David Pastre
Principal Lecturer and Director, Clemson Design Center, Coordinator of the Architecture+communityBUILD Certificate
Contact
Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture
Office: 701 East Bay St., Suite 202, Charleston SC, 29403
Phone: 843-696-3343
Website: http://clemsoncommunitybuild.com
Email: pastre@clemson.edu
Education
M.Arch., Clemson University; B.A. in Architecture, Miami University
David Pastre is Principal Lecturer in the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture, Director of the Clemson Design Center in Charleston, and Coordinator of the Architecture+communityBUILD (A+cB) Certificate Program. Since joining Clemson University in 2005, he has dedicated his teaching and scholarship to immersive, community-engaged design-build education, connecting architectural design with craftsmanship, construction, and public service. Pastre leads Clemson's Architecture+communityBUILD program, an award-winning certificate that partners students with nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and community groups to design and construct projects that address real community needs. Through this work, students gain firsthand experience in collaborative design, project management, client engagement, fabrication, and construction while making meaningful contributions throughout South Carolina and beyond. As Director of the Clemson Design Center in Charleston, Pastre provides leadership for one of the University's most significant off-campus academic centers, supporting interdisciplinary collaboration among architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, planning, construction, and community partners. He also plays an integral role in Clemson's nationally recognized Fluid Campus, helping connect Charleston-based experiential learning with the School of Architecture's broader educational mission. Before joining Clemson, Pastre spent more than a decade working as a designer, craftsman, and builder specializing in custom architectural woodworking, furniture, and architectural detailing. This professional experience continues to shape his teaching philosophy, emphasizing the importance of material understanding, making, and the relationship between design intent and construction. His interests include design-build pedagogy, community engagement, experiential learning, digital fabrication, traditional craft, and the integration of architecture and construction. He believes that architecture is best learned through the process of making and that meaningful community partnerships provide students with transformative educational experiences while creating lasting public value. Pastre earned a Master of Architecture from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Miami University.
