Study Architecture 
ProPEL 
Author(s): Alissa De Wit-Paul
In 2016 Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the Genesee Country Village and Museum (GCVM) received a private grant to support collaborative projects between the two institutions. This paper will discuss the transdisciplinary work the grant underwrote, focusing on the innovative pedagogical opportunities it enabled and the measurable ways they enhanced the experience of first-year architecture students. The collaboration afforded students a unique opportunity to understand the history and use of local building materials, a key element within the sustainability movement. Students also gained a deeper understanding of site and context, especially in terms of accessibility. This paper will show that the living history museum was an ideal transdisciplinary location for teaching first-year studio students regional history and traditional building technologies while also developing their understanding of foundational design skills and the important relationships between buildings and their sites.
https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.Teach.2023.14
Volume Editors
Massimo Santanicchia
ISBN
978-1-944214-44-9
