This week is an exciting one for the Community Build Studio! Today we are meeting with the structural engineer to work on the truss system in our design, and iron out some structural details. Some of the students in the class have started on construction documents and a larger scale connection model of the pavilion proposal in preparation for this meeting, while the rest of us have been working on shop drawings for the donor wall at Old Towne Creek. Things are starting to move forward from design to build, and it is a cool process to be a part of.
Outside of studio, the graduate students are in Bradford Watson’s history and theory course. For this course, we each have to do an independent research project. My project is studying the architectural typology of the Charleston Single, its development over the years, and its impact on modern Charleston architecture. On Friday, our class took another walking tour of Charleston and saw some neighborhoods that prominently displayed this architectural style. It was interesting to walk through old neighborhoods versus new construction, and see the similarities and differences between the development and management of the two. We commented on the materials, colors, street condition, and proximity to nature in the new developments. In many cases, there is more privatized entry space and less color in the new architecture compared to the old. This tour also once again sparked the debate of historic preservation in Charleston- what is historic, what is worth preserving, and is imitation a good thing in architectural design? These conversations are always interesting, and challenge us to think beyond what we are shown by the city.