“It is an honor to submit this letter of recommendation on behalf of a program that truly embraces and embodies the spirit of collaborative practice. Over the past two years the design team has implemented a best- practice’s model for collaboration that has produced not only tangible, immediate outcomes but they have also set in place longlasting systemic collaboration between two distinct and often unconnected institutions, the university and community social services.”

“It is because of their leadership that a fragmented group of shelters helping people rebuild from poverty and drug addiction, hopelessness and despair has become a vibrant, connected campus.”

“In addition to the design team showing us the power of collaborative partnerships, their strong theoretical and practical architectural applications have shifted our paradigms and practices: we now understand how the intersection of form and function truly facilitates life change.”

“We presented a narrow request to the design team: ‘how do we make our space more functional for the supplies and the services.’ But the professors wanted to know the full vision of the organization and our role within the greater community. They voluntarily took on the greater burden of developing a master plan to transform the physical environment of the entire organization.”

“The collaboration continued past the theory and immediately into practice as students designed and built architectural elements which immediately benefited our poor and homeless clients, donors and volunteers and the staff team. Moreover, they actively recruited other university departments and faculty, businesses and art organizations to help us fulfill our mission.”

“Not only did the design team embody collaboration through their numerous design-build projects, but by engaging other diverse collaborative partners they have introduced a new social process where alliances across diverse societal sectors are the preferred method for how we now deliver services.”

“They taught us by example the power of partnership. Where everyone wins at every level: the university and the community nonprofit organization, the professors and the organization’s staff, and the students and the poor and homeless clients.”

“A hallmark of the partnership was the remarkably high level of trust and commitment to the team approach. The lessons learned from this powerful and successful collaboration are now being transferred into other partnerships."

“This is truly a model for collaborative partnerships in general and a wonderful best- practice example of the application of architecture for the betterment of the community.”

“The projects continue to inspire and facilitate life change. There is a new awareness due to this collaboration that is rippling across our community in what appears to be ever-widening circles.”

Valerie Keller
Executive Director
Acadiana Outreach Center