Harland Club Members Learn Architecture & Design via Gensler's Club Ideate Program

Harland Club Members Learn Architecture & Design via Gensler’s Club Ideate Program

December 15, 2021 BGCMA

Harland Club members put their innovativeness and problem-solving skills to test via Club Ideate, a 5-week program that fosters creative thinking through design challenges while exposing middle and high school members to architecture and design.

A partnership between Gensler’s Atlanta Community Impact team and Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA), the 2021 Club Ideate program not only sparked creativity but encouraged kids & teens to do good for others through the power of design.

This fall’s 5-week program included:

Personal Brand Exercise (10/21), where Club members took part in exercises to determine which color best matched their characteristics. Gensler then assisted them in realizing how important it is for them to see how their individuality contributes to a team’s overall strength.
Design Basics & The Human Experience (10/28), where the Gensler team presented each student team a client profile that posed a difficulty that the client needed to be solved through the design of a shoe while exposing design basics to the students. The team was tasked with designing the sneaker while also resolving the client’s concern and incorporating one of the design basics.
Community Building (11/4) with Oliver Smith, Gensler’s Technology Director, who was asked by the Gensler team to take drone footage of the Harland Club and its surroundings. The students then chose a service or function that they felt was needed in their community using drone footage and Google Earth photos. Each team chose a location for this much-needed service and a building type that could accommodate it.
Three-Dimensional Design (11/11), whereas each group built a model of a building while learning about floor layouts and basic architectural aspects.
Culminating Event & Presentations (12/09) at Uplift, a homeless shelter with outdoor amenities such as a basketball court; Metro’s Way, a donation center with a main floor for drop-off, purchasing, and a drive-thru clinic; and MT Multi-Purpose Center, a center offering space for community events, dance classes, sports, and more.