Newbern: Auburn University Rural Studio

No place fits the proverb “necessity is the mother of invention” better than Hale County in west-central Alabama. It is here in the fertile Black Belt soil that Auburn University’s internationally renowned Rural Studio took root, driven by the belief that both the rich and poor are worthy of good design. Auburn University architecture students design and build context-based, socially conscious houses and community buildings using practically anything they can get their hands on: scavenged and donated materials, discarded building supplies, car parts, bottles, old road signs, license plates and carpet tiles. Many building projects are in Newbern, the Rural Studio’s headquarters, as well as the surrounding area.

Photo Credit: Rural Studio