Architectural Design Workshop — ClimateCorps@MIT

Note: The first meeting of this class is on Monday, February 12

Building towards a campus-wide climate corps, this workshop will host students who want to engage in campus and community-based climate projects. Students from across MIT will come together to develop ideas and design prototypes that respond to climate and climate justice imperatives, working with campus and community-based class collaborators. The workshop is part of the multi-year Civilian Climate Corps Initiative (MCCCI), conceived as a pilot for an annual course. Students will have the opportunity to engage in multi-faceted design of “climate pilots” at the intersection of climate, community and careers, learn from experts engaged in these facets of design on our campus and in the local communities of Cambridge and Boston, and from each other through reflection and teamwork. The project will respond to three major themes of farms, heat risk, and green careers. Students will be able to choose the “climate pilot” they would like to work on. Students with their own projects that fit the criteria may email the professors.  The course is open to undergraduate and graduate students from across the Institute. Key collaborators will include MITCCCI partners PowerCorps Boston; Eastie Farm, and the MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS); and other campus and community partners. 

Students have the option to take the course for 3 or 9 units. In-class time will be devoted to guest lectures and group work. Out of class, students taking the course for 9 units will conduct weekly reflections, research, and work with each other, with site visits to get to know the organizations and sites. Students taking the class for 3 credits will conduct weekly reflections and make targeted contributions to team projects.