We were excited to welcome Clemson University School of Architecture student organizations —
American Institute of Architecture Students, Equity In Architecture – Clemson Chapter, and National Organization of Minority Architects- Clemson Chapter — during their annual Greenville Firm Crawl.
30 students at various points in their architecture studies visited our offices on February 7, for the last stop on the Crawl. Eager to involve them in our collaborative culture, we asked these students to participate in a design charrette for one of our project partners, Soteria CDC.
Soteria CDC works for economic and social justice for individuals and their families affected by the criminal justice system. They also create opportunities for previously incarcerated men to reenter society through transitional housing, life skills and job training.
Johnston Design Group is currently designing a green, affordable housing project to help advance the Soteria mission. We divided our students into five groups, so each student could participate in a collaborative design session with JDG associates and Jerry Blassingame, Soteria’s Executive Director.
We asked each group to brainstorm and develop solutions for small, efficient housing designs to use on multiple sites in the Poe Mill neighborhood. We also challenged them to consider reclaimed materials and how best to connect interior and exterior spaces on the site.
We were impressed at the quality of the ideas and the productivity these students exhibited in the 25-minute charrette. Their collective energy helped move the design forward, as we’ve already integrated many of their ideas into the project.
Thank you, Clemson architectural students and Soteria, for a great collaboration!
