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Immediately after graduating from Environmental Design in May 2018, Claire Derr found herself designing and supporting sustainable communities with Pyatt Studio and the Building Cooperative. Pyatt Studio is an architecture and planning firm based in Boulder that focuses on community-based projects. The Building Cooperative is a non-profit organization that the leadership team of Pyatt Studio started this year to “expand upon Pyatt Studio’s programs in education, job training, and affordable housing to help more people around the globe transition out of poverty - and stay out of poverty.” A primary focus of the Building Cooperative’s current projects is to improve upon access to affordable housing in Rural and Native American Communities. 

Derr’s work with the Building Cooperative began during her senior year while interning with Pyatt Studio. Her initial assignment was to create a database for grants and other funding opportunities necessary to start realizing the vision of the Building Cooperative. Upon graduation, Derr joined the team at Pyatt Studio. “After graduation, Claire’s communication about what she wanted in terms of an opportunity with Pyatt studio was very clear. I had a lot of confidence in her because she knew what she wanted to do,” said Rob Pyatt, Principal & Design Director of Pyatt Studio.

Derr’s favorite work so far has been helping with the design of a new facility for the Walatowa High Charter School, located in the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico. Derr likes that the school’s emphasis on experiential learning is reflected in the design that Pyatt Studio has created in collaboration with the students, faculty, and administration. “The design is really strategic with incorporating natural systems like natural ventilation, daylighting and thermal massing which makes it an environmentally and culturally appropriate building that really fits into the site.” The Building Cooperative is now working with the school to create a design-build curriculum so that students can participate in the construction of the new campus over the next year.

Pyatt Studio and The Building Cooperative are also working with the Taos Pueblo Housing Authority to create a master plan for a 50-acre housing development. In July, Derr helped to facilitate one of many design charrettes at the Taos Pueblo, where community members are involved in the ongoing process to design the new housing development. "It was an honor to be a part of conversations with tribal elders and learn about their culture, life, and land." The community members’ vision has been integrated into the design in many ways, including the addition of an expansive trail network and community greenspace. “By reducing lot sizes and designing with the site’s natural topography, we were able to achieve a higher density, while preserving open space,” said Pyatt.

As an Environmental Design Alum, Pyatt emphasizes the importance of student portfolios in evaluating internship or job candidates. “ENVD students can follow their interests, they can have a very broad education or a very focused education. For our studio, the hiring process is portfolio-based since any given student can have a different experience in ENVD.” Derr encourages students to look for an internship or job at an organization that aligns with their individual and professional values. “The work Pyatt Studio does is work that I truly believe in because it’s part of a larger conversation around using design to provide housing and communities that are beautiful, functional, environmentally sustainable and culturally appropriate.”