MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

Television media is often children’s first contact with architecture, beyond their own home. For some, it could easily be the Brady Bunch house, the Munster’s mansion, or the townhouse from Full House. Traditional, historic, or frightening, each of these residences engaged children and implanted a subconscious understanding of architecture, introducing them to aesthetic values beyond their own realm. For better or worse, expectations and precedents are established and shared among a generation. With this in mind, what better way to access the minds of young adolescents and engage them in architectural design then through the eyes of a known television family, The Simpsons?

This presentation presents a design-build program taught to summer school students, aged 10-13. Entitled, “Imagining Your Dream House.” The two-week, 90 minute class, required an ease of access and a direct reference point to initiate the required student learning outcomes. While the overall goals included drafting protocol, with rendering and model making skills, the program had to be relaxed, easy going, and entertaining. To this end, the Homer Simpson house was introduced as a prototype, which served as a foundation on which students could realize their own personal architectural expression.

While a few students entertained the whimsical nature of the project, many took a serious approach and produced dynamic alternatives. A series of twenty-minute lectures exposed these young minds to a brief history of architecture, including Roman villas, Romanesque castles, Baroque palaces, and Arts and Crafts cottages. With these images still fresh in their minds, the Mr. Potato Head approach to design, allowed these students to consider various architectural styles within a forum they easily understood. While of questionable significance, Homer Simpson’s house may just inspire future clients and professionals.