The famous book of Boyer and Mitgang (1996), Building Community: A New Future for Architecture Education and Practice, has become the text for architectural education. They argue that architectural education lacked a sense of purpose in connecting the profession to the current problems of society. `Building Community' summarizes the goals of a design education as: helping students to develop the skills and competency to work within the realities of the profession; preparing graduates to be able to adapt to the changing needs of the society; and assisting students in developing their own analytical framework to envision and build a better environment and community. Boyer and Mitgang contend that urban-based design studios through research should be addressing the real issues of our society: the destruction of community, crime, homelessness, and urban decay. They also argue that architecture schools should take a leadership role in preserving the planet's resources and environment by teaching sustainable architectural design and using `real life' studio problems. This study examines the role of architectural studio in the post-Katrina reconstruction of the Lower 9^th Ward community. Survey data found that a majority of the students developed an understanding of the urban design and sustainability, and were of the view that architectural studio should act as an advocate for underrepresented communities, and agreed that there was value in the `interaction between studio and community'.

This research was started in 2005/06 when our architectural studio offered help to post-Katrina Lower 9^th Ward in New Orleans. Our architectural/urban design studio became one of the service learning and advocacies; we were learning and performing community service. Mitgang argues

Learning-through-doing exercise was a wonderful integrative way to come to grips with physics, economics, teamwork and aesthetics—the raw intellectual materials of the practicing architect…. But the profession, as a whole, remains in my view a long distance from realizing its vast potential to reshape the environment in ways that would earn the nation's gratitude (Mitgang, 2001).

This paper studies the future and vision of architectural education. We argue that the present state of design pedagogy is `service learning'. Our students are interested in learning and helping, especially if both can be achieved at the same time. We believe that Boyer and Mitgang (1996), Building Community: A New Future for Education and Practice, has provided the profession a roadmap to success. We need to understand the present architectural design studio pedagogy, understand how best to use it, and start thinking about what comes next. Research questions include: What is the future and vision of architectural education?; what are the goals of an architectural education?; and should architectural schools teach sustainable architectural design by using `real life' studio problems?

The fall semester of 2005, our architectural/urban design studio began the study of the New Orleans Riverfront but the design was practiced in a vacuum, since all of our `Big Easy' family, friends and contacts were ordered out of the city and could not return to their homes because of Katrina. I was fortunate to meet Dr. Meffet of Tulane University in early spring of 2006 in New Orleans. Once in New Orleans, Dr. Meffet introduced me to Dan Etheridge a faculty member of the Tulane University School of Architecture. Dan was coordinating the efforts of university groups wanting to come to post-Katrina New Orleans to volunteer their services; SIUC School of Architecture quickly signed up.

Architecture Journal, Architectural Education, Neighborhood Association, Community Leaders, Historic Preservation, Heritage Tourism, Community Projects, Architecture Programs, Educational Program, Social Engagement, Traditional Architectural Courses, Social Elitism, Architectural Pedagogy, Redevelopment Strategy, Rebuilding Process, Electronic Media.