Engaging Students Through Design
As architects and designers, we are deeply invested in the future of the places we live, both in the built environment and within our communities. As our Baltimore office has grown, we have made it a strategic priority to engage in placemaking and establish lasting connections. A key aspect of this commitment is our involvement in local schools through mentorship and design education. Many of our team members have volunteered with Baltimore students, with several maintaining relationships with different schools for over a decade.
With our Baltimore office now permanently located in Federal Hill, expanding our talent base, and designing civic and community projects throughout the city, a few of our team members came together to develop an engagement program with a local public school: Dorothy I. Height Elementary School (DIH).
DIH is located adjacent to the Reservoir Square mixed-use development led by MCB Real Estate. Hanbury serves as the core and shell architect for a 68,000-square-foot building that will become the headquarters for Baltimore’s Mayor’s Office of Employment Development. By working directly with DIH, we aim to offer students firsthand exposure to the world of design and connect them with the professionals shaping their community.
We reached out to DIH in early 2024 to build a relationship and better understand the needs of the students and school. After discussing options, we developed an after-school program for fourth through sixth-grade students, launching in October 2024. Over the past six months, we have introduced students to various aspects of architecture and design through interactive activities. Our first session even included a mini-visioning workshop to understand what they wanted to learn.
Our sessions have included:
Introduction to Hanbury & Design: Showcasing 3D models, VR experiences, interior design materials, and a visioning session.
Parts of a Building: Hands-on exercises labeling components of a project and exploring symmetry.
Structure: Constructing DIY structures with marshmallows and spaghetti to understand form and structural integrity.
Programming & Vision Boards: Creating apartment floor plans using a scale figure "word bank" and crafting mood boards for inspiration.
Color & Graphic Design: Learning color theory and painting a Baltimore-themed mural with watercolor pencils.
Technology in Design: Engaging with AI and SketchUp tools to experience modern design practices.
Students have shown enthusiasm for hands-on activities, particularly enjoying structure-building exercises and AI tools. Through each session, we continue to refine our approach, finding that interactive, multi-station lessons best maintain student engagement.
Expanding opportunities for Baltimore City students to engage with architecture and design is essential, as many public schools lack access to architectural education. While some programs introduce design concepts, they are not widely integrated into curricula. By introducing students to careers in design at an early age, we aim to cultivate awareness of new possibilities and encourage diverse perspectives in the field. Our goal is to spark curiosity about the built environment and introduce pathways into design professions.
Through this program, students gain an understanding of the skills and knowledge required to pursue careers in architecture, interior design, urban planning, and related disciplines. We hope that years from now, we will hear from former participants who chose to further explore the world of design.
Stay tuned for more updates on our partnership with DIH as we expand the curriculum to provide deeper insights into design. As the Reservoir Square project progresses, we hope to bring students on supervised site visits to experience the construction process firsthand. Eventually, we plan to welcome them into our studio to provide an immersive look at a professional design environment.
This initiative represents our broader commitment to community engagement and mentorship. By investing in young minds today, we hope to shape not only the future of the profession but also the next generation of designers who will contribute to the architectural legacy of Baltimore and beyond.
