In partnership with the LSU College of Art + Design School of Architecture, the NOMA Louisiana Project Pipeline Architecture & Design Camp was held in Baton Rouge July 19–21.

Established in 2009 by the National Organization of Minority Architects, or NOMA, Project Pipeline is a mentorship program designed to encourage equality within the profession and provide an introduction to young students interested in architecture and design.

The first summer camp to take place in the state was held in New Orleans in 2012. The first summer camp to take place in the state was held in New Orleans in 2012. Professor and director of the LSU School of Architecture Jori Erdman worked with Bryan Lee, program director of NOMA Louisiana, to bring the 2013 camp to Baton Rouge and benefit eight- to twelfth-grade students interested in the fields of design.

LSU School of Architecture students Xueru Lan and Reuben Solarie volunteered as instructors in Baton Rouge, and camp counselors were comprised of young architecture and design professionals, School of Architecture faculty members and alumni, and educators from participating high schools.

Bryan Lee, NOMA Louisiana Program Director, mentors students at Project Pipeline Architecture & Design Camp in Baton Rouge.

2012 School of Architecture alum LaQuinton Nimox, a LEED Green Associate, volunteered to serve as a camp counselor in Baton Rouge. Nimox is currently an intern architect at Dyke Nelson Architecture, a firm that recently received a “FACELIFT! Mid City: Small Business Facade Improvement” grant from the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance of Baton Rouge. Nimox’s role as camp counselor was to ignite an understanding of the mutual relationships between architecture and community through creative thinking and building design.

Nimox said, “Project Pipeline is closing a gap that has long divided minority students from exploring the potential of studying architecture at the collegiate level. The role of local architecture students and architects is vital to the success of young students being aware of architecture’s impact on community.”

Students were asked to calculate the length, width, and height of the Commons room in the Design Building at LSU College of Art + Design.

The Project Pipeline Architecture & Design Camp was held at the College of Art + Design on the campus of LSU on July 19. For sessions on July 20–21, the camp moved downtown to the Design Resource Center, located at 247 Florida Street. LSU School of Landscape Architecture alumnus Whitney Cooper works at the Downtown Development District and helped facilitate the downtown aspect of the camp, and she served as a mentor to camp attendees.

Each day consisted of various hands-on activities and learning sessions designed to encourage design thinking. On July 21, students presented their projects to a crowd of teammates, students, counselors and parents.

For more information about Project Pipeline and NOMA Louisiana, visit http://www.nomalouisiana.org/.