IMMERSION Retreat

2016-2022 | Rhyolite, NV

In a search for a contextual history and to enable the students an opportunity to establish a larger context of place, IMMERSION was born. Immersion is about isolation. Located among the Rhyolite Ruins, in native and virtually untouched landscape, there are no data connections, no cellular use. What there is, is time: time to talk about design, to talk about the meaning of place, about how one “sees” a place how one “feels” in isolation. Time to be specific. The weekend is an opportunity for students to develop a deep understanding of the vernacular traditions of the Mojave Desert, coming to terms with the heat, dryness, and landscape, all while validating their own memories and interpretations of place. It provides students the ability to form a mutual respect with the past and the landscape.

Speakers have included: Eddie Jones (Jones Studio), Alan Hess, Jeff Roberts (SERA), Anne Mooney (Sparano + Mooney), Emily Scott, Kim Stringfellow, Eric Weber, Jason Steffen, Robert Tracy, Suzy Newburg, and Doug Bennett.