Past Program

Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio

The Rhode Island School of Design has been engaged, since 2007, in collaborative studios with EHAVC University, the world’s foremost school of sustainable agriculture. The Wintersession 2014 studio will be the culmination of a year of research and design study on the development of a prototype classroom – off the grid, hi-tech/low-tech – for rural schools in the dry tropical region of Costa Rica.

At-A-Glance

What

Wintersession Travel Course

Where

San José, Costa Rica

When

Winter 2014

Course Dates: Jan 6, 2014 — Feb 7, 2014

Who

Open to RISD students, Brown University students

Faculty

Colgate Searle

Academic Credits

Department

Landscape Architecture

Course Numbers

LDAR-W202

Cost

$3055

Includes accommodation, field trips, local transportation, all meals, museum entrances, health and travel insurance.

Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio

San José, Costa Rica 2014

Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio

San José, Costa Rica 2014

Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio

San José, Costa Rica 2014

About this Travel Course

In the field the students, along with EHAVC University, will finalize a selected design from this Fall’s RISD Innovation Studio. They will build the classroom and its landscape at the La Flor Campus of EHAVC University.

Goal

To design and build a classroom prototype that exhibits sustainable building practices in the dry tropics.

Design Principles

Use affordable materials and labor for construction.
Develop methods for utilizing local resources and building practices.
Implement replicable and understandable construction technology.
Employ energy efficient and environmentally responsible strategies for locating the building on the site and for controlling the interior environment.

Ultimately, the classroom, with its inside/outside learning environments, will demonstrate how integrating curriculum, teaching, energy and hi-tech systems, landscape and space will contribute to a transformative learning experience.

Schedule

Gather in Providence, travel to Costa Rica
4+ weeks working on the Design/Build Project with weekend excursions investigating sustainability in the dry tropics
Return to Providence, summary presentation

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio; group shot against the laurel wood classroom wall.

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio; progress from day 14 of build.

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio: Pictured L-R: Lizzy Gregory 15 GD, Elsa Carlson 16 INTAR, Dana Famiglietti 15 GD, Dakota Linkel 14 INTAR, Emily Pun 16 INTAR, Jordan Rich 15 GD, Cynthia Darmawan 15 INTAR, faculty Colgate Searle, Genevieve Henry 14 INTAR, Frank Hammond 13 LDAR, Avery Schuster 16 PT, Hyung Jin Yoo 15 ID, Sam Rosenberg 16 FD

Student + Faculty Stories

Read more about Costa Rica: Design/Build in RISD News: Eco-friendly Construction in Costa Rica

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio trip to Liberia.

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio. Pictured: Colgate Searle, trip to Liberia.

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio; Rancho Margot

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio; Arenal rain forest hike.

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio; night sky.

WS14 Costa Rica: Design/Build Travel Studio

1:1 Advising Session

Have questions? The RISD Global team is available to meet for a 1:1 advising session. We can give you more information about your study options, help you figure out which program makes sense for you, and assist you with the application process.

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