Designing / Building / Learning

Design-build has been receiving much attention from both the profession and academia in recent years. However, there seems to be many differences in the way that the term is interpreted and applied. This paper reflects upon the results of a conference entitled "Designing/Building/Learning" that sought to explore the issues surrounding this topic through paper sessions, workshops, keynote addresses, and panel discussions. Hands-on approaches to pedagogy in the form of full-scale construction exercises have emerged in schools across the country, but these activities continue to resist theorizing. The Designing/Building/Learning Conference demonstrates this resistance, as well as the compelling role of design-build in education.