Yesterday we presented our small group designs to the Parks Conservancy, community members, and Charleston’s Chief Building Official. An incredibly helpful discussion followed our presentations where we learned more and more about what the best direction might be.
One of the highlights of yesterday’s presentation was the models that each team created. When it comes to presentation materials, sometimes physical models just can’t be beat. Everyone is able to relate to a model, understand it, and picture themselves in the space. It helped that all four models were beautifully crafted and well presented.
Every design had something positive that really resonated with those in attendance. Much time was spent discussing the connection of the north half of the park with the south half of the park. All agreed that whatever structure is built shouldn’t turn its “back” to any part of the park. Another major theme of the discussion was the importance of this building as a gathering space. The Parks Conservancy is willing to sacrifice on the service end of the project (e.g. storage lockers) for the purpose of creating a dynamic public space that ties the Conservancy’s mission into the park and its users.
Our next step is distilling the best parts of each project into one cohesive design. Sounds easy enough, right? I speak for all of us when I say that we are looking forward to this exciting fusion of ideas from twelve unique minds. The result is sure to be a comprehensive design solution that addresses all the needs of the stakeholders and creates a beautiful piece of micro-architecture for the City of Charleston.