“If architecture is going to nudge, cajole, and inspire a
community to challenge the status quo into making responsible changes, it will
take the subversive leadership of academics and practitioners who keep
reminding students of the profession’s responsibilities.” – Samuel Mockbee
I recently saw the documentary film, Citizen Architect:
Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio, on PBS. Here’s a trailer for the film.
The film deals with two subjects: The Rural Studio, an undergraduate program of the School of Architecture at Auburn University, and Samuel Mockbee who co-established The Rural Studio with Dennis K. Ruth in 1993 and served as its director until his death in 2001.
The Rural Studio, conceived as a strategy to improve the
living conditions in rural Alabama while imparting practical experience to
architecture students, is a design and build architecture studio run by Auburn
University, which aims to teach students about the social responsibilities of
the profession.
Samuel “Sambo” Mockbee (below) was the driving force behind the Rural Studio program. Under his direction, the program became widely acclaimed for introducing students to the social responsibilities of architectural practice and for providing safe, well-constructed, and inspirational buildings to the communities of West Alabama.
In many cases these buildings, designed and built by students, incorporate novel materials which otherwise would be considered waste. The buildings often consist of vernacular architecture with modernist forms.
Mockbee was posthumously awarded the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Medal in 2004. Andrea Oppenheimer Dean’s article Samuel Mockbee: A Life’s Work, published in Architectural Record to describe the AIA 2004 Gold Medal Winner, is an excellent summary of Mockbee’s legacy.
Consult your local PBS listing, and make a point of seeing this film. It will be well worth your time.
