Photo: Timothy Hursley
Rural Studio and the Front Porch Initiative: What Good Design Can Afford
A college architectural program in the South describes their innovative approach to making housing affordable to local residents. By Rusty Smith and Michelle Sidler
“Everyone, both rich and poor, deserves the benefit of good design.” Located in the heart of West Alabama’s Black Belt region, the city of Newbern is home to Rural Studio, a design and build architectural program in Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design and Construction. For over 25 years, Auburn students have designed and built structures—including community buildings, parks, courtyards, and homes—for the residents in and around Hale County.
What Situated Design Can Afford Like many rural communities in the South, the Black Belt is comprised of several persistent poverty counties, USDA-designated areas with high percentages of low-wealth residents. The mission of Rural Studio is to serve this often invisible and underserved population with projects that enhance the economic and social way
of life in West Alabama. The Newbern Firehouse is a crystalized example of what good design can afford, and it symbolizes the work and mission of Rural Studio. It also has an illuminating design, quite literally: when lit up at night, it resembles a lantern laying on its side. The structure is also a testament to the ingenuity of Rural Studio students, who raised $100,000 in material donations, including two-inch-thick wood that had seasoned for years in the storage barn of Newbern’s former mayor. This wood, and the students’ resilient design and construction, allow the firehouse to withstand 110-mile-per-hour winds, making it both durable and aesthetically pleasing, a key component of Rural Studio design.
