Today we kicked off our year-long project with a collaborative presentation between the Historic Preservation students and the Community + Build studio, sharing our work with project partners in the forum. We had a group join both in person and via Zoom, helping guide an early discussion that will shape the design process moving forward.
Representatives from Dolphin Architects, consulting partners, t he Sea Islands Conservancy, and a community member from the Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce joined the conversation. Their presence helped ground the discussion in both professional expertise and lived community knowledge.
The presentation began with an overview of the history of sweetgrass baskets and their stands, focusing on the cultural significance of the craft and the traditions behind their making. From there, we transitioned into an introduction of the site and early site analysis, which sparked conversations around setbacks, easements,and visibility.
Key questions quickly emerged: How close can the stands be to the edge of the road? If the stands are no longer visible from Highway 17 as they historically have been, should signage be introduced to alert passersby? What do artists want and need in a modern sweetgrass basket stand?
Comfort became a central theme throughout the discussion. As conditions and expectations change, questions arose around how much protection from heat and cold should be provided. If increased comfort becomes a priority, how flexible is the budget? Are we designing two, three, or five basket stands? And if heating or cooling were introduced in a studio or work space, who would fund and maintain those systems?
As expected at the schematic design stage, every question led to several more. These layered uncertainties highlighted the complexity of balancing cultural integrity, practicality, and feasibility.
Following the presentation, the Community + Build students met with David and Frank to discuss next steps. We decided to begin by developing a shared site base map, which will allow each student to individually explore site concepts and stand typologies. These may take the form of precedents, iterations, or speculative ideas-our goal is to bring as many possibilities to the table as possible.
By Friday, we’ll reconvene to review these explorations and see what directions emerge. This week will shape the rest of the semester, and we’re excited and eager to get started. 😛