To some students in the College of Architecture, Gould Hall is a home away from home.

As deadlines for projects approach, students begin to see less of the outside world. Some go as far as spending nights in the building to work on projects.

Michael Porter and Sammy Raof, third-year architecture students, have both experienced this lifestyle.

"You end up living there," Porter said.

The idea of spending endless hours working and collaborating with other students is not a recent phenomenon among architecture students. It is part of a nationwide debate about the issue of "studio culture."

Studio culture is a requirement of the National Architectural Accrediting Board. A school is expected to demonstrate a positive and respectful learning environment through the encouragement of the fundamental values of optimism, respect, sharing, engagement and innovation between faculty and students, according to the NAAB Conditions for Accreditation.

Students and faculty are working together to define this term at OU and to create a studio culture at the college that will address everyone's needs.

Porter said the architecture college doesn't have a defined sense of what studio culture is, but everyone has their own interpretation.

"It's more of an individual thing," he said.

For students like Porter and Raof, studio culture is more than an issue, it's an environment.

Raof said the environment is created in the late-night hours at Gould Hall. He said it involves working on projects, lots of play and getting to know other studios.

Porter said studio culture is encompassed in the last couple weeks leading up to a project's due date.

Students sleep in the building, he said, wearing pajamas and slippers while they work. He said they even bring their own toiletries to school and get cleaned up in the bathrooms before class.

"It's fun," Raof said. "We definitely have a good time."

He also said he loves the run-down condition of the building because it helps the students become creative.

"That's what is so great about Gould Hall," he said. "You can make messes, it's just part of the studio culture."

Adam Lanman, associate professor of architecture, said collaboration is really important when thinking about studio culture. He said he has noticed students showing a desire for that kind of interaction.

Raof said it is important for first-year through fifth-year students to be involved in creating studio culture. First-year students can obviously learn from fifth-year students, he said, but fifth-year students can also learn from first-year students.

"Being involved with other studios can change how you do something," he said.

He also said the collaboration is helpful because students can share supplies with each other.

"It's not like you can run to Hobby Lobby at 3 a.m." he said.

Purvi Patel, secretary of the American Institute of Architecture Students, said she thinks having one studio room for all five years would help studio culture. She also said studio culture as an environment should promote brilliance by bringing students and faculty of different levels and interests together.

"The best studio environment to work in is one in which we all respect and collaborate with each other," Patel said.

For faculty, studio culture exists more during the daytime hours, said Eleanor Weinel, associate professor. While students tend to relate it to staying up all night working on projects, most professors would like to see students employ a more consistent work ethic.

Weinel said she thinks it is important for students to take advantage of daytime studio hours and depend less on working through the night. Studio is from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Weinel said this is the time students and teachers should be working together to create studio culture. As for the big picture, it cannot simply be tied to late work nights.

She said she is interested to hear exactly what students want from studio culture.

It's something they are beginning to work toward, she said.

Architecture Director James Kudrna said the issue of studio culture at OU is mainly a result of the NAAB requirement, and he said it is necessary for the college to reiterate certain priorities.

He said national studio culture addresses issues that OU has not been particularly guilty of but that should be recognized, such as excessive project demands and overly intense critical reviews.

He said the studio culture task force, which was formed earlier this semester, is working to develop a studio culture at OU.

Associate Professor Nick Harm helped form the task force and said they are still working to find out what students want to get out of studio culture.

He said any students who are interested in the development of studio culture can attend the task force meetings on Wednesdays at 5 p.m.

Kudrna said the most important aspect is the need for a sense of mutual respect between students and faculty.

Kudrna said he understands why students spend so much time working in studio.

"Unfortunately, studio can take as much time as you've got," Kudrna said, "but studio culture is about creating an optimum working environment."
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