On Being

Program Details

• » Books + Music
• » Krista's Journal
• » Transcript
• » Credits

Unheard Cuts

» Unedited Interview with Andrew Freear
(mp3, 103:01)

On the Road

» Rural Studio Road Trip Blog
SOF producers spent a week in Alabama talking to students, clients, and teachers about the Rural Studio. They journal their own observations about the work being done, and the issues being raised and addressed.

Hear the Music

» On Being Playlist ¦ listen to full-length tracks of each song played in the program

About the Image

A family enjoys the newly constructed ball fields at Lions Park in Greensboro, Alabama.
(photo: Trent Gilliss)

Interactive Feature

» Map of Rural Studio Projects
Rural Studio structures dot the landscape of four counties in Alabama. Get a sense of that space and place. Zoom in and click on the pincushions to see these selected buildings and learn a little bit more about them.

Selected Reading

» "The Rural Studio"

This 1998 essay by Sam Mockbee, the founder of Rural Studio, exhibits exactly why his spirit and ideas live on after his death.

SoundSeen

» The Homes and Voices of Mason's Bend
[audio slideshow, 2:45]
The iconographic structures of Mason's Bend have become synonymous with Sam Mockbee and the Rural Studio. We've put together a feast of images and voices from the people who live and work there.

» A Design Critique
[video, 6:12]
The Rural Studio 20K House is in its fourth generation now. All have been single story and aluminum clad. This group of students are changing that, and face the challenges of creating a two-story loft.

» Tour of the 32K (aka 20K) Duplex House
[video, 4:16]
The Rural Studio has completed their third generation of the 20K House — budgeting $10,000 in materials and the rest for future profit for a contractor. In a clever twist for a pair of brothers, they've combined the two in the form of a dogtrot. Take a look.

Spread the Word

Voice on the Radio

Andrew Freear

Freear is an associate professor of Architecture at Auburn University and director of the Rural Studio.

Special Funding

This sustainability feature is supported by the Kendeda Sustainability Fund of the Tides Foundation.