ABSTRACT
The Rural Studio programme of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at Auburn University, Alabama, USA, has a worldwide reputation. Rural Studio came to the attention of many people in 1994, when it completed the first of its ‘Client Houses’ in Mason’s Bend, a community of only 100 people. As Andrew Freear, director of Rural Studio since 2002, reflected, ‘In my initial years at Studio, the design/build process was pretty hit or miss, quite undisciplined. Learning from earlier mistakes and being open and transparent about them is perhaps one of the most inspirational aspects of Rural Studio’s approach. After making a big impact in the mid to late 1990s, Rural Studio has steadily evolved. Since 2010, more time has been spent developing the facilities at Rural Studio’s Morrisette House HQ, where the team are endeavouring to create most of their energy and food on site.
