American School Design Build Studio Ready for Launch!

August 21, 2025

We are thrilled to announce that the American School Design Build (ASDB) studio space is officially prepared and ready to welcome students for the start of the 2025–26 academic year. On Monday, August 25, the space will come alive as our new cohort of students steps in for the first day of class, beginning a journey that combines design education with hands-on professional practice.

This marks the start of another exciting chapter for ASDB — one that bridges the classroom and the construction site, and one that demonstrates how design-build education can serve both students and community partners in meaningful ways.

Every detail of the studio space is designed to encourage creativity, teamwork, and adaptability. From the worktables, to the pin-up boards and whiteboards scattered throughout, the studio is both a classroom and a professional environment — a place where ideas move quickly from sketch to discussion to prototype.

Project Partners

Welcoming Our Students

This year’s studio is composed of a talented group of 20 students, representing both Architecture and Construction Science. Together, they form a team that reflects the full spectrum of the building profession — from the conceptual thinking of designers to the logistical expertise of builders.

Architecture Students:
Sasha Alexander, Candace Bakare, Kristen Bokker, Cole Burris, Maddux Byers, Chloe Bys, Daniel Chica, Cassady Green, Carson Holmes, Ben Jawad, Natalia Koo Vinatea, Trey London, and Janvi Patel.

Construction Science Students:
Drew Trujillo, Evan Fowler, Patrick Geyer, Zach Gortz, Garrett Huffman, Justice Jeffords, and Tim Schwartz.

This interdisciplinary group will not only learn from their professors, but also from one another. By working across disciplines, students will practice the kind of collaboration that defines professional design-build work, where success relies on balancing creativity with technical execution.

A Studio That Mirrors Practice

The ASDB studio isn’t just a classroom — it is designed to operate like a professional workspace. The layout is open and flexible, allowing students to cluster into teams, pin up drawings, build prototypes, and hold discussions with both peers and clients. Rolling partitions and collaborative work tables make it possible for students to adapt the space as projects evolve, while large windows flood the room with light, creating a bright environment for creative problem-solving.

This physical space is more than just desks and chairs. It is a hub of energy and collaboration, where students will sketch, test ideas, and eventually translate their designs into built work. The arrangement reflects ASDB’s belief that architecture and construction should never be siloed, but instead woven together into one unified process.

Our studio is where design and construction come together as one practice.

The Year Ahead

Over the coming months, this studio will take on the challenge of designing and constructing a Bat and Swift Rehabilitation Facility in partnership with WildCare Oklahoma, a nonprofit dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of wildlife. From the first sketches to the final nails, students will experience every step of the process, building both their skills and a lasting contribution to the community.

In the early weeks of the semester, students will focus on site visits, client meetings, and schematic design. As they progress, they’ll create prototypes, refine details, and prepare the technical drawings that guide construction. By mid-fall, the work shifts to the site itself, where the team will break ground and begin turning their ideas into reality. Construction will continue through the spring semester until the facility is complete.

From the first sketches to the final nails, students will experience every step of the process.

Learning by Making

This studio is built on a philosophy of learning through doing. Students won’t only theorize about architecture — they will build it. That means learning how foundations are poured, how structures are raised, how building envelopes protect against the elements, and how details demand precision and care.

Architecture students will apply their knowledge of design, materials, and visualization, while Construction Science students bring skills in sequencing, project management, and safety. Together, they will learn how decisions in one area ripple across the project, requiring communication and trust. This holistic approach prepares students for the professional world in profound and comprehensive ways.

In this studio, learning happens by doing — where ideas become structures and teamwork becomes craft.

Looking Forward

The excitement in the studio is already building. On August 25, the space will officially welcome its first day of activity, filled with the energy of a team ready to collaborate, problem-solve, and begin the design-build process.

Throughout the semester, we’ll share updates documenting the progress of the Bat and Swift Rehabilitation Facility — from early sketches and prototypes to framing, enclosure, and finish carpentry. Each post will highlight the remarkable work of our students and the partnership with WildCare that makes this project possible.

This is more than a new semester — it is the start of a journey where students will test themselves, support each other, and produce a facility that leaves a lasting impact on both community and environment.