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The concept originated with Taubman College’s academic leadership, who sought to revitalize the dynamic, collective studio culture disrupted by pandemic isolation. Recognizing that individual learning alone inadequately addresses the complexity of architectural problems, the project introduced shared spaces and interdisciplinary pedagogical resources—including a materials library, climate and visualization labs, and most importantly research consultants. A year of student and faculty engagement shaped this framework, culminating in an internal RFQ to activate participation.
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Studio Reassembled reconfigures a portion of Taubman College’s 30,000-square-foot studio floor—one of the largest in the world—into an active, participatory landscape. Situated on the third floor of the Art & Architecture Building, the project creates an interior urbanism within the academic environment. Rather than separating learning from its spatial context, it foregrounds the studio as a site of experimentation, interaction, and cohabitation. The installation responds to the scale and density of the shared studio floor, fostering new forms of collective engagement and architectural pedagogy within the heart of the college.
Many components of Studio Reassembled were designed and fabricated in situ, minimizing the carbon footprint associated with shipping and transport. Materials were chosen for their durability, cost-efficiency, and recyclability, with each structure designed for both longevity and planned renewal. As elements age out, they will be replaced by new interventions—designed and built by faculty and students—ensuring the space remains adaptive, current, and sustainable. Launched in Fall 2024, the project has been active for two consecutive semesters. With outcomes now assessed, Academic Initiatives has begun dissemination and the project has been shortlisted for an Architizer A+ Award.
Studio Reassembled launched in Fall 2024 on the third floor of Taubman College, embedded within one of the world’s largest continuous academic studio spaces. Developed by faculty, students, and alumni, it challenges the conventional one-to-one student-to-desk model, replacing it with a shared pedagogical infrastructure rooted in flexibility, co-authorship, and collective spatial engagement. The project features anchor pavilions designed by faculty, custom furniture and lighting fabricated by students and alumni, and an evolving interior framework continuously tested through studio teaching. More than a static installation, it functions as a living prototype—an adaptable landscape where pedagogy and space co-produce one another. Programming includes a lecture series on commoning, collectivity, and the future of work, reinforcing its role as both a workspace and discursive platform. Bridging design, fabrication, and practice, Studio Reassembled signals new directions for architectural education: responsive, sustainable, and deeply collaborative.
Studio Reassembled's distinguishing feature: the client, user, and architect are the same. Faculty, students, and alumni not only create the space—they also teach, learn, and experiment with it. This collapsing of roles offers a site where design decisions are felt, evaluated, and revised in real time, a rare feedback loop in architectural practice where the spatial environment operates os a pedagogical tool and cultural project.
The Taubman College Academic Initiatives team—led by Anya Sirota of the architecture and design studio Akoaki, alongside Jacob Comerci—conceived Studio Reassembled as a strategic and speculative platform to reimagine architectural education as a collective, participatory endeavor. Faculty designers Gina Reichert, Ishan Pal Singh, and Ryan Ball, each with distinct independent practices, contributed anchor pavilions designed to provoke interaction and spatial exchange. Surrounding these installations, students and alumni fabricated custom furniture and lighting elements, reinforcing a hands-on, integrative pedagogy. The project doubled as a living lab: each participant returned to teach within the space, testing its capacities, prompting adjustments, and advancing an iterative model of design-led learning.
https://studio-reassembled.com...
