As we have been working through our small group design phase, the buzzword in the studio has been “iterate”. We are all trying to work through this repetitive phase of communicating design ideas, combining perspectives, narrowing down a design goal and narrative, and iterating through variations of these concepts to create the best possible solution while developing how we can explain and defend it. This process is difficult and includes a lot of quick sketches and layering of trace paper, but it is fruitful in the development of a thoroughly designed space.
My group has been operating under the design strategy of creating a space that is influenced by and responds to all of the elements of the site. We are playing with the boundaries of our structure, pushing and pulling the playground lines to blend the programs of gather and play. This idea has pushed our designs into a more creative and playful direction, introducing interesting materiality and detailing concepts. As we continue to iterate, we are reframing our view of the site and program organization, allowing for deeper concepts to evolve each time.
One of the more difficult aspects of this is figuring out what exactly evolves out of the process. My team is still trying to iron out some design details, but we are getting excited about the direction that our design is taking. It might be a long weekend, but I am looking forward to presenting this concept to get feedback from the city and community that we can apply to the final design.