First time I learned about the concept of studio culture was 4 years ago when I came to study in the US. I had previous experience of college life: I pursued degree in linguistics for 3 years in Russia. I ended up deciding that it wasn’t my path, transferred to Louisiana Tech and changed my major. Well, let me tell you that my previous experience of college life was so different, that it’s impossible to draw any comparison between the two. My curriculum was set by the university (students couldn’t choose classes or time when they took them); basic classes were set in the form of lectures or language exercises; exhausting exams were usually written essays; no personal space was provided by the university; no technology was available, except a tiny computer lab that had 5-6 computers with the limit of 30 minutes per student (nobody even hoped for wireless)… sounds pretty bad, but I can tell you that students found their ways even in those conditions. Here is a video from a popular movie that, in my opinion, is a quite interesting description of the student culture in Russia. It is outdated at some level, but nevertheless very expressive (please, skip the “criminal” part of another movie at the beginning of the video and start from “Strange impression”).

I think it is easier to appreciate “the comfort level” the universities in the US give to their students if one can compare it with an understanding of an “outsider”. In Louisiana Tech the facilities give an excellent start to the education: studying lounges, wireless internet, large computer labs, unlimited printing, workout areas, etc.

Now, let me note that architecture and interior design students fall out of the “normal” practice on campus. We are granted personal space (cubicles), digital technology (3d printing and scanning, laser cutting, large format printing), lighting lab and textile resource room, wood and metal fabrication shop, etc. Despite the facilities and technological advancements, it is the students themselves that create the studio culture. The atmosphere of a busy architecture office is achieved through collaborative work of the students, integration in social activities, competitive designs and innovative solutions. It is hard to imagine the student projects to be the way they are now if students couldn’t work side by side absorbing skills and knowledge from each other.