By Mike Weikert

Sipping coffee in the Birmingham Airport, I reflect on the past thirty-six hours in Alabama and my third time as an advisor to Project M. For those not familiar, Project M is an initiative founded by John Bielenberg whose purpose is to “inspire graphic designers, writers, photographers and other creative people that their work can have a positive and significant impact on the world.” Project M 2006 was in Baltimore, Maryland working with the community of East Baltimore, and 2007 in Hale County, Alabama working with the residents of Greensboro.

The Project M team leaving their studio.

Project M 2008 is back in Hale County, and will spend the month of June here collaborating for social good. Working closely with Rural Studio and HERO Housing Resource Center, their objective is again to do something that will benefit the local community of Greensboro. The Rural Studio is a program joining Auburn University architecture students with the residents of Hale County to build structures for those in need and the community and HERO Housing Resource Center is a local nonprofit housing organization that works with and counsels hundreds of the poorest people in the county.

Project M enjoying lunch at Mustang Oil in Greensboro, Alabama.

Accompanied by my Piece Studio colleagues, Bernard Canniffe and Oliver Munday, I arrive to grilled cheeseburgers and Miller High Life—what better way to start the journey. I spent the next few hours getting to know the young designers and hearing personal stories. There is an excitement in their tone and an eagerness to share. They may not know what to expect, but you can be sure there is no place they’d rather be. They come from different towns, schools, and backgrounds, but share a common desire to make the world a better place. The group dynamic is strong, already exuding a camaraderie that almost seems too natural and evolved for meeting only four days earlier.

John Bielenberg thinking wrong.

The next morning, we gather in the small studio to “think wrong”. The white walls are covered with ideas, thoughts, and questions. After a fruitful discussion (What is important to us? What is the problem? How can we help? Who is the audience? What is success? How can we change behavior?) the group decides to go out into the community and get to know the people they’ve come to help.

Dome over the Boys & Girls Club basketball court in Akron.

I spend the day with John and other advisors touring Rural Studio thesis projects. We talk with three Auburn students putting the finishing touches on a stunning Boys and Girls Club facility, complete with a domed basketball court. Next, we visit a state park featuring student designed and built public bathrooms that rival the finest public art piece. From there we tour a newly completed dog shelter designed to give people 24 hour access to the homeless animals.

The animal shelter.

Finally, we explore the $20,000 houses, a current Rural Studio project designed to get poor residents of Hale County into homes they can afford.

A $20,000 house.

It’s worth noting that any of these structures could grace the cover of DWELL, but design aesthetic is not the most important or inspiring thing at work here—it’s the Rural Studio students. Their talent is obvious, but their passion, dedication, humility, and drive is fascinating. They are completely immersed in this cause, and will succeed no matter the cost or sacrifice. They have to, because they care. And it’s contagious.

A few M’ers building a picnic table for HERO.

After a day and a half with the M’ers I sense that same focus and drive. The difference is that their journey is only beginning, and they have a mere 30 days (not two years) to make their mark. At this point they haven’t solved or even defined a problem, but they are ahead of the game. They truly realize it’s not about them or even design, it’s about the community they’re here to help. They are completely immersed in this cause, and will succeed no matter the cost or sacrifice. They have to, because they care. And it’s contagious.

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