Auburn University’s Center for Architecture and Urban Studies—the Urban Studio—is a teaching and outreach program of Auburn’s College of Architecture, Design and Construction. Students are immersed in the extraordinarily rich “laboratory” of downtown Birmingham where their work includes professional seminars and studio design projects that typically focus on community development and urban planning.
The Urban Studio’s teaching program is designed to take advantage of the special opportunities inherent in studying in an urban setting.
Studio projects include:
Illustrative neighborhood and town master plans
Designs for public-use buildings in locations with potential for significant urban impact.
This off-campus venue presents exceptional opportunities for advancement of the College’s commitment to outreach and engagement. The Urban Studio’s asset-based approach to community and neighborhood revitalization seeks out projects that can benefit Alabama and offer real-world investigations and learning challenges for our students, faculty, interns, and professional partners.
Fifth–year architecture and interior architecture students may spend a full academic year in Birmingham, while third year students can apply for a semester study in the fall.
Admission to the program is competitive and only 15 students are admitted each year. Application to the program is in the spring semester of the student’s 2nd or 4th year.
The Urban Studio also hosts selective students seeking dual degrees in Architecture and Planning or Landscape Architecture. Project investigations may also include students studying on main campus in any of the disciplines of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture.
Examples of how Urban Studio has served the City of Birmingham include:
ULI City Center charrette and exhibiting report material
UDA City Center charrette
AIA R/UDAT for Pratt City post April 2011 tornadoes
Various symposia, lectures, and workshops for the professional community and public
Partnerships:
Birmingham Historic Society Buddy Up program
Region 2020 and the Regional Planning Commission in the Center for Regional Planning and Design
Exhibiting work of local architecture, landscape, and development projects
Current Projects:
DesignVision is a community visioning workshop held in partnership between Urban Studio and DesignAlabama. These workshops are two-day, community-oriented visioning charrettes that fit into Urban Studio’s fall curriculum. The organizations’ work has continued to impact communities throughout Alabama since the partnership began over 30 years ago. The work from this partnership illustrates a holistic approach towards community revitalization and sustainable development. In 2019, the program and partnership formally became known as DesignVision.
Birmingham Projects
The Urban Studio has worked on the following project-specific studies:
Master Plans:
Lakeview District
Norwood neighborhood
Smithfield
21st Street Bridge
Banks High School
McClendon Park
Parkside
Revitalization Plans:
College Hills and Graymont neighborhood
Design Studies:
Ensley neighborhood
Woodlawn neighborhood
Railroad Reservation Park
Housing Studies:
Avondale neighborhood
Midtown
Morris Avenue
Clairmont Avenue walking trail study
Hope VI Park Place and Marconi Park studies
UAB 15th Street Quad
Sloss Furnace master plan preliminary studies and Spark at Sloss
Innovation District and The Switch
Past Projects:
The Small Town Design Initiative (STDI) was founded in 1998 by Franklin Setzer to assist civic leaders and citizens in small towns in preserving those things that made their towns special while preparing for revitalization, growth, and improved quality of life.
STDI has worked with over seventy-five small towns and communities across the state. Helping communities identify these positive assets can be the basis of a sound master plan for physical and economic vitality and helps create a better place to live.
YourTownAlabama was founded in 1998. This organization provides asset-based planning workshops for citizen leaders across the state. The goal is to cultivate leadership that understands the value of planning, knows where and how to find technical assistance and expertise, and has the confidence to take action on a local level.
