The Urban Studio was initially planned to enhance the pedagogy and curriculum of students in the Department of Interior Architecture through the design and construction of a home for a needy family. This project grew to include faculty and students from the Department of Social Work when the need for a psychosocial perspective was identified. The project resulted in a discovery of the potential benefits of an interdisciplinary endeavor framed by a feminist perspective. It became both a service learning opportunity and a way to make a significant impact by ameliorating a substandard housing structure in a transitional neighborhood