Independent Study

In addition to the regularly offered studio courses, many upperclassmen opt to design their own independent study in which they may focus on one project for an entire semester. Students have their own space in which to work on their project and meet with professors Jill Pearlman and Wiebke Theodore on a regular basis.

Larissa Curlik (’07): Urban Gardens in Portland
Toby Crawford (’07): Summer research, Cribstone Bridge
Andrew Kenmore (’07): Community Center Design Brunswick
Cotton Estes (’07): Cabbot Mill landscape analysis | Travel Blog
Mary Kate Wheeler (’07): Coastal Studies Performance Space
Dan Herzberg (’06): Aviation Museum for Vellux Competition
Roger Burleigh (‘06): Interior Design, Bowdoin Fitness Center
Grace Cho (’05): “Saving the Waterfront” photographic survey of Maine Coast
Nicole Goyette (’05): Train Station, Brunswick, ME
Adrienne Heflich (’05) – The Greenway Movement in Context

Student Quote:
“I really enjoyed my independent study this semester, [for which I sat] on the Maine Street Station Steering Committee. [Maine Street Station is] the site between [the] McLellan [Building] and Hannaford [Supermarket]. [My independent study] stemmed from a class last semester [for which] our final project was to design a train station for that site. Then,[early this semester,] the town of Brunswick created the committee, created a request for proposal, and sent the request for proposal to architecture firms. My independent study consisted of being the student representative for the College and sitting on that committee with all the town planners.

On campus, I created informational sessions to open the project to students and let them discuss what they thought would be good. We also had a student forum where the architects who were hired came and talked to students. We also had these information sessions going on every other Thursday, where students gave input and heard about the history of the site and what town residents would like to see happen there. An additional component was to design my reaction to the site - so I did a site plan and a train station and played around with other things that could go on the site.

[The independent study] was like service learning in a way. It was nice to feel like an active participant in something that's going to make a difference, and I think it's a great testament to the link at Bowdoin between the town and faculty and students.”