Research & Design Showcase: Public-Interest Design for Resiliency

The College of Architecture, Art, and Design is home to three public-interest design centers: Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center, Gulf Coast Community Design Studio (GCCDS), and Jackson Community Design Center. These centers provide research, visioning, planning, and technical assistance to understand and address issues facing communities nationwide, particularly those in Mississippi. This exhibition as part of the MSU’s Research Week will showcase our three research centers' positive impact across Mississippi and many of the products and toolkits they have developed and refined over multiple decades of public-interest design and advocacy. 

 Fred Carl Jr. Carl Small Town Center

Founded in 1979, the Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center at Mississippi State University advocates meaningful design for small towns. The center provides planning and design services to communities and conducts research that seeks solutions to problems faced by communities across the nation.

 Community Design Studio

The Gulf Coast Community Design Studio (GCCDS) is a professional service and outreach program established in Biloxi, Mississippi, in response to Hurricane Katrina. The studio, now located in Gulfport, Mississippi, provides architectural design services, landscape and planning assistance, educational opportunities, and research to organizations and communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. 

 Jackson Community Design Center

Located in the School of Architecture's fifth-year Jackson Center, the Jackson Community Design Center's mission is to support urban revitalization in Jackson. The Design Center adapts to the needs of the city, and it provides research, visioning, planning, and technical assistance to associations working to make a viable, healthy urban environment. It conducts public educational programs and sponsors visiting lectures and other Continuing Education Programs.