Architecture School
http://www.sundancechannel.com/architecture-school/
To call Architecture School a cross between Project Runway and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is somewhat of a disservice, but at first glance that’s what it may sound like: aspiring architects compete to design and then build an a house for a New Orleans family. Rather than the one-offs and conceptual designs that emerge from Runway, Architecture School ends with a finished product destined for real-life use; instead of the sprawling and truly extreme houses on Makeover, the house must be affordable, efficient, and sustainable. And unlike most scripted “reality” shows, the series is actually a fly-on-the-wall documentary of the pre-existing URBANBUILD program at Tulane University, which has already partnered with senior architecture students to design and build two affordable houses in New Orleans. Archinect has a behind-the-scenes interview of the producers that really shows the thoughtfulness behind the project, which premiered last Wednesday on the Sundance channel (you can also catch it on Hulu and iTunes).