Foundation Lab Showcase in Cowgill Lobby

Recently, in the Cowgill Lobby, Visiting Professor of Practice Edgar Garcia showcased work from his spring Foundation Lab in addition to work produced from his Summer Studio, taught in conjunction with Visiting Assistant Professor Jessica Hernandez.

THE DESCENT. The Last Refuge of Humanity.

Foundation Lab / Spring 2025.

Professor: Edgar Garcia.

The Descent is a project that aims to develop a human habitat within the Hang Sơn Đoòng caves in Vietnam, integrating knowledge of geology, architecture, and the history of human cave occupation. The goal is to understand cave growth and formation patterns to propose an adaptive architecture that responds to extreme habitability contexts in the contemporary world. This project is not merely a conceptual exercise but an exploration of how space shapes culture, collective memory, and survival, becoming a reflection of humanity itself. Students: Aditya Chintalapati, Annabelle Crutchfield, Anushka Ghosh, Campbell Kent, Elena Tavernise, Gracie Tebbenkamp, ira chung, Lexa Earley, Magnolia Burden, Minh Pham, Nathalia Koga, Regina de la maza, Tahj Kornegay, Urian Ibanez, Vy Bui, Will Daly.

THE REAR WINDOW. Architecture Seen Through a Window.

Design Summer Studio 2025. Virginia Tech School of Architecture.

Profaccore• Fdaar Garcia / laccica Harnandez

The fascinating film Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock will be analyzed and will serve as an exercise to demonstrate how architecture can be understood and explored as a narrative medium, where observation, perception, and spatial composition converge to create meaning. By analyzing the film, students engage with the idea that the built environment, like cinema, can guide attention, evoke emotions, and structure experiences through framing, fragmentation, and layering of space. Students: Lillian Boggan, Morgan Chapman, Emily Cooper, Julia Manion, Alexsa McKeown, Everett Mitchell, Katie Poston, Shannon Reese, Emily Thornton, Ethan Vandecasteele, Maeve Willmann.