Introduction of Drury University Design-Build Program BY JACQUELINE TYGART, ARCHITECTURE LIBRARIAN
Before Drury University had a design-build program, they had three highly motivated and resourceful 5th year students who wanted to build something they’d designed. In the fall of 1999, inspired by Rural Studio, Steve Badanes, and other design-build programs, Henri Foch, John Kleman and Jay Reeves set about convincing faculty and administrators in the Hammons School of Architecture that they could fulfill and perhaps exceed all the requirements for their 5th year capstone studio with an independent design-build project. They were allowed to proceed under several conditions. They had to find a client with a need who was willing to fund and collaborate on the project. They had to find a studio professor willing to act as advisor on top of teaching a full load. They had to work with a licensed architect. Finally they had to work extremely independently, be resourceful and able to solicit help from fellow students and outside parties without prompting from the faculty. The result was a gallery complex of two small buildings for a ceramic artist to compliment a rural homestead 25 miles south of the architecture school. As a self-employed potter/sculptor, the client was able to collaborate fully in the project for most of the time it took to complete. The artist saw this endeavor as an opportunity to bring his clients directly to him and his work, providing a glimpse into his craft and studio environment. The goal for the students was to “learn from doing; to blur the lines between clients, architects, and builders and ... form a ‘building community’ organized around the making of a place”. (Foch, Kleman and Reeves, Program Outline and Agreement, 1999) Each student brought strengths to the project that complimented the others. Once the client and project were identified, architect Daniel Karlov of Jamestown, MO agreed to review and give advice on production of the construction drawings. He visited the property early in the process during site selection, and made himself available throughout the design process. They surveyed the site and researched building codes. They photographed the clients work to set the tone, then each produced a schematic design which was presented to the client. The presentation included full scale spatial mock-ups using partitions in the large multipurpose room
at the architecture school. They mounted their plans and sketches on the partitions for discussion. The three designs evolved into one solution, and the students began refining the design, worked through Construction Documents and built a working model. Having a very minimal budget to work with, they had to remain flexible and responsive to design changes necessitated by found and salvaged materials. Most impressive was their collaboration with a fellow Drury student whose parents have wooded acreage and a small sawmill and who had invited them to harvest lumber if ever needed. Jim McDaniel helped the students select and fell the trees and mill all the large beams used in the two buildings. The university administration showed support by allowing the students to harvest materials from a bungalow that was unfortunately being razed due to location and neglect. They also approached business owners involved in some civic renewal projects close to the university about salvaging materials and were given access to some incredibly large doors from a limousine manufacturing plant. They had the wood shop at the architecture school at their disposal to prepare salvaged material for reuse. They built a large, pivoting door for the main entrance to the gallery in the school’s wood shop. They took advantage of the Habitat for Humanity Restore for many materials. They also welcomed the collaboration of the ceramicist client regarding a ceramic block wall to visually and conceptually unite the two buildings rather than a wooden element originally conceived. The inclusion of these materials either changed or initially informed the design. The only utility service requested by the client was electrical, and the local firm A/C Electrical Systems gave the students a discount on hooking up the main service after the students researched codes. All lines were buried and the students and client dug the trench with rented equipment. The gallery building floats above the ground on piers so hiding the electrical service coming into the gallery under the stairs and behind a pier was an aesthetic choice. Outside electrical outlets were tucked up under the building as well in order to keep the wall surfaces uninterrupted. With the number of hours the three spent on the gallery it would be easy to forget that they all carried full course loads as well and
were excelling in their classes. One student was carrying 18 credit hours. The project was far too ambitious to complete in one semester by three students even with all the help received from the client, fellow students, and many friends and family members. By graduation they had both buildings sheathed and all windows and doors in place. After graduation they continued to work through the summer and fall semester while building another project for a paying client and teaching within the architecture school. The gallery and adjacent workroom building were completed in time for the 2000 ACSA West Central Conference “Designing/Building/Learning�, held at Drury in October. Foch, Kleman and Reeves were able to make a presentation about the project at the conference, as well as invite attendees out to the site. Finally, the grand opening was marked by a large reception and ribbon cutting on October 29th, 2000. As with all design-build studios, the value is in the educational experience it provides the students. With ten years to reflect on this experience, it seems fitting that the three former students, all gainfully employed architects in award-winning firms, be given a chance to voice their thoughts on this experience and share what impact it has had or continues to have. Jacqueline Tygart (JT): Would you again push to be able to embark on this project in light of what you know now? Jay Reeves (JR): Certainly. Such an experience was an invaluable transition from the academic studio environment to the practice of architecture. The ability to test our design ideas in an environment where we were responsible for taking ownership of both the detailing and construction provided a foresight into the way that I execute projects ten years later. It placed a value on craft and thoughtful detailing that I continue to draw upon when working with my colleagues and contractors to maximize the quality of our projects. The irony of this particular situation was that as students, we had command over neither the detailing nor the construction prior to this project, so every step became a design problem in both the planning and construction of the Gallery.
Henri Foch (HF): I would do it again without hesitation. What I now know is that it was one of the most valuable experiences of my educational path and at an appropriate time. John Kleman (JK): I'd do it again tomorrow! I worried then that I might never have so much fun in the "real world" and - while my projects since have been rewarding in many ways - I remember designing and building the Gallery with special fondness. JT: If you found yourself teaching in an architecture program next year, would you be willing to take charge of a design-build studio? JR: Without hesitation. More than any other component of architectural education, I continue to follow Design Build Projects at various institutions from a distance. I am continually inspired when conversing with students who are involved with a Design Build project. No matter the scale of the project, their enthusiasm and energy is always infectious and it is something I take back to my office with me. Leading a group of students through the intense and emotional process would be well worth the effort coordinating such a studio. HF: Absolutely. My career path has allowed me to work with many architectural students and recent graduates on construction and work and have found joy in their excitement and enthusiasm to learn through hands-on work in architecture and design build. I think it is a rare opportunity that can give students an experience that will benefit them through their careers. JK: Yes, I would find it hard to teach any other way. It was my experience that the type of projects traditional studios use to inspire thought and design simply weren't as engaging as one with real inputs and consequences. There might not be less to learn by wrestling with the theoretical but there's definitely less to experience. Moreover, what I learned by doing something meaningful in the real world was more enduring than the lessons I learned in the virtual world of my previous studios. Our communities are full of design problems that need the kind of
fresh thought and energy that students can provide. Designbuild studios are a perfect opportunity for learning and can make impactive contributions to our neighbors.
of a building project from start to finish will never diminsh. Completion of this project was an important factor in my future employment opportunities.
JT: What was the most valuable lesson learned that you still depend on in your current practice?
JK: The Gallery has been in all my portfolios and I'll show it for the rest of my career. I'm extremely proud what we did and it's never failed to elicit a positive reaction.
JR: Successful details make good buildings. The ability to anticipate how a series of small details can influence a large project is what often defines effective projects. Respect the people who build our designs. The value of good General Contractors and craftsmen are immeasurable. The ability to listen and work with the builders productively always strengthens projects. HF: Remain flexible to unforeseen opportunities. Work in collaboration. You will learn unexpected lessons from the whole project team. JK: I learned that creating in a community and embracing the power of collaboration can be extremely powerful and fulfilling. Buildings are complicated and it's often necessary to share ownership of their creation. That's not something that's encouraged in a competitive educational environment focused on individual student designers. JT: Has this project been part of your portfolio when looking for a position? Why or why not? JR: In every interview. The opportunity to build a simple building with extraordinary people on a modest budget was the single most influential experience in my architectural education. I use the Gallery as a tool to define the way I think about making buildings. As we discuss more recent works in my portfolio, the narrative of this experience provides a backdrop for how I approach problem solving, working with others, and maximizing the potential of a project no matter the scale. HF: The value of hands-on work is recognized throughout the architectural profession. The experience of being part
JT: If a 4th year student asked your advice regarding whether he or she should participate in a design-build studio, what questions would you ask to help them arrive at a decision? JR: This is ultimately a lifestyle decision. There is a shared understanding in architecture school of what one can expect out of the studio environment. This is not your grandpa's design studio. In order to wring all of the value out of such an experience they must ask themselves if they are willing to commit to the process fully. They must understand their role in the project and trust their teammates. If they do, they will be richly rewarded, as I have been. HF: Are you willing to commit the time and energy the work will require? Are you prepared to work as a member of a team that will depend on you giving it your all from start to finish. JK: Are you interested in putting your ideas to work? Will the design-build studio create something meaningful for you and others? JT: Do you think many architecture firms value or understand the design-build experience as it is being implemented today in many architecture programs? JR: While I have found that architecture firms do value the experience that the design build model provides for young architects, it has been my experience that not all architects fully appreciate the wide range of issues faced by these students. Practicing architects are often pleasantly surprised to understand the complexity involved in what can be misperceived as simple endeavors.
HF: In my experience most architects do place a high value on the design-build educational experience. JK: The beginning of my career has been shaped in many ways by what I discovered by working on the Gallery. I have been fortunate to work in firms where design is intimately related to building and where craft and innovation are valued equally. I think this kind of approach is becoming more wide spread; evidenced in part by - or perhaps because of - the increasing popularity of design-build studios in architectural education. The designbuild studio experience helped me understand the relationships between thinking and making, ideas and materials, concepts and people, and between imagined space and actual places.
Drury University Design/Build Project
Educational Institution: Drury University, Springfield, MO Faculty Name: Jacqueline Tygart, Architecture Librarian Students: Henri Foch, John Kleman, Jay Reeves Semester, Year & Location: 1999/2000, Highlandville, MO Project Title: Design/Build Ceramics Gallery Budget, Scope & Schedule: $8,000.00, two structures, 650 sq. ft. total, 1 year
Figure 2: SW elevation
Figure 1 : NW elevation in 2000
Figure 3: Model photographed at the site
Figure 4: Interior to south toward kiln
Figure 5: Site plan
Figure 6: Milling beams on “Little Oscar”
Figure 7: Logging timber for beams on the McDaniel farm
Figure 8: Interior from main entrance on NE
Figure 7: Floor plan with working notes
Figure 10: Ceramic wall with Bob Heads
Figure 11: View from SE
Figure 12: Elevation drawing
Figure 13: Model
Figure 14: Model
Figure 15: Section
Figure 16: Gallery in spring, 2010