Architectural Studies Holyoke Community/Campus Partnerships: What Have We Learned? A Reflection on Community and Design

Friday Nov. 7 – Sunday Nov. 9, 2014
Holyoke and Amherst, MA

As it becomes more common among design schools to use service learning as a pedagogical tool, it also becomes imperative for designers to familiarize with what has been tried successfully in other disciplines with regard to community engagement. At the same time, and as community work becomes mainstream across all disciplines, it becomes crucial to hear community voices. How are campus-community collaborations perceived from the other side? What do local stakeholders have to say about collaborations that work for them? Last but not least, it is key to embrace the lessons from the design field itself, by learning about what community design educators and other practitioners have been trying in other settings.

By exploring these critical issues, through this symposium we expect to have a frank and open conversation between Five Colleges faculty working in Holyoke, and community stakeholders. We will also share experiences with designers and design educators working with communities in Boston, Detroit, and New Haven.

Schedule:

Friday, Nov 7, 5:00 pm
• Welcoming reception
The White Rose Bookstore, Holyoke, MA

Saturday, Nov 8, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
• Panel discussions and charrette-style working sessions
Picknelly Center, 206 Maple Street, Holyoke, Ma 01040

Sunday, Nov 9, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
• Presentations from invited educators and practitioners:
Andrei Harwell - Yale Urban Design Workshop
Dan Pitera - Detroit Collaborative Design Center
Gretchen Schneider - Community Design Resource Center of Boston
• Open discussion about Holyoke, community, and design
Fayerweather Hall, Amherst College, Amherst, MA

The symposium is free and open to everyone. We would like to extend a special invitation to anyone who believes the relationship between campuses and communities merits further exploration, especially people and organizations from Holyoke and other campus-abutting communities.