In this lecture, Andrew Freear will present the work of Auburn University’s Rural Studio, a long-standing design-build program rooted in Hale County that combines architectural education with hands-on community building. Drawing on decades of work in rural Alabama’s Black Belt, the talk will explore how design-build practice can serve as both a mode of architectural education and a tool for advancing sustainable, equitable living and civic engagement in under-resourced communities.

Andrew Freear is Director of Rural Studio at Auburn University, where for more than two decades he has led a design-build program that challenges conventional architectural education through the creation of homes, parks, and community buildings in rural west Alabama. His work has been exhibited internationally and recognized with honors including the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in Architecture and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture.