The late Samuel Mockbee taught his Auburn University architecture students the social responsibilities of their chosen profession. But he didn’t just do it in the classroom or through lectures in history or theory. Mockbee’s tremendous legacy as a teacher is firmly rooted in Hale County, Ala., where the Rural Studio—an initiative founded by Mockbee a decade ago as a practicum for his pupils—has built inventive, relatively low-cost structures made of salvaged, recycled, and donated materials. From a home insulated by 80-pound hay bales to a community center sheltered by 80 Chevy Caprice windshields, the Rural Studio has constructed practical—and beautiful—fabrications tailored to the specific needs of a family or community. In their book Rural Studio, writer Andrea Oppenheimer Dean and photographer Timothy Hursley detail the work of Mockbee, his students, and others who have aided in this remarkable endeavor. Dean speaks at 7 p.m. at Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. (202) 364-1919. (Jennifer Agresta)