Yestermorrow

Boston Tutoring Services is introducing a new series of blogposts about local nonprofit organizations. Our goals are to raise awareness about their work and to share how other people can get involved. If you or someone you know is part of, has worked with, or knows about a local nonprofit, please contact us and share your experiences. All submissions are welcome!

In the seventh part of our nonprofit series, Boston Tutoring Services highlights Yestermorrow Design/Build School, one of the only design/build schools in the country, teaching both design and construction skills.

HISTORY & TODAY

Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Waitsfield, Vermont was founded in 1980 by John Connell and a small group of architect friends who wanted to change the way people build houses and communities. With a single course and eight students, they took their first steps to realizing their dream of teaching the integrated design/build process to students of all ages and from all walks of life.

Yestermorrow’s co-founders knew from their own experience as architects and builders that by demystifying the design/build process using hands-on, experiential learning techniques, ordinary homeowners would be capable of understanding architectural principles and developing the skills necessary to design and build their own homes.

The integrated design/build process empowers people to move with confidence between conceptualization (design) and implementation (build) as they create their world. The process informs their choices, anticipates and solves problems, and ensures an intentional outcome that expresses their values and cultivates an inspired build environment. In essence, the integrated design/build process connects mind to hand and theory to practice to allow people to successfully achieve their dreams.

Today, Yestermorrow has over 200 faculty members who are all practicing professionals in the fields of architecture, woodworking, design and construction. The school welcomes 750 students per year. Typically, there are two classes running, one in the woodshop and one in the design studio. On any given day, Yestermorrow has 20-30 students on campus. Students come from around the world, and range in age from 18 to 80+.

ACADEMIC FOCUS

Yestermorrow’s courses are specifically designed to demystify the designing and building processes using hands-on, experiential learning to teach students the art and wisdom of good design and the skill and savvy of enduring craftsmanship as a single, integrated process.

This creative process offers students unique insight into the oftentimes disparate worlds of the architect and the builder. Architects are routinely trained without any building experience that might inform their designs, and builders are trained to execute without a sense of the overarching purpose or design of the project.

Combining design and building offers numerous advantages and promotes the creation of intentional and inspired buildings and communities that enhance our world. From the professional design/builder to the do-it-yourself design/build homeowner, every designer should know how to build and every builder should know how to design. This philosophy sets Yestermorrow apart from other educational institutions.

Ultimately, Yestermorrow Design/Build School inspires people to create a better, more sustainable world by providing hands-on education that integrates design and craft as a creative, interactive process.

All information provided by Emma Costello, outreach intern at Yestermorrow.

Contact luke@yestermorrow.org about admissions.

Visit https://yestermorrow.org/ for more information.