Bridging Architecture and Education

Meet Laura—an award winning San Diego based architect.

She is also the Vice President and dedicated volunteer for the San Diego Architectural Foundation (SDAF) and its partner initiative, the Built Environment Education Program (BEEP). Laura's mission mirrors SDAF's: inspiring kids to appreciate architecture.

But she's not just preaching to the choir.

She needs to communicate this mission to different stakeholders and community members. Enter BEEP, a collaboration of architects and designers united in enlightening students about the built environment. As her responsibilities at SDAF and BEEP grew, so did her communications requirements.

She sought coaching to manage the demands of her expanding roles and communicate effectively with each group.

One idea Laura had for reaching these students at scale was to create a YouTube channel.

Many of the board members were dubious. Yet, Laura was determine to convey the value and simplicity of the channel’s creation. Within our time together, we explored ways to get her message across.

We worked on strategies for setting priorities, removing blocks, and tailoring her message to each audience. Architects speak a different language than educators, who speak a different language than students. Laura needed to bridge these gaps.

She's not just teaching kids to sketch.

She's fostering a dialogue between the design world and the next generation. It's a balancing act, but one she's uniquely suited for. The YouTube channel stands at its third year with a loyal subscriber base.

That's Laura's journey.

What will yours be? And how will you communicate it to those who need to hear it?