by Jaime Endreny Executive Director of the Center for Architect
Jaime Endreny, executive director of the Center for Architecture Foundation critiques high school students’ work (left); student shows portfolio to Yvonne Chang, AIANY Emerging New York Architects Committee member and one of the HB:BX competition organizers.
Jessica Sheridan
On June 10, The Bronx Museum of the Arts hosted students from P.S. 73, the High School of Art and Design, and the High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College to share their ideas for the future of Highbridge Park in the Bronx. As described previously (see “Youngsters Strengthen Bronx Pride with ENYA Challenge,” by Glenda Reed, e-Oculus, 05.18.10), 5th graders from P.S. 73 participated in a Learning By Design:NY (LBD:NY) after-school program studying their Highbridge neighborhood in preparation for tackling the AIANY Emerging New York Architects (ENYA) Committee’s 2010 design challenge — re-envisioning an arts center on the historic High Bridge, based on the HB:BX Building Cultural Infrastructure competition. Simultaneously, LBD:NY invited students from the High School of Art and Design and the High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College to address ENYA’s design challenge with their classroom teachers. The result was an evening of sharing ideas among the students as well as to a jury of design and education professionals. Yvonne Chang, juror and ENYA member, commented that the student designs were as successful as those of the professionals who submitted to the actual competition. The group presentations and projects not only demonstrated students’ design skills, but also expressed the deep understanding they developed for this neighborhood and its surroundings.
Bringing together three schools to celebrate and share design ideas was a great moment for LBD:NY and one that exemplifies our educational goals. The collaborative event showcased the power design has to bring people of all ages together to appreciate and improve our built environment and our communities.
To download the High Bridge Neighborhood Guide By Cell Audio Tour created by the 5th graders at P.S. 73 through LBD:NY, visit www.cfafoundation.org.
Read the article written about the event in The Bronx Free Press here.
The P.S. 73 after school program was supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs with special thanks to Councilmember Helen Foster for her generosity.