Rural Renaissance Roadshow Coming to Opelika, AL November 10-12 Andrew Freear, head of Auburn University’s Rural Studio, to deliver Opening Keynote on Design for Resilience

The 2025 Rural Renaissance Roadshow is coming to Opelika, Alabama, November 10-12, bringing together more than 200 local leaders from across the nation focused on rural resilience in energy, food, water, and healthy housing systems. Andrew Freear, Director of Auburn University’s acclaimed Rural Studio, will kick off the conference with an opening keynote address on resilience by design – the theme of this year’s Roadshow.

Based in Alabama’s Black Belt as a part of Auburn University’s Schools of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture, Rural Studio has completed more than 220 community-centered projects and educated over 1,200 students. Its mission educating citizen architects combines hands-on student learning with research on sustainable and healthy rural living through projects focused on housing and infrastructure. “I’m honored to be part of this year’s Roadshow and to help highlight the creative, grounded work being done across rural America,” Freear said. “Research-based design is a powerful force for resilience in all ways—from residents’ health and stability to overall community well-being—especially when it grows from the people and places it’s meant to serve.”

“Rural towns and counties deliver the food, energy, water, and other resources America has needed to grow, but the contributions of rural people and communities to our nation’s success have been undervalued for generations,” added Michelle Moore, CEO of Groundswell. “The Rural Studio is a powerful demonstration of a different way to work by serving our neighbors through whatever we do.”

Auburn University’s Rural Studio will also lead a special field trip for Roadshow attendees, offering a firsthand look at both completed and in-progress projects. Highlights will include a new community library, an innovative wastewater treatment system, and housing research projects designed to enhance resilience to extreme weather and to support residents aging in place. Attendees will hear directly from the architects, researchers, and community partners bringing this transformative work to life. 

RURAL STUDIO TOURS DURING THE RURAL RENAISSANCE ROADSHOW

Tours of The Rural Studio locations will offer a tangible exploration of the Roadshow’s four thematic tracks: Energy Systems, Food Systems, Water Systems, and Healthy Housing. Each site visit will demonstrate how thoughtful, community-led design can strengthen resilience and improve quality of life in rural areas:

Energy Systems – Attendees will see how Rural Studio integrates both passive and active energy strategies into its designs, including a solar power array at the Rural Studio Farm and the use of earth tubes and solar chimneys in the Storehouse. These features reduce reliance on external energy sources and demonstrate how rural buildings can be designed to remain comfortable and functional while minimizing energy costs.

Food Systems – The Rural Studio Farm supports hands-on student learning and research into sustainable small-scale agriculture. Through food production on a farm designed for efficiency and resilience , the Farm helps meet their food needs while modeling how rural communities can increase food security through regenerative practices.

Water Systems – Roadshow attendees will learn about an alternative wastewater treatment system developed for Newbern, a solution to the lack of public sewer access in many rural communities. In addition, Rural Studio has experimented with water conservation strategies such as rainwater harvesting and irrigation systems at the Farm to illustrate how rural areas can manage water more sustainably and protect vital natural resources.

Housing & Health –Rural Studio’s research has long supported the design of  high-quality, efficient homes that are affordable for individuals with limited resources. These homes support aging in place, climate resilience, and financial well-being. 

Rural Renaissance Roadshow | ruralrenaissance.com

Groundswell | https://groundswell.org/