WORKSHOPS
Listening Together
We believe in order to truly create more equitable spaces and places, the communities occupying these spaces and places must be the main driver within the design process. To accomplish this, our studio operates as a tool for the community and stakeholders to create the work they feel represents them and their community. Our engagement with the community throughout the design process isn’t about checking a box; it is about developing a relationship and understanding of what the community wants to discuss and see within their environment. Building these relationships and trust with the communities we are working in allows us to create work that the community feels a sense of ownership and connection around.
Playing Together
Our studio’s utilization of play methodologies expands beyond the physical work and into the process in which the work is created. We achieve this by using various participatory design methods that utilize play methodologies as a critical component to ensure the quiet person in the back has as much of a voice as the loud ones in the front. Play is a fun, enjoyable activity that elevates our spirits and brightens our outlook on life. It expands self-expression, self-knowledge, self-actualization, and self-efficacy. Play relieves feelings of stress and boredom, connects us to people in a positive way, stimulates creative thinking and exploration, and regulates our emotions (Landreth, 2002).
Building Together
Through our communal workshops we strive to create a safe and inclusive space for people to connect and share about their community at a variety of scales. As storytellers in design we work to translate these conversations and connections into transformative opportunities that allow for the community to continue to put their identity onto the work and space over time. This process doesn’t just stop in the beginning of the design process but continues through setting up post-evaluation and stewardship models around the opportunities being created. Our studio is modeled around this process, and we believe it is vital in creating more inclusive and equitable opportunities within our cities and communities.
