Architecture with STEAM Students at GOPA

In Mr. Jones' STEAM class at GOPA, students are working on an architecture-related STEAM project. This domestic architecture project combines art, math and engineering and is based on a simple house design pattern.

Students were first given a flattened house pattern to trace onto poster board.  Of course, this did not appear to be a house at first. After the students traced this shape they cut it out carefully.

Next, students were instructed to follow the directions for folding this shape into a three dimensional house without using anything besides their fingers for this portion of the art activity.

Finally students added features to their house including roof shingles, windows, doors.  Some students created a house inspired by the one they live in.  Others created a fantasy house.  Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect who developed the "Prairie House".

"Wright's residential designs were known as "prairie houses" because the designs complemented the land around Chicago.  These houses featured extended low buildings with shallow, sloping roofs, clean sky lines, suppressed chimneys, overhangs, and terraces all using unfinished materials.  The houses are credited with being the first examples of the "open plan." "   LINK