Building Bridges
- Editor
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
How scholaris and ALine Architecture Spark Creativity Through STEM
When community partners come together with a shared vision, amazing things can happen. The recent collaboration between scholaris LLC, a STEM-based after-school program, and ALine Architecture LLC, a local Architecture & Design practice, located in Fairfax County, VA, is a great example of how businesses can combine expertise to create meaningful opportunities for children. At its heart, this collaboration is about more than teaching—it’s about building connections. Connections between disciplines, between ideas, and most importantly, between young learners and the community around them.
Arts, Crafts, and the Science of Making
Through hands-on classes, scholaris and ALine Architecture invite students to explore art, science, and design as interconnected worlds. Children aren’t just crafting—they’re learning about the principles that shape our built environment. Lessons are woven with storytelling, giving participants a chance to imagine and share their own narratives about what they build.
The “Bridging the Gap” class is a perfect example. Students explored different kinds of bridges, from suspension to arch to beam structures, while experimenting with recycled materials like, paper, cardboard and wood. Along the way, they practice hand skills, problem-solving, and collaboration—skills as valuable in life as they are in engineering.
The Art of Building and Thinking by Hand
Architecture isn’t only about blueprints and buildings; it’s about cultivating curiosity and creativity. By encouraging “hand thinking”—the practice of learning through making—students gain confidence in their ability to bring ideas to life. These classes show that the act of building, whether a bridge or a simple craft, teaches patience, precision, and imagination.
A Community-Centered Collaboration
What makes this collaboration successful is the focus on community enrichment. Scholaris provides a nurturing environment for students to explore STEM, while ALine Architecture brings professional insights into design, construction, and the art of building. Together, they offer children a way to see the world differently—to recognize that every structure around them tells a story of science, creativity, and human effort.
As scholaris and ALine Architecture continue their collaboration, the vision is clear: to inspire the next generation of thinkers, makers, and dreamers. By bridging the gap between art and science, between learning and doing, they’re showing that education can be both joyful and transformative.
After all, building bridges isn’t just about structures—it’s about connecting people, ideas, and possibilities.
ALine Architecture is a full-service Architecture and Interior Design studio based in Alexandria, Fairfax County, VA. Beyond our core design practice, we also enrich the community by creating and sharing engaging, artful projects that inspire and delight.
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