Design studios are one of the core components of an architectural education. Through the guidance and expertise of dedicated faculty members, students are taught the skills and design perspectives needed to navigate architecture studios. 

Studios encourage students to explore new ways to design, prototype, think, and build. To bring closer attention to architecture studios, their committed instructors, and the exciting work being developed, we present Archinect Studio Pin-Ups, a new series highlighting architecture studios focusing on new and thought-provoking topics.

To kick off the series, we dive into the University of Texas at Austin's Advanced Spring 2022 Studio - Green Core, led by Jing Liu (Visiting Professor and co-founder of SO–IL) and Claire Townley (UT Austin Alumn '19 and Associate Architect at Pollen Architecture & Design). 

*Are you an instructor or current architecture student participating in an exciting studio? We are currently accepting submissions for our Archinect Studio Pin-Ups series. Reach out to us here for a chance to be featured.

Studio Summary: "As climate change ravages our world, it is imperative that architectural design tackle sustainability across the various disciplines — from the formal to the system, from the material to the energetic, of the practice. Although sustainability practices have long existed within the architectural profession, progressive technologies are usually implemented in large-scale civic and commercial projects. There is a severe bottleneck in this area where single-family homes are concerned and ripe for architectural innovation."

"In this studio, we work on a modest physical scale, an ADU dwelling, but seek to address large questions about density, resources, and the earth system. We seek tangible ways to harness sustainable energy in residential building design from the inside out. The result of this endeavor is GreenCore. GreenCore is a modular, adaptable, ready-made energy system that harnesses existing technology, including solar energy, rainwater collection, geothermal heating systems, waste digestion and filtration, and green walls to produce a house that acts like a battery, powering itself."

"GreenCore is a one-stop-shop for homeowners and developers seeking to create homes that make energy rather than consume it. Being modular in design, it is infinitely expandable and adaptable, applicable both for new construction and in rescuing, resuscitating, and resurrecting existing structures. The GreenCore studio is the second edition with the first one taking place in an abandoned duplex building on the Governors Island in New York City. It is our ambition to accumulate research and design exploration undertaken in an academic environment into the real world in the near future. Therefore, a formal prototype will be one of the key productions of the studio. Students will have the opportunity to visit New York City during the second half of spring break."

Drawing Pin-Ups

Design Build Process

Students: Brinton Freeze, Nikki Gendelman, Claire Greene, Osvaldo Herrera Garcia, Varsha Iyer, Alex Kelley, Campbell Kraemer, Charlie Kuok, Christine Lee, Shen Ni, Noland Summerhill, Amelia Webb, and Ania Yee-Boguinskiaia

Studio Instructors: Jing Liu and Claire Townley

Learn more about UT Austin School of Architecture and past editorial coverage by exploring their Archinect School Profile.