Juhn Linn Postcard

Dear Mr. John Linn,
Thank you for coming to speak to our department! You had lots of valuable information and I'm very glad you shared it with all of us. I loved your concept of LONG LIFE, LOOSE FIT. It's a great was to sum up a very important statement. It opened my eyes to historic preservation, and I'm now much more interested in it. I feel more thoughtful and sustainable as a person and designer now.
Thank you,
Melia Danals

SHELTER : BUS

BUS : SHELTER

These are my interpretation of what is most important in the process of designing our BUS: SHELTER and SHELTER:BUS. Each shows the process of design, and an image of a preCedent study.

COMMUNICATE

PRODUCTS

For this part of the assignment I worked on the products we could use to spread the word for Community By Design and what we are doing as a studio class this semester. The first product is an umbrella. We decided on this for a product because we thought it would be something people would actually use. We chose green for the outside in hopes that it would stand out in a crowd of umbrellas, and eventually become easily recognizable as the IARC umbrella. We also decided to make the inside/underneath look like the world to add an unexpected element of surprise and interest.



We had a very similar concept for the tote bag. We thought it would be marketable, very useful, and would promote sustainability. Our hopes would be that this would replace paper and plastic shopping bags. It would be reversible, and have the same print as the umbrella.

Our last product is soap. We thought it would be another thing people would use, and would probably be very unexpected. This is also the reason we made it black. The color choice would cause people to take a second look at it, and hopefully spark a curiosity that would lead them to become involved in our endeavors.

Maiken Schoenleber
PLACE


We chose to take a different approach to the "place" aspect of this charrette. We wanted to created mass interest while clearly informing the community, both the bus riders and non bus riders about us. Thus we have "Ode to Christo and Jeanne-Claude". Our local version of a wrapped building or physical art. We felt that by doing this living art installation the viewers would not only get a shocking experience but they would be forced to look at the good old Greensboro Bus Depot and it's surrounding environment with "new" eyes. The ultimate goal would be to energize and excite the community to find out more about Community by Design and what we are trying to accomplish through design. The installation would only last for a few days but it would be long enough to make a great impact on the community.
It was also decided that the surrounding bus shelters be wrapped in a bright green with the same graphic wording - Gatewoods Gateway to the Gate City and our web address. It's our hope that it would allow people who wouldn't necessarily travel to the main depot to see and experience what we are doing, and again hoping to stir a natural interest in the project.

diagram your design

These diagrams analyze the second story of a double-decker "Food Factory". This area is designed to be a place for people to eat and spend time while they recuperate from their disaster.

BUS : SHELTER interview

My second encounter with the GTA bus system was drastically different from the first. My mission was to spark up conversation with another passenger in hopes of recording a video interview.
This plan was immediately tossed out when I was approached by a very kind African American young lady. "Excuse me, are you guys riding to the mall?" she asked. (we being Tiffany Garber and myself.) We responded "well, we aren't actually going there, but yes, this route goes to the mall." She looked a little confused so I jumped at this opportunity to futher engage in conversation. We proceded to inform her that we were IARC students doing a project on the design of a bus shelter, and asked if she would mind answering a few questions. Her responses were very positive about GTA, something that contrasted our other interviews. Throughout the converstation she informed us that GTA is "safer here than at home (Durham, NC)". To her the bus drivers and employees of GTA were very paitient. With some humor she stated that, "I called four times today and the women said 'theres this stop at this time, and this stop at this time.' She was paitent and I really appreiciate that." This statement made me realize how large the effect of out actions is on other people, and how a simple smile can go a long way.
Also during our conversation the young women talked about how she would like to see more trash can and recycling bins, more informational signs would be helpful, and definitely a bench or shelter to sit on/under.
This to me is the simple truth that what we are attempting to accomplish this semseter IS important and will be noticed. We CAN make a difference.

Postcard for Jenny Page

Jenny Page,
Just a quick note to let you know that I love your commitment to bettering the UNCG campus and surrounding community! I particularly like your recycling project. I think that a major solution to the issues we face with the economy and environment today can be lessened greatly if we all continue to recycle!
Thanks SO much!
Melia Danals

thRee R's

This experience was very unexpected and unpredictable for me. I began the assignment by riding the bus, and that was quite the adventure.

I intended to ride to Friendly Center and have an enjoyable afternoon shopping, but instead I spent my entire afternoon (3:00 until 6:00) learning about the GTA bus system. We ended up riding route 9 on Summit Ave for the entire route, which lasted for aproximately and hour and a half. Way way way too long to be on a city bus, but something I am very glad happened because it definitely changed my entire experience.

I noticed immediately that my riding partner, Tiffany Garber, and I were definitely the minority, with the majority of people being African American. I was thankful for this because after completing the reading, I felt like I could connect much more with the students involved in the sit-ins. I think it gave me a much more realistic perspective of what they went through and how they must have felt.
Another thing I found very interesting after I read was the idea of how hard and long African Americans fought for equal rights on the bus systems, and today, they are the ones who predominately use the buses. It's interesting to see how the white population of those days were so opposed to something as simple as sharing a bus, and now Whites barely use the bus system.
Something that stood out to me in the reading was where it talked about being a part of a situation, and physically "sitting" there, as opposed to hearing or reading about it. It brought to my attention the difference it really makes. I would have never known how it actually felt, and the true reality of riding the GTA bus if I had not physically sat there and rode the bus. I would have lived on with my common misconception of the reality.
I learned a lot from this experience. First of all I know I have nothing to be scared of, although I will always be cautious. I learned that if you unfamiliar with something the only way to become familiar is to try it yourself. I realized how important public transportation is to so many people, and how much they rely on it for their everyday life. I also learned that you should never be in a rush when using the GTA.

my first week as a second year

This first week has been very interesting. I can't say that I am thrilled about all the group work that will come this year, but I am ready for the challenge and I am very curious and excited to see how it goes. I know that I am going to miss the experimental, "mother cluster" projects from first year, but I am excited to use what I have learned in the new experiences that will come my way. I have a feeling things will be very different this year and I haven't figured out if that is a good or a bad thing yet. Hopefully it will be great though!