teaching
wall mock ups
Alex TimmerVarious Students
Milwaukee, WI
2024
Across the various classes I teach, I’ve found that working with students through full‑scale mockups is one of the most effective ways to introduce construction concepts. These immersive, hands‑on projects allow students to grapple with real materials, real dimensions, and real constraints—experiences that simply can’t be replicated through drawings or digital models alone. Many of these mockups are made possible through partnerships with manufacturers or through grant‑funded initiatives, which not only provide material support but also connect students to current industry practices and technologies.
This approach fosters a form of embodied learning, where students internalize construction principles by physically engaging with them. The resulting artifacts—whether wall sections, assemblies, or full spatial prototypes—become valuable teaching tools in their own right. We display them, revisit them in later lessons, and use them as reference points for discussions about detailing, sequencing, sustainability, and craft. In this way, each mockup serves both as a learning experience and as a lasting pedagogical asset that enriches the curriculum over time.