Engaged Learning Project

Title of Project: Design of a Multi-use Suburban Renewal Development

Subject(s): Architectural, Industrial & Graphic Design
Grade Level(s): 11-12
Abstract:
This is a multi-faceted architectural and graphic design project in which the entire class will follow the
design process to complete conceptual plans for a given real world project. Plans will be placed on
display at an event to be attended by the entire school and faculty. Students will design a multi-use
community to be built on the site and surrounding areas of, the now closed, Shannon Mall in Union City,
GA. The development will include all of the necessary varieties of structural environments to provide a
place for people to live, work and play.
Learner Description/Context:
This learning experience will take place for the students in the Design Program of the Governors
Honors Program (GHP) on the campus of Valdosta State University. These students represent some of
the best and brightest 11th and 12th graders from across the state of Georgia. There are 8 girls and 8 boys
from eleven different high schools. The group is culturally diverse, and although the majority of students
have training in architectural design, three are graphics design students, and two are in Engineering
design programs at their home schools. The learning environment is the four week GHP where 690
gifted students, accepted after a rigorous application /interview process live on campus and engage in
learning with 60+ faculty members. Students spend 4.5 hours, six days a week in their Majors and 2.5
hours a day in a Minor they have chosen. Students are required to leave their smart phones in dorm
rooms during instructional time. Parents are not involved with the program.
It is also relevant to note in context to this assignment that before I began teaching five years ago I was
self-employed as a Residential Designer and Builder in South Metro Atlanta for 20 years.
Time Frame:
This learning experience will span over a period of nine instructional days with 3.5 hours of
classroom/computer lab time devoted to the project each day.
Standards Assessed:
Georgia Department of Education
Architectural Drawing and Design II
Course Number 48.54600

Larry Singleton - Kennesaw State University

Engaged Learning Project

AC-ADDII-1
Demonstrate employability skills required by business and industry.
AC-ADDI-2
Identify components related to the architectural design process
AC-ADDII-2
Demonstrate and explain the preparation of site plans
AC-ADDII-6
Create a project presentation for a building
ISTE Standards - Students
Creativity and innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and
processes using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
d. Identify trends and forecast possibilities
Communication and collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at
a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of
digital environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of
media and formats
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
Research and information fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety
of sources and media
c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to
specific tasks
Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and
make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions
Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and
ethical behavior.

Larry Singleton - Kennesaw State University

Engaged Learning Project

a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning,
and productivity
c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship
Technology operations and concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
a. Understand and use technology systems
b. Select and use applications effectively and productively
c. Troubleshoot systems and applications d. Transfer current knowledge to learning of new
technologies
Learner Objectives:
As a result of this learning experience students will gain knowledge of Urban/Suburban Renewal trends,
Post-Modern Geometric Design styles, Mixed-use Development population requirements, and further
develop their skills for designing and team collaboration in the Autodesk Revit software. Students will
also construct knowledge and skills of team involvement in the design process. Peer assessments and
feedback throughout the project will provide a gauge of individual student success with their individual
design challenges. The success of each student in sharing the models they create, and embedding those
models in the overall site plan, will verify the development of the necessary collaboration skills.
The hook or Introduction:
After a brief verbal description of the concept of re-developing a dead mall area into a new
community where people can live, work, and play, students will brainstorm and create a list of a variety
of specific structural/functional areas or elements of a complete community. This brainstorming session
will be facilitated by the Instructor who will ensure that the number of components listed exceeds the
number of students who will be working on the project.
The Instructor will explain to the students that his role will be limited to occasional facilitator and/or
guide, but that the responsibility for fulfillment of the challenge rests on the shoulders of the students.
The deadline for completion of all design work will be announced, and the students will then select the
component of the project they would most like to design, and commitments/assignments will be made.
Process: (The process described here is focused on the architectural design aspects of this project. The
three students who came into the program as Graphic Designers will be engaged in projects that will
involve the design of a logo and slogan, marketing materials, and support the other students in
preparation of their design displays. That Visual Arts design process will parallel the architectural design
process, but is not described below).

Larry Singleton - Kennesaw State University

Engaged Learning Project

The traditional Design Process begins with research/investigation after the need/problem has been
established. During this phase of the project students will be engaged in the following:
A TED talk by Ellen Dunham-Jones entitled Retrofitting Suburbia will be viewed in class and discussed
as the kickoff to individual research. Ellen Dunham-Jones is an award-winning licensed architect and
professor teaching contemporary architectural and urban design studios and theory at Georgia Tech.
The first research assignment given to Students will be creation of a list of questions for which to seek
answers that will define the size of the community and the individual venues within it. This will be
followed by discussion and team consensus on the target population of the residential areas, the total
acreage and its allocation to various usages, and capacities of the different individual public spaces to be
designed.
Instructor introduces the students to the Shannon Mall site in Union City, GA chosen for the
development. Students are emailed a link to a Fulton County Map and instructed to Zoom in on Union
City, Shannon Mall site (on West side of I-85 at Highway 138 intersection, just south of the I285 perimeter).
Class discussion/collaboration on community layout and project boundaries based on the existing streets
and highways. Instructor guides students to the conclusion that the community needs a central tower to
establish an iconic identity for the community. Students volunteer for entry into a design competition
for the tower are solicited, and a deadline for completion of those concepts is established.
Individual students engage in research for design requirements, and conceptual ideas for their element of
the community. Those who are also designing a tower will research both.
The second phase of the process is conceptual design.
Students will work on preparation of hand drawn conceptual designs and continue research as necessary
along with the sketching process.
Initial Conceptual designs and research findings will be presented by each student to the entire class.
Students will choose the method of presentation they are comfortable with. A computer connected
projector and screen will be available along with a document camera. Feedback from peers will be
facilitated by the instructor. Criteria for feedback of these conceptual designs are: 1) size of the structure,
2) shape and form, 3) compliance with style parameters, and 4) function.
Following the presentations and collection of ideas from peer feedback, students will engage in creation
of their concepts using Autodesk Revit or Inventor. Students who are also designing a proposal for the
community tower will have a short period of time to complete that conceptual design.

Larry Singleton - Kennesaw State University

Engaged Learning Project

Phase three is presentation of the design idea for client judging.
If this were a product design, a prototype would be built. In the case of architectural design the prototype
is a visual representation. Due to time and material constraint, scale models will not be built, but any and
all visual representations of plans and renderings, including virtual walk-thru videos will be encouraged.
Students will want to showcase what they are capable of, and will likely stretch themselves beyond
their comfort zone because their products will be on display to all of the faculty and other students at
GHP.
Tower designs in an 8.5 x 11 layout will be submitted with renderings and written descriptions for
presentation and judging in the faculty dormitory lobby.
The winning tower design will be announced to the class, and a collaborative decision on a name for the
community will be decided on by the collective team.
Heres a link to those actual design presentations: Towers. The Lotus Tower design won the competition
and the students decided to name the community Oasis.
While completing CAD models of the conceptual designs for their part of the community, students will
collaborate with the student doing the site plan and share CAD models to be placed into that plan.
Students will also work with the Graphic Design students on plans for presentation of their designs.
Prior to beginning preparation of the actual poster display boards, students will prepare the digital
images of plans and renderings to be included in their posters (heres a link to a video compilation of
those images). Those images will be placed into a 20 x 30 poster using an Adobe Illustrator template
prepared by one of the Graphic Design students and with the help of those students in using that
software which may be unfamiliar to them.
Students will present the digital poster boards to the entire class for final feedback and suggestions for
changes or improvements. Criteria for feedback on the poster layouts are: 1) written description
structure and composition, 2) written description spelling, grammar and punctuation, and 3) overall
layout aesthetics. After final changes or adjustments, color printouts of those posters will be mounted on
foam core poster boards for the final exhibition.
The final presentation projects will occur at 5:00 PM of day nine in a school-wide exhibition of projects
from GHP Design, Executive Management, and Technology Programs. There is no judging, only
comments from numerous GHP friends and faculty who will visit the exhibition that evening.
The next step in the normal design process would be preparation of detailed plans and ultimately
construction; a process that would realistically stretch over many years for an architectural firm with
numerous staff working on the projects. For our GHP students the final step will be the transfer of their
Larry Singleton - Kennesaw State University

Engaged Learning Project

own work and some of the work done in cooperation with peers to their own digital portfolio. This
project will comprise the next unit of instruction to be introduced as Digital Design.
Product:
Each student will create a display board (2 or 3 20 x 30 foam core) that showcases the design and
features of the structures they developed. The images and descriptions they place on their displays will
be viewed by the faculty and student body of GHP, and students will also place their work on a digital
portfolio web site.
The work included in the digital portfolios will be valuable in their college application endeavors. Their
use of technology in the production of digital models and plans with color CAD generated renderings
will be obvious in their display and portfolios. GHP does not assess grades for student work, but they
will receive meaningful feedback from their peers and other faculty as well as future feedback on the
portfolios.
Technology Use:
This project will take place in a classroom with computer workstations for each student and 5 x 5 work
tables to seat four students at each. The room has a teacher workstation with screen projection and a
sound system. Students will have full internet access and use of the following software programs:
Microsoft Office
Autodesk Inventor
Autodesk Revit
Adobe CS6
Students will share work with me and each other via email and Google Drive for large files.
I will send written instructions and pertinent links to the students via Gmail.
Students will have access to color printing for documents up to 11 x 17 in size.
Brainstorming sessions will be conducted digitally using Padlet.com Heres a link for access to a sample
brainstorm wall on my account:
References and Supporting Material:
This learning experience was created entirely by me. I credit the AIA Atlanta Chapter with the idea of a
design project set on an actual location. Every year they sponsor a High School Student Design
Competition with real world sites and scenarios. However, those projects are for single structures
designed by individual students and not collaborative.
Other references/resources:
TED Talk by Ellen Dunham-Jones - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_uTsrxfYWQ
Fulton County map - http://gis.fultoncountyga.gov/Apps/PropertyMapViewer

Larry Singleton - Kennesaw State University

Engaged Learning Project

Governors Honors Program - https://gosa.georgia.gov/governors-honors-program
Georgia Performance Standards - http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-andAssessment/CTAE/Documents/Architectural-Drawing-Design-1.pdf
& http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/CTAE/Documents/ArchitecturalDrawing-Design-2.pdf
ISTE Standards for Students - http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-S_PDF.pdf
Padlet brainstorm wall - http://padlet.com/Lrrydsngltn/brainstorm
Tower competition entries - https://drive.google.com/?
tab=mo&authuser=0#folders/0By7g6ojS4royV3hOV2hMT1U2MzA
Video compilation of designs - http://animoto.com/play/1EGWA40s0WsQWjExtSWmHg

What modifications have you made since you submitted your draft for feedback?
I have expanded the number of peer assessments, and included myself (as a semi-expert with 20 years
experience in architecture and construction) in those feedback sessions. I have added a list of criteria for
consideration in giving feedback on the designs in those sessions. I also added the TED talk to initiate
the research phase of the project with a solid authority on the topic.
Which indicators of Engaged Learning will be high in this lesson and Why?
Standards based Challenging Authentic/Meaningful Student directed Multi disciplinary
Students as Explorer, Teacher and Producer Teacher as Guide Collaborative Seamless Ongoing
Assessments
The project is very challenging and addresses almost all of the ISTE Student standards. It is student
directed with minimal guidance and feedback from me. Students will collaborate to make all design
decisions. They will conduct research into similar architectural projects to help in the development of
their own ideas, and they will produce all of the conceptual plans. The project site actually exists, and
actual topographical and street data will be used in the site plan. Graphic Design students in the program
will develop all of the visual communication materials that would be needed to market and promote the
development.
Which indicators would you like to strengthen?
It would be nice to have the opportunity to make formal assessments that meant something to the
students in recognition of their efforts, but it is not the policy of GHP to do so.
What LoTI level do you think this lesson would be and Why?

Larry Singleton - Kennesaw State University

Engaged Learning Project

I believe this project is at Level 6 because of its length, complexity, and challenge with a variety of
software applications in use throughout.

Larry Singleton - Kennesaw State University