Student Seminars: New Museum on the Bowery
Florian Idenburg
Spring 2006
Florian Idenburg, Associate Architect at SANAA, the Japanese firm that designed the New Museum’s new home on the Bowery, spoke to New Design High School students about the design and construction processes and the major concerns surrounding new building projects. Since the New Museum will be reopening near New Design High School, Florian facilitated a discussion as to how such a move could possibly change the students’ neighborhood on the Lower East Side.
Student Seminar: Adobe Structures and Sustainable Living
Martin Perna
Spring 2006
Martin Perna, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and conceptual utopian artist, introduced New Design High School juniors to the Architecture and Design Unit of G:Class through a presentation on adobe structures and sustainable living. Perna and his team constructed an adobe home and he shot an artful and instructive video and created an original soundtrack. From this short film, students were exposed to an affordable and energy-saving alternative for housing that used an abundant natural material.
Student Seminar: Multi-Mobility Vehicles and Transportation Reform
Dan Sturges
Spring 2006
Dan Sturges, General Motors car designer and inventor of the Global Electric Motorcar (GEM), kicked off the Transportation and Design Unit at New Design High School with a presentation on multi-mobility vehicles and transportation reform for a fast-paced city where residents are always in transit. The concepts introduced in Sturges’ seminar helped to prepare students for the Future Boxcar Design Contest at New Design High School.
Student Seminar: Bio-Diesel and Alternative Fuels
Brent Baker
Spring 2006
Brent Baker is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of New York City based Tri-State Biodiesel LLC. Prior to Tri-State Biodiesel, Baker founded and directed the non-profit environmental organization BioTour, Biofuel Information and Outreach Tour, specializing in biofuels and sustainability education. He spoke at New Design High School about improving our environment through the use of biodiesel fuel in his presentation.
Journalism: Reporting Local and Global News
Greg Tate
Spring 2006
Greg Tate, Village Voice reporter, cultural critic, and musician, opened a discussion with high school juniors about the impact of popular culture on the community. Focusing on interview strategies in reporting local and global news and tips on how to develop a unique writing style, Tate helped to prepare New Design High School students for a reporting project of their own.
Student Seminar: African by Legacy, Mexican by Birth
Ayana Jackson and Marco Villalobos
Spring 2006
Ayana Jackson and Marco Villalobos introduced the first G:Class unit, Global Communication and the Media, through a visual journey called “African by Legacy, Mexican by Birth,” a collaborative exhibition that documents the pair’s exploration of Vera Cruz, a rural community in Mexico. Jackson and Villalobos, a photographer and a journalist, respectively, illustrated their process of helping residents trace their ancestries and tell their stories, paying close attention to the manner in which we interpret language and the meaning of words through a particular cultural lens.