Author(s): Lucas Brown
While the culminati on of this design-build project resulted in the constructi on of a new bus stop shelter for the ColumBUS transit system, its broader signifi cance lies in how it exemplifi es the J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program’s pedagogical commitment to community engagement, material experimentati on, and experienti al learning. This initi ati ve was embedded within a three-course sequence spanning an academic year and involving two graduate cohorts. The project received funding and support from the American Insti tute of Steel Constructi on, the Heritage Fund of Bartholomew County, the City of Columbus, and an extraordinary team of local collaborators. The curriculum was deliberately structured to integrate community-engaged research, material studies, and hands-on fabricati on, which refl ects the program’s mission to engage the social and cultural fabric of Columbus, Indiana. In the fall semester, third-year students led a stakeholder engagement seminar, while second-year students deepened their understanding of material processes through a steel-focused digital design and fabricati on electi ve. These parallel courses converged in the spring design-build studio, where second-year students designed and implemented a new bus shelter with local stakeholders. This progression from engagement to fabricati on provided a comprehensive framework for students to link theoreti cal inquiry with applied practi ce. It also fostered a sense of civic responsibility amongst students and faculty by addressing an essenti al and oft en overlooked aspect of the city’s public transportati on infrastructure.
Volume Editors
Reed Kroloff & Francisco J. RodrÃguez-Suárez
ISBN
978-1-944214-52-4