Andrew Freear, Rural Studio
Current Work
Recorded: October 19, 2009
The Rural Studio is a hands-on architectural pedagogy that not only teaches students to design and build charity homes and community projects, but also improves the living conditions in rural west Alabama. The focus of the student’s thesis year is a community-based project and sustainable materials research. Working in small teams, the student’s experience the Arts & Crafts “hands-on” building tradition, and work directly with the community. Typically in teams of three or four, the students conceive of the project and program, raise funds, write grants, make community presentations, and design and build the projects from foundation to roof.
Andrew Freear is the Wiatt Professor at Auburn University Rural Studio. After the untimely death of the Studio’s co-founder Samuel Mockbee, Freear became the Director of the Rural Studio in Newbern, West Alabama, in 2002. In 2006, Freear was honored with The Ruth and Ralph Erskine Nordic Foundation Award which aspires to promote urban planning and architecture which is functional, economical, and beautiful, and which is to the advantage of underprivileged and deprived groups in any society. He is the first American-based architect to win this prestigious award. Most recently he was nominated as one of five finalists in the second edition of the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, 2008. The purpose of this new architecture prize was to honor annually a living architect who moves toward sustainability. In this excerpt from his lecture, Freear presents the Cedar Pavilion, the Hale County Animal Shelter, and the 20k House.
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