BAC Collaborates with Local School to Address Design Needs
School of Design Studies Faculty and Students develop design plans and improvements for Woodward School for Girls

The Boston Architectural College is pleased to announce the successful collaboration with the Woodward School for Girls in Quincy, MA. As part of the Woodward School's ongoing effort to address design and special challenges, BAC School of Design Studies faculty and students have worked to develop sustainable design plans for improvements at the Woodward School. These plans incorporated donated furniture from the BAC, including lockers, chairs, and work tables.

BAC Bachelor of Design Studies students, Sara Massarsky and Luisa Ruiz, led by BAC faculty member Chip Piatti and BAC graduate student Julie Galluzzo, completed a preliminary needs assessment of the school and developed a plan to optimize its footprint and to enhance its usability and occupant comfort. Part of the plan included improvements to the school's athletic locker room facilities and the procurement of new classroom furniture. The donation from the BAC enabled Woodward to achieve the initial phase of their goals at no cost and in time for the start of the new school year.

The work will continue this fall, as more students from the BAC join Sara, Luisa and Chip as part of a larger Advanced Studio project. Students may also earn Practicum credits in exchange for their participation and contributions. The Practicum is an experiential learning component of the BAC's Design Studies curriculum through which students apply their knowledge and skills in hands-on, real-world projects.

"It has been a pleasure working with the administration, faculty and students at the Woodward School," remarked Don Hunsicker, Head of the School of Design Studies at the BAC. "By opening their doors to us, they have given our students a unique opportunity to use and develop their design skills. We deeply appreciate being able to collaborate with everyone at Woodward and we hope to continue that collaboration on a long-term basis."

The Bachelor of Design Studies Advanced Studio is an interdisciplinary studio in which students enrolled in all of the BDS Programs of Study (Architectural Technology, Sustainable Design, Historic Preservation, Digital Design and Visualization and Design History, Theory and Criticism) work in coordinated teams to develop solutions to complex design problems. The studio is intended to develop the student's understanding of the roles professionals play and the contributions they make in an interdisciplinary design process.

The Bachelor of Design Studies program at the Boston Architectural College is an opportunity to explore design as a method for critical thinking and innovation. Choosing from a variety of program options, students craft learning experiences that are tailored to match their education and career goals. The program equips students with a foundation of skills across the design disciplines through a rigorous curriculum that incorporates applied learning beyond the traditional internship. Design Studies graduates engage in a variety of occupations and endeavors, including emerging and specialized design fields. Programs of study include: Architectural Technology, Digital Design and Visualization, Design History, Theory and Criticism, Historic Preservation, and Sustainable Design.