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NDSU fourth-year architecture students recently participated in a capstone studio visit to Bismarck, including the State Capitol.
NDSU fourth-year architecture students recently participated in a capstone studio visit to Bismarck, immersing themselves in the capital city’s architectural and civic landscape.
Over the course of three days, 63 students and NDSU faculty members David Crutchfield, Bakr Aly Ahmed and Susan Schaefer Kliman explored iconic structures, engaged with professionals and participated in discussions that will shape the future of their projects and careers.
“Trips like this are critical experiential learning opportunities for our students,” Kliman said. “The ability to engage with members of the community and professionals to tackle an important issue provides our students with important skills that they will take with them into practice.”
The visit began on Thursday with a tour of the Breuer buildings at the University of Mary, offering students a firsthand look at the work of legendary architect Marcel Breuer. The group then attended a reception hosted by the American Institute of Architects North Dakota, where NDSU architecture alumni shared their career journeys and answered student questions.
On Friday, the group visited the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Archives before receiving an in-depth tour of the State Capitol. The students had opportunities to meet with notable leaders, including Governor Kelly Armstrong, Senator Tim Mathern, and Representative Josh Christy. The engagement demonstrated the breadth of support for architecture and design education in the state.
The visit ended with a panel discussion that initially featured representatives from Sanford Health, the City of Bismarck, AARP North Dakota and the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency. As interest in the event grew, additional experts joined the conversation, creating a collaborative “brain trust” of knowledge and experience for the students to draw upon.
The panel’s focus on civic development, housing and community health provided a strong foundation for the students’ capstone projects. The final day of the visit also included visits to the project site in downtown Bismarck and stops along both banks of the Missouri River to provide additional context for location.
The NDSU capstone studio project is a mixed-use building with a combination of residential senior living and retail/commercial/health clinic. Students are working in groups on a comprehensive site analysis and each student will determine what their individual building concept will contain based on information gathered from the visit and their analysis and research.
The Bismarck visit showcased the strong relationship between NDSU, the architectural community and state leaders. With the support of NDSU faculty and professional mentors, the students left Bismarck with fresh ideas and a deeper understanding of the connections between architecture, community and policy.
“Projects like this connect NDSU with communities around the state and provide residents and policymakers with a collection of innovative design ideas,” Kliman said.