COMMUNITY HEALTH DESIGN STUDIO

Teaching

Apr 20

Community Health Design Studio

The graduate Community Studio addresses the needs of a specific population demographic, emphasizing research and programming, in the design of a community center that includes spaces for gathering, café, and healthcare. In previous years, projects have addressed displaced refugee populations, fostering an understanding and engagement with a variety of cultural backgrounds. More recently, the studio has shifted to address community health issues, focusing on West Philadelphia neighborhoods.

The research methods underlying the course were developed in collaboration with Dee Nicholas and presented at the annual IDEC conference Nicholas in 2018. To support their design work, students are required to meet with and interview members of a community group to understand their specific situations and needs. In preparation for this research, students are introduced to methods published by the Luma Institute and John Zeisel, including data collection through participatory research and interviews. Students are also required to observe and analyze existing community centers, or places that relate to their intended design

Collaborators: Dee Nicholas, Jihyun Song, Debra Ruben, Various Students; work shown by Eunbi Kim, Kelsey Omeis, Rebecca Kendra