Millbrook Welcomes Alumnus August Lehrecke '10 to Facilitate Intersession Course
Millbrook welcomed August Lehrecke ’10 to campus to facilitate our Pnuehaus Intersession course, as well as to address students about entrepreneurship, his post-Millbrook journey, and the arts.
After Millbrook, Lehrecke, or as we know him, “Augie,” went on to study at the Rhode Island School of Design. Upon graduation, he co-founded Pneuhaus, which is a design collective working within the field of spatial design, temporary structures, and contemporary art. With Pneuhaus, Augies's focus is designing objects and spaces that require an active participation from their audience.
In his Intersession course, students worked together to design and construct an interactive artwork made of mylar. Students used specialized computer programs, mathematics, and teamwork to plan for and create a massive mylar creation. Augie worked with the students to make strategic choices about every aspect of the “dome,” with everything from the shape to the mylar material being well thought out.
“We decided to stick to a basic shape for the time we had allotted in the course, the dome. Going from 2D to 3D is the basis of making almost any inflatable, so the dome was a perfect place to start. It is also form that works well for many different uses, stays cool regardless of weather conditions, and blends into almost any environment while also reflecting the colors of the things around it,” says Augie about deciding on what shape to create and what materials to use.
With tape and scissors they constructed an inflatable dome with a door for entering, as well as two complimentary inflatable pieces. Students and faculty alike both enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with a young alumni.
“It was really a special experience to work with Augie, and to see him bringing his passion for making inflatable structures to our current students,” says Academic Dean and General Counsel, Jeff Smith. “From the kids’ perspective, working with Augie is like working with their own not-too-distant-future selves. A lot of their questions were about how he charted his path from Millbrook to Pneuhaus, and working with Augie let them see how a young person can use his school experiences to forge a path in early adult life.”
Alex Stafford ’16 also enjoyed working with Augie, “This experience gave me a sense of the characteristics of people that Millbrook puts forth into the professional world,” she says. “Augie was smart, well spoken, and quick to think on his feet. The fact that he took time out of his own schedule to come work with current Millbrook students really speaks to the impact that this school has on people.”
This form of art was new to everyone participating in the course, including the faculty. The group trusted in Augies’s vision throughout the weeklong process of designing, creating, and securing the structure for inflation.
“I think that the idea of Intersession is to allow students to step out of their comfort zones,” says Alex. “The end product was definitely worth it, because what is cool about this piece is that it can be used in the future by students. The possibilities are stretched as far as the imagination allows!”
The final piece was magnificent, and the Millbrook community enjoyed both admiring the outside and touring the inside of the creation, which was inflated by students on the amphitheater on the final day of Intersession. Not only was it appealing to look at and exciting to explore, but it was physical reminder of the power of teamwork.
“The power of collaboration is incredible! In two days, a group of students were able to build something that would have taken my team two weeks to accomplish. Many hands make light work,” says Augie.
Thank you, Augie, for sharing your time and creativity!
Thank you, Augie, for sharing your time and creativity!
Photographs from Interesession, including those from the Pneuhaus course, can be found in our photo gallery.
