Nothing has come easy this semester. Whether it was researching alternative means of energy and construction, or making domes out of water, or ultimately working in bamboo as our primary material, every endeavor this semester has been a new experience for all of us. We have been refining the current design for the past month and testing bamboo construction methods extensively for the past two weeks. Engineer John Moore of 4SE has been meeting with us often, overseeing our construction and structural details and local architect April Magill stopped in to impart her knowledge on bamboo construction methods. We have met with city building inspectors, ADA officials, and Charleston parks department representatives. All of this research, work, and meetings have led to this Tuesday’s presentation before the Design Review Committee. This group represents the best interests of the city of Charleston and will decide if this project is acceptable for installation in Marion Square. There is no question that projects like this one are good for the city as an opportunity for creative expression, and that is what half of the work of this semester has been for, but the other half of this semester’s efforts have been to prove the project’s viability and safety. This weekend’s hard work went a long way to prove the latter mentioned, and I expect the committee to agree. There is still a LOT of work left to complete in the next two weeks, but this weekend’s accomplishments gives me hope.
