Seabury Students Design Forever Homes

Seabury Students Design Forever Homes

Using the design process, graph paper, post-it note feedback, and a digital design tool called Sketchup, the Seabury students created their own forever homes.

Before designing their homes, the students interviewed their parents about what they looked for in a home and how the home buying process works.

The design process begins with empathy. For this step, students filled out a client intake form for an architectural firm, but for themselves. They also wrote a half page about who they are and what they would want from a house and created stories of a day in the life of their house.

After much brainstorming, students needed to learn how to use the tools of the trade. Sketchup takes some practice, so they worked through some basics of designing with Sketchup.

During the prototype, feedback, and testing stage, students created three prototypes for their homes, asking teachers and other students for feedback. These pieces of feedback went on brightly colored post-its. Students decided what feedback to adopt into their designs and what feedback to reject based on their own preferences.

Once they had revised their designs, they were ready to return to Sketchup to make their final drafts. 

Students collaborated by asking for advice and help as they worked. 

We were fortunate enough to have Ms. Bartek, an architect, with us to give students professional advice and feedback about their designs and about Sketchup. We are so grateful that she was able to join us.

 At the end of the week, students presented their final designs to one another and several shared with the lower school students at our First Friday Gathering.