Collaborative On-Line Architectural Studio
Project Summary
The College of Arts+Architecture and the School of Architecture at UNC Charlotte are partnering this fall with the Department of Architecture and Technology at the University of the Bahamas to offer a collaborative architectural design studio called “The Studio @ CTI.” The collaborative work will focus on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamian Islands where the NGO One Eleuthera Foundation and its Center of Training and Innovation (CTI) are located. CTI engages young professionals to advance existing skills and to improve the social well-being of the residents of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. Building upon CTI’s efforts, this studio will focus on design research leading to the construction of off-grid housing prototypes that can serve as both short-term shelters (such as vacation rentals, which enhance local economies) and as emergency housing for local populations (fostering post-disaster island resilience). Students from the University of the Bahamas and from CTI’s training programs will join students from UNC Charlotte through online course activities and inter-university student design investigations. Using Zoom and Google shared folders, student teams will share research, ideas, and prototype designs both in real-time (synchronous class sessions) and in asynchronous activities both in Charlotte and in the Bahamas. Having Bahamian students work collaboratively with students from UNC Charlotte will help frame the work through a cultural lens that may spark innovation and that may lead to culturally relevant architectural propositions. Lastly, The Studio @ CTI will lay the foundation for a multi-year partnership between UNC Charlotte and University of the Bahamas.