From Blocks to Rocks: Design Outside the Box (Ages 8-11)

In this introductory summer camp catering to our youngest creatives, participants will engage with the essential elements of architecture and design as they explore the natural and built environment of the Taliesin estate through interactive, virtual, and hands-on activities. Infused with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), this workshop will explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s principles of design and his use of nature as inspiration. Taliesin staff, volunteers, and residents will share with students what a sense of place means to them and how the built and natural environments at Taliesin evoke this sense of place. Students will compare and contrast Wright’s Principles of Organic Architecture and their application at Taliesin with architecture in their own communities and at home. Through exploration, students will discover the intersection of art, nature, and design. Students will explore the effects color, texture, shape, and size can have on a design in a particular setting while engaging in various design techniques and philosophies. Students participating in this introductory camp will better understand what architecture is and why it is important. They will do this by exploring basic shelter; elements of structural engineering principles; and design processes, principles, ideas, and techniques. Students will develop observation and critical thinking skills through an exploration of the intersection of nature, art, and design and build an understanding of the concepts of place, sense of place, and how to develop a sense of place for oneself. Students will apply what they discover and learn various hands-on design projects throughout the week, experimenting with line, shape, form, space, abstraction, and the fun, creative use of materials. Most necessary materials will be mailed to families.