But the workshop process itself and how it enabled us to form connections with the community felt just as valuable. This was echoed in our class readings, where Emily Talen wrote in Do-It-Yourself Urbanism: a history (2015), the act of doing has benefits in itself. She says the act of doing, “can bring a diverse group of people together, united in a common, active purpose.” Karl Linn also noted in Building Commons and Community (2007) that, “The process is more important than the product”. I expect that when the community members visited the sites in the summer, they likely felt a sense of pride and deeper connection to their neighbourhood knowing they played a role in helping design the installations.

As a class, we found the workshops to be an exciting and rewarding experience. Classmates noted that, despite challenges such as our visions not always aligning with the community members, the workshops inspired greater enthusiasm for the project and they felt they were providing an act of service to the community which was gratifying. And, being the final studio class of our program, the experience felt like a bridge into our future professional careers. As students, we often forget the minute details and material learned in class—I admit I’ve forgotten much of the plant ID knowledge and facts I learned last semester. But, reflecting on the courses I’ve taken and material I’ve been exposed to, it is experiences such these community design workshops I remember the most. I will always remember precariously loading our big models into cars with my classmates, the stories I heard, and the faces I met in the workshops. I will remember chatting with Abdi, who drew a camel during the concept development exercise which involved drawing a Wexford flag, as it reminded him of home back in Somalia.

As students, the field trips and people we meet along the way leave an impression on us; we are products of our environment and experiences. These out-of-studio experiences enrich our education experience—broadening our perspectives and improving our communication skills, making us well-rounded people and designers. Moreover, they set a precedent for how to approach projects in the future. As a class, the excitement of the workshops and the importance and value of facilitating community involvement in the design process is now etched in our minds. And while this process requires a lot of coordination and planning, it is worth it. As musician Brian Eno put it: “Although great new ideas are usually articulated by individuals, they are nearly always generated by communities.”

In the final lecture at the University of Guelph this year, BLA (06) graduate Brad Smith, OALA, of Seferian Design Group emphasized the importance of lifelong learning. Our MLA class has completed our foundation courses in our program and is now focusing on thesis research, but it is clear our learning is not over: it has just begun.