Arts & Culture
B&V Night School
Board & Vellum announces our new endeavor, "B&V Night School," organized and inspired by our very own Jeff Sandler. Once a quarter, or more, we will leave our office setting behind, and host an evening of discussion of critical issues in our work, focused around a new theme at each event.
July 21, 2015
Here at B&V we try to stay sharp and informed. We invite product representatives and consultants in to teach us about new and innovative material uses and practices. We also plan regular office outings to tour galleries, exemplary architecture, and production facilities. Tomorrow, we begin a new and exciting foray into honing our skills and critical thinking; we call it ‘Night School.’ Organized and inspired by our own, Jeff Sandler.
Once a quarter, or more, we will leave our office setting and spend the evening discussing critical issues in our work around a theme. There will be documentary screenings, presentations, maybe even a live reading. This is an exciting departure from our daily work where we take a step back and provide ourselves the space to consider deeper issues in our work. During the day we work to provide the best service we can and see successful projects through to completion. At night we can wonder about the larger issues of architecture, like our role in society or our responsibility to creating a better future.
For our first installment of Night School, we will be screening ‘Citizen Architect,’ a film about Sam Mockbee and his legacy at Auburn University’s, Rural Studio. The Rural Studio takes students in their second and fifth years of architecture school and relocates them to three remote counties in central Alabama. There they live in the communities and put their newly learned skills to use designing and building community projects and affordable rural housing solutions for individuals with whom they develop relationships over the course of their time at the Rural studio and with whom they become quite close.
Discussing the Rural Studio brings about questions of our responsibility to create an equitable built environment for all. The Rural Studio works in some of the poorest areas of the country and brings together students and community members from many different backgrounds and circumstances. The result of the efforts of the Rural Studio has been more informed young architects going into the workforce, a greater understanding of the role of architects by the public, and many cost-effective innovations in simple and beautiful construction. This first meeting of Night School proves to be a thought provoking and inspirational evening indeed.
