Twenty years into this experiment, the program has received national recognition and students have completed 23 design-build housing projects, many of which have won design awards. Alumni speak to how the program is life altering. Diane Kayembe said, “[DesignBuildUTAH@Bluff] was a oncein-a-lifetime experience that improved the trajectory of my personal and professional life. I have been able to translate and apply the lessons and skills learned while in the program. I am grateful and proud that I took the jump and participated in this amazing opportunity.” At a recent Bluff celebration, alums wrote on a wall that, “I built unforgettable memories, learning lifelong skills with an amazing cohort.” (signed Design Build Bitches, a class of five female students). Others said, “The program breaks down the division between design and labor,” and highlighted “learning about construction and detailing in a whole new way” and “making spaces out of spaces and enhancing the human experiences of them.” So How Does It Actually Work? Annually, Hiroko Yamamoto and Atsushi Yamamoto, the co-directors of DesignBuildUTAH, work with local tribal chapters to select from applicants the family who will be the beneficiary of a single-family home that is appropriate for the site, the users and the tribal nation, and which can be passed from one generation to the next. Design During the summer, the graduate students study the architectural vernacular of the southern Utah tribal area. They then design the (approx.) 1,500 sq. ft. house, from pre-schematics through construction and project management documents. The beneficiary clients are an integral part of the process, and are encouraged to be part of design activities as much as possible. They meet and talk about clients’ preferences and requirements. Students get to know the client, their needs, their dreams and their aesthetics. Each home has a distinct design concept, tailored to the family, the site, and the culture of the reservation. Green-build techniques are encouraged. Designers consider a myriad of potential environmentally friendly technologies including passive solar, rainwater catchment, permaculture, earthen plaster, rammed earth, straw bale construction, cellulose insulation, and Iycnene foam. Materiality is a critical component of any project design, and Bluff projects must be particularly attuned to the remote desert environment, both aesthetically and practically. As a result, designs have integrated materials reclaimed from the surrounding landscape like natural clay and riverbed reed. Serving “Architecture has to be greater than just architecture. It has to address social values, as well as technical and aesthetic values. On top of that, the one true gift that an architect has is his or her imagination. We take something ordinary and elevate it to something extraordinary.” – Samuel Mockbee 10 REFLEXION
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