Studio: Breaking News: Breaking Ground!
Hello for the last time from the fall semester 3rd-year students! As our semester comes to a close, we want to give you an update on how we’ve been wrapping everything up. Our biggest update by far is that we have officially broken ground for Mark’s Home! After receiving lots of good feedback and ideas from Halloween Review, we hit the ground running to finalize our plans. Last minute adjustments and changes were made, and we were ready to finally break ground!
We strapped on our tool belts and put on our high-vis vests to map out our footprint and to prep the site. After some trial and error, we mapped out a (hopefully) perfectly straight footprint and let Mason Hinton, Rural Studio’s maintenance guru, loose with the excavator. Just as we learned how to use the reciprocating saw to make batter boards, we also learned about the joys of working with the weather. The day that we broke ground digging coincided with the first rainy day after an almost month-and-a-half long drought!
Not to worry, even if we couldn’t work on site due to weather, we had more than enough activities to do in the Studio as well. We have been hard at work on our empathetic pencil drawings for Soup Roast. An important and loved Rural Studio tradition, we rendered different elevations and details on Mark’s existing home. For many, this exercise has been fun and incredibly rewarding.
Woodshop: It’s the Final Sit-Down
After a whole semester of work (and lots and lots of failures) we finished our chairs! It’s hard to imagine that a few months ago, most of us had never used power tools before. Our cohort has grown a lot since then, and it’s all thanks to our incredible Woodshop professor, Steve Long! From teaching us how to responsibly use a saw to the many early mornings, Steve has been with us every step of the way.
Every chair had its unique journey, and everyone can confidently say that they enjoyed their time in shop! From the steam bending parties for Stool No. 60 to the many different Zig Zag chair jigs, it’s safe to say that we have learned quite a lot! It has been incredibly rewarding to see each chair slowly come together and to see us grow more confident in our skills.
While our skills now include making fancy chairs, a lot of us are returning to the basics for the holiday season. Even with finished final projects, the shop is still being used by many students making cutting boards for family members. Our cohort has been able to flex our new skills in the shop, and it has been fun to experiment with new techniques. Having a new creative medium is very exciting, and we expect to use our skills wherever the world takes us. Thank you, Steve, for the never-ending encouragement and mentorship as we have grown as amateur woodworkers!
History: One for the History Books
By far one of the best parts of our time here at Rural Studio has been our history class field trips with Instructor Dick Hudgens. He saved some of the best spots for last, and we enjoyed getting to explore West Alabama. We visited Gaineswood, Thornhill, and the Jemison Mansion to hear from both Dick and the passionate individuals who care for these historical sites. We learned not only about the rich history of this area and its historical building practices, but also the amount of work and care required for the upkeep of historical homes.
In Gaineswood, we were able to explore an interesting (and sometimes confusing) layout while also seeing incredible plasterwork details. It has been fascinating to see buildings that evolve and grow with time. Thornhill, which is a private residence, stood out as many students’ favorite structure due to the site. In Dick’s own words, Thornhill has the best site for a historical building in all of Alabama. It’s rare to see a group of architecture students focus on the surrounding nature rather than the building, but it was critical to take in the scenic setting.
On our final trip, we had to brave the enemy territory of Tuscaloosa but were rewarded with an incredible Italianate building that has been lovingly restored. We had a unique opportunity while touring these buildings to have Dick as a professor because he often has helped restore many of the buildings we have seen. As always, we have sketched the buildings, with Dick promising to make us faster and better sketchers. While doing this, we were also busy on our Beaux-Arts watercolors, making sure they were perfect for Soup Roast.
A Soup-urb Celebration
The annual Soup Roast was something to work towards and look forward to. Many of us had family members come to celebrate our hard work throughout the semester. As this is our final presentation of all our studio, woodshop, and history work, we worked hard to make sure everything is perfect! Being able to share our work with others while also enjoying Chef Sarah Cole’s incredible cooking is the best way to end the semester.
Student Life: It’s Been Real, Rural
In our final days in Hale County, we have made sure to soak in every last second! It has been the opportunity of a lifetime to be able to be a part of this incredible program and to fall in love with West Alabama. Here are some parts of Rural Studio that we will miss!
Ashley- “the quiet country life”
Bella- “the sun streaming into studio and Stable cookies”
Caroline- “side quests after studio”
Daniel- “the sunsets over the catfish farms”
Danny- “movie nights on the spencer porch”
Eliza- “being surrounded by the community”
Ella- “Newbern sunsets”
Emma- “Mark!”
Gigi- “Mexican Mondays”
Hadley- “the ability to see the stars”
Haeseul- “Isaac”
Isaac- “the constant feeling of community and purpose sprinkled with moments of cognizant appreciation”
Margaret- “the local community”
Rachel- “dominating in kickball”
Rylee- “farm mornings”
Sarah- “either the stars or the spencer house porch”
Sophie- “Tank [the cat], duh”
As you could probably tell, Isaac is a fascinating person to get to know and an incredible friend. He was a welcome surprise for all of us, joining the Rural Studio legacy from all the way from New Zealand. Unfortunately, he does have to return to finish his degree, but his impact on Rural Studio and on us will not be forgotten. He was so open to experiencing new things and our culture, while also allowing us to see into his. Isaac, thank you so much for the many laughs and memories, you have made this semester so special!
This time of goodbyes has made quite a few of us sad, but overall, it has helped us appreciate the (too short) time we have spent here. Hale County and Rural Studio are a welcome blessing to all of our lives. From the lessons we learned to the people we met, every moment here has been impactful and life changing. Being a part of such an incredible program and legacy has humbled us. The talented faculty and staff at Rural Studio taught us more than they know. Most of all, it has been an honor to play a part in creating a home for an amazing community member and neighbor. Mark, you are our biggest thank you! Thank you for letting us into your home and your life. It has been an honor to know you!
From the Fall Class of ‘24, Goodbye for Now!
