Summer Program Recap
Participants and staff celebrated the first GYDE Summer Architecture Program. GYDE’s program was modeled on the “design studio environment” approach for creation and collaboration. “The idea is to bring together young people interested in the arts together with our architectural design professionals to learn how to take an idea and express it in 2D and 3D form,” shared Summer Program coordinator Keith Lee.
What is a design studio? From Purpose Group, a London-based agency that specializes in developing office spaces for creatives, “Design studios are the creative sanctuaries where artistic minds collide, innovation blossoms, and the blueprint of ideas transforms into tangible creations. These unique spaces, brimming with creativity, are the birthplaces of architecture, fashion, graphic design, and other artistic endeavours.” (Source) The GYDE program was designed to help young people start to explore the creative process through a series of small, collaborative projects. “When we design a project for clients, we are working with the clients’ vision, the regulatory design environment, and with each other to design something visually exceptional and interesting,” noted Lee. The participants worked with GYDE professionals to create a “town model” that they can use to start or expand their creative portfolio for art school or a design program.
Participants spent their first day exploring the Town of Jackson. They took photos, recorded audio, made videos, chatted with locals and tourists, and found items that inspired them (from restaurant menus to crow feathers). Over the course of the next several days, participants started the iterative process of organizing what they collected. They also engaged in several design exercises, including sketching, hands-on modeling, and collage. “We have participants engage in consistent design and visual exercise. These repetitive exercises, like charrette, experiments, and imitation through modeling, help young creatives approach and explore new ways of thinking about projects and how to bring them to life,” said Lee.
“I really enjoyed working with the designers and architects. It was like we were creating together. They listened to the ideas I was trying to create and helped me shape and reshape what that idea looked like,” shared one of the participants.
“As a team, we live the design studio process every day, it was wonderful to step back and approach design with a beginner mindset to welcome young people considering a career in the design arts. We will definitely continue to offer a version of this program into the future,” shared Katherine Koriakin, GYDE principal and partner.