Many architecture students spend a semester during their undergraduate studies conducting research and studying design, history, and theory in an immersive environment in the United States and other countries. This semester, a new experiential learning program is offering students in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design the opportunity to “study abroad from home” while making a meaningful impact on the community.
Called the Appalachian Futures Lab, the program sits at the intersection of practice, design work, community, and education and is focusing this semester on the historical coal town of Pocahontas, Virginia, a community of about 300 residents located less than two hours from Blacksburg. Throughout the semester, students will visit and engage with community groups, research and document the architecture through photos and drawings, and create impact-oriented conceptual designs for the community in support of both economic development and preservation efforts.
“The Appalachian Futures Lab is imagined as an opportunity for students to get embedded and do experiential learning and community-based work, but with travel. It can be based in Blacksburg, but students will go and spend time in local communities, working with real people and real projects. This work will be informed by regional travel, including a week-long excursion through five Appalachian states. The thought was, we don’t have to go quite so far in the world to learn about architecture and to meet people and do design,” said Kevin Jones, associate professor of practice in the School of Architecture.
Students left for a three-day trip to Pocahontas on Jan. 24. They took a scenic route through coal towns in West Virginia, including Itmann, Welch, and Bramwell. Each stop featured exploration of different types of historical architecture, offering students insight into the region’s history and the impacts of coal mining. Towns that once boomed with industry now are mostly empty. Brandon Hernandez, a senior architecture student, said seeing areas that “need a lot of love” is emotional, but he’s eager to propose ideas that may help the community in Pocahontas.
“We’re working with good people. We’re wanting to do good things for them, and they’re counting on us to propose an idea to help reimagine what this town could be,” said Hernandez.
“Where we are now versus Blacksburg, which is not that far away, the difference in the towns is pretty drastic,” said Camille Lyles, another senior architecture student. “There’s a lot of great architecture, but since most people in those towns are leaving those areas, a lot is falling into disrepair or completely falling down, which loses a little bit of history. It’s one of the things that’s really cool about this experience, that we might be able to help preserve some of the great architecture here in Appalachia.”