“an original relation to the universe”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

OBJECTIVE

Identified four primary work modes—focus, collaborate, learn, and flexibility.

Exploratory programs into potential career interests for anyone 16 and up (18+ for temporary

residence) looking to figure out what is next in life as far as a career. Idiosyncratic teaching will

promote learners to forget about any preconception of their potential futures and focus on

personal discovery through trans disciplinary activities. Technology is there as a tool and

resource, not as a visual aid or talking head.

The programs mission is to progressively teach through experience and focus on the cognitive

aspects of educating through experience. Approachable programs will incorporate discussions,

student-initiated symposiums, visits from curators and time to cultivate their own projects.

Programs are free from conventional classes and are designed to be specialized to the needs of

the learners and are flexible to be responsive to their ever-changing interests. Programs are

designed to be adaptable or interchangeable depending on pursuits of the learner.

The spaces fosters interdisciplinary culture, where ideas, knowledge, and technologies become

the basis for a learning environment. There are places for solitary work, as well as production

spaces where groups of students and faculty can create and continue conversations and work.

Collaboration should occur everywhere, ranging from informal areas for casual interactions to

formal spaces designed for seekers to meet, converse, and be inspired. Even furniture solutions

that promote collaboration and interaction between different disciplines. Studios are for seeking

what can’t be conveyed in a lecture or forum—the seekers just have to try it.

The programs allow seekers to look into an interest and if it doesn’t go as you expect, the seekers

adjust and try again until you get an answer. Ustation will “draw out” the intuitive knowledge for

seekers to pursue careers, to ‘get sure’ before they invest their time and money into a possible

future endeavor. The programs will foster a desire to empower their own agendas at their own

pace. Each programs goal is for seekers to leave with a better understanding of themselves and

that the knowledge and experience they obtained will set them up for a career of any kind. The

career choices discovered may lead to college exploration or down a different path where college

will not be applicable. Seekers will leave haven broken down the barriers of their futures and

having the confidence to push further than before. Educational truths are permanent, any merely

human version of such truth is transient.

SITE/ ARCHITECTURAL CONNECTION

The site will become a community learning environment and the duality of spaces will foster

inter-departmental exchange. Interdisciplinary programs will provide for a need for flexible

spaces. Private and public layers linked with centralized circulation through green spaces will

provide for dynamic views and inspirational spaces for promoting exploration. Lounge spaces

will be mixed in that stimulates interaction and conversation. The materiality will express the use

of the space. Paths replicate the idea of straight forward, short cut, trial and error which in return

we provide an idea of straight forward short cut in life through trial and error integrated into our

program. Ustation seeks to re-energize the public space through tactical urbanism, where spaces

are organized to showcase projects and innovation. The quad center will be the “heart” space—

the central area that facilitates an interchange and exploration among different disciplines with

overlapping concerns that create interdisciplinary knowledge.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Using the philosophy of “it takes a village” the community will keep the seeker engaged.

“Knuckle” areas between corridors and spaces for bumping into people and collaboration. The

spaces and community provide feedback between knowledge and practice and everything in

between. Atmosphere of “learning village” where all departments are separate but intertwined

for cross learning. Spaces are designed to stretch the maximum possibility of functions.

Showcases put on my seekers will be an open house. In the end, you put your own deadline on

your future.

The Information center will be powered by the services of D: Hive to connect learners with the

tools and resources they will need to live, work or engage in the city. It will also use aspects of

the tv culture and use data on what captured viewers’ attention the longest to provide direction at

Ustation like how product placement advertisements are used. When seekers are finished they

are part of D: Hive.

MUTUAL BENEFICIARY

The faculty will inspire through their extensive experience, passion and knowledge, and through

their dedication to mentoring the seekers. Experimental studios for faculty to think outside the

box try new things that their job doesn’t foster or maybe even allow. The collaboration between

the faulty and seekers encourages everyone to take chances, to fail. Ustation is their own

research and development where seekers are training alongside faulty and act as their focus

group. Faculty will come from a range of viewpoints and disciplines but the collaborative,

project-based learning, allows faculty to be as much a facilitator as a teacher. Separate faulty

spaces to ground them. And with corporate involvement they will in turn get advertising space

and a forum to showcase themselves for mutual beneficiary.

Workshop

Auto garage and demonstration areas

Maker Lab

Fabrication Lab

Design

Access to resources to adapt and change spaces to the program desired

Lecture will be public with a view

Retail

Each local business has a sponsorship within the space to showcase and promote as well as

answer questions and make connections.

Collaborative space integrated with studio spaces

Technology

Hardware, Software

Computer Lab

Geek Squad training

High tech vs tech

Culinary

Restaurant and kitchen spaces as execution of learned culinary skills.

Demo kitchens for teaching spaces

Cooks and Chefs can come in and use the space to test new menus or new techniques, in turn

they teach seekers

Café style vs fine dining

Kitchen Stadium

Limited service at night

“We shape our buildings and then they shape us.”- Winston Churchill