NEWS RELEASE

Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2004

Contact: Marisa Ramirez
713.743.8152 (office)
mrcannon@uh.edu

DESIGN/BUILD STUDIO AT UH SETS THE STAGE FOR AREA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The play’s the thing” for students at Oran M. Roberts Elementary School. Thanks to University of Houston architecture students, the school has a new outdoor performing arts stage. The project is part of the UH Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture Design/Build Studio, which gives architecture students first-hand experiences with building construction.

The dedication is planned for 9 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 18.

This is the 15th year for the Design/Build Studio project, which has collaborated with various public elementary schools in Houston to enhance classroom space. Design/Build students work with natural surroundings and take advantage of natural resources. Past projects include the Outdoor Reading Theater at Mark Twain Elementary, the Outdoor Science Classroom at Red Elementary and the Outdoor Science Classroom at the UH Charter School.

“This is an excellent opportunity to see the implication of design ideas on three dimensional construction,” said Patrick Peters, director of the Design/Build Studio. “Students also receive feedback on their designs, and that is really valuable.”

Eighteen graduate students worked on the design and construction of the Outdoor Performing Arts Stage under Peters’ guidance.

The design and construction of the outdoor performing arts stage is part of the SPARKS Parks program, a non-profit organization developed by former Houston city council woman Eleanor Tinsley in 1983 as a way to develop public school grounds as public parks. Nov. 15 – 19 is SPARKS Park Weeks, which celebrates the construction of such designs in the past year.

For more information about the Design/Build Studio, visit www.arch.uh.edu/port/dBuild.html.

For more information about the SPARKS Parks program, visit www.sparkpark.org

WHAT: Dedication of the UH College of Architecture Design/Build Studio project—Outdoor Performing Arts Stage
WHERE: Oren M. Roberts Elementary School
6000 Greenbriar, 77030-1143
WHEN: 9 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 18

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.