LIFE Village funds collaboration with Appalachian to design homes for adults with autism

Students involved with the project

Jordan Arroyo, a senior building sciences major from Yadkinville.
Anna Basile, a senior building sciences major from Pinehurst.
Christian Bocchino, a senior building sciences major from Mooresville.
Carson Chet, a junior building sciences major from Zirconia.
Annika Davidson, a senior building sciences major from Boone.
Tony Fleckenstein, a senior building sciences major from Whitsett.
Trent Hayworth, a senior building sciences major from High Point.
Peyton Leverette, a senior sustainable technology major from Raleigh.
Connor Livingston, a senior building sciences major from Raleigh.
Aaron Lockamy, a senior building sciences major from Louisburg.
Lindsay McNeil, a junior building sciences major from Wilkesboro.
Jesse Miner, a senior building sciences major from Wynantskill, New York.
Raj Ravenell, a senior building sciences major from La Grange.
Vadessa Risner, a senior building sciences major from Salisbury.
Rachel Small, a senior building sciences major from Mount Holly.
Mckenzi Wallace, a senior building sciences major from West Jefferson.
Thierry Washington, a senior building sciences major from Monroe.
Jackson Wemmitt, a senior building sciences major from White Oak.
Hailey Weyant, a senior building sciences major from Wake Forest.
Shannon Williamson, a senior building sciences major from Cary.
Nick Woody, a senior building sciences major from Blowing Rock.

Edited by Jessica Stump

Posted Jan. 29, 2019 at 4:57 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — After the successful completion of an off-the-shelf tiny home for nonprofit LIFE Village Inc. by students in Appalachian State University’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment (STBE) in summer 2018, the STBE department was awarded funding for a second project with the organization.

In fall 2018, students in the Building Science Architectural Design Studio III collaborated with LIFE Village to design housing schemes specifically intended for the users they will serve — adults with autism.

Jason Miller, associate professor and director of the building sciences program in the STBE department, received a $5,000 grant from LIFE Village to fund the project. He collaborated with STBE colleagues Chelsea Helms, practitioner-in-residence, and Drs. Jamie Russell and Andrew Windham, associate and assistant professor, respectively, in the STBE department.

Miller said, referring to Architecture for Autism, “the built environment is often unbearable and confusing” for those with autism and related disorders.

“Adapting the context of the physical environment to support changes in the social environment for those on the autism spectrum presents a significant design problem,” he continued.

Miller’s studio class examined an array of relevant research topics and engaged in a variety of empathy exercises, he said.

Referencing Andrew Brand, research assistant at the Royal College of Art’s Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design in the UK, Miller said students also explored a range of architectural strategies to counter the “risk of placing people in buildings that do not meet their needs or aspirations.”

Additionally, Miller said, through the design process, the students worked with the LIFE Village board and Appalachian faculty to provide spaces that strive to determine the needs of users with autism and facilitate those needs through creative design solutions to support LIFE Village’s mission — “create a community which fosters a place for adults with autism to live, learn, and grow.”

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Students Work To Design Homes For Adults With Autism

88.5 WFDD

Feb. 8, 2019

Professor Jason Miller speaks with WFDD’s Eddie Garcia about designing housing for adults with autism and about a collaboration between Appalachian State University’s Department of Sustainable Technology and LIFE Village, a nonprofit that provides services for exceptional individuals.

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Students involved with the project

Jordan Arroyo, a senior building sciences major from Yadkinville.
Anna Basile, a senior building sciences major from Pinehurst.
Christian Bocchino, a senior building sciences major from Mooresville.
Carson Chet, a junior building sciences major from Zirconia.
Annika Davidson, a senior building sciences major from Boone.
Tony Fleckenstein, a senior building sciences major from Whitsett.
Trent Hayworth, a senior building sciences major from High Point.
Peyton Leverette, a senior sustainable technology major from Raleigh.
Connor Livingston, a senior building sciences major from Raleigh.
Aaron Lockamy, a senior building sciences major from Louisburg.
Lindsay McNeil, a junior building sciences major from Wilkesboro.
Jesse Miner, a senior building sciences major from Wynantskill, New York.
Raj Ravenell, a senior building sciences major from La Grange.
Vadessa Risner, a senior building sciences major from Salisbury.
Rachel Small, a senior building sciences major from Mount Holly.
Mckenzi Wallace, a senior building sciences major from West Jefferson.
Thierry Washington, a senior building sciences major from Monroe.
Jackson Wemmitt, a senior building sciences major from White Oak.
Hailey Weyant, a senior building sciences major from Wake Forest.
Shannon Williamson, a senior building sciences major from Cary.
Nick Woody, a senior building sciences major from Blowing Rock.

Appalachian students build tiny house for local nonprofit KAMPN

July 9, 2018

Students in Appalachian’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment have been working to construct a tiny house for LIFE Village — a new initiative of Kids with Autism Making Progress in Nature (KAMPN).

Read the story

About the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment

One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment at Appalachian State University features an integrated array of programs spanning the fields of sustainable design and technology. Its mission is to foster a strong and vibrant culture of inquiry, discovery and innovation that integrates theory with application, problem seeking with problem-solving, local issues with global perspectives and technological progress with environmental stewardship. It offers bachelor’s degrees in sustainable technology and building science, and a master’s degree in technology. Learn more at https://stbe.appstate.edu.

About the College of Fine and Applied Arts

Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://cfaa.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.