NuVuX and Tessellations initiated their partnership by launching their first design sprint back in March. One of our NuVuX Experts joined the Red Woods (as Tessellations calls their 8th graders) on this sunny California day to tackle the challenge of creating a seating structure that accommodates two or more people and encourages human interaction. This design sprint, called "Throne For Two," provided a quick introduction to our design process. By experiencing every step, from researching and brainstorming to prototyping and iterating, students began with small-scale prototypes and culminated in human-scale furniture! Students also had the opportunity to connect much of their learning from their classes to their projects. For example, drawing from their geometry class, students recalled the strength of different shapes, influencing one of their designs to incorporate triangular supports rather than quadrilateral ones. You can see this in the image below, where students completed an entire couch that brings people’s body language together, facilitating direct communication.

A month later, Tessellation students embarked on their three-week immersive "T-Term," during which they delved into a longer, more profound studio project called "Monumental Reimagining." Students proposed monuments or interactive installations that promote tolerance, emphasizing values such as acceptance, respect, diversity, and inclusion to foster a more cohesive and harmonious community. They learned various techniques to manipulate cardboard to create mechanical and structural prototypes and site models, while also delving deeper into the history and culture of their community through research and placemaking. One student represented humanity’s impact on Earth and our environmental footprint by recreating a hand crushing down on the Earth, which can be moved up and down using a pulley system. Another student symbolized the transformation of Silicon Valley by designing a cherry blossom tree that appears natural in daylight but transforms into a mechanical, artificial tree under black light, referencing the technological revolution.