GCCDS News
Welcome Laura and Mai!
GCCDS welcomed two new employees in February. Joining us are intern architect Laura Shagalov and planner Mai Dang. Laura comes to us from Minneapolis, MN, where she researched and evaluated home energy consumption. Prior to her work in the Midwest, … Continue reading
Welcome Sarah and Adrine!
The GCCDS has hired two new employees! Sarah Grider, our most recent Public Design Intern, started with us at the beginning of January. She recently graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Architecture. As a student, Sarah worked … Continue reading
Congrats to Sam and Ceara!
We are excited to announce that Sam Carlsen, former GCCDS staff, and Ceara O’Leary, former Public Design Intern, have been selected for the 2011 Rose Fellowship! The Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship is a national fellowship program that places young architects … Continue reading
What would equity look like?
Income disparity has become a prominent part of today’s social and political landscape. The gap between the highest incomes and the average income per person has been increasing from its historic low point in the 60’s, until recently passing the … Continue reading
It’s time for us to elaborate on “public design.”
We use the term “public design” as an inclusive label that points to the past as well as the future. It aims to respect and sustain the heroic work of socially progressive designers of the past, and at the same … Continue reading
GCCDS goes to Brownsville!
This week, Mike Grote traveled to Brownsville, Texas to present at the University of Texas, Brownsville. Mike gave a morning presentation to students enrolled in the University’s Architecture Associate’s degree program, entitled, “Public Design Education: Work of the Students and … Continue reading
About Us
The Gulf Coast Community Design Studio (GCCDS) is a professional service and outreach program of Mississippi State University’s College of Architecture, Art + Design. The GCCDS was established in Biloxi, Mississippi in response to Hurricane Katrina to provide architectural design services, landscape and planning assistance, educational opportunities and research to organizations and communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The GCCDS works through close, pragmatic partnerships with local organizations and communities. In Biloxi, the GCCDS shares work space with a key local partner, the Hope Community Development Agency – a relationship that brings the office into direct and continuous contact with the community’s needs and resources. The GCCDS works with non-profit organizations, local governments, universities, developers and other partners in all three of Mississippi’s coastal counties, putting professional expertise to work in order to shape vibrant and resilient Gulf Coast communities.
Our Mission
To provide professional assistance that increases the capacity of local communities and organizations to address issues of housing, public space, and neighborhood development.
To provide leadership that advances the local, regional, and national dialogue on issues of design, affordable housing, coastal resiliency, and sustainable development.
To expand design education by providing opportunities for students and interns to explore community-based design, design-build, and sustainability.