APPROACH
The CRDS takes a four-pronged approach to our process in studying and responding to our state’s coastal dilemmas and helping the communities that suffer from these issues.
RESEARCH
The first step in a process of design is to define the problem you are trying to solve. Once the problem is defined, it is necessary to bring together a vast knowledge base to inform your understanding of issues that press on the problem space. A studio space allows collaborators to set up rooms with visual examples of information that help individuals make connections between many different pieces of information – similar to what a detective would do if solving a crime with a team.
DESIGN
Design is the intentional act of creating plans for a new solution or project. Good design relies on a deep understanding of precedent and principles infused with intense creativity. Studios are a critical part of a designer’s education. Studios comprise a deep dive for participants. In the CRDS, individuals from various backgrounds participate and act as coaches and mentors for students and the learning and outcomes are exponential. Studio is a mindset, a physical space, and a process that leads to enhanced outcomes.
BUILD
Participation in community projects enhances understanding and leads to greater levels of engagement. This part of the process is critical for the landscape architecture students because they gain experience in construction and the physical creation of projects, which is an essential aspect of the work that landscape architects do. Building also benefits the community members directly and enhances the chance that the project will survive and thrive.
EVALUATE
Once a project is complete, it is important to evaluate the results to collect data and analyze the ways in which a project was successful and the ways in which it could have done better. Evaluation encourages and demands growth within a studio to become more efficient, effective, and more sustainable for future projects.
OUTCOMES
BOTH COMMUNITIES AND STUDENTS LEARN AND BENEFIT FROM THE WORK OF THE CRDS
Communities benefit from shared resources and collectives where experts work together to solve problems. The more opportunities that community members are able to share their concerns and discuss meaningful solutions to the issues of Delaware’s coasts, the more sustainable and resilient our communities will be. Additionally, with University student help, the coastal communities will be left with projects that are built to last and built to benefit the municipalities and citizens of the communities.
The CRDS also provides UD undergraduate students in landscape architecture, civil and environmental engineering, and public policy majors the ability to enhance communication skills, develop design ideas, advocate for solutions, and solve complex problems. On top of all the skills that students will gain from working in the studio, they will receive hands-on experience working with community members, conducting fieldwork and potentially implementing sustainable projects to raise awareness and to minimize the damage that the issues affecting the coasts have in the future.
