SEED Program

Project Information

Institution Long Beach Public Library

Instructor William Ellsworth

Course Date(s) Summer 2024

Project Description

This project challenges students to develop a concrete model through a process of abstracting geometry from point, to line, to plane, then eventually into volume.

Architecture and Design can be difficult professions for students to consider when thinking about their career. For this reason, practitioners can do a better job of engaging the public through education and outreach. The SEED program has the power to connect many adjacent industries and appeal to the youth as actual career possibilities and this is incredibly powerful.

Architecture has been perceived as an ivory tower of service to the wealthiest in society. However, society has changed, and we should democratize the educational process, tools, theories, and methodology of Architecture and Design for the masses. It is and always has been an integral part of society, and it should represent all members of society. The SEED program was approached as an experiment in abstracting the methodology education. While some elements of the workshop might not have been successful for all students, there was an overwhelming amount of information students can learn from. Most importantly, they are given the tools to approach the built environment with a new perspective and sense of personal agency.