With support from a LIASEÂ grant, faculty at Hampshire College developed an interdisciplinary, year-long course called "Designing for Life" that integrated anthropology, architecture/design, ecology, and sustainability studies.
Students spent a semester developing a broad knowledge base around the JOKO Learning Center (an NGO that provides education to local farmers about the benefits of organic farming in Nan, Thailand), learning about the dynamics of social, political, economic, and ecological issues. They then spent three weeks on-site meeting with JOKO staff and local farmers before returning to campus and working in teams to create designs and write research papers with proposed ideas for the organization’s site. The students compiled their final course projects in a book, which can be viewed online.
