“Architecture is broad based but at the heart of architecture is a social order that has to exist, that architecture works with. And so in

order to expose students to that social order that exists, at some point in their education, it becomes necessary for them to leave

the classroom of the university and enter the classroom of the community. And to leave an abstract world to a world of reality.”
--Samuel Mockbee, The Rural Studio Film

On March 30th, 2013, select students from the class of Alternative Real Estate Action-Experimental Research, also known as AREA-ER, came together to install a small, 14’x4’ foot-bridge at the Festival Beach Community Garden in Austin. Mentored by Professor Steve Ross, the mission statement of AREA-ER is to “learn-by-doing.” We extended our efforts beyond the parameters of the classroom, giving back to the community. The steel channels for the footbridge were donated and welded together. The bridge was then installed over a swale bolted down to 8” diameter piers. Calculations were done based on the bearing strength of the soil and the percentage of steel required for the rebar in the concrete. The intention is to have the vegetation grow over the steel channels and fully integrate the bridge into the landscape.