first impressions

I am expecting that the most meaningful aspect of this studio will be the exploration of how what we do in the studio can have a very noticeable and permanent impact on the community that we are a part of. These projects will hopefully help to remind us that we are a part of the community that we design for, even in later studios that are not design/build. I am hoping that there is a great deal of community engagement, both at the site for construction and ideas and at various community centers, day cares, etc. Architecture without people is pointless and by strengthening our sense of community we will hopefully develop a stronger architecture that can endure and go beyond mere installation. I imagine that the most difficult part will be the resolution of construction details and materials. This is the aspect that I feel we have dealt with least in past projects and will therefore be a new experience, which usually means a lot of dead-ends. Then again, that's always part of the fun.