Care in Place at Fowler
Year: 2026
Care in Place at Fowler has launched a Winter–Spring series of student-driven research and design workshops reimagining the university museum as a place for conversation, relaxation, and creative learning. Led by cityLAB-UCLA and the Semel HCI BEWell Pod in close partnership with the Fowler Museum, the initiative aims to move beyond passive gallery encounters and costly, formulaic programs toward sustainable, low-cost, socially engaged pilots that activate central campus spaces.
The Winter series focuses on alignment and research: ongoing conversations between students and Fowler staff to set shared goals, co-design a campuswide survey about how and why students use museum spaces, and reach diverse groups so multiple voices inform the work. Insights will guide Spring pop-up tests, user feedback rounds, before/after checks, and decision-legible briefs for next steps.
Winter 2026, Workshop #1
Wed, Jan 21, 12:30-1:30 PM
At the kickoff session on January 21, cityLAB-Coalition students and Fowler student workers co-imagined a museum experience centered on comfort, short stays between classes, and multiuse with stronger ties to coursework and student work. Participants brainstormed pilot ideas by place: study-friendly seating and occasional evening moments for the Davis Courtyard; clear orientation and “how to use this space” cues at the entry; and small creative-education and reflection zones within gallery areas. The group also identified near-term opportunities for improvement: enhancing entrance visibility, clarifying policies, better aligning hours with class rhythms, adding outdoor seating, and streamlining communications in everyday settings. We’re grateful to Fowler’s team for their partnership; staff will join the next session to co-develop the survey format, themes, questions, and expected outcomes that align with student needs and institutional realities.
Credit
Dr. Yang Yang, Dr. Amy Landau, Anessa Williamson, Anna Shoemaker, Caroline Abel, Dalton Owen, Griffin Kinch, Isabel Rubin-Saika, Pearl Chou, Sihui Lin
Partner
See also
Fall 2025, Fowler Tour
Wed, November 19, 12:30-1:30 PM
On November 19, cityLAB-Coalition students joined a guided walkthrough of the Fowler Museum led by Dr. Amy Landau, Director of Education and Interpretation, to learn about the museum’s spaces, resources, and student-facing opportunities. Our volunteer cohort of MArch and undergraduate architecture students supports a series of campus engagement activations organized by Semel HCI's BEWell Pod under this year's theme, Care in Place.
This visit kicked off ongoing conversations about moving beyond "what ifs" to co-plan an activation day later this academic year, exploring creative ways to open up museum spaces as places for students to rest, engage, and learn between scheduled public programs.
