US Ambassador to the OECD CMR Paris
Introduction
DSN S 546 is a studio combining upper-level undergraduate and graduate students from different departments in the College of Design to collaborate on a project that involves the United States Department of State, the OECD Villa of the US Ambassador in Paris, France, and preservation experts, fostering international partnerships and advancing cultural heritage protection globally. More specifically students utilized cutting-edge technology such as LIDAR scanning, 3D photography, digital photogrammetry and other historic preservation methods to develop this web- and video-based narrative about the OECD Villa.
The studio included a study-abroad component to travel to Paris, France to measure and create 3D/2D representations of the exterior gardens/terraces, and interior public spaces of the OECD Villa.
Logistics
The course was set up like an atelier, with individual students contributing components based on their abilities and interests. The main collaborative projects in the studio are (1) a website for the Department of State, documenting the OECD Villa, (2) a rehabilitation project/new construction of diplomatic meeting spaces in the garden of the OECD Villa in Paris, and (3) a comprehensive final review with virtual reality tools based on 3D LIDAR scans as well as visual and digital analyses of all class components.
The website that we generated in the studio was selected by the State Department for public dissemination. The site includes historic research, photographs, videos, virtual tours, processed 3D LIDAR scans, collection analysis and so forth, which were derived from student research in Ames and on site in France. The final review consisted of a collaborative representation of all of the studio’s work to a group of invited jurors, including faculty and administrators from departments in the College of Design as well as Iowa State University.
During the first four weeks, prior to our field trip to Paris, France, students learned about the previous collaborations with the US State Department in 2017 through 2023), acquired fundamental knowledge about historic preservation in the built environment, the preservation of culturally significant buildings, and developed questions for an interview with Tobin Tracey, our client and primary contact at the US State Department. We’ll also addressed the ISU Office of Research Ethics Institutional Review Board (IRB) training and completion which was required for us to interview staff on site in France.
Collaboration
Iowa State University
DSN S 546 Historic Preservation France: International Perspectives and Design Issues is an interdisciplinary studio in the College of Design at Iowa State University. The class integrates upper-level undergraduate and graduate students for the purpose of fostering international partnerships and advancing cultural heritage protection globally. The 2024 studio collaborates with the United States Department of State, the OECD Ambassador’s Villa in Paris, France, and national and international preservation experts to research and analyze the official residence of the OECD Ambassador of the United States. The class integrates cutting-edge technologies (digital photogrammetry, LIDAR scanning, and 360-degree photography and video) with conventional historic preservation methodologies to generate website prototypes and video-based narratives for public dissemination by the Department of State.
US Department of State
The Department of State’s mission is to shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world and to foster conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere. This mission is consistent with Iowa State University’s goal of developing good citizens and fostering effective global leaders, who seek collaborative means to enhance the lives of all people. The College of Design supports this objective through preservation and cultural heritage studies.
Diplomacy and Cultural Preservation
The Significance of Ambassador Residences [Video]
