Over the last five decades, BVH Architecture has had a significant impact on our built environment, amassing an award-winning portfolio of design for commercial clients and the religious market, higher education, and public and private school districts. One of those projects – the renovation of Wilson Middle School in Council Bluffs – served as inspiration for the firm’s Careerockit experience this year.
On Wednesday, Feb. 13., BVH welcomed more than a dozen students from the Boys and Girls Club of Carter Lake, a majority of whom attend Wilson.
“We brought the kids in, gave them a tour of our studio and let them know a little bit about us. Then, we set them up with our VR system so they could experience walking through buildings that are still being designed. We also had renders of their school, along with the Kirn and Madison Campuses, so we could explain to them the ideas behind the design and let them learn a little bit about the buildings they will be inhabiting,” says Jessica Spitsen, BVH’s marketing communication manager. The students closed out their full day with pizza and a Lego activity.
“We really wanted the students to walk away with a new understanding of architecture and all the thought and time that goes into creating the spaces people inhabit,” Jessica says. “We also hope this will help them get excited about the new spaces they’ll get to learn in.”
BVH first got involved with Careerockit last year. For its inaugural career experience, BVH architect Bruce Yoder returned to his alma mater, Omaha South High School, where he visited his former drafting teacher’s class and led the students through different architectural exercises.
Jessica says there are a couple of key reasons why Careerockit resonates with BVH: “We are big supporters of the Chamber’s commitment and desire to encourage students to find jobs locally once they graduate, helping to continue to grow the local workforce. Teaching them about the different fields and companies available in the Omaha Metro is a big part of that.
“The other reason is that we, as a company, love and value education. We’ve worked on dozens of K12 campuses and have had the privilege of bringing 21st century learning into their schools. Opportunities like this give us the chance to be hands-on with students, letting us talk to them and share the design and architectural process.”
