SPIKE Studio: Igniting Creativity and Diversity in the Built Environment

🍂 October Catalyst Program Alert! 🍂

Join us Saturday, October 25th for our next SPIKE Studio Catalyst Program with HGOR Planners & Landscape Architects, where students will explore the world of landscape architecture at Shirley Clarke Franklin Park! 🌳

This free, hands-on session introduces middle and high school students to design thinking, creativity, and real-world problem-solving through the lens of shaping outdoor spaces that connect people and place.

📍 Shirley Clarke Franklin Park
🗓️ Saturday, October 25th | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eYavv7T6

🎉 Exciting news! Join us on October 28, 2025, from 5–7 PM at Goode Van Slyke Architecture for our annual SPIKE Studio Spotlight.

We’ll be:
✨ Celebrating our outstanding SPIKE Studio Champions, Kofi Smith and Mario Moore
✨ Highlighting incredible student achievements from the 2025 Summer Academy
✨ Sharing a sneak peek of the exciting projects we have planned for 2026

Can’t wait to connect with our community, honor our champions, and look ahead to another amazing year of creativity and impact!

RSVP HERE! https://lnkd.in/eESPShbs

✨ Sponsor Spotlight! ✨

We couldn’t do what we do without the incredible support of our sponsors! Their generosity helps us mentor, educate, and inspire the next generation of architects, engineers, and construction professionals. 🏗️🎨📐

A huge THANK YOU to SMPS Atlanta for championing diversity in the AEC industry and investing in the future of our youth. Because of you, our students get hands-on workshops, career exploration opportunities, and the confidence to dream bigger. 🌟

💛 Join us in showing them some love in the comments!

"What happens when future architects step inside one of Atlanta’s most advanced film production campuses?” They see how design shapes storytelling. 🎬🏗️

Last week, SPIKE Studio students toured the state-of-the-art Assembly Atlanta, exploring how architecture, planning, and construction bring a creative industry to life. From expansive soundstages to thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces, they witnessed how the built environment fuels the magic behind the camera.

A huge thank-you to Monique Shaw with IM MEDIA PRODUCTIONS, LLC and Mayra Garcia for sharing behind-the-scenes operations and career pathways, and to Brian Whitfield of Smith Dalia Architects for unpacking the architectural vision by HGOR Planners & Landscape Architects.

You are invited to attend SPIKE Studio's 2025 Summer Academy student presentations and graduation ceremonies at Georgia Tech's College of Design!

Academy B: Friday, June 13th

Arch West 2nd Floor & Arch East Hallway
245 Fourth St., Atlanta, GA 30332

Student Presentations | 1:15 - 4:00 PM (Arch West Atrium)
Reception & Graduation Program | 4:00 - 6:00 PM

Visitors may pay via ParkMobile app to park:
Area 2 (355 Ferst Drive): 7 min walk to 245 Fourth St. (0.5 mi)
Area 4 (State Street & Ferst Drive): 8 min walk to 245 Fourth Street (0.5 mil)

You are invited to attend SPIKE Studio's 2025 Summer Academy student presentations dn graduation ceremonies at Georgia Tech's College of Design!

Academy A: Friday, June 6th | Academy B: Friday, June 13th

Georgia Tech
College of Design – School of Architecture
East Architecture Building
245 Fourth St., Atlanta, GA 30332

Student Presentations | 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Pre-program Refreshments | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Graduation Awards Program | 5:00 - 6:30 PM

Visitors may pay via ParkMobile app to park:
Area 2 (355 Ferst Drive): 7 min walk to 245 Fourth St. (0.5 mi)
Area 4 (State Street & Ferst Drive): 8 min walk to 245 Fourth Street (0.5 mil)

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Goode Van Slyke Architecture on May 8 for a memorable evening of connection and shared purpose. We were proud to introduce Melody L. Harclerode FAIA, MBA, LEED AP, as SPIKE Studio’s first-ever Executive Director and to unveil the upcoming Summer Academy project, centered on the redevelopment of the Atlanta Civic Center.

We’re deeply grateful to the sponsors and donors who have already committed to this year’s efforts. Your investment goes beyond funding — it’s a vote of confidence in the next generation of urban thinkers, makers, and changemakers.

If you're interested in helping build the future,
become a SPIKE Studio sponsor or individual donor today...click below!

https://www.paypal.com/US/fundraiser/charity/1446595

The countdown is on — 25 days until SPIKE Studio's Summer Academy kicks off!

We’re getting ready to welcome the next generation of creative thinkers as they explore architecture, design, engineering, and construction through hands-on projects — including reimagining the Atlanta Civic Center!

Interested? Register at the link below!

https://lnkd.in/e5G7kvM4

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We hope you can join SPIKE Studio for a great evening of networking. You'll meet our Executive Director, Melody Harclerode, and learn more about this year's Summer Academy!

Click below to RSVP! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SYyMESTV6DCvR_HWmdeoRsQB5n-0c-ojQLL8W1r45Ko/edit

SPIKE Studio is full STEAM ahead with our 2025 Summer Academy!

We’re excited to share that our program is expanding to offer two one-week academies, giving even more opportunities for hands-on, project-based learning in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

This year’s immersive experience focuses on the transformative redevelopment of the Atlanta Civic Center, a historic site at the heart of our city’s cultural landscape. Through this real-world project, students will explore how innovation and community intersect—building skills in design thinking, storytelling, collaboration, and leadership.

SPIKE Studio is excited to announce that Melody Harclerode, FAIA, LEED AP, MBA, will join the SPIKE Studio board as its first-ever executive director. Melody brings nonprofit leadership experience at Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Sandy Springs Conservancy, and Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area to the position. She previously served as a board member at SPIKE Studio.

“I'm excited to work with SPIKE Studio to ensure this amazing organization's financial, educational, and organizational success and growth,” says Harclerode. “I look forward to collaborating with the current board of directors, whose dedication and leadership have laid a strong foundation for the future. Together, we’ll build on that momentum to further our mission and expand our impact in meaningful ways.”

With decades of experience in the AEC industry, Harclerode is an accomplished executive director and architect. In 2018, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) elevated Melody as a Fellow for the local and national impact of her design education initiatives, advocacy, and writings. She continues advising the AIA National K-12 design education committee she established.