Monthly Archives: March 2013

looking for something?

Posted on by

pidpagebanner22

The first Public Interest Design week happened in Minneapolis last week. As one attendee put it, “I found my people.” If you are new to community led architecture, this post is for you. These conferences allow an open format for discourse about architecture, development, design, and the way we work to progress.

The field can sometimes be frustrating because it is difficult to know what is happening in the field and how to take part when so much of the work is through grassroots efforts. The program for last weeks conference documents many opportunities in the field – educational, fellowships, jobs, papers, etc. Most of this is at the end of the document below, so go apply for something new and exciting.

truss mock-up

Posted on by

photo

While I make new friends in Mississippi, Richard is back in Tanzania with our well established crew. We have been working with our contractor, translator and carpenter since 2010. Thank you Dan, Julius (featured image), and Sakai (safety vest)!

Because of our hardworking team, a mock-up of this large, technical truss was completed in one day. Read more about this project here.

8 days a week

Posted on by

2013_OOR_Minimum_Wage_Map

American Public Media’s Marketplace segment yesterday, High Rents, Low Income, included a succinct segment describing the gap between what is an acceptable hourly wage in the US compared to monthly rent rates. The two don’t match up, and something has to give. The options individuals and families are left with include skimping on essentials like health insurance and healthy food, or as a last resort, homelessness. At the community level, businesses and lawmakers should take note of who is leaving and when, taking with them their contribution to the local economy as well as the social fabric.

Some may argue that such problems are a result of laziness, but as the map above shows, 8 days a week still wouldn’t be enough to cover the rent at minimum wage in any state.

architecture | journalism

Posted on by

Today I drew a floor plan, and that was definitely an exception to what normally fills my days. Drawing, modeling, and solving math problems are common conceptions of what architects do (disclaimer: I am not quite an “architect”, but I am getting close). Though the math problems are much simpler than most people imagine (eg: 24 users divided by 1 shower stall per 8 users = 3 showers), creating 2 and 3 dimensional representations of proposed buildings do indeed take up the bulk of young almost-architect’s time. But once again, the daily activities of the architect are turned on their head in the community led design realm. Projects of all sizes and programs involve alternative parties, funding streams, schedules and needs when the public replaces an individual or corporation as the client. Despite this departure, it has been my experience that an architectural education prepared me primarily to be a problem solver – just the skill I need as I tackle the ever shifting requirements of a project like the Baptist Town neighborhood revitalization.

Additionally, my problem solving skills are continually increased by working in proximity with experts from diverse fields. Here in Greenwood, I am getting a behind the scenes education in terms of the legal, social work, and grant management aspects of  new affordable housing development. In Cincinnati, with Village Life Outreach Project, partnerships with doctors, engineers, educators, and writers informed my thinking.

A journalism professor, counted among the unlikely professionals that I have partnered with on a design project, is currently teaching a course that will offer students the same opportunity for diverse learning that I am describing here. Along with a Humanitarian Design course taught by Michael Zaretsky, Elissa Yancey’s journalism class will travel to Tanzania over spring break. The students represent a large cross section of majors and backgrounds, and I wish them all an experience that broadens their perspectives and informs their careers.

Learn more about Elissa’s class here.46321_295966143840228_921837370_n

it’s official

Posted on by

After many months, Google Maps has approved the locations of the Kingigoro Primariy School and the Roche Health Center. If you are ever in East Africa, all you have to do it type the names of these buildings to get driving directions! Alternatively, you can search for these locations today and see the progress Village Life is making. The completed walls and foundation of the new school building are shown below. Richard Elliott will lead EWB-UC students on a trip to construct the roof in April.

Picture 3

1st community meeting

Posted on by

Despite uncharacteristically chilly weather, on Wednesday, February 27th, many residents of the Baptist Town neighborhood joined in an outdoor community meeting. Though many of these meetings have occurred over the roughly ten years that this project has been in the works, this was my first, and I am grateful that residents haven’t given up hope that new buildings and community initiatives are eventually going to be realized.

Topics discussed included:

  • The location of new homes, and how to apply to purchase a home.
  • Two proposed locations for a community center.
  • Two proposed locations for an outdoor community gathering space.
  • A neighborhood logo to be displayed on printed material and signs.

Proposed materplan_2_26_13 ER

In addition to productive conversations throughout the evening, residents wrote comments on post-it notes sharing their opinions. This feedback helped clarify the locations to pursue for construction of the community center and the gathering space. Less clear, was the contentious conversation over two initial proposals for a neighborhood logo. More work, and significantly more feedback from Baptist Town residents, will be required before a decision can be reached.

Last, multiple residents submitted their names to be contacted about potentially purchasing one of the new homes to be installed this summer. This is a first step toward qualifying home owners, and making safe, healthy, affordable housing available to families in Baptist Town.