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K-State Today

October 1, 2015

APDesign helps with wounded warrior project

Submitted by Thom Jackson

Major (Ret) Gary LaGrange observes students during Wounded Warrior Charrette

On Sept. 21, students in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design participated in a design charrette and joined hands in developing a master plan for the Farm Training and Healing Center for wounded soldiers.

This design charrette was organized by Vibhavari Jani, interior architecture & product design associate professor; Jessica Canfield, landscape architecture and regional & community planning assistant professor; and Bruce Wrightsman, architecture assistant professor, to assist Soldier Agricultural Vocational Education, or SAVE, an organization started by retired Maj. Gary LaGrange, a Vietnam War veteran. The organization's mission is to provide agricultural vocational education and healing resources to returning wounded warriors.

Jani welcomed the organization's members, soldiers and guests and introduced the design charrette goals. LaGrange presented his organization's objectives for this project. Interior architecture & product design students introduced the site for the project and discussed project needs on the Farm Training and Healing Center.

Students were divided into interdisciplinary teams of four to six. Each team collaborated to develop a master plan for the facilities. The concluding results of their design efforts were presented Sept. 22. After getting feedback from the Soldier Agricultural Vocational Education organization, Interior architecture & product design students selected one of the master plans that best suited the needs of the organization. Students will continue to develop this project further. At the end of the fall semester they will present their design ideas on the progress of this project's facilities.

This charrette was developed to provide a collaborative service-learning opportunity for the APDesign students. Service-learning pedagogy promotes a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities, according to the Learn and Serve America National Service Learning Clearinghouse.