An Architecture Studio Moved Online
Covid-19 hit at one of the most inconvenient times in my academic career. As a sophomore prospective architecture major, I expected to spend this year discovering the wonderful world of architecture studio classes for the first time. I excitedly envisioned my future filled with late-night model building sessions, a close-knit creative community to surround me, as well as a finally legitimate justification for spending hours with the fancy Design Center equipment.
Covid-19 brought my envisioned future to a screeching halt. When fall registration rolled around, I found myself questioning whether it would even be worth taking a studio remotely. I didn’t have access to the Design Center and I would be doing all my work alone. What could I possibly get out of a remote studio experience? Now, almost seven weeks into the semester, I can confidently say that the architecture department has creatively navigated around the constraints and has created a as-close-as-possible digital re-creation of an in-person architecture studio.
Many things are unchanged by the fact that the class is online, such as the format. We still have desk crits every class where the professor and classmates give feedback about student work. We still have the same project assignments. The main thing that’s changed is that instead of being in a physical space together for pin-ups, we upload our files to a digital corkboard.
This “corkboard” is called Miro, and it’s super fun and versatile. Here’s a screenshot of my class’ Miro page, Architectural Design: Systems and Materials. It can be accessed either by web browser or by app! You can zoom in and out, add sticky notes, draw directly overtop someone’s work, and upload files. Most importantly, it allows you to look at a collective body of work all at the same time, much like if it was tacked onto the wall.
Of course there are some things that are lost when converting to a remote experience, such as the immediate sense of camaraderie. No matter how many texts are sent in the groupchat, there is simply no recreating the ability to casually point out a detail on a model or explain how to do something on the computer. Everything that happens remotely takes just a bit more time and energy than in-person. I have spent many hours trying to learn and troubleshoot brand-new software on my own, which would’ve been easily overcome if I was working alongside a classmate. The physical distance also creates a bit of loneliness, especially in something as collaborative and creative as architecture. Late nights working alone can feel isolating.
However, despite the downsides, I believe that this experience will train me for the better. I know that once I do get on campus, I will have both the ability to figure things out for myself and reach out for help if I need it. I will finally get to use the Design Center, and my new digital proficiency skills can only serve to compliment the ones I would’ve learned on-campus. I don’t regret taking the studio online; I like to view it as almost a different class entirely. I have two more years for pin-ups and laser cutters--2020 can be used for digital innovation.