Indigo Moose is a design education firm that offers fun classes, events, and camps in New Mexico, based around hands-on, project based learning. We use design as a vehicle to explore a wide variety of subjects including science, math, art, engineering, sustainability, architecture, geometry, creative writing, history and sociology. Students often leave our studios with portfolio-quality work, develop their skills in making their ideas come to life, and further their interest in design as a potential career path. Our goal to help children, parents, and teachers become creative thinkers and problem solvers, think holistically and collaboratively, better understand their role in the natural and built environment, and help them find their ‘inner designer’.

Firm founders Rupal Engineer and Manny Juarez are both graduates of the University of New Mexico School of Architecture graduate program where they began working with students interested in architecture. Combining a passion for architecture and design with a love of teaching they resolved to devote their time and firm resources to support programs based around architecture and the design process. Evolving from within their architecture and planning firm, Design Plus, Indigo Moose was created to be the research and education programming arm of their design studio. 

Classes and Programs

TEACHER TRAINING

Each year we attend many seminars, workshops, and conferences in order to work with educators and help them incorporate design thinking into their classrooms. We show teachers hands-on, multi-disciplinary projects that engage students with project-based learning.

ALBUQUERQUE ACADEMY SUMMER SESSION

For 15 years, Indigo Moose has held design classes at Albuquerque Academy's Summer Session. Based on the studio-learning model used by professional design schools (e.g., Stanford and Pratt), Design Studio courses allow students to explore architectural design and structural concepts under the guidance and mentorship of experienced, practicing architects. As an educational model, studio-based learning emphasizes:

• Project-based learning-by-doing through hands-on activities

• Interconnectivity between architecture, math, science, social studies, and art

• Creativity, innovation, and risk-taking as students develop creative solutions to design challenges 

Contact Us

Do you have a student interested in design or architecture? Do you have a question about one of our programs? Fill out the form below to email us!

POP-UP DESIGN STUDIOS

We work with organizations around Albuquerque such as Expora and APS to provide pop-up design studios to elementary and middle school students. All of our studios have a focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Architecture, and Math) which a very effective way to bridge the gap between different abilities and skills. Recently, we have been working with Monte Vista Elementary School, providing a weekly pop-up afterschool program focused on architecture and engineering.