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photo of Olson Kundig Partners with Design Your [Neighbor]Hood

Olson Kundig Partners with Design Your [Neighbor]Hood

2017/04/24

For the past two years, Olson Kundig has partnered with Design Your [Neighbor]Hood, a teen program coordinated by the Seattle Art Museum. This creative program immerses local 8th-10th grade students in art, architecture, urban planning, and interior design, giving them insights into future careers in the design industry, as well as the opportunity to make a difference in their community. Each three-month program begins with a new location headquarters, where the students make design interventions over the course of the program.

This year, Olson Kundig designers Christian Poules and Jesse Kingsley collaborated with Design Your [Neighbor]Hood students and teachers to redesign the Teen Center at Bitter Lake Community Center in North Seattle. Over the eight week program, students engaged in various design exercises and site visits – including a trip to Olson Kundig’s offices in Pioneer Square – to learn about design in all its facets. The final goal was to transform the Teen Center into a space for students to learn and grow. Learning about how design can shift one’s engagement with a space is just the first layer of what students gain from Design Your [Neighbor]Hood. Ultimately, they come away with a deeper understanding of how to bring their ideas to life through the power of collaboration.

On April 18, the Bitter Lake Community Center celebrated their newly redesigned Teen Room with a grand reopening party, where students, designers, and the local community came together to enjoy their bright and vibrant new space.