Site Analysis: Social, Behavioral, and Biophysical Dimensions

Students in LAEP 2700: Site Analysis I, completed the course completely on-line during the height of the COVID pandemic in Fall semester. This fully on-line setting for the course created a number of challenges and new opportunities for student learning in the course. Undoubtedly the largest hurdle in student learning in the course was trying to recreate the rich social environment that exists in a studio space, where students are able to readily observe and learn from each other as they learn together. As part of a department-wide initiative, the online collaborative service Concept Board was utilized to enable students to visually communicate, design, and receive critiques of their work. In addition to receiving live critiques, students were able to work and collaborate asynchronously and quickly review instructor critiques for all of the students in the course.

Because students were not physically attending class on campus, it was not possible to do traditional site visits as have been done in previous offerings of 2700. Because students would not be working on local sites, it was decided to have students work on a variety of rich projects from around the globe where students would be forced to analyze and respond to complex issues that oftentimes were not available on local sites. Examples of some of the projects that students worked on included a peace and reconciliation center in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where students had to consider complex historical and cultural factors that heavily influence design decisions on a site. Another project involved the evaluation of natural systems and existing tourism infrastructure to site a network of whale observation sites on the island of Pico in the Atlantic Ocean. These projects provided students with an opportunity to grapple with big ideas and better understand the complex web of factors that contribute to the identity and use of a site, and how working with this knowledge framework can help produce a stronger design.

For the final project in the course, students conducted an extensive site analysis of the city of Santaquin, Utah, in preparation for the LAEP Design Charrette in spring of 2021. The graduate students in the course were able to visit the city of Santaquin and meet with community members and city leaders. Graduate students subsequently served as team leaders as each team sought to understand what makes Santaquin unique, and how the community can respond to growth pressures and the accompanying shifts in community dynamics. The final posters and presentations from the student were well-received by Santaquin. The success of this final project showcases how, despite the changes and challenges, LAEP faculty and students have moved proactively to continue the rich tradition of learning in LAEP studio courses.