Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio: Community Architecture [Paperback]

David Moos (Editor), Gail Trechsel (Contributor), Samuel Mockbee (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2003

The architect and teacher Samuel Mockbee, founder of Auburn University's Rural Studio, was an idealist who put into action one of the boldest programs in contemporary architecture. Mockbee led his students in the design and construction of homes, community centers and other essential structures in Hale County, Alabama--one of the poorest counties in the United States. Mockbee believed that architecture could play a determining role in combating the brutalities of poverty. He inspired students to create vanguard designs and utilize an array of innovative, cost-effective building materials that included scraps of carpet baled into rectangular building blocks. This combination of ingenuity and enterprise informed the unique character of Mockbee's undertaking. Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio appraises Mockbee's unique contribution, assessing how he believed that architecture, practiced as a community-oriented undertaking, could transform the social environment.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Moos is curator of modern and contemporary art at the Birmingham Museum of Art and a contributing editor to Art & Text and Art Papers.

Samual Mockbee was awarded a ""genius"" grant from the MacArthur Foundation in 2000, one of several signs that his project was gaining national and international recognition. Mockbee recently mounted exhibitions of the work he accomplished with the Rural Studio at the Max Protetch Gallery, New York, The Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, and he was included posthumously in the 2002 Whitney Biennial.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Birmingham Museum of Art (October 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093139452X
• ISBN-13: 978-0931394522
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,808,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-have Inspiration, November 28, 2004

By 

Architectress (Atlanta, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio: Community Architecture (Paperback)

Visionary Architect, Sambo Mockbee, practiced and taught the importance of designing for all people. The beautifully vernacular, student-built structures not only stimulate the rural imagination, but serve the most basic needs of their owners. This collection of stories and remembrances of The Heart of the Rural Studio programme, is informative and inspiring. Also contains an index of Rural Studio projects '01-'03 and many of Sambo's original sketches and paintings. A must-read for all young architects. A treasure for all that love and miss Sambo.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An architecture of decency, December 7, 2004

By 

C. Berry "berryck" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio: Community Architecture (Paperback)

Truly an inspirational collection of the internationally reknown Sambo and the Rural Studio. This is a must for every idealistic designer who would like to see the social ramifications architecture could have. Proceed and be bold.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous Act of Compassion, July 25, 2005

By 

James R. Leake III - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio: Community Architecture (Paperback)

I think Mockbee has taken decency and kindness to a whole new dimension. I love seeing someone completely change perspectives in an industry, or anything else for that matter. This is a great book about the future role of architecture.