In the Spring of 2016, Prairie View A&M University initiated the Education Abroad Ambassadors program to develop and promote international travel opportunities for students within the university. Eight faculty from across the university were selected based on the strength of their proposals that integrate international travel into an existing course. Of the eight faculty members selected to serve as ambassadors, two were selected from the School of Architecture, Professor Juanita Jimenez and Professor Ross Wienert.
Professor Juanita Jimenez, Colombia
The town of Guachene (gwah-she-ney) is located in the northwest region of Colombia and has the highest Afro-Colombian population in Colombia, 99 percent to be precise. The residents are descendants of enslaved people brought by the Spanish to tend the sugarcane fields. Because of its unique demographic and history, this is an excellent town to visit and study for PVAMU Students in conjunction with the Texas Institute for the Preservation of the History and Culture.
The main reasons this area is a prime candidate for study is that the Affordable, quality, Zero Energy Housing is a paramount need in Guachene. The town is committed to supporting student research in this area. and they will design a Zero Enery House model during fall 2016 to be presented to the community in Spring 2017. In addition, PVAMU students will collaborate with the Foundation University of Popayan to do Student Service
Professor Ross Wienert, France
Professor Wienert will travel with third year design students to France in order to study and analyze religious architecture. The trip includes visits to gothic era buildings Notre Dame du Paris, Chartres Cathedral, and Saint Chapelle, as well as LeCorbusier’s 20th century buildings Notre Dame du Haut, La Tourette, and Saint Pierre-Firminy. During the trip, students will sketch, photograph, observe and document how all of these buildings address how the qualities of space, light, and material contribute to the sacred and spiritual nature of architecture. Upon returning to Prairie View, each of these students will utilize the lessons learned from these buildings and apply them in their own design work.