2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Project Concept Design Research

Design Development

Commissioning

Fundraising

Construction

Post Occupancy Evaluation + OperationsUVA Spring 2006 Design Studio

UVA Fall 2006 Fabrication Workshop

National Student Collaborative Design Award, American Society of Landscape Architects

EPA P3 Phase I Grant, US Environmental Protection Agency, $10,000

Research Grant, Boston Society of Architects, $2,000

Virginia Environmental Endowment Grant, $30,500

Crisman, P. “Money Point: a Model of Urban Practice,” Getting Real. Design Ethos Now. R. Cheng and P. Tripeny, eds. Washington, DC: ACSA Press: 251-259.

The Learning Barge : Inspiring River Restoration + Environmental Education through Design

Prof. Phoebe Crisman, University of Virginia / Crisman+Petrus Architectswww.elizabethriver.org, www.arch.virginia.edu/projects/learning-barge-0

UVA Spring 2007 P3 Design Studio

UVA Fall 2007 Detailing Workshop

P3 Award, US Environmental Protection Agency

Youth Council for Sustainable Science & Tech-nology Design Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Virginia Go Green Honor Award for Unbuilt Ar-chitecture, US Green Building Council

NCARB Prize for the Creative Integration of Practice & Education in the Academy, $7,5000

EPA P3 Phase II Grant, US Environmental Pro-tection Agency, $75,000

Lowe’s Foundation Grant, $125,000

Sea Level Rise

Industrial Land Use Concentration

Pollution Hotspots

Barge idea emerged in Crisman+Petrus proposal for Money Point Study

VA Environmental Endowment, Money Point Grant, $14,520

Money Point study complete: Rediscover the Treasure: Money Point Revitalization Plan

Project Partners: Elizabeth River Project; Eric Matherne, Matherne Marine Design; Michael Petrus, Crisman+Petrus Architects; Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake School Districts; NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.

Crisman, P. “Intertwined Human + Environmental Ecologies,” Places, v.19, n.3: 18-23.

Crisman, P. “Working on the Elizabeth River,” Journal of Architectural Education, v.61:1: 84-91.

Crisman, P. “Teaching about Intertwined Environmental + Cultural Ecologies,” New Horizons, North American Assoc. of Environmental Education.

Crisman, P. “Making Connections: Responsible Environmental and Social Action Through Design,” Assuming Responsibility. L. Boza, M. Rinehart, eds. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America: 139-144.

Crisman, P. “Architecture Working for the Environment,” Lunch: Dialect, v.2: 13-25.

UVA Spring 2008 Build Studio

AIA Education Honor Award, American Institute of Architects

ACSA Collaborative Practice Award, Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture

International Excellence on the Waterfront Award, The Waterfront Center

VSAIA Prize for Design Research & Scholarship, American Institute of Architects

University of Virginia President’s Fund for Excellence Grant, $125,000

Dominion Foundation Grant, $125,000

Virginia Environmental Endowment Grant, $40,500

Crisman, P. “Making Connections,” Seeking the City: Visionaries on the Margins. M. Pride and D. Froehlich, eds. Washington, DC: ACSA Press: 306-314.

Crisman, P. “The Learning Barge: Architecture Working for the Community and Environment,” Seeking the City: Visionaries on the Margins. M. Pride, D. Froehlich eds. Washington, DC: ACSA Press: 962-965.

Learning Barge exhibited in AIA Award Exhibit, AIA National Convention, Boston, MA

Learning Barge exhibited at US EPA P3 Sustainability Expo, Washington, DC

Learning Barge exhibited in ACSA Awards Exhibit, ACSA Annual Meeting, Houston, TX

UVA Spring 2009 Construction Drawings Workshop

UVA Summer 2009 Construction in Chesapeake

Learning Barge Launch 9/14/09

JAE Best Design as Scholarship Article Award, Journal of Architectural Education

Dominion Foundation Grant, $250,000

Oak Hill Fund Grant, $50,000

Norfolk Southern Foundation Grant, $25,000

Norfolk Foundation Grant, $24,000

Learning Barge School Season 1:My Home River

Access to Artistic Excellence Grant, Design Category, National Endowment for the Arts, $20,000

Crisman, P. “Environmental and Social Action in the Studio: Three Live Projects along the Elizabeth River,” Agency: Working with Uncertain Architectures. F. Kossak, et.al., eds. London: Routledge: 32-46.

Learning Barge exhibited at US EPA P3 Sustainability Expo, Washington, DC

Learning Barge School Season 2:Merry Mummichog

Environmental Excellence Award, Seaworld / Busch Gardens

Learning Barge exhibited in Currents: Art & the Environment, Courthouse Galleries, Portsmouth, VA

Learning Barge featured in 2011 Harborfest, Riverfest, and Children’s Festival

Learning Barge School Season 3:Riverology

Learning Barge Summer Camp: Elizabeth River Adventures with Schooner Virginia

Learning Barge featured in 2012 Harborfest, Riverfest, and Children’s Festival

Learning Barge School Season 4:Project Periwinkle

Learning Barge Summer Camp: Elizabeth River Adventureswith the American Rover

Crisman, P. “Health + the Built Environment: Shaping Policy and Place through Innovative Community and Academic Partnership,” The Visibility of Research. C. Jarrett, et.al, eds. Charlotte: University of North Carolina: 370-376.

Learning Barge featured in 2013 Harborfest, Riverfest, and Children’s Festival

Learning Barge School Season 5: Green STEM

Gold Medal, Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award, Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality and Virginia Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

USA Science & Engineering Festival, Washington, DC

Learning Barge presented at Thinking While Making International Design/Build Conference, Halifax, NS

Learning Barge presented at Restoring America’s Estuaries Conference, Washington, DC

43,208 visitor’s since launch:26,326 students + 16,882 public visitors

University of Virginia Team 2006 - 2009

Faculty Director: Phoebe Crisman; Student Leaders: Danielle Willkens, Andrew Daley, Adam Donovan, Kelly McConnaha, Kate Claeys, Farhad Omar; Faculty: Michael Petrus, Paxton Marshall, Sanda Iliescu;

Students: Laura Bandara, Kim Barnett, Erin Binney, Matt Bower, Neil Budzinski, Kacey Burnsed, Adam Burton, Mary Butcher, Lauren Catlett, Allegra Churchill, Kathleen Clinton, Ama Cobbina, Sarah Collins, Eliza Davis, Kevin Day, Lauren DiBianca, Erin Dorr, Matt Dreher, Zoe Edgecomb, Ayman El-Barasi, Ben Fey, Dhara Ghoradia, Ginny Harr, Hamid Hashime, Liz Hoogheem, Andrea Hubbel, Matt Hural, Sarah Kott, Kate Lafsky, Phoebe Larson, Daphne Lasky, Shanti Levy, Hy Martin, Matt McClelland, Emily Miyares, Marilyn Moedinger, Whitney Newton, Molly O’Donnell, Whitney Odell, Katherine Pabody, Maressa Perrault, Graham Peterson, Kurt Petschke, James Pint, Phoebe Richbourg, Jill Ringness, Rachel Robinson, Sarah Rosenthal, Ravi Sarpatwari, Tommy Schaperkotter, Robin Schick, Jayme Schwartzberg, Jen Siomacco, Kate Spengel, Clark Tate, Ben Trudel, Nora White, Emily Williamson, Edwin Wright, Clarice Zusky

Education, outreach and community engagement efforts are essential for effective estuarine restoration and long-term resilience. The Learning Barge project exemplifies how a physical artifact can educate and engage the community, while symbolizing estuarine restoration efforts. Powered by sun and wind, the 32’x120’ Barge is designed provide public access on the water and teach about renewable energy, rainwater collection, gray water filtration utilizing native plants, and other sustainable practices. Designed and built by an interdisciplinary student team led by University of Virginia Prof. Phoebe Crisman, the Learning Barge transforms sites along the industrialized Elizabeth River in southeast Virginia. This contaminated tidal estuary poses health risks and environmental justice concerns for the mostly low-income, minority residents living nearby. This ongoing collaboration between UVA, the Elizabeth River Project, and diverse partners created an inspiring place for the community.

The Learning Barge offers popular K-12 fieldtrips and wetland and oyster restoration programs that have engaged over 53,000 participants, including 30,000 students, in five seasons of operations. Teachers, students and the public love the Learning Barge. “This is the best field trip I have ever been on and I have been teaching for thirty years!” Additional outcomes include peer-reviewed publications, national awards, and a detailed post-occupancy evaluation of energy/water systems performance and qualitative aspects. The Learning Barge exemplifies how a sustainably designed place of education can be a catalyst for action and the symbol of ongoing river restoration within a vital community.

The Learning Barge, a traveling, off-the-grid, environmental field station, exemplifies the power of design to educate, engage and symbolize community estuarine restoration. Designed and built by University of Virginia for the Elizabeth River Project, this innovative project has educated over 53,000 visitors in the Chesapeake Bay watershed since 2009.