Community Urban Rural Enhancement Service Center (CURES)

Mission

The Community Urban Rural Enhancement Service Center (CURES) is a public interest design agency that strives to provide positive enhancement for communities in need. Through the CURES Center, faculty and students pursue active and ongoing partnerships with residential, commercial, neighborhood citizens, property owners, and local businesses that may benefit from the application of good design. By engaging in providing design solutions to community issues, faculty can provide a service to the greater good and students can better understand how their talents and skills can be applied in the real world.

The Center seeks to develop and train individuals to be visionary global leaders and experts in the field of community development that promote readiness and professionalism and prepares students for careers in architecture, design, construction science, community development, and historic preservation.

CURES is a place of learning, expression and enhancement. Students will acquire professional job experience, cultivate practical knowledge and gain valuable insight into the profession. Communities will receive professional design services that provide creative solutions to they face.

  1. Information Repository: This will be developed as a major resource for the students and faculty of the PVAMU campus and for the communities to be served. The collection of knowledge will come from work completed and work to be done by program participants.
  2. Research: The research will range from practical work applied to a specific community problem, up to the extensive study required to address regional and national concerns. As appropriate, the work will be documented and published.
  3. Service: Program personnel with special skills and knowledge will carry these resources to the community.

CURES Reconstructing Drawings for UNESCO Nepal
July 2017

CURES conducted a 3D laser scan and produced reconstruction drawings of the earthquake-damaged Pancha Deval Hindu Temple for UNESCO Nepal. The historic five temple complex is located in Kathmandu, Nepal.

View Projects

Services

We offer a wide range of services to assist the rural and urban community, such as built drawings, field measurement, drafting, design, design development, programming, 3D Laser Scanning, and assistance with historic preservation.

Who can partner with the CURES Center?

Any small or large community groups, organizations, or unit of government that can benefit from the application of good design.

What does the CURES Center provide?

Technical assistance, design services, and community engagement solutions can be provided to address social, economic, and development challenges facing communities.

How can I benefit from the CURES Center?

Communities have access to resources from Prairie View A&M University, national and local organizations, corporate partners, and government agencies to communities by working collaboratively to pursue sustainable solutions.

Digital reconstruction of an old Baylor University building in Independence, Texas

"In the course of their work, they took digital readings of what currently remains of the old Baylor Female College building in Independence, Texas. They also journeyed to The Texas Collection, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, to scan old photographs of the building to aid in the digital reconstruction. The digital file was then provided to The Texas Collection to possibly use in future interpretation of the Old Baylor Park historic site complex, in conjunction with the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. We look forward to seeing what digital reconstructions of old historic buildings Batson and his team do in the future."

Paul Fisher
Processing Archivist the Texas Collection
Baylor University

Contact Information

Staff

William J. Batson Jr.
Professor/Director, CURES (Community Urban & Rural Enhancement Service)

Phone: (936) 261-9837
Fax: (936) 261-9826
Email: wjbatson@pvamu.edu

Office: Nathelyne A. Kennedy Architecture Building; RM 250

Stephen Song
Fabrication Center, Director/ Technical Coordinator

Email: yusong@pvamu.edu
Office: Nathelyne A. Kennedy Architecture and Art, Fabrication Center Bldg; RM 105

Able Simie
Fabrication Manager/3D Laser Scanning Specialist

Email: atsimie@pvamu.edu
Office: Nathelyne A. Kennedy Architecture and Art, Fabrication Center Bldg; RM 105

Address

School of Architecture

Prairie View A&M University
School of Architecture

115 L.W. Minor Street
P.O. Box 519, Mail Stop 2100
Nathelyne Archie-Kennedy Building
Prairie View, Texas, 77446
Phone: (936) 261-9800
Fax: (936) 261-9826
architecture@pvamu.edu

Office of Undergraduate Admissions

Prairie View A&M University
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
P.O. Box 519, Mail Stop 1009
Prairie View, Texas, 77446
Phone: (936) 261-1000 (Option 3)
Fax: (936) 261-1079
admissions@pvamu.edu