Case Study: University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design achieves studio-like remote furniture design instruction with Bluescape

The Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design uses Bluescape to Teach Furniture design at a Distance

The University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman turned to Bluescape’s virtual workspace to recreate a studio environment for its Furniture Design As A Strategic Process course when in-person classes were no longer possible. Faced with the challenge of sharing sketches, 3D models, photos and annotations asynchronously without endless file searching, the school needed a platform that supported non-linear collaboration, persistent records, and easy review of prior work—capabilities Bluescape provided.

Bluescape implemented an infinite, grid-style canvas where instructors can lead or take over student screens, students can work in parallel, and all artifacts are annotated and saved as a living document. The results included concrete student outcomes—two students developed a furniture-brand business model and website, and a team reimagined public-transit seating to increase seating options—along with higher peer engagement, faster parallel workflows, and easier review and archiving. Bluescape’s platform preserved studio-like interaction for distance teaching and is being considered for broader adoption at the school.

University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman

Mike Avery

Co-Instructor