EVERYTHING
According to News, high school students are participating in an immersive summer initiative at the University of Virginia School of Architecture designed to introduce them to the core principles of design. The Design Discovery Youth Summer Program provides a structured environment where young learners can transition from abstract ideas to tangible physical products through various fabrication techniques.
Translating concepts into physical objects
The curriculum focuses on a unique methodology where students are given a specific word as a prompt to inform their creative process. For instance, participants have been tasked with designing spoons that embody different personalities or attitudes, such as "sleepy," "shy," or "clumsy." This exercise serves as a microcosm for larger architectural projects, where designers must balance a creative vision with the limitations of a specific site and geometry.
Students utilize the school's Fabrication Lab to carve their designs from wood blocks. The program structure includes:
- Two six-day sessions accommodating 20 students each.
- Design-and-build workshops featuring spoons and inflatable sculptures.
- Guided tours of active construction sites.
- Lunch-and-learn sessions led by industry professionals and faculty.
Demystifying the design process
The program is led by UVA architecture students, staff, alumni, and professors who aim to expose the next generation to the "superpower" of design. By working with known objects like cutlery, students learn how to embed character into functional items. Kyle Sturgeon, associate dean of strategic initiatives for the Architecture School and director of the summer program, emphasizes that the goal is to ignite a student's internal discovery of their own creative voice.
"In architecture, we bring our own creative voice, but you’re also given a site to steward and a prompt to inform the design of a structure. Here, you’re given a bowl geometry and an attitude to design and make a spoon," — Kyle Sturgeon, associate dean of strategic initiatives for the Architecture School and the director of the summer program.
The initiative highlights the importance of early exposure to design literacy. By moving from sketches to physical versions of their ideas, students gain a deeper understanding of how professional architects navigate the transition from imagination to reality. This educational model seeks to empower diverse students with the tools necessary to understand and shape the built environment.