This spring, graduate and undergraduate students from UMD's architecture program collaborated virtually with students from Al-Nahrain University in Baghdad for a joint-studio called "Bridging the Gap.” Now, in its second year, this cross-cultural, virtual classroom centers on bridging the distance and cultural gaps that exist across two continents, by exploring the commonalities, differences and challenges of each culture through site-specific projects. This year, the teams targeted marketplaces. Relying on the help from and perspectives of their cross-cultural peers, Al-Nahrain University students tackled the re-design of a "dead mall" in the Washington metro region, while UMD students created designs to rebuild the Karrada Market, which, in 2016, was the site of one of the country's deadliest bombings. Read about the studio and the students’ work in the latest issue of TERP magazine, here.