Benefits

Archeworks Students benefit in four major ways

1. Giving Back to Society
    in an Imperfect World

Archeworks students gain theoretical and practical experience in creating appropriate designs which add value to society. They receive personal satisfaction from making a difference in an imperfect world.

2. Socially Responsible Design with
    Real World Implementation

Archeworks takes students beyond the traditional curriculum of design schools. Each student team takes its project through a real world "hands on" experience of testing, budgeting, presenting and selling the basic concept and idea. Students understand the process of taking a design solution to market.

3. Multi-discipline Teamwork
    and Interaction

Archeworks students experience team learning and interaction among different disciplines. Teams are deliberately chosen to include multiple disciplines, which helps to enrich and enhance the finished project. Students are exposed to unusual interactions among specialties, which are not normally available in traditional academic settings. Furthermore, there is consistent interaction among all teams in such areas of study as architecture and interior design, visual communications including a knowledge of retailing, merchandising and marketing, appropriate housing and living environments, sustainable "green" design and industrial/product design.

4. Global Networking to Explore
    Alternative Careers for Design
    Professionals

Through the international connections established by Archeworks' co-founders, Stanley Tigerman and Eva Maddox, students are exposed to creative guidance, strategic thinking and personal mentoring that sets the school apart from other design schools. Students network with leading architectural and design professionals from around the world, in addition to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations participating in Archeworks programs and projects. These connections offer opportunities for career changes and insight into many new fields of design for professionals in the future.

View Archeworks From An Alumni Perspective - PDF File

"My experience at Archeworks made me realize that my current profession, which allows me to research the relationship between organizational strategy and the physical environment of the office, did now allow me to create design solutions. Therefore, Archeworks became the catalyst for me to leave Chicago this fall to pursue a joint masters in Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at Cornell University." — Sage Ferguson '03

"One of the greatest things about Archeworks is that you are able to meet so many people that are here for the same reason. You come here thinking that you are going to do a lot for others in some way, but you leave here with that under your belt and much more: The mere fact that you’ve met all these people with differing ideas and backgrounds, all at Archeworks for the same purpose. I really appreciated that coming out of Archeworks, and I now have fifteen new friendships with people that I normally would not have met."
— Kari Viste, Architect '03

"My experience at Archeworks really reawakened creativity in my life and made me appreciate skills that I have which are crucial to team-based design but are unappreciated in an academic laboratory setting. It also showed me how much fun design can be. This has led me to seriously reconsider my career path and has opened the door to an internship in an architecture firm and opportunities in commercial web design." — Sarah Vickers, Developmental Biologist '03

"Archeworks helped me learn that the act of designing is a choice and to have design is an ethical right, not a lavish advantage. I stand for advocating good design for every person regardless of his or her place in the strata of life. The world is not such an immense place and an individual with the will can make a vast difference." — Santino Medina, Architect '02

"Our class included practicing architects and designers along with students from fields as diverse as Anthropology, Biology, and Business. This diversity, along with the insights of our facilitators, founders and guest speakers, made it impossible to not think differently. We came up with better solutions because we were constantly challenged. It showed in our projects, but the benefits aren't limited to Archeworks -- each of us will apply these new perspectives in our jobs, our community service work, and in our lives." — Dawn Balbus, Marketing '03

"I could express my social concerns through design instead of getting stuck in a pigeon hole in the corporate environment."
— Jen Schapp, Industrial Designer '02

"I always wanted to give back to my community - Archeworks is a way to do this using my design skills."
— Kimberly Thomas,
Interior Designer -'02

"Archeworks has allowed me to focus on my creative energies and helped me become more aware of my creative potential. It has given me a wonderful experience, which has already gotten me a job because of the very positive and productive time with my team. It provided a stimulating, challenging, enjoyable learning experience, which ended up helping others. I was able to satisfy myself while doing good work for others in the process." — Alumn '04

"I liked getting to know Stanley and Eva for a lot of reasons, but the most valuable was the fact that they have a lot of experience and were willing to let us all learn from it. It was great to be around two mentors with the level of talent and experience that they have." — Alumn '04

"Archeworks has definitely changed me both personally and professionally, particularly as the divide between the 'personal me' and the 'professional me' continues to blur. Coming from a non-design background, I think the experience of being involved in a highly creative design process will help me in whatever I do. From both the design and social perspective, the experience has rewired my brain in a way, enabling me to approach problems with a different mindset." — Alumn '04