Design + Build

Teens

[Ages 12-19]

5-Week Studios | Fall and Spring

Design+Build: Design Your World Promotional Video

Design+Build is the Lab’s teen studio program. Over five weeks, students work in teams to assess real sites, develop design proposals, and participate in installation.

Projects include rain gardens, conservation landscapes, tree plantings, and community planning efforts such as improvements to BlackRock’s Great Lawn. Students use iPads, field observation, and community feedback to analyze site conditions, select native plants, and translate ideas into buildable interventions.

Each season culminates in a community build or installation day, where teens work alongside volunteers and community members to implement their designs. The program emphasizes feasibility, teamwork, public presentation, and long-term stewardship.