Spring 2024 Architecture, Engagement, and Community Power
Prof. Julia Lindgren (not pictured),
Sandra Calzadillas (not pictured), Kaitlyn Dacpano, Christopher Kusek, Ayushi Mavuduru, Brian Nguyen, Gadiel Saldalgo (not pictured), Abigail Wajidas
A collaborative effort of 7 College of Architecture Planning, and Public Affairs (CAPPA) students at the University of Texas at Arlington, this project was completed as part of our Architecture, Engagement and Community Power Course. Throughout this course, we learned how to integrate stakeholder and neighborhood insights and participation into the design process. The focus of our course was to outline an engagement strategy for the housing needs of youth transitioning out of foster care. Our class partnered with Dallas Transition Resource Action Center (TRAC) to engage with the transitional adolescent population, as well as nonprofit Fighting Homelessness, which aims to create a multigenerational transitional housing development in Dallas in the future. An interactive “Zine” booklet was the focal point of our engagement strategy with youth, while an in-person interview, activity cards, and digital survey were supplementary strategies. This publication primarily showcases the design and creative development of the “Zine” publication sent out to Dallas youth in or needing transitional housing in April 2024.
What do you like doing alone or with others?
(circle one)
Share a Room
journaling art/crafts
meditating being active being with pets/loved ones cooking/baking playing video games
Ways you would like to unwind ?
(circle or write in)
(circle or write in)
Do you enjoy being outdoor for... Chores socializing hiking relaxing gardening exercising
Turn this into the perfect living room! Eat
“Make yourself at home”
you (draw/write in the things you bring into a new place below)
If you could have any animal/pet in your backyard, what would it be?
room! a quiet room or a busy coffee shop to study in go to college or go into a specific trade/ career field
How would you like to get around?
The nightmare roomate (draw/write about the worst possible roomate below)
youWould rather: What kind of neighbors do you want?
Would your guest...
Would you cook? imagine you’re inviting people over.... with others
sleepover be kept out of your room be allowed in your room
In your neighborhood, what’s important to you? education mental health finances socializing parenting support career support medical care
not at al l by yourself
(circle or write in) (circle one) (circle or write in)
Who (if anyone) would be in your space regularly besides your?
you (draw/write in the things you bring into a new place below)
being with pets/loved ones
(circle or write in)
reading music
nature
movies/tv shows
“Make yourself at home”
The nightmare roomate (draw/write about the worst possible roomate below)
cooking/baking
being active
Turn thislivinginto
How would you like to get around?
journaling art/crafts meditating active ones playing video games
(circle one)
What do you like doing alone or with others? you around? into the perfect living room!
Do you enjoy being outdoor for...
(circle or write in)
How
you
Dallas TRAC resource day attendee arranges daily life activity cards on whiteboard
Dallas TRAC resource day attendeeʼs completed daily life adjacency diagram
Dallas TRAC resource day attendee discusses adjacency activity with CAPPA students
Setup of Dallas TRAC engagement and interview session. The zine served as a primer for the small group interviews
Sample responsesin the Zine from a youth attendee of the TRAC engagement day
Dallas TRAC engagement day attendees read and respond to zine prompts to discuss in-depth with CAPPA students. One attendee photographs notes and cards placed on whiteboard as part of the living space adjacency activity.
Notes from class worksession discussing questions and activities suited to various themes relevant to youth housing
preliminary draft of text and graphics across six themes
digital draft of zine sequencing and 8 page layout with illustrations
sketches of possible workbook page sequencing and design details
graphite-sketch mock up of housing-themed front and back cover
ink- mock up of finalized workbook sequence and graphic details
makes a place
what would you keep at home
“imagine you are going on a road trip”
preliminary sketches for inter-active architectural section poster
trace paper mark ups of “unpacking you” poster draft produced in adobe illustator , proposing illustration details
trace paper mark ups of “unpacking you” poster draft produced in adobe illustator, proposing text organization
