by Rebecca Walker — August 13, 2010—Great Southern Wood, makers of YellaWood brand treated lumber, is sponsoring a 60-minute documentary called “Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio,” on the late architect Samuel “Sambo” Mockbee and his educational design/build program to create architecture that elevates the living standards of the rural poor and also provides “shelter for the soul” in Hale County, Ala.
It will be broadcast on PBS August 23, 2010 from 9-10 p.m. CDT.
The film depicts the creativity, passion and dedication of Mockbee and his program, affiliated with Auburn University, known as the Rural Studio, and explores his effort to instill knowledge and passion into future architects.
Students build their designs with minimal funding and discarded materials such as old tires, carpet scraps, license plates and car windshields. Through the years and to this day, they also use donated building materials from Great Southern Wood, makers of YellaWood brand pressure treated lumber and the principal underwriter of the documentary.
For more information about Great Southern Wood, see the Web site. For more on the documentary, see the Web site.
