Biodesign Makerspace
Merging studio and lab for innovation in the classroom

We wanted to know...

Can a learning space activate the human-nature connection and encourage students to consider the natural world and their place in it?

Can a studio based curriculum bring a sense of agency to STEM learning through hands-on exploration that seeks to solve real-world problems?

Can these goals be combined with current art and science standards to meet teachers' needs while supporting sustainability-focused innovation?

Researchers, artists, scientists, and educators at the Rhode Island School of Design asked these questions, and came up with designs for an innovative making and learning space, and a curriculum to go with it. They then built the space, and taught the curriculum.