Professor Tony Roccanova’s 3rd year architecture studio was recently awarded a grant from the Community Action Council of Bourbon, Fayette, Harrison and Nicholas Counties for its work studying the Winburn neighborhood of Lexington through the fall 2019 semester.

Working with the design studio led by Roccanova and assisted by Joe Brewer, Director of Technology and Facilities, and Shop Master Paul Masterson, the Community Action Council will advance its work to help people with low income participate in finding solutions to poverty within the Winburn neighborhood. “One of the many skillsets required of future architects is a level of awareness and empathy for the world around us,” said Professor Tony Roccanova. “By engaging in community-based design projects, we allow our students to enter the professional world with that hands-on experience.”

The design studio will help CAC develop social capital and promote community involvement by identifying and capitalizing on the assets, leadership and talent present.

“One of the most important things we do at the College, both historically and imminently, is our focus on community engagement,” said Dean Mitzi Vernon. “We create a conduit between studio work and the community through our satellite studio initiatives, like we have done with Studio Louisville, to ensure the impact we are making aligns with the needs of the community.”

In accordance with NAAB accreditation standards, the students will be asked to use site analysis, data mapping, and other design technologies to propose a building project, complete with plans, sections, elevations and technical drawings. In conjunction with this curriculum, the studio will be working with the Winburn Community Action Council on two projects aimed at assisting the community outreach mission of the nonprofit organization and furthering our students design education: a large site model and mapping systems, and a design/build construction on the premises of the CAC on Winburn Drive.