Pewaukee High School’s unique shoebox design course | Waukesha Co. News

PEWAUKEE — A brand new course at Pewaukee High School gives students the opportunity to build miniature rooms using nothing more than shoeboxes, creativity and the school’s Maker Space.

“I was just really trying to look to find a way to utilize their Maker Space and challenge students,” said Alyssa Simono, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher and Serving Others Insight instructor.

Interior design students had to explain the whole planning process, which involved research, budgeting and reflection.

“They were asked to create a room, transform a shoebox into a personal interior design model so it combines, like, research, creativity and personal reflection. They also had to create an analysis, inspiration boards, budget invoice and then two-scale drawings as well,” she said.

Simono added that many students made their own items to go into the miniature rooms such as furniture utilizing wood. The school’s 3-D printers, the laser engraver and different materials in Maker Space were also used.

Designing the future

Students designed bedrooms, living rooms and even a miniature gym.

Kelly Koike, a senior, focused on her future living space.

“I was thinking ahead to college dorms and future remodels of independence and growing up and kind of more maturing my spaces. So, I designed just a bedroom for myself. Based off components that are already kind of in my current room. It was just like a fun little idea to get my future redesign vision out physically,” she said.

Freshman Julia Galow chose a different theme. “I made a bedroom that was inspired by a farmhouse and French décor, and I just wanted it to be like, what I wanted my future room to look like, or maybe I could remodel my room,” Galow said.

Senior Olivia Lehnen created a detailed coastal-themed living room. “My theme was more like a coastal with a mix of old money. So, I was able to be really creative with this project and utilize our Maker Space. I was able to use the laser engraver paint and then also create tables out of toothpicks and design couches in the whole room.”

Not every student chose a traditional living space.

Senior Nehemiah Brinkman said, “I went with a more unique idea. I did a gym because I’m very big on the gym. Okay, it’s one of my favorite things to do.”

The project took students three to four weeks from start to finish to complete, according to Simono.

Students said challenges included learning the tools and figuring out scale.

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“One challenge is just getting used to using the materials,” said Lehnen. She added it was “really rewarding to see all the amazing designs that our entire class created.”

Koike said timing was her biggest hurdle: “I actually had to just take mine home, just for time-wise. So, utilizing a lot of my at-home materials was a big challenge of mine … it was just kind of rewarding to see, like, how creative you can actually be when you’re kind of put under pressure,” she said.

For Galow, proportion and scale were the hardest parts.

“Some of the challenges of it were figuring out how to make the size right and proportionate to what it should be.”

Brinkman related to his classmate’s challenge.

“Some of the problems and stuff I went into was trying to find the proper sizing for everything to make it look right,” Brinkman said.

Simono said students relied on “trial and error,” especially with printed pieces. “Some of the times we printed and they ended up miniature by mistake,” she said. “It was a good learning process for everyone to kind of think about scale and proportion.”

The early success of the project has encouraged Simono to expand the course.

“Our next project will be where they take kind of four shoebox-size rooms and build them individually, but within a house with a group, so they’re more cohesive, as well,” she said.

Simono hopes the hands-on experience gives students more than just design skills.

“I really try to focus in family consumer sciences, in those real and authentic learning opportunities … I think it’s so important to just be able to express yourself creatively.”

The school’s facilities are expanding with a new Family and Consumer Sciences Lab and new Maker Space.

Simono is looking forward to being able to offer additional resources to students with the new renovation.

Pewaukee High School Interior Design students made spaces with a shoebox, Maker Space and creativity. Senior Kelly Koike focused on her future living space. She thought about future college dorms, independence and growing up.