Rural Studio and the Front Porch Initiative: The Opportunities and Challenges of Place-Based Research

Abstract

Harnessing the applied student research developed through design-build projects at Auburn University Rural Studio, the Front Porch Initiative aims to develop a scalable, sustainable, and resilient process for delivering homes in underserved rural communities. Student research forms the basis for the Initiative’s work, which extends its reach and impact through collaboration with housing providers and policymakers. A unique process of prototype home development and versioning of the homes engages students in the research of home affordability at different points in their architectural education. Graduate students undertake a comprehensive project: designing, developing, and ultimately building a prototype home for a local client in Rural Studio’s West Alabama service area. Third-year undergraduate students then utilize those prototypes for in-depth study and development of a specific topic related to contemporary issues in housing, such as accessibility, energy performance, material research, or emerging building technologies. Faculty working through the Front Porch Initiative can synthesize that information and deliver it as products to housing providers outside of Rural Studio’s service area. Currently, student research is driven by the particular demands of creating housing in the rural communities of West Alabama. This provides students the opportunity to deeply investigate and respond to local conditions, a key component of Rural Studio’s teaching pedagogy. However, as the Front Porch Initiative continues to expand the geographic, climatic, and sociocultural footprint of the housing research, Rural Studio faces new and different challenges and opportunities presented by other localities. As the Studio moves forward, it works to better understand how the local and particular can inform a broader conversation on rural housing while educating the next generation of citizen architects.