: Retrospective Thoughts on Work in Progress”. I have also recently led a design team that has been selected as one of five finalists in the Navy Pier Competition in Chicago.

As an educator and a practicing architect, I have always tried not to make distinction between architectural theory/research and practice.  As a studio design professor and a practicing architect, I understand teaching as a transmission of knowledge, experience and beliefs, but also as an exchange of ideas between students and the professor. I have found that students cannot learn if the professor does not learn something simultaneously. The design studio is the heart of the architect’s education and it is the forum that links ideology, design theories and practices. At Rural Studio, the design studio also includes hands-on building, which makes the Studio an incredible learning experience for students and faculty. My first visit to Rural Studio was in January 2002, when Andrew invited me to visit the Studio and give a lecture. I knew about the Rural Studio but I never could imagine what it was. I was energized from all that I saw: the students, the projects, the people and the place. Since then, I have been involved with the Studio. Some time ago, a colleague of mine asked me why I was going to Rural Studio. My answer was: “because I am very selfish.” I have learned a lot of things during all these years. I think that in some ways Rural Studio has made me a better professor and architect. For me, place is one of the major actors in the process of architectural design. Place infers beginning for the project, and, in a way, you can find in it the logic of the project. Establishing a dialog with the site with harmony or tension, from its conditions, context, character, memory, identity, culture, history we may derive desires and intentions. A project is a response to (or a dialogue with) a particular situation in a moment in time. And for me, this dialog or response for every project at Rural Studio is an extraordinary experience.

I am a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a practicing architect. I studied architecture in my native city of Barcelona, where I have been practicing architecture since 1983. My work embraces a range of scales from landscape architecture, urban design, public buildings, public housing, interior design and exhibition design.

“Rural Studio has made me a better professor and architect”

Currently, I am in my final year of a 3 year Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship. I work as designer-in-residence at Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation in Chicago. Our primary work is developing affordable housing for low-income families. We build in our local neighborhoods and we develop, own, manage, and equitably lease for the long-haul. As an “architectural translator” I’ve grown into an understanding of my dual role: to listen closely and ask the right questions both in our office and in our community to understand the full context of a project and to work alongside the architects we hire to design solutions that are well suited to our needs.

As thesis students, Andrew challenged us to be intentional in how we used our time, worked as a team and engaged our clients and community. I am grateful for the time I had in the intensely iterative design atmosphere of the Rural Studio. Here, it is remarkably rare to explore different approaches for the same site. We do not enjoy the “luxury of time” and a few key moments define the direction of our developments with serious long-term implications. I am interested in designing a better process for our new developments. In light of this reality, I recently facilitated our first invited (and paid!) design competition which proved an exciting way of getting our staff to debate a variety of ideas presented by four teams. I’ve learned the importance of bringing the right people to the table and providing the clearest case to enable well-informed decisions to be made. Sometimes, this means asking the architects to give us a different drawing, rendering or case study. Sometimes it means doing it myself. Our maintenance and leasing staff are unaccustomed to being “architectural jurors,” however their input greatly affects the viability of our work. Internal perception of success often hinges more on low vacancy rates and low operating budgets than design awards garnered. Meaningful innovations can occur when design teams better understand the context of their work and developers understand the value of design.

This opportunity at Bickerdike has spurred growth in my understanding of the “invisible structures” that affect the way we build, from labor laws to funders’ checklists and local buildings codes. In light of this perspective, I am creating an illustrated guide to demystify elements of the community development process. It’s a chewy challenge to draw a complex process and each draft has helped me fill in gaps of my own understanding.

At the end of the day, it is an amazing opportunity and responsibility we take on to create places that families can call home, and a privilege to be able to work in my community. If you find yourself in Chicago, look me up. I’d love to show you around.

“I am grateful for the time I had in the intensely iterative design atmosphere of the Rural Studio.”

A decade ago, David Hinson sparked my curiosity describing how architects who choose to participate and seek to influence the complex systems that shape our cities can have an impact both in the community and the profession. Working with the city council as a thesis student on the first phase of the Greensboro Lions Park redevelopment opened my eyes to the role of local government and challenged me to participate. Both of these student experiences helped shape my path.

Alumni ProfileDaniel Splaingard

11

Friends of the StudioPotrero Nuevo Fund Christine Pielenz and Bill Laven

“Among the many projects we’ve supported over the years, Rural Studio is still the one closest to our hearts”

A variety of organizations and programs dealing with local environmental issues are supported by the Potrero Nuevo Fund, especially those working at a grassroots level to promote environmental justice in underserved neighborhoods. The Fund supports environmental education programs, especially those that take kids on trips into the outdoors or who grow gardens in public schools; again, focus is on underserved students.

As Christine and Bill’s interests changed, so did the Fund’s. Since buying the Potrero Nuevo Farm in 2008, the Fund has added support for the food justice movement. The farm has always donated a portion of its organic food to the low-income community and, this year, 85% of its production will be allocated for donation.

In the architecture area, preference is given to sustainable programs that serve the poor. Projects have included the Viviendas Leon program in Nicaragua; the University of Washington architecture program in Seattle run by Rural Studio friend Steve Badanes; and an arts center in Tigua, Ecuador. Since the Fund’s founding, however, Rural Studio has always been the primary recipient of its funding.

Potrero Nuevo Fund has supported Rural Studio since 1997. Christine and Bill first came across Sambo at an architecture lecture in San Francisco. At that lecture, Sambo commented on the high prices of homes he had designed in his private practice and commented that with $100,000 he could build 5 beautiful homes for low-income families in Hale County. Christine and Bill were so enchanted by Samuel Mockbee and moved by his work with Rural Studio that they went to see him in Newbern soon after. At a dinner on their last evening in Newbern, they jokingly told Sambo to “put our money where his mouth was” and gave him his first grant on the spot. Christine and Bill see the 20K house project as a tremendous outgrowth of that spirit of Rural Studio that Sambo so modestly conveyed in that lecture nearly 15 years ago.

Christine and Bill have been back to visit several times, though not as often as they say they’d like to, and always have come away with a renewed belief in mankind. For them, the students, teachers and the greater community in Hale County and beyond have created something that goes far beyond “just” housing for the poor. Christine explained, “Among the many, many projects we’ve supported over the years, Rural Studio is still the one closest to our hearts.”

The Potrero Nuevo Fund was founded in 1996, originally to support community-based organizations, mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area, in three primary areas: arts, environment, and sustainable architecture. Emphasis is on working with underserved communities. From 1998-2003, the Fund also gave annual prizes for art projects in the service of environmental awareness and change. These areas of interest reflect the interests of the Fund’s founders, Christine Pielenz and Bill Laven.

This course is designed for 5th year and outreach students, who meet weekly to discuss the importance of the Alabama wood industry and how it impacts and correlates to the profession of architecture. Students form two-person teams, where each is responsible for choosing a relevant subject of study. The students coordinate site visits and document their findings. All teams are subsequently responsible for presenting the information from their visit to the Studio for review and discussion. Information gathered by the students will be used as a resource of Alabama’s existing forest product industry, building a catalogued reference map for the Studio that outlines unique wood-based manufacturers.

“ON and BEYOND the CHAIR” aims to improve the 5th year studio’s arts and crafts experimentation with free-hand drawing methods. The pedagogical model in which the class is rooted is tied to the concept of “learning by making” from the perspective of the artisan, whose ethic demands work executed with intelligence, manual skill and a high level of quality.The students are challenged with three full-scale works: a 2-dimensional drawing focused on the construction of a chair, a 3-dimensional drawing recording its proportions and a mixed media drawing dedicated to large personal images drawn from the imagination and at a scale four times the size of the original object.

History & Theory: WatercolorInstructor: Dick Hudgens (assisted by Michael Sims)Third Year

Thesis Research: The Local Timber IndustryInstructor: Steve LongFifth Year Thesis & Outreach

Woodshop: The ChairInstructor: Steve Long Third Year

Drawing Class: On and Beyond the ChairInstructor: Elena BarthelFifth Year Thesis & Outreach

For the past two years, an emphasis has been placed on developing and encouraging the use of wood as a renewable and readily available material throughout the Studio. The Rural Studio Woodshop has served as a base for 3rd year students to cultivate a solid comprehension of woodworking skills and focus on the quality and characteristics of working with wood. They are challenged to develop and design the process of recreating notable and iconic modernist chairs through research, drawing, modeling and building. The final product yields extensive drawings and the actual reproduction of the chair. The goal is to reinforce a culture of rigor in research and craft that will extend beyond the woodshop into future projects.

The objective of the History and Theory Seminar at Rural Studio is to familiarize the students with the built environment in Alabama’s Black Belt by gaining an understanding of the context of the buildings when they were built and how they relate to the world today. The physical, social and cultural environments have to be understood in order to place these buildings in context, both nationally and internationally. The course consists of weekly trips to historic buildings in West Alabama, discussion of the buildings and free hand sketches of each building visited. Also part of the course requirements is a “Beaux Arts” watercolor of an historic building in the Black Belt.

Other Classes

Last summer, Greensboro celebrated the opening of a new Farmers Market in an effort to supply Hale County residents with local, fresh and healthy produce. The idea to open a market began over one year before, with the creation of a local Farmers Market Committee. In order to create strong local support for the market, the Committee approached the Alabama Farmers Federation, HERO, Rural Studio, and the Strategic Alliance for Health to provide resources and expertise in market organization, promotion, and physical identity.

Rural Studio’s faculty was asked to assist with the marketing campaign as well as design and build the market stands. The main task of the marketing team was to create a graphic identity for the Farmers Market by developing printed and web-based material. The material created also helped direct people to the market, provide information about the market’s operation and inform the local community about what Hale County can grow locally, and what types of produce they can expect at the market seasonally.

Marketing materials produced by the team include a logo, directional signage including a painted mural in Greensboro, pamphlets with information about the Farmers Market as well as the local growing season, posters made by the

children at Greensboro Elementary, postcards, t-shirts and a website.

For the design of the market stalls, the City desired something with an established feel, but did not own a suitable piece of land on which to construct a permanent market. They approached Rural Studio faculty to design and build stands with skid foundations, which could be moved

to different sites when necessary. The resulting stands correspond with the maximum dimensions allowable for highway travel, enabling them to be transported on a flatbed tow truck. Each unit, or stand, contains defined space for two vendors. As the market expands, more stands can be built to facilitate growth. Rural Studio faculty built four stands in Newbern, then transported them to Greensboro for the market opening on June 2, 2011.

At the beginning of each semester, the entire Studio – third year, thesis, and outreach students, faculty and staff – comes together for a week of “Neck Down” work. Sambo Mockbee coined the phrase to mean work that utilizes everything from your neck down; essentially, manual labor. The week has developed into both an opportunity for students across the Studio to work with and get to know each other as well as a time to maintain existing work and complete small community projects. The work teaches the students that, although they have their individual projects to complete, it is vital to the program that students be supportive of all community projects, no matter what their size.

In January of 2012, the Studio provided a helping hand to the ongoing thesis project teams, helped maintain existing Studio projects, and completed some community-based projects. The Thinnings Bathhouse team worked felled

and debarked trees for their project while their fellow classmates, the Newbern Town Hall team, directed new students in some maintenance work at the Newbern Fire Station. A new entrance canopy was added the Greensboro Boys & Girls Club, the front room at the Newbern Recreation Club was painted, and some maintenance was completed at both Perry Lakes and Lions Park. The Rural Studio campus also received attention, including supply organization, addition of pin-up spaces in Red Barn, and maintenance of the Morrisette House kitchen garden.

www.thegreensborofarmersmarket.comGreensboro Farmers Market

Faculty Initiatives

The Oakmulgee District of Talladega National Forest lies twenty-five miles north of Newbern and covers a five-county area. The 157,000-acre forestland is undergoing restoration efforts to return the ecosystem to a healthier and more natural state. As part of the campaign to revitalize the National Forest land, Oakmulgee District Ranger Cynthia Ragland approached Rural Studio faculty to help develop a plan for adding new learning and recreational opportunities throughout the forest. These activities would encourage local citizens to engage with their public lands and become stewards of the area’s natural resources.Rural Studio invited consultant Xavier Vendrell as a partner with Forest Service staff and Rural Studio faculty in the development of a holistic Strategic Plan for the entire Oakmulgee District. Using Payne Lake Recreation Area as a gateway, the plan seeks to provide opportunities for visitors to get to know the larger forest area. By developing a strategic plan around the location

and character of recreational opportunities, the Forest Service will encourage smart and efficient use of resources to increase recreation throughout the Oakmulgee District.

The first step in the development of the Strategic Plan has been to gather and distill information from the USDA Forest Service and the Oakmulgee District. A series of maps showing a variety of factors, from natural and manmade resources to visitor use data, was created to help with the analysis of existing conditions. Next, the team will utilize their findings to suggest new uses and programs, evolve existing programs and recover or re-establish lost ones. The end goal of the Strategic Plan is to create a comprehensive document for the Oakmulgee District, which they can use to implement the suggested strategies.

Talledega National Forest Strategic Plan

Neckdown

©Timothy Hursley

Ongoing Projects

The Solar Greenhouse will extend the Rural Studio Farm food production through the winter months. The building has a long glass roof, which functions as a solar collector, supported by a minimal galvanized steel structure. Below, a thermal mass wall, designed with recycled 55-gallon steel barrels, will keep the temperature elevated at night. A cistern at the base of the roof will collect the rain water while an earth bermed slope insulates the North façade. The project started in 2010 and will be completed in 2012.

Thinnings, or small-diameter trees cut as a byproduct of healthy forest management practices, have been the focus of Rural Studio material research for several years. In this project, Rural Studio is using the material to create both structure and cladding for bathhouses for Payne Lake Recreation Area. Reflecting the ethic of the thinnings material, the bathhouses utilize composting toilets and a constructed wetland for graywater treatment.

Unfortunately, the United States Forest Service recently decided not to proceed with the project, citing budgetary concerns for added infrastructure. We are saddened at their decision.

Team Members:Michael Dowdy Franklin Frost Will McGarity Mary Pruitt

With estimated completion in the fall of 2012, Rural Studio is currently working on a town hall for Newbern. By locating the town hall parallel to the fire station, on the north end of the city’s property, the two buildings will form a community square. A barbeque pit and green screen wall will enhance the newly-created square. To give the building a civic presence, the town hall will be constructed of stacked cypress timbers. With a thickness of eight inches, the timber will serve as both the exterior and interior finish.

Team Members:Brett Bowers David Frazier Mallory Garrett Zane Morgan

Town Hall Newbern, AL 2011 Thesis Project

Rural Studio Farm Solar Greenhouse Newbern, AL 3rd Year Project

Thinnings BathhousePayne Lake, Talladega National Forest2011 Thesis Project

Lions Park Playscape Greensboro, AL 2010 Thesis Project

Completed Projects

Lions’s Park Playscape focuses on the idea of a larger play environment, rather than just traditional pieces of equipment. The Playscape team designed and built a maze of 55-gallon galvanized drums, which encourages a variety of running, hiding, jumping, climbing, and other exploratory experiences. This physical activity is paired with undulating ground surfaces, sound tubes, and sensory rooms hidden throughout the maze to heighten discovery and create opportunities to promote imagination and creativity. Recently, the Playscape was featured on the cover of Architectural Record.

Where are they now:Cameron Acheson: Rural Studio, Newbern, AL Bill Batey: JCC Design Studio, Chattanooga, TN Courtney Mathias: Brawner Builders, Baltimore, MD Jamie Sartory: Lake|Flato Architects, San Antonio, TX

The tenth iteration of the 20K House, Joanne’s house, was completed in early June. The student team chose to add a square design to the 20K Product Line. The square layout minimizes perimeter wall area while maximizing square footage. A gracious porch cut out of the corner of the home provides exterior living space and also allows the entry to be in the center of the home, eliminating the need for circulation space.

Where are they now:Jacob Beebe: Washington University Graduate School, St. Louis, MO Erika Henriksson: Umeå School of Architecture Graduate School, Sweden Eric Schmid: AHMM, Oklahoma City, OK Sandra Yubero: Barcelona, Spain

20K House v10: Joanne’s House Faunsdale, AL 2011 Outreach Project

The Safe House Museum, part of the Alabama Civil Rights Museum Trail, is housed in two shotgun-style homes, which once sheltered Martin Luther King, Jr. The museum is a celebration of the local foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement. Rural Studio renovated the two existing buildings and expanded them to create a new community meeting room and a gallery space. They also added a glass walkway, which depicts a full-size image of the Selma to Montgomery March, to connect the two buildings. So far, the new gallery has hosted exhibitions from theUniversity of Alabama’s Paul R. Jones Collection and by the folk artist Charlie Lucas, known as Tin Man.

Where are they now:Chris Currie: Hattery, San Francisco, CA Cassandra Kellogg: Carol Wilson Architects, Falmouth, ME Candace Rimes: LSM, Washington DC

Safe House Museum Greensboro, AL 2010 Thesis Project

©Timothy Hursley

©Timothy Hursley

RURAL STUDIOP.O. Box 278 Newbern, AL 36765

www.auburn.edu www.ruralstudio.orgAuburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.

Giving to Rural Studio

Invest in Rural Studio’s future. Your gift, no matter the size, signals strong confidence in our students and faculty and their ability to make a difference.

Ways to Support

•Give Online: Give now, using your credit card.

https://develop.auburn.edu/RuralStudio/

•Send a check: Please make checks payable to Auburn University/Rural Studio and mail them to:

Melissa Denney c/o Auburn University Rural Studio 104 Dudley Hall Auburn, AL 36849

•Talk to us: Contact Melissa Foster Denney at Melissa@auburn.edu to discuss wire transfer, stocks, direct deposit, company match, and find what best fits your needs.

Areas of Support

•General support for annual projects

•Endowment supportThe Rural Studio Endowment established by the Potrero Nuevo Fund

The Rural Studio Alumni Endowment established by Alumnus Bruce Lanier

•Establish an endowment. Minimum endowment is $25,000 over 5 years

•Provide scholarships.

•Consider a planned gift.

Questions? Contact Melissa Foster Denney at 334-844-5436 or Melissa@auburn.edu