Stewardship South

2008-05-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

Opening Celebration

2008-05-09T06:37:00.001-07:00

Last Stretch

2008-05-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

The night shift

2008-05-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

First of the Panels

2008-05-05T17:50:00.001-07:00

Hanging the netting

2008-05-03T19:40:00.001-07:00

Plastic Panel Sweatshop

2008-04-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4rZQsjcsPM

Erecting the Poles

2008-04-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

Poles Arive!

2008-04-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Second Concert

2008-04-09T15:34:00.001-07:00

What a difference grass can make!

2008-04-09T15:28:00.001-07:00

Pouring Concrete

2008-04-09T15:24:00.001-07:00

Tie Details

2008-04-06T18:27:00.001-07:00

Swimming Pools

2008-04-05T16:22:00.001-07:00

Digging Holes

2008-04-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

9 massive holes are now being dug for our footings. Unfortunately this weekend the weather is not cooperating with us, and we now have 9 swimming pools to dig in. We should have them ready, complete with gravel and rebar, and set for pouring concrete on Monday.

First Concert

2008-04-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately we did not make our deadline for finishing the park before the concert series, and the city had to put up the "funeral tent" again. After several setbacks, it looks like we be several weeks behind schedule. However, I hope we made a good impression to the community this week and we will be involved with future concerts. Every Wednesday concert now makes us realize that we need to get this project finished. After seeing the first concert it helps to get an understanding for what kind of audience we are designing for. It should help us as we finish the project and further design decisions. In the end, I feel like the design we've come up with will be pretty spectacular combined with the context and the audience we are dealing with. It was a hot day and shade is definitely needed. Our canopy design will help solve that problem. The completed project will definitely change the whole atmosphere of the park.

Useless fibers

2008-04-04T17:15:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, the textiles department at Clemson didn't have fibers that we could use to make our panels for the canopy. The kind they had were not UV protectant and we need that for it even to last 6 months. We had to get them from a company they recommended to us in Sumter. In order to speed up the process we decided to pick up the 1000 lb bail our selves and bring it to Clemson. Leaving Clemson at 5:30 to get fibers was a ton of fun, not to mention the 6 hour drive. ONLY in architecture do you get to experience such a thing. (excuse the sarcasm) To say the least, the trip to Sumter to and Color-fi did turn out to be an inspiring trip. We met Wilber (a Clemson Grad, and plant manager) and got our own personal tour of the plant. We saw the process that goes into making recycled bottles into a fiber that can then be woven into just about any material. We saw examples of car interiors and even found out that most clothes that are made from polyester today are from recycled bottles or plastic.

Unfortunately, when we got back to Clemson, the engineers we've been consulting with all semester told us the kind we picked up would not work. The kind we had were 3 inches long instead of 2 (they look exactly the same to me). This was a huge disappointment and at this point it pretty much destroyed our hopes for using this material. It is to late to try and get another bail and Color-fi doesn't even make the kind Clemson needs unless its a custom order that could take weeks. We've moved on to looking at other materials for the canopy.

Column Details

2008-03-28T04:52:00.000-07:00

Spring Break 08!! Creek Restoration!

2008-03-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Canopy Mockup

2008-03-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

Official Ground Breaking

2008-03-03T21:05:00.000-08:00

Site Section

2008-03-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

I think we finally have a canopy design!

2008-02-29T18:31:00.001-08:00

After weeks and weeks of debating on what or what not the canopy should be, I think the group has finally come to a decision. The idea stems from our original concept of the project as a whole as well as an idea we had from the very beginning of the semester. The structure consisted of a system of poles and cables that the canopy would be suspended from. The idea was put down simply because we never thought we would have enough time or money to make enough panels for the canopy. Now that we know we can, we've decided to take this idea further and develop it. The parametric paneling of the canopy will be an elegant form that will warp and change according to the conditions of the topology and the different kinds of spaces we are trying to create. The structure, which we hope to construct of tube steel columns and cables, would be simple and almost unnoticeable. While the massive size of the canopy might seem kind of obtrusive, we feel it will create a space that brings the performer and audience into one common energetic space. The canopy also creates a interesting experience for a pedestrian walking through the park.

Today we continued with our previous tactics of creating full scale mock-ups out in the field to give us a sense of the space. We cut some bamboo down in Pendleton and brought it to the site. We erected several poles across the site according to a model that we had build the night before. Of course, some changes of locations were made in the field. I feel like our best design work this semester, has actually come from designing out in the field. Staring at a model or a computer screen all day just does not give you the context of the site and the best way to design, in my opinion, is to get out there and do it. I feel like a lot was accomplished today, even more than we've accomplished over the past couple weeks! I'm excited now and ready to start construction on Monday. Yet, many things still need to be worked out, priced, and drawn until then. It's time to make it happen.

Stage Details

2008-02-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

Laying out the terraces

2008-02-16T18:21:00.000-08:00

Getting a feel for it

2008-02-13T16:31:00.000-08:00

Today, we staked out portions of the stage that we had designed earlier to get a feel for it on the site. We were very pleased with the way that the orientation of the two decks would project out over the site. While laying out the stakes and tape, we interestingly discovered that the lower deck (marked in orange), would project directly into path of the creek. From standing on the stage, this could create a nice visual effect of the stage flowing down into the creek. We've decided to use this as a concept and are going to redesign tomorrow to lengthen this portion of the deck to reach the creek. The only problems we might foresee happening are interferences with the landscaping elements that other members of our group are working on. We will develop our ideas and present them to the group.

It's crunch time...

2008-02-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

This week was a very busy week, and I feel the group made some major strives in getting this project designed, including a well received presentation to the Clemson Board of Architecture Review. I've focused most of the week researching and coming up with ideas for changing the apperance of the stage. With the small scale performances that happen here, we've decided that a good way to give some life to the stage would be to create different levels for performing. The levels could then serve as steps or even benches for when the stage is not being used for performances. We've started looking into decking as a component to add to the stage. This would tie into the board walk element that occurs further down the path in the park.

A major goal for our group is to find a way to make this project interactive with children. When I was researching some uses of wood and decking, I came across a picture of park bench that got me thinking. The park bench can be played like a xylophone. We started thinking of ways that the decking can be used not only to create a sound, but maybe even experience for person running through the park. In a way our stage could be a preview for the board walk that that is, somewhat hidden in the back of the park. We could create signage or, even more of this same element that would guide a visitor back to the board walk.

A Successful Project

2008-01-27T17:21:00.000-08:00

Even-though it might not have been the coolest thing I saw on the trip, I thought the Lions Park project was the most successful project as a whole and serves as a good case study for our two sites. When doing this exercise, I tried to think about it with our projects in mind. Although Lions Park was still under construction and probably still being designed, it seemed to be well thought out and a good example of how to engage the site. The "sticks" bring energy as well as functionality throughout the site with out having to spend a lot of money. Even the way that the existing road was cut to create a running path is a good example of how we can be creative and still save money. We need to look at what the site has given us already and think of ways we might can deconstruct it or transform it into something that might serve a better purpose.

Rural Studio Trip

2008-01-27T16:01:00.000-08:00

The entire trip to Rural Studio was very inspiring and a good way to get ideas flowing. I had the privilege of going to Rural Studio in undergrad and it was interesting seeing all that they had accomplished since then, but also how the ideas and concepts had changed. One thing I noticed about their most recent work is how they have gotten away from the recycled or reusable materials that were studied and used in the Mason's Bend and Rural Studio Headquarter sites. This was kind of a disappointment, but they still tend to research and find cheaper building materials to accommodate the small budget of the projects they are working on. Seeing some of the buildings, 5 years later, that did use recycled materials, I was surprised to see how well they were holding up. Even-though they might not have looked as nice as some of the most recent Rural Studio projects, these were just as inspiring seeing them still lived in and used.

Expectations

2008-01-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

Probably the most meaningful aspect of these two projects is how they both can have an impact on the community. Whether it is the final product that we produce that is used for years to come, or just the community interaction we have while we are building these projects. Both can leave a lasting impression on the people. I feel like it is our goal as designers to develop a relationship with the client and give them something not only that they would want, but something that they can use hopefully for many years. We must use our ideas and concepts to create an engaging site, but also stay in the realm of what we can do in 6 months. I think both projects need to be finished before the end of the semester and leave time for us to maybe create some kind of community event at the sites to bring people into what we have created. This community involvement with the sites could be just as important as the project itself.