The Collaborative Campus Project

Monday, July 12^th

We’ve adopted a new work format and we’ve identified our solution: a marketplace.  (Mind you, this may not be a marketplace in the familiar sense of the word; we are not limiting our project to a structure where food is sold.)

The Structure Team begins working on the district map (Photo by Mark Duluk)

We split into 5 teams, each comprising professional designers, college leaders, and high school students, in order to tackle all the components of our solution plan:

1. Structure
2. Environment
3. Communication
4. Experience
5. Research

It is exciting bouncing between groups to see how each one is delving into brainstorming and actualizing our visions in a more purposefully focused manner than I’ve seen yet.

• The Research Team is revising a questionnaire we’ll administer to workers in the Campus District.
• The Environmental Team and Structure Team are surveying area maps to consider where we can utilize physical space, build structures, and develop pathways.
• The Communications Team is devising ways to create and promote the Campus District logo and image.
• The Experience Design Team is brainstorming short-term, mid-term, and long-range goals for our marketplace, and organizing themes (such as wellness/ health, education/ job training, safety, recreation, commerce, and arts/ events).

Lists of goals collected by the Experience Team (Photo by Russell Stephanchick)

This is just a snapshot of today’s new surge of activity.  It feels like our teams form a holistic approach to our Collaborative Campus Planning Project’s mission and challenges.  Each team has a defined focus, but there is also conversation between groups.  For example, the Communications, Structure, and Environmental Teams discussed whether a structure shapes a logo or identity, or vice versa; does one come before the other?

Here’s a little “Overheard in Studio” to complement today’s general overview:

The Environmental and Structure Teams, led by Mark and Joe, discussed their purposes and goals.

“At the end of the week we want to come up with ‘this is what we’re doing, where, and here’s how we’re connecting things.’”

“The goal of this plan is to turn the campus district inside out. With indoor parking garages, you never have to go outside. That is an urban crime. And it makes the street unsafe because it’s depopulated.”

Students brought up the two design concepts of Creativity & Chaos.  “Chaos tends to be counterproductive, but we’ve got to get as close as possible without losing it.”

“Not to keep quoting Miles Davis [whose words happen to address ‘the space between’ a lot due to his improvisational musical style], but he said, ‘First you master your instrument. Then you master your music. Then you forget it all and you just play.’  Forget about a marketplace.  Keep it in the back of your mind, but what if we’re wrong- what if this solution isn’t the right one? Or what if there’s a different way of thinking about it? What we’re designing may look a little like what we’ve seen, but might look completely different.”

-Alex, Day 20