MAKE YOUR OWN !
The COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE LAB, Inc.
Inspiring The Inventors of the 21st Century
CAL, INC is a non-profit studio based workshop predicated on the idea that students can learn to problem solve through the act of designing then making something. Further, our studio projects emphasize the importance of cross disciplinary thinking, where ideas are developed and then resolved through the careful examination of physical conditions analyzed within multiple contexts (think STEM x 10).
We use the setting of the architecture studio, computer lab and wood shop to intellectually and creatively engage students. Nothing is left in the abstract. Every project has a specific end "product" that must be realized. What interests us is the process of making and the disciplines we must use to solve the problems inherent to the project at hand. The final product is a means to an end, not the end in and of itself.
Check out our recent nod from Inhabitat...
& The Salem Gazette...
& our pitch on YouTube...
The COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE LAB, Inc.
Inspiring The Inventors of the 21st Century
CAL, INC is a non-profit studio based workshop predicated on the idea that students can learn to problem solve through the act of designing then making something. Further, our studio projects emphasize the importance of cross disciplinary thinking, where ideas are developed and then resolved through the careful examination of physical conditions analyzed within multiple contexts (think STEM x 10).
We use the setting of the architecture studio, computer lab and wood shop to intellectually and creatively engage students. Nothing is left in the abstract. Every project has a specific end "product" that must be realized. What interests us is the process of making and the disciplines we must use to solve the problems inherent to the project at hand. The final product is a means to an end, not the end in and of itself.
Check out our recent nod from Inhabitat...
& The Salem Gazette...
& our pitch on YouTube...
IMPROMPTU DESIGN STUDIOS
CAL, INC partners with local high school students to run project specific studios. The intent is to design, raise money and then build things and places that a community or organization needs but cannot afford.
CAL, INC accepts proposals throughout the year, and selects projects based upon need and feasibility. Project examples include playground equipment, skate board ramps, rock climbing walls - basically structures and products off all kinds.
The studio participants are encouraged to use their own native and distinct intelligence to solve a particular design issue. The studio as a whole learns to identify and capitalize on each individual's unique abilities, and to exploit these abilities for the benefit of the project. As a group, we meet with the clients who present the challenge and their specific needs. We then set about the design process where participants work both individually and as a group, developing and critiquing the ideas presented. Once a design is settled upon, we analyze cost and determine the best means by which to raise the necessary funds (i.e. grants, fundraisers, etc...). The studio then organizes and executes the fund raising effort. Ultimately, once the money has been raised, the studio builds and installs the project.
CAL, INC partners with local high school students to run project specific studios. The intent is to design, raise money and then build things and places that a community or organization needs but cannot afford.
CAL, INC accepts proposals throughout the year, and selects projects based upon need and feasibility. Project examples include playground equipment, skate board ramps, rock climbing walls - basically structures and products off all kinds.
The studio participants are encouraged to use their own native and distinct intelligence to solve a particular design issue. The studio as a whole learns to identify and capitalize on each individual's unique abilities, and to exploit these abilities for the benefit of the project. As a group, we meet with the clients who present the challenge and their specific needs. We then set about the design process where participants work both individually and as a group, developing and critiquing the ideas presented. Once a design is settled upon, we analyze cost and determine the best means by which to raise the necessary funds (i.e. grants, fundraisers, etc...). The studio then organizes and executes the fund raising effort. Ultimately, once the money has been raised, the studio builds and installs the project.
EDUCATION- OUTREACH
CAL, INC conducts classes throughout the greater Boston area specifically designed to introduce kids between the ages of 9-15 to the basic concepts of structural engineering (and geometry and physics by default) by building simple structures and objects. By introducing these otherwise complex, abstract concepts within the framework of building, for example, a fort, children learn through the act of making. Designed to complement many Massachusetts Curriculum Framework standards, the classes use creative and physical tasks to guide instruction. Example:
CAL, INC conducts classes throughout the greater Boston area specifically designed to introduce kids between the ages of 9-15 to the basic concepts of structural engineering (and geometry and physics by default) by building simple structures and objects. By introducing these otherwise complex, abstract concepts within the framework of building, for example, a fort, children learn through the act of making. Designed to complement many Massachusetts Curriculum Framework standards, the classes use creative and physical tasks to guide instruction. Example:
R&D
CAL, INC is a multidisciplinary design studio dedicated to civicly oriented projects that engage, respect and revolve around the rehabilitation and preservation of the environment. Every project undertaken and class taught is done so with an eye towards sustainability- both in terms of the projects use of recycled and / or responsibly harvested materials, and its ability to physically withstand the test of time. To this end, the studio is actively engaged in the research and development of new building products, components, and assembly methods. Example:
PRAYER SCREENS [EARTH BRICKS / TOXIBLOK]
As part of his thesis at Rensselaer, Henry attempted neutralized toxically compromised soil by mixing it w/ Portland cement. He rammed (in the case of bricks) and cast (in the case of larger blocks) the new, composite media, developing a series of modular building components that, as a result of the Portland cement, rendered the compromised material benign. He then began to add granulated post consumer waste plastics as a structural matrix to the larger, cast blocks. In so doing, he replaced the need for traditional aggregate, thus eliminating the costly and environmentally questionable process of mining it. In addition, he developed an alternative to conventional plastic recycling- a practice that is difficult, fossil fuel intensive and expensive, and ultimately yields an inferior product to the equivalent virgin material. The final blocks were lighter than conventional CMUs, but had the same (and in some cases better) compressive strength. From these components, Henry built a series of architectural "constructs." His efforts were awarded first place in the "Concrete Thinking For A Sustainable World." The thesis has been published internationally.
CAL, INC is a multidisciplinary design studio dedicated to civicly oriented projects that engage, respect and revolve around the rehabilitation and preservation of the environment. Every project undertaken and class taught is done so with an eye towards sustainability- both in terms of the projects use of recycled and / or responsibly harvested materials, and its ability to physically withstand the test of time. To this end, the studio is actively engaged in the research and development of new building products, components, and assembly methods. Example:
PRAYER SCREENS [EARTH BRICKS / TOXIBLOK]
As part of his thesis at Rensselaer, Henry attempted neutralized toxically compromised soil by mixing it w/ Portland cement. He rammed (in the case of bricks) and cast (in the case of larger blocks) the new, composite media, developing a series of modular building components that, as a result of the Portland cement, rendered the compromised material benign. He then began to add granulated post consumer waste plastics as a structural matrix to the larger, cast blocks. In so doing, he replaced the need for traditional aggregate, thus eliminating the costly and environmentally questionable process of mining it. In addition, he developed an alternative to conventional plastic recycling- a practice that is difficult, fossil fuel intensive and expensive, and ultimately yields an inferior product to the equivalent virgin material. The final blocks were lighter than conventional CMUs, but had the same (and in some cases better) compressive strength. From these components, Henry built a series of architectural "constructs." His efforts were awarded first place in the "Concrete Thinking For A Sustainable World." The thesis has been published internationally.