A Conversation with Mark Jarvis, a Teacher at the Lab School: What is the special benefit of this art form? Architectural design gives exceptional learners an opportunity to improve their academic skills through techniques that are more surprising and engaging than they expect. While students work on their projects — designing and building a dream house — they learn about linear and two-point perspective and improve their math and measurement skills. High school students in this class take part in a sophisticated, college-level activity while using simple, readily available material. Which parts of the Lab School Architectural Design Program have proven most helpful to the success of exceptional learners? Most people are enchanted by miniaturization. I think everyone can remember at some point in their lives being fascinated with doll houses, model trains, or museum dioramas. Architects use expensively produced models to help their clients visualize their designs. When students take a two-dimensional design and begin to build it three-dimensionally, they begin slowly to visualize what previously were very abstract concepts of scale, proportion, perspective, and geometry. They are solidifying these concepts in a manner that is creative, artistic, and different from previous experiences. What guidelines do you use? Organizational skills are enhanced by requiring each student to design his own portfolio, box, folder, or other device that will keep his work organized. Each student will be responsible for a large variety of materials and will need to keep track of when he begins the model. Organization is critical given that it may take as many as four weeks to complete the model. Neatness counts given the precision required to complete the projects. The students develop teamwork and social skills through team-built models, which provide a less stressful opportunity for success for the occasional student who, given the nature or degree of his or her disability, will have more success when paired with another student. Some students may be more adept at cutting and building, others at drawing and measurement. Learning cooperation and shared success will affect all areas of the students' education. In the interest of providing students with a nonthreatening, successful experience, we emphasize that mistakes often can be turned into surprising and beautiful additions to the model. Remaining flexible and encouraging is critical with students with learning disabilities.

Building a Model House

All structures are made from cardboard, which can be cut with an X-acto knife and can stand on its own when scored or folded.

• Mat board
  
  
• X-acto knives (A thorough lesson in safety should precede any model building. Fresh blades are essential; it is disastrous and dangerous to ask a student to work with a dull blade.)
  
  
• Balsa wood (This is a very light-weight wood that is easily cut. This is used for architectural details and landscaping. It can be purchased through any art supply catalog or craft/hobby shop.)
  
  
• One-inch rigid foam insulation (This building material can be found in most large-scale hardware and building supply stores. The student should be provided with a piece large enough to accommodate his model and its surrounding landscape.)
  
  
• Elmer's glue (Everything in the model is held together with this glue.)
  
  
• Improvised materials

1. The students begin by drawing a design of their dream house. Extravagance and creativity are stressed here. The students are given many source books and magazines to see how architects have expressed themselves and solved design problems. Field trips to study unusual houses and buildings are an excellent adjunct.
   
   
2. Once the students have designed their dream houses, they are encouraged to begin to plan the landscape around their houses. Where are the trees, sidewalks, decks, pools, and so forth? Once landscaping has been decided, the students are ready to build.
   
   < Based on their drawings, the students make a base for their house out of foam insulation. Two or three sheets of insulation can be laminated together with Elmer's glue to create a sandwich that can be carved easily with a serrated blade to create peaks and valleys in the landscape.
   
   
3. The students then complete a rigid mat board footprint or floor plan, which is glued to the foam base. Students must focus on measurement and cutting precise right angles using a clear plastic square. This is the most important stage of the process, given that the floor plan template serves as the foundation.
   
   
4. Students then cut the walls of their house out of mat board. Glue is sparingly applied to contact sides of two adjoining walls, and they are held in position much as one would build a house of cards. When these first two walls dry, they will be very strong. The house becomes easier to build as each wall goes up.
   
   
5. Once the walls and roof have been glued into place, the students can work on the landscape around their houses. This is where the improvised materials come into play. Steel wool can be used for shrubbery, chopsticks for deck supports, and blue cellophane for skylights and swimming pools.