When she was 9, Brittney Sooksengdao decided that she wanted to “create spaces that connect people.” The field of architecture was a good match for someone who wanted to explore how design affects the ways people interact with each other. She benefitted from her high school’s architecture program, where she developed skills in the design field that reinforced her desire to pursue a degree in architecture.
A daughter of refugees from Laos, Sooksengdao is aware of the lack of diversity among those who want to pursue architecture or planning degrees. She is committed to building programs that help other young students see themselves as designers, architects, and creators of equitable communities.
Now a graduate student at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Campus (WAAC), Sooksengdao and a team of graduate and undergraduate students developed the Architecture Creation Club (ARCH).
“There are many teens with the talent and skills to choose a career in design, but the information to encourage and guide them is often lacking," said Susan Piedmont-Palladino, director of the WAAC and mentor for the program. "That lack of awareness, unfortunately, reinforces the current lack of diversity in the field.”
ARCH introduces high school students to creative technology professions in an effort to address the lack of minority representation in these fields. The project is funded by a SEAD Grant from the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT).
A member of an underrepresented group in architecture, Sooksengdao saw a way to improve representation by increasing design programming in high schools and casting a wider net for future design practitioners.
“The more high school students who have access to design-based problem-solving and programming, the more students are likely to feel enabled to continue pursuing design-based professions,” she said. This is an experience shared with many of her team members as they explored future professions. “Most of us had some kind of exposure to architecture sometime in high school or middle school. This really changed our trajectory and choice of profession,” she added.
ARCH was created with the goal to “bridge the gap between varying economic classes and school curriculums by connecting high school students with higher education mentorship to learn skills in architecture, design, urban planning, and environmental engineering,” Sooksengdao said.
"creation" - Google News
April 08, 2022 at 09:56PM
https://ift.tt/ftJoZRk
Architecture Creation Club helps high school students see themselves as architects and designers - Virginia Tech Daily
"creation" - Google News
https://ift.tt/ystX9OI
https://ift.tt/zINZ4Yy
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Architecture Creation Club helps high school students see themselves as architects and designers - Virginia Tech Daily"
Post a Comment