EUGENE,
Ore. -- (Aug. 6, 2009) - Architectural design, technology, and an interest in
helping others are bringing students from the University of Oregon together
with artisans in a city in southeastern Mali.

Peace
Corps volunteers, Karmen Unterwegner and Maridee BonaDea, reached across the
continents to bring architectural design assistance to an artisan center in
Koutiala, Mali. Unterwegner received her bachelor's degree in architecture in
2008 and posed a design opportunity on email to her former instructors in
Eugene. When the department received
word of this opportunity, Naoto Sekiguchi, adjunct instructor, seized the idea
for his summer course. He contacted
BonaDea to start up this cultural exchange project.

Sekiguchi
and 12 students are developing design concepts for a new facility for the Union
of Associations of Artisans of Koutiala (UAAK).
Koutiala, population of 110,000, has the largest cotton mill in Mali and
cotton is the country's biggest export. The
intended uses of this center are to support a diverse group of craftspeople to
make and sell their work, to have a meeting place for business development
trainings, and to provide a daycare center.
Craftspeople who are members of the union include tailors, Bogolan mud cloth
makers, weavers, metal smiths and members of the building trades. The class will
present final designs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 12, in room 279
Lawrence Hall, 1190 Franklin Blvd.

The
students have used the Internet to post their ideas, models, designs and sketches. They have also added profiles and photos or
sketches of themselves, as well as background research on the art and craft of
Mali. They conducted studies on available
building materials, climate and other details pertinent to building design. The
studio website is http://uoarchkoutiala.com.

Recently,
the students conducted a Skype conference with BonaDea and others involved with
UAAK. Subsequently, the presidents of
the different artisans' associations began discussions about the possibilities
for the building.

"The designs have stimulated the artisans of
Koutiala to dream of possibilities," said BonaDea. "This project brings that
dream a bit closer."

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