Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio
American Institute of Architects DVD (2010)
In 1993, Samuel Mockbee, a world-renowned MacArthur architect, launched the Rural Studio; a design/build architecture program in which college students created housing for impoverished communities in rural Alabama.
“Citizen Architect” is a documentary that covers many of the Rural Studios projects, including footage with many of those who benefit from the architecture efforts, and some never-before-seen interviews with Mockbee. The man himself passed away in 2001 due to complications with leukemia, and this documentary reflects very positively on “Sambo” and the efforts he launched in conjunction with Auburn University.
Mockbee saw architecture as a social art; every bit as creative and spiritual as music, painting and sculpture. He saw things in a non-traditional light. Completing college wasn’t supposed to lead to riches and lucrative contracts, but rather a student taking what she learned and using it to better the lives of others.
Some of the most interesting architecture in the film comes from the Rural Studio’s recycling projects. Architecture students are given a meagre budget and an opportunity to design and actually build homes in areas where 1 in 4 people live well below the poverty line. These homes vary as widely as the imaginations of the architecture students.
One interesting segment comes from the 2002 Rural Studios project to design and build a home for a man called Music Man. He was living in a cluttered trailer that the normal suburbanite would consider a hoarder’s delight. Music Man was a long-time dee jay in Newbern, Alabama, and his charisma and optimism never waned. Music Man is interviewed by architect Samuel Badanes, along with the hilarious Newbern resident, Peanut Washington. They’re old blues men; the real-life version of every down-on-his-luck narrator in a John Lee Hooker or Robert Cray song.
Another interesting segment features the Antioch Church; another inspired and unique project tackled by the Rural Studio. More than a remodel, the Church was redesigned; becoming a standout among the overgrown grass, fallen trees and abandoned homes that surround it. Viewers will also love the Tire Chapel; an $8000 building transformed into a place of worship.
“Citizen Architect” features some breathtaking visuals of unique architecture designs, set against the backdrop of the poorest neighbourhoods in the Deep South. Each student gives their opinion of the amazing opportunity they experienced by being completely immersed in these projects; with their visions becoming reality.
Director Sam Wainwright Douglas presents the film very well; using a nice juxtaposition of the industry and general opinion of the architecture industry in contrast to the dilapidated structures of rural Alabama. The original score features some raw guitar (lots of 7th chords!) and smooth blues to warm the viewers’ experience.
Mockbee’s vision is carried forward by several individuals and organizations. The Rural Studio continues to do amazing work. The studio now works in conjunction with the Hale Empowerment & Revitalization Organization (HERO) led by founder Pam Dorr to host continued education and building projects. Master Instructor Tom Callos of The New Way Network brings a group of martial arts instructors to Greensboro, Alabama each year to congregate, interact, and grow together through projects with HERO. This experience is called the Ultimate Black Belt Test.
For more information on Citizen Architect, see the film’s official website.