Over the last 2 years the Program has focused its energy and efforts on the taking-down, relocating and rebuilding of the historic St Luke’s Church. It is a remarkable project, stands true to the Rural Studio spirit of never turning down a challenge and speaks volumes to the bravery of both students and staff in taking on such remarkable challenge.
Historically, however, the typical academic focus of the second year is a house that is given to a family or elderly couple. The chosen occupant is a family deemed to be suitable recipients of the house both as interested and active clients but also as people who are doing their best to improve their own lives. The students are not involved in this choice. The other prerequisite of the client is that they can prove a clear title to their property.
The students have the opportunity to design and build the house from foundation to roof to internal finishes. This is a unique opportunity for any second year student any where in the world.
The Charity house typically takes two semesters to design and construct. The crucial moment is the handover from the first semester group to the second semester group. It is a common rule at the Rural Studio that what has not been built can be redesigned. The students get to meet and enjoy a dialogue with the client, negotiate the design with their teammates and the client, design the details, understand the systems and ultimately to build the house. At the Rural Studio this typically occupies most of the second years academic week.
On Thursdays, in the typical week, the students will also fulfill the other academic requirements: Dessein, the representation class currently led by Dan Splaingard, Materials and Methods, and Architectural History both taught by Dick Hudgens. The History class includes field trips, sketches, quizzes and full-scale detail drawings. In Materials and Methods the students get an introduction to the thorough and rigorous process of building a platform-frame wood house as well as other kinds of construction techniques and materials.
Generally, it should be noted, the students are expected to work as a team, be respectful of their teammates, the Rural Studio opportunity, its legacy and most importantly its conscious role as a neighbor in Hale County.
