Future Lobos and local teachers are discovering the environments around them using design and architecture. The Design Education workshop, hosted by The University of New Mexico's School of Architecture and Planning (SA&P), is wrapping up its summer session by inviting parents, families and community members to come explore its projects and creative problem solving.
“This workshop is all about bringing design thinking back into the classroom, and teaching students how to assess the built, natural and cultural environments around them using conventional drafting techniques, plans and sections,” said John Quale, chair of the UNM Architecture Department. “We incorporated the curriculum developed by UNM Distinguished and Regents Professor Emerita Anne Taylor, and have added a few twists of our own as well.”
The review is being held Friday, July 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the UNM School of Architecture and Planning.
The Design Education Workshop is a collaborative effort between architecture, landscape architecture and product design groups. It’s being led by Landscape Architecture Director Katya Crawford, Product Design instructor Andres Ortegon and Architecture lecturer Justine Humble; along with help from fabrications manager Kirsten Angerbauer. The six middle school students who took part were tasked with creating a dog park and dog toy. Then faculty with UNM SA&P then helped them create physical models, using the Fabrication Lab and traditional drawing and model making.
In addition to the students, two teachers from local middle schools also took part in the workshop. Their goal was to be able to learn the Design Education Program and take it back to their own classrooms.
“Bringing design and architecture into the classrooms is important,” said Justine Humble. “The environments in which we live really affect our wellbeing. Through this type of learning, students also start to understand a new model of creative thinking using math, science, technology, history and art to problem-solve. Students are being creative and thinking of original ideas from a very strategic, yet creative, way – not from textbooks or predetermined formulas.”
The review is free and open to the public. Organizers hope anyone interested in taking part in the workshop next year will attend and learn more and sign up for the Summer 2020 workshop.