What's Happening | Rural Studio Project

Rural Studio and Interface Partner at NeoCon 2002

When Interface became aware of Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio, it wasn't long before the two realized that a partnership was inevitable. The Rural Studio project began in 1993 under the guidance of Professors Samuel Mockbee and Dennis K. Ruth. It was conceived as a method of improving the lives and supporting the communities of rural Alabama citizens by providing them with new homes while simultaneously giving 2nd and 5th year Auburn University architecture students a hands-on learning experience.

The 5th year, or thesis students, identify a family in need; find the materials and resources for the projects; and design and build the new homes. The undergraduate students involved in the projects rotate on a quarterly basis while the graduate students are involved throughout an entire academic year. The students work with professors and professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to inexpensively construct a home that is suitable to its future owners as well as its surrounding environment. To minimize costs the students use mostly waste materials such as discarded tires, wood, tin sheets, etc. Not only does reusing materials save money, but it also demonstrates the innovative possibilities for items that many see as "trash."

Interface's goals toward achieving industrial, and subsequently environmental and social sustainability, are well known. Naturally, Interface was very excited to donate materials and money for the Rural Studio's new Outreach Program project. This group of students was working on a home for Lucy and Anderson Harris and their four children in Mason's Bend, AL. After considering and eliminating various scrap products from carpet manufacturing such as yarn bales, scrap bales and fluff as building blocks for the walls of the house, the group hit upon the idea of using reclaimed carpet tiles. Before making a final decision, the group performed numerous tests, including fire and water resistance as well as thermal properties and indoor insulation quality, to ensure that the tiles would be a suitable solution. Ultimately, the group decided to use the carpet tiles as their wall structure using a series of steel columns, threaded rod and a wooden box beam to compress the tiles.

The Rural Studio students also designed and created Interface's NeoCon display in space 10-140 at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, bringing Interface the IIDA Best of NeoCon Small Showroom award for their efforts. The students used carpet tiles as shingles to construct a theater within the space and highlight the lessons that the group learned while working on the Lucy house throughout the previous year. A large screen projected images and messages of Interface and its new products as well as a film by Eames Demetrios that focuses on the story of the Lucy house. The relationship between Interface and Rural Studio will not end with the completion of the home; the two will continue to partner and discover innovative and exciting ways to further the goals of environmental and social sustainability.