San Diego

NewSchool of Architecture and Design in the Community

From public lectures to scholarships to real-world projects in New Orleans, Africa, and beyond, NewSchool of Architecture and Design believes in—and lives—a proud tradition of giving back.

NewSchool Arts Foundation

A 501(c)(3) charitable organization, promotes awareness, appreciation, and understanding of architecture and related fields. It supports scholarships, the school’s student publication, Cartouche, student participation in the Design Village design-build competition, and a public lecture series.
The foundation’s guest lecturers have included:  

• Teddy Cruz of estudio teddy cruz and professor of public culture and urbanism at UC San Diego 
• Mark Lee of Johnston Marklee Architects 
• Perry Kulper, associate professor of architecture at the University of Michigan 
• Artist Robert Irwin 
• Architect Heather Roberge of Gnuform 
• Architect Rob Wellington Quigley, FAIA

Since 1999, NSAD’s Design Clinic course has linked students with dozens of community-based projects around the world, including:

• Designs for post-Katrina housing (one of NSAD’s graduates later went to New Orleans and helped build the housing he had designed) 
• Site plans and building prototypes for a K–12 boarding and day school in Liberia 
• Schematic space planning for the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park 
• Transportation center design studies for the University of California, San Diego campus 
• While responding to specific community needs, students deal with actual sites, issues, and clients—from the first meeting through design and production. They learn to work both in teams and independently to fulfill individual tasks and provide deliverable products.