This project is from my final undergraduate design studio. We spent the first half of the semester composing research on Malawi, healthcare infrastructure, and viral disease transmission. We dedicated the second half to designing an infectious disease unit prototype with attention to empathy and safety. Following the project is a brief discussion on my experience in the global studio, presented at Global Jefferson Day 2021.
Designing in a foreign context in an online environment is challenging, but not impossible. The length of the studio required group and class collaboration. Organization and participation were imperative elements to a successful year. Zoom annotations quickly replaced the table side group sketching. Only once did my group meet in person, and, to our dismay, it was one of our most unsuccessful sessions. The online environment forced us to focus on the task at hand. Additionally, it provided us with quicker communication and access to resources on demand.
Despite not having on ground interaction with our site and environment, our professor could provide us with any necessary information or photographs when asked. Though an online studio is not as immersive as studying abroad, it provides a confidence in flexible work for a rapidly developing digital world.
Throughout the studio we met with a plethora of architectural, governmental, and medical stakeholders alike. Each meeting was predominantly student guided. The stakeholders not only provided crucial information, but also expanded our communication skills. Over time, I learned to not only guide conversations, but also fully engage in them.
The global studio challenged me to expand architecture past the realm of design. At the start of the studio, we were asked to suspend all preconceived concepts of Malawi, or for some, Africa as a whole. I entered the studio believing I was well-cultured. A few articles, videos, and discussions later, I was embarrassed by my previous confidence. Though this project shared similarities to past studio projects in both technical and conceptual design, it introduced a layer of theory.
The questions I found myself asking were not,
“what happens if I add a solar shading device to the east wall?”
but
“What does it mean to design with empathy?”
“what happens if I add a solar shading device to the east wall?”
but
“What does it mean to design with empathy?”
In this studio I added humanity to my design process, to my mindset. My experience in the global studio may have ended my academic career but it extended my desire for education: Education that is not strictly architectural, but cross disciplinary and intercultural. This project provided me with the knowledge, connections, and the skill set required to continue this pursuit.