COOL STUFF
Building architecture education
By Kelly Hayes McAlonie; photos by kc kratt

Varchitect Ben Siegel from Cannon Design demonstrates a design principle for a student.
Kelly Hayes McAlone shows off a fine design.
It is a crisp Friday morning at Waterfront Elementary School in early October and a group of teachers, architects, and students of architecture are gathering for a unique purpose. They are here for a two-day workshop to explore methods to teach to school-age children. This is the first phase of an ambitious three-month project that the American Institute of Architects Buffalo/WNY Chapter has undertaken in collaboration with the Buffalo Public Schools to integrate architecture into the curriculum.

The project, now in its second year, is coordinated by Erika Abbondanzieri, of Watts Architecture & Engineering, P.C.; and James Lai, of Cannon Design. They and their volunteer planning group of architects, allied professionals, and teachers have been planning this event for over one year. They have raised the money and enlisted interested professionals in the field; students from the UB School of Architecture and Planning; and teachers from Discovery School, Waterfront Elementary School, and the Frederick Law Olmsted School. The group has also designed a curriculum based on Buffalo’s own treasures. Students will learn to recognize the civic value of architecture—that, through buildings such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin Complex, Louis Sullivan’s Guaranty Building, and the H. H. Richardson Complex, the city attracts tourists from around the world.

By studying the design of a building, students are exposed to the subjects of math, science, history, art, and technology, to name only a few. Using the New York State Education curriculum requirements, a new curriculum is being developed that can be shared with the entire community.

In the two-day workshop, the architects and teachers study architectural principles such as scale, proportion, and structure through such examples as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, and the Sullivan building. They review the concepts of radial design using Buffalo city planning as a model and axis. Architects and teachers work together in teams of two, where the architect acts as the tutor and the teacher determines how best to convey the concepts back in the classroom. They learn about building plans and sections by sketching sneakers that have been cut in half lengthwise. They learn more about Buffalo’s architecture by attending a tour of downtown led by Paul McDonnell, planning committee member and president of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo. Then they approach such concepts as two- and three-dimensional design, programming, and model building by conducting their own design charrette, or exercise.

In the course of one day, architect-teacher teams design a café to be located at a downtown site. The teams present their plans, sections, elevations, and models to their peers, who provide constructive feedback. Throughout the entire workshop, as each concept is explored and drawings are created and proudly hung on the walls, the teacher room at Waterfront begins to look more and more like an architectural studio. By the end of the second day, each teacher has created a portfolio to be shared with students on Monday morning. The last exercise that the teams undertake is curriculum writing. Each team identifies the design project that it will introduce to students. They present their ideas to the other teams, explaining the skills that will be learned in the classroom.

From October to December, the architect/architecture-student/teacher teams that were created in the workshop continue in the classroom. The students work on projects including designing and building a chair, site-specific tree house design, and an urban planning assignment where houses in South Buffalo are designed to fit in a puzzle.

The work concludes by the end of the fall semester; an exhibit of the most recent student work was on display at CEPA Gallery this past January. A book is also in the works featuring lesson plans from this year and last. The publication will focus on the students’ projects and will serve as a curriculum based on Buffalo’s world-renowned architectural legacy, ensuring that the built environment of this city is appreciated by a new generation.

Kelly Hayes McAlonie is past president of the American Institute of Architects Buffalo/WNY Chapter.


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