8/8/02

AUBURN PROFESSOR RECEIVES STATE ARTS COUNCIL FELLOWSHIP

AUBURN -- David Hinson, an associate professor in Auburn University's School of Architecture, has been awarded one of 14 fellowships by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

Hinson was awarded a $10,000 grant and will use the money to continue to work on DesignHabitat, a program he started a year ago as a classroom assignment to design and build a prototype house for the Alabama Association of Habitat Affiliates.

In conjunction with DesignAlabama and the Alabama Association of Habitat Affiliates, the classroom assignment will continue with the implementation of the 2x4 Campaign, a program by AAHA to build 50 Auburn-designed homes in Alabama in four years.

The classroom project began last fall after summer meetings with officials with DesignAlabama and AAHA to design affordable, Southern-vernacular housing for Habitat. A class of about 20 students began by researching Habitat housing, interviewing homeowners, homebuilders and Habitat officials. The first of this year, the students created home designs and last spring built the first DesignHabitat house in Opelika.

Hinson was only one of two awardees to receive $10,000. The remaining 12 received $5,000 grants.

"The Fellowship will enable me to continue my collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, specifically to help AAHA with the implementation of the 2x4 Campaign over the next year," said Hinson.

"I also hope to use the fellowship resources to deepen my own understanding of the three issues that have shaped the DesignHabitat project -- developing approaches to affordable housing which are reflective of the culture and context of Alabama communities, responsive to the climate of the Southeastern U.S. and redefining affordable as inclusive of the long-term costs as well as the short-term costs of owning and maintaining a home."

Fellowship grants were awarded to individual artists based on merit of work, career achievement, career potential and service to the state. Fellowship grants support projects in the 2002-03 academic year.

The Alabama State Council on the Arts is the official state arts agency of Alabama. The council receives its support through an annual appropriation from the Alabama Legislature and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

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CONTACT: Hinson, 334/844-5438; Barbara Reed, Alabama State Council on the Arts PIO, 334/242-4076, ext: 223.