Student Work

Course Description

THE CDB OPERATING MANUAL

Students: Mira Hawley, Alex Nguyen, Jordan Carmel, Nathan Christopher, and Kyle Lim
Studio: ARCH 400 — Jim Nicholls — Autumn 2024
Location: Seattle, Washington

Project Description

The Community Design Building (CDB) serves as the home for the College of Built Environments’ spring Design Build Studio, but much of the building remained underused and lacking a clear spatial identity. Student design teams set out to change that, envisioning ways to transform the space into a more welcoming, functional environment.

Site Plan.

The Interior Landscape team focused on how furniture could serve as architecture, using dimensional lumber to craft a system that organizes and animates the building. Their design introduced pieces that double as seating and storage, while also carving out additional places to work and gather. These simple yet versatile constructions bring clarity to the building’s layout, turning previously undefined areas into purposeful zones for collaboration, rest, and productivity. By rethinking furniture as a tool for shaping space, the project demonstrates how thoughtful design can maximize potential in overlooked environments and create community within existing structures.

Students working on the Bench.

 

Bench Picture with students.

 

Images from THE CDB OPERATING MANUAL.