I knew it was going to be a great day, when all three of my sons chose architecture books for our one hour car ride. For my birthday, my family planned a day trip to see more buildings by Rural Studio. We’ve seen their work in Milan and Venice, but this was a trip to Hale County, Alabama. Rural Studio is a program for students at Auburn, but known around the world as a pioneer and innovator. They not only experiment with new ideas about how we build the things around us, but also how buildings affect a community.
In 1993, Samuel Mockbee, the late architect and founder of Rural Studio, said “If architecture is going to nudge, cajole, and inspire a community to challenge the status quo into making responsible changes, it will take the subversive leadership of academics and practitioners who keep reminding students of the profession’s responsibilities.” Going to see architecture by Rural Studio with my children is not about learning what it means to be an architect, but about seeing people who are taking risks for change.
Our plan was to go to the office and pick up a map. We didn’t know what would be next. We ended up exploring the places below and can’t wait to go back for more:
- Morisette House
- Pods (lodging built by students over the years)
- Fabrication Pavilion
- Solar Greenhouse and Farm
- Architecture Studios
- Newbern Mercantile
- Newbern Fire Station
- Newbern Town Hall
- Lion’s Park (playground and other structures)
- Pie Lab
What’s fun about exploring with children is that you can see when they are affected by an experience. When we discovered the Pods, I watched my six year old’s brain explode with happiness. He was enthralled with the playful and experimental use of materials. On the other hand, I translate my oldest son’s internal conversation about the little houses like this: “I’ve never seen anything like this before. I like it. But if this is new, then are they sure it works? And if it doesn’t work, should I be here? Is that the person who made it? I just saw them making soup. I’m not sure.”
When they saw the walls covered with proposals and the workbenches piled with tools in the studios, they understood that this was real people (like them) making their ideas happen. That was like a boost of energy for my six year old, who was eager to explore every nook of every building. My oldest son analyzed the architectural drawings and judging their potential. However, he avoided any of the rooms that had a floor that wasn’t straight, flat, or solid.
We finished the day with pie and our sketchbooks. I took a moment to celebrate what a privilege it is to experience something that challenges the status quo with the people that know me best.
Here are the videos we watched to introduce our children to the experience:
