The Skate Shade

The School of Architecture has a long-standing Design + Build Program. Each summer Faculty-led student design teams design and build a project for community clients. During the intensive studio, students experience and understand the design-make-design cycle, address client parameters, learn design development and construction document phases, integrate universal design principles, respond to multiple contexts, integrate landscape and architectural design, learn collaborative design skills, and physically build a permanent project.

The summer 2024 class partnered with BuildSense, to design and construct shade structures for Skate Raleigh at the Conlon Family Skate Park along Capital Boulevard in Raleigh, NC. The goal was to design a sheltered space that would give visitors of the skatepark the opportunity to experience client relationships, site planning, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, permitting and approvals, budgeting, site preparation and development, construction and detailing, vendor negotiation, project completion, installation, and delivery. The rapid pace of the 10-week studio challenged students to become decisive designers and creative problem solvers in order to manage and complete the project on time and on budget.