Three Stage Feasibility Study in Healthy Design

It is not uncommon for students in our interior design and & architectural technology program to be exposed to service learning projects, as our campus is one of the nations leaders in such project types. It is however uncommon for the design students to be placed on projects that ask them to step outside their comfort zone in terms of social economic interaction with community residents/partners. Asking them to set aside their personal biases to apply their design skills to a project that would create a usable space for those that are afflicted with Sickle Cell, as well as a working environment for those that provide much needed social services to them. This three part study saw our students study three options: • Renovation that would connect the two adjacent facilities currently being used by the agency. • Designing proposals for a new structure one block south of the current facility • Renovation of the larger of the two current facilities being used by the agency, and creating a new outdoor space for the users. This project challenged the students in so many ways, but the most drastic of those challenges was understanding a disease that is not recognizable to the mainstream population. According to the most current data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Sickle Cell affects about 1 out of every 500 Black/African Americans births and 1 out of every 36,000 Hispanic American births. The first two feasibility studies while dramatically increasing the useable square footage potentially pushed the agency beyond their capital campaign capabilities. This third and final included the client vacating one structure on their site and converting it into a rental property, and dramatically renovating the remaining building to increase efficiency of the work staff, and incorporate such design strategies as indoor air quality, more efficient use of artificial and natural light, and high quality heating and cooling. These design strategies are proven to have positive impacts on those suffering from sickle cell disease

DESIGNING THE ULTIMATE VIDEO GAMING ENVIRONMENT: THESIS PORTION OF THE MOUNT OLIVE MISSIONARY BAPTIST SHELTER RENOVATION CAPSTONE PROJECT

poster abstractWhen the client mentioned that he wanted the space adjoining the gam-ing space to appeal to college age adults, the importance of acoustical sepa-ration was placed into the forefront of my mind. Additionally, much has been said in the media about the negative health benefits of extended video gam-ing play. This thesis project will seek to uncover tangle characteristics of an enjoyable and healthy video gaming environment that can then be incorpo-rated into the overall design of the video gaming den. There is a particular focus on seating and acoustics. The space will need to preserve the experi-ence for the gamers and observers as well as preserve the peace for every-one else without the isolation that usually accompanies a game room. Seat-ing should facilitate a healthy gaming experience as well as add to the im-mersive quality of the gaming environment. In conjunction with the capstone course, this thesis project completes the interior design senior experience required for graduation

Art, Architecture, and Community: Create Spaces to Highlight Local Talent

The paper will focus on a two-semester service-learning project in which Architectural Technology Students are partnering with a local entity called Reclaiming Community. Reclaim is a subsidiary of a larger local organization with a mission to bring about sustainable regeneration, improvement, and management of the physical environment through their Art Shed initiative. Each semester will develop a separate set of shed designs, with separate assessment methods and outcomes. The over-arching goal of the project is revitalizing the neighborhoods that will house these sheds, and encourage the love of art and design in area. Sheds are designed with the intent that after a certain about of time in residence the materials will be recycled for custom designed furniture. Utilizing the evidence-based design process (EBD) students will collaborate with Reclaiming project organizers to identify goals for the destination points. Sheds are studied and designed utilizing varying roof styles and interactive design ideas. Through this process each student will design a version of the shed, creating detailed instruction manual with materials and construction methods, and do a miniature 3D study model of the shed. Community partners from the reclaim project will play an integral role in reviewing the design process of the sheds, giving critical feedback for revisions and use. This is a very important part to ensure the evidence basedesign strategies are effectively solving the design problem. Assessment methods include our institutions Start/Stop/Continue along with customized end of course survey specifically aligned with this project. The community partners will also assist in development of end of course surveys, further integrating them into the culture of the course. The Start/Stop/Continue assessment is a student-centered mid-semester assessment of the project and its process. The completed paper will include the assessment results and course/project modifications carried into the second part of the semester. The customized end of semester course survey will allow the community partner along with the faculty member to specifically target questions at the students participation in the project and the outcomes. Results will be used for phase two of the project to take place in the spring semester