House in a Box: For their first project, students confronted the ethical dilemma of a client driven project that asked them to perpetuate a pattern of unsustainable single-family development. Each student was challenged to design a prefabricated "House in a Box" system that was affordable, site sensitive, and adaptable to multiple climates and client demands. Students then used their systems to design a single-family home for a client in Phoenix. In response to the program v. ethic dilemma, one student incorporated a community park at the front of the lot. Several other students responded by designing systems that could stand alone or serve as a component within a high density multi-use complex.

Life Cycle of a School: What happens when a group of students with limited architectural training and a passion for sustainability and design, enter a national architecture competition?

This semester Ecosa students competed with architecture students across the nation to design a K-5 Elementary School for the ACSA "Life Cycle of a School" competition. Entrants were asked to chose a site, design an adaptable structural steel system, apply the system to design an elementary school for present and future needs, and present their design on four 20"x20" boards. When ACSA announced the competition winners, the students were surprised to learn that not a single winning design acknowledged its site on their boards!