Third-year architecture student Myles Jeffries presents his project to Boys and Girls Club board members and stakeholders. (Photo by Charlie Benton, SDN)
Some architecture students at Mississippi State University got the chance to get some real-world experience with designs for a special client in the community.
On Thursday night, students presented design ideas for the Golden Triangle Boysand Girls Club, which is seeking to build new facilities in Starkville and West Point. Architecture students of all levels participated in the project, and were given four days to design a building fitting the requirements set by the Boys and Girls Club. Some students also interacted with members of the club to hear what they would like to see in a new building.
“I thought each of them had very unique parts that I thought would certainly enhance the quality of what we currently offer at our facilities,” said Golden Triangle Boys and Girls Club CEO Nadia Colom. Colom said she was grateful that all the designs paid attention to her request to keep teen and preteen facilities separate under the same roof. She also said she was glad all the groups had included a swimming pool in their plans.
“It kind of encourages matriculation through the club, so I’m glad that each of them incorporated it into their designs,” Colom said.
Colom also said she was impressed by the professionalism the architecture students showed her and the Golden Triangle Boys and Girls Club Board over the course of the project.
“The Boys and Girls Club wanted some help on what to do with their West Point design and also to think about a new building for Starkville,” said associate professor of architecture Alexis Gregory.
The Columbus-based Major Design Studio helped with some of the design aspects of the students’ projects since many of the students were less experienced.
Students had a little more than a week to work on their projects.
“First of all, they have a real world opportunity to apply what they have learned so far at the school of architecture,” said assistant professor of architecture Silvina Lopez Barrera. “They have a real problem and a client. In this case the Boys and Girls Club. I think that’s an amazing opportunity for an architecture student, and they also have learned about leadership skills and how to present their work to their clients.”
Barrera also said the students learned how to engage with community partners through working with the Boys and Girls Club.
“For a client like this that has a board,the students have to learn how to be comfortable presenting to many people at once,” Gregory said.
Assistant professor of architecture Christopher Hunter also helped with the project.
Myles Jeffries, a third-year architecture student from Olive Branch, described his experience working on the project.
“It helps me in my major, because this is a real-life project,” Jeffries said. “Most of the time we’re working on theoretical projects. What would happen hypothetically. It’s a good experience for us. It’s a learning experience. The Boys and Girls Club told us what they want, and we tried our best to kind of meet that expectation.”