Participants joined designers to explore possibilities for a new education studio inside the KANEKO galleries.

Every summer, the KANEKO in Omaha, Nebraska hosts a series of camps aimed at connecting middle school students with local professionals in STEAM- and creativity-related fields. During each five-day camp, participants delve deeper into the design process and its real-world applications by participating in a variety of engaging activities. After switching to a virtual format in 2020, KANEKO’s 2021 camps returned in-person with the theme “Education Re-Think.”

RDG Planning & Design has been participating in KANEKO’s Creative Camps since 2013. The firm’s 2021 offering, “KANEKO Reimagined” took place June 21 through June 25, and provided an all-encompassing introduction to the fundamentals of architecture and principles of design. Stemming from Sou Fujimoto’s ideas of open field architecture and his installation at the 2015 Chicago Architecture Biennale “Architecture is Everywhere,” as part of their exploration, students investigated design principles through a range of mediums: figure-ground compositions explored a literal translation of these design principles, while collages allowed for students to integrate color theory and narrative storytelling.

“This year was significant for KANEKO Creative Camps. Not only was it a return to our in-person experience, but it was also the first time the camps moved to a 100 percent donation-based model, making them far more accessible to kids in historically under-resourced communities. It was incredible to see the amount of creativity and engagement from campers, and the excitement they experience in seeing what’s possible for them in the future,” said Adam Wiese, an RDG designer who helped lead the camp.

Weise was joined in leading the camp by RDG’s Mikayla Clyde, Assoc. IIDA, Sam Edmundson, Scott Lafferty, Nick Olsen, Courtney Riedmann and Noah Schacher. Throughout the week, designers led the campers through various activities involving different mediums (hand drawing, watercolor, model-making) to help them conceptualize ideas around design. The final project challenged students to design and build a space for a new education studio inside KANKEO where 10 people could live and work. The models created as part of the camp will be on display during “KANEKO’s Creative Camps Exhibition” on August 7, 2021.

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For all media inquiries please contact Erin Van Zee, RDG Communications Director at evanzee@rdgusa.com or call (402) 449-0898.