Published Friday, April 23, 2010 12:05 AM

Model citizens

By MAGGIE KIELY
maggie.kiely@theeagle.com

If 10-year-old Benjamin Weber could build his own neighborhood, it would include a football stadium, a basketball court and a baseball field.

Benjamin designed such a community with several other boys in his fourth-grade class at Brazos Christian School.

The boys' community also included a city hall, a high school, a gym --which was about twice as big as the high school -- some residential homes and a nursery.

"We just wanted to do fun stuff," Benjamin said. "And a city hall's important."

On Thursday at the Bryan school, groups of fourth-graders presented 3-D models of communities they designed. The project was the conclusion of a six-week Architecture in Schools program taught by local volunteers with the American Institute of Architects Brazos Valley.

The purpose of the project was to let students explore everything that goes into creating a community. The idea was for them to understand it takes a lot of components -- roads and infrastructure, schools and hospitals, homes and parks -- to build a complete community.

Eric Geppelt, an architect and a program volunteer, said by building their own communities, students were able to gain a better perspective on their own surroundings.

"It helps them understand their environment," he said. "I think their models really reflect the communities they live in."

Anna Olsta, 10, said her group felt it was important to have a community that cared about animals, so it made sure to include a dog park, an animal hospital and a pet shop in its neighborhood.

"We thought we should have a place to buy leashes and stuff," she said.

But the favorite part of her neighborhood was the church, which she said her friend designed and colored in bold colors like purple and blue.

"She put a lot of work into it," she said. "It makes the road look pretty."

Teacher Janet Brown said the project allowed for students to be creative and was a good opportunity for group work and idea sharing.

"It was good for them to see a community and what makes up a community," she said. "I thought some of them were amazing."

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