The past few weeks have been a bit hectic around the CAC.C studio. With midterms fastly approaching all of us are rushing to complete course work and move along with our group projects in Studio V. This Monday, as in Valentine’s Day, we are presenting the two projects that were chosen after last Friday’s individual design charrette to our classmates and professors for an academic review, followed by a presentation to the community involved with the Elliotborough Community Garden. No pressure ya’ll (I am working on my southern lingo). The limited amount of time to develop and produce drawings, graphics, and models has put a bit of strain on some of us, but it will be a welcomed relief at the end of Monday’s presentation when we can all take a deep breath and be proud of what has been accomplished.
The project that I have been working on was based off of the analysis that fellow student Jessica Robbins did of an Artichoke. The design has evolved over the past week into a rebar structure with a combination of sono tube and fabric pocket planters. The wall itself is more of a morphing and changing mass as it moves through the site, creating a buffer along the crosstown that runs directly to the north. 
The bands of rebar would form ribs that bend and curve around the trees and existing planter boxes of the site and would interweave with horizontal rebar members that create the walls of the structure. Parts of each team member’s individual design charrette was incorporated into the design as the sono tubes are based on a module and the form can also become an interaction piece. Material inspiration was provided to us through a project by Groves-Raines Architects in which rebar was used to create a composting and garden shed, a flowing and morphing form that fits into the surrounding context. More pictures to come as we finish up our final images for tomorrow’s presentation!
