Art Studio 381 - Architectural Design Studio: Overlapping Spaces

This research-based design studio will investigate how a nature-based approach that questions the separation between natural and human environments might help us build climate resilience. In particular, we will study how beavers (like humans) have an outsized effect on their landscapes. The beaver population has recently rebounded after centuries of trapping and increasingly has come into conflict with humans. At the same time, their dams create wetlands that raise water tables, produce habitats for thousands of species, serve as firebreaks for wildfires, and sequester carbon. We will consider how built environments and wetlands can coexist in overlapping, rather than separate ecosystems. Enrollment limited to 15. Prerequisites: ARS 280 and ARS 281. Instructor permission required.