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DESIGN+BUILD PROJECTS BY STUDIO V OF THE CLEMSON ARCHITECTURE CENTER IN CHARLESTON

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701 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29406

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Clemson Architectural Center in Charleston
701 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29403

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Good morning from Forest Park Playground. Before a Good morning from Forest Park Playground. Before and after images of our Fall 2020 A+CB design+Build project. Thanks to community builder and photographer @brian_heape for capturing these stunning views of the project. #clemsonworld #clemsonarchitecture #clemsoncommunitybuild #westashleybikeway #steelbridges
When our structural engineer came to visit us on s When our structural engineer came to visit us on site, we had no paper lying around. Our hands were caught up between building tools and shovels, wood, clamps, drills and screws. But architects don’t just sketch and design buildings, structures, Pavilions, bridges, etc... Architects are also critical problem solvers, and that means using whatever is at hand to get the job done sometimes. And it is something we learn and experience in the A+cb studio. The sketch above is a memory we all in the build will remember as we move on through and past this project, and head into the future. The drawing is a gusset bracing system drawn on a sheet of plywood by our structural engineer John Moore who, made the trip on site, when we needed it the most. A moment that will be engraved in our memories for the rest of our careers. Thank you John Moore !!! from your A+cb hooligans. #reinventsketching #problemsolvingskills #drawingonwood #clemsonarchitecture #clemsoncommunitybuild
Follow along as we work on completing the final an Follow along as we work on completing the final and hardest part of our project. Welding our rings then transport them on site one by one as they get out of the weld shop. Pictured above, Prof. Pastre on his way to drop the first rings in this gorgeous Charleston sunset. Students carefully helping load and unload the rings ! It is all part of the learning curve we are on. As you can see, we built our own bracing and support members to fasten the rings and keep them tight and secure. The experience was unbelievable and exciting as we drove past cars and crossed the West Ashley River bridge. More to come.... #clemsonarchitecture #tensegrityrings #communitybuildlife #teamwork
Fall 2020 Studio V Final Design ( Forest Park Brid Fall 2020 Studio V Final Design ( Forest Park Bridge ) Our final design reflected on the idea of using tensegrity to create our bridge. Using tensegrity to drive our final bridge design came from a few models that some of our students built in our ITC (introduction to craft ) studio. The design of the bridge has also been inspired by the idea of rethinking how to create a bridge by reflecting on main components of a bicycle such as the bike spokes and wheels. #fall2020finaldesigncb #forestparkbridge #charlestonparksandconservancy #spokeydokey #repurposedbikeframes #designwithspokes #communitybuildthroughrepurposing #tensegrityatwork #tensegrityarchitecture
Fall 2020 Preliminary Design review ( Forest Park Fall 2020 Preliminary Design review ( Forest Park Bridge part 1 ) This Fall, our project is a bridge located at Forest Park Playground in West Ashley. Adjacent to the Greenway and surrounded by a baseball field, a gymnasium, and two basketball and tennis courts. The site gives us many opportunities to recreate a bridge that would not only reconnect the bikeway to the park, but also help the community access the park amenities through a straightforward, safer, and more accessible path. Our preliminary design ( design review 1) reflected on the idea of using repurposed bike frames to create that connection between the park and the community at large. Although this was the beginning of our semester long work, repurposing used bikes frame was a catalyst idea that helped drive and lead the way to our final project. It is coming ...... be on the lookout as we will be posting the final design today. #charlestonparksandconservancy #forestparkbridge #repurposedbikeframes #designwithspokes #bikearchitecture #communitybuildandrepurposing
Great news!!! The Portable Testing Pods that our A Great news!!! The Portable Testing Pods that our A+CB students worked on in the Spring and Summer of 2020, in collaboration with MUSC, are now out and ready to be used for both walk up and drive through testing. We are proud and inspired by the innovative and inspiring work that our students put in both documenting, strategizing different walk-up and drive through testing methods, and finally fabricating these affordable pods so that they can better serve the community at large, and help in the fight against COVID-19. More information can be found in the following link https://web.musc.edu/about/news-center/2020/11/24/portable-pods-bring-testing-to-the-people . Link is also posted in our bio. Go Tigers !!! #architectureandcommunitybuild #buildingabetterworld #fightagainstcovid19 #teamworkiseverything #buildingbettercommunities #muscandclemson #clemsonarchitecture #innovationthatexcites #clemsonworld
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Happy friday from your Architecture and Community Happy friday from your Architecture and Community Build Hooligans !!! We finished our steel deck and it is now ready for priming. Some of us with no prior welding, grinding skills rose up to the challenge, and got it done. Although it may not seems like it was a lot of work, it was a critical and fulfilling tangent in our learning process. We were excited about it from the beginning on, and now we are proud of the way it came along. Will keep you all posted as priming and bolting happens !!! PS: guess who was making Mo laugh 😂 #architectureandcommunitybuildlife #concreteformwork #teamworkiseverything #forestparkcharleston #clemsonarchitecture #weldandgrind
Our concrete formwork is now ready for our first p Our concrete formwork is now ready for our first pour. Rebar has been bended, tied, and dropped in the digs. Long day on site for your architecture and community builders, but there was that feeling of satisfaction from the whole crew, that feeling of achievement that only happen through collaboration and teamwork, trust and multiplication of efforts. Although most of us where exhausted, there was a smile in our faces, as we left the site and headed back in the shop to get more things done. Follow along as concrete get poured in the morning, and keep looking at our story feeds as we navigate through each step of this project!!! What a day !!! #architectureandcommunitybuildlife #concreteformwork #teamworkiseverything #learningthroughsteps #clemsonarchitecture
Yesterday, a few of our A+CB students were on site Yesterday, a few of our A+CB students were on site with Prof. Pastre to place the concrete formwork in the digs. We took opportunity of the nice weather to get it done. Everything went much better this time and all of us are excited for the learning curve and gradual results that are happening. The amount of effort from the whole squad is inspiring after a few setbacks the past weeks, and the energy to make this happen is back on track. We learned it the hard way that pouring concrete is challenging, and the formwork needs to be well prepared and ready. Today we will be bending the rebar and place it in the digs. Follow along and keep on checking out the process !!! Hope you are getting ready and excited for our first concrete pour as much as we are !!! #dontfold #doitonemoretime #communitybuilders #A+CBlife #clemsonarchitecture
Earlier in the pandemic, A+cB partnered with MUSC Earlier in the pandemic, A+cB partnered with MUSC on a design for the sole purpose of specimen collection. A Portable Point of Dispensing (PPOD) was developed to provide a more affordable, safe, and accessible walk-up testing method.⁣ ⁣ Initially, documentation was completed on an existing drive-through Respiratory Specimen Collection Site (RSCS). Research showed the issues of drive-through methods; failing to reach underserved populations and excessive overhead costs. ⁣ ⁣ The proposed site-less approach and repurposed materials of the “PPOD” works to mediate these issues.⁣ ⁣ Swipe to see excerpts from what is soon to be a publication in World Architecture Magazine! And check out our story to see what other partnerships and work stemming from this project led to!⁣
Swiss miss and mild steel!! keeping an eye on the Swiss miss and mild steel!! keeping an eye on the metal grinder. Hole drilling and pre-weld prepping steel deck frame members. All while enjoying some late night dark chocolate and Learning the craft. Deck support frame is on the way!!! #communitybuildlife #qualitycontrol #clemsonarchitectureandcommunitybuild #dontfold #stayup #getitdoneright #latenightshenanigans
Long day in the shop. After a relaxing thanksgivin Long day in the shop. After a relaxing thanksgiving break, your Architecture and Community builders were back cutting 2x4 members, melanine sheets, and drilling no stop. Our shop drawings did the talk, and they looked much better and precise. Although it was a lot to achieve, we made it through the day and finished the formwork earlier today. Next step, cut the rebar and get ready for the concrete pour. Kudos to this team for bringing in the energy and putting in the work. Let the Countdown to our final review begin ( DD-11) #communityBuildlife #clemsonarchitecture #nailsandscrewsforlunch #builtforthis #architectureatitscore #dontfold
Box Kite assembly in process. A few images from gr Box Kite assembly in process. A few images from graduate student Mohamed’ Kite in the making. Our ITC studio in Charleston not only teach students about making things with their hands and by using machinery and traditional build tools, but it also helps them challenge their perspectives throughout that whole process, so that they can learn how to become better craftsmen and craftwomen in the long run. We are looking forward to see it fly soon !!! And Happy thanksgiving tigers. boxkites #tensegrityatwork #sullivanislandkites #craft #goodvibesfromclemson #tigersflyingkites
Check out some of our ITC studio ( Introduction to Check out some of our ITC studio ( Introduction to Craft) tensegrity projects accomplished by students this Fall semester. Tensegrity is a design principle that applies when a discontinuous set of compression elements is opposed and balanced by a continuous tensile force, thereby creating an internal prestress that stabilizes the entire structure. Tensegrity is a term that was coined by Buckminster Fuller, the iconoclastic architect, engineer, and poet, to describe his vision of a new kind of architecture; one that looked like it was built by nature instead of by humans. Fuller imagined a world full of unconventional structures that maintain their stability, or integrity, through a pervasive tensional force, hence the term tensegrity. Some of the projects highlighted above are from students Kevin Crumley (wall mounted bike hook), Jeremy Eaton (plants pot holder), Aaron Autry (laptop stand) and Mohamed (coffee table), and Prof.Pastre tensegrity arcs. This study of the concepts of tensegrity will inform the student's designs of their final project of the semester, a box kite. There will be more to share on that project in the coming month! #clemsontensegrityprojects #clemsonitc #buckminsterfuller #boxkites #designandcraft #clemsonarchitecture
Happy birthday to this man !!! All of us in the Happy birthday to this man !!! All of us in the community build are beyond grateful that we have somebody who cares about us as young growing men and women of this profession. Somebody who, nurture and challenge our way of thinking, and pushes us everyday to keep on exploring a little further, taking our craft one step higher, and building beyond limits. Thank you Prof Pastre, and happy birthday !!!! PS: we hope you appreciate that wood crafted cupcake with sawdust crumble. Another one !!!! #clemsonworld #studiov #clemsonarchitecture #worldbesteducators #anotherone
2020, present day, we see not only the A+cB studio 2020, present day, we see not only the A+cB studios’ farm stand project, but the developed @greenheartchs urban farm at the William Enston Home. Site lines and layout reflecting that of the entire property and the gardens themselves fulfilling Enstons’ will for,⁣ “each cottage must have a small garden to busy the occupant.” ⁣ Flashback to one year ago today when the studio broke ground to continue adding to history. A history that began in 1887 when the first homes were built.
We dedicated this week to feature a few of the man We dedicated this week to feature a few of the many projects designed and built by Clemson A+cB students over the years. To better highlight the experience that comes with joining the certificate program, here are a few words from Prof. David Pastre, “The A+cB program was created to teach skills in making and design in the context of actual projects: we will realize an actual project on an actual site for an actual client. Accordingly, students learn personal accountability; contribution to purposes larger than one’s self, collaboration, negotiation, compromise, and the ability to work in the field under physically demanding conditions, requiring improvisation, and resourcefulness. These insights gained into systems of production and collaboration allow our students to leverage their creative efforts as they continue their formal education and enter professional practice.” David Pastre is a senior lecturer at Clemson University School of Architecture, he is the coordinator of the A+cB program and has been teaching the community Build studio for more than a decade. Image credit: David Pastre #clemsonarchitecture #charlestonparkandconservancy #cityofcharleston #clemsonlandscapearchitecture #communitybuildmodels #worldbesteducators #architecturalpractice #worldarchitecturalmagazine #architectureofchange
Featured today is a project completed in Fall 2011 Featured today is a project completed in Fall 2011 by the Architecture + Community Build (A+CB) studio. The studio was devoted to designing, fabricating, and installing a shading structure at the Corinne Jones Park in the Wagner Terrace neighborhood in downtown Charleston, SC. Working closely with Charleston Parks and Conservancy, local architects and engineers, the students built a seating and shading structure that aimed at revitalizing the park’s playground and making it a model that reflects the community. The students were tasked with their own challenge to design galvanized steel louvers supported by a system of cantilevered trusses and columns, all connected to the curved concrete benches. The process required close attention to detail, craft, and emphasized collaboration and teamwork, the cores of A+CB 🛠..... Spending almost 2400 hours of work both in studio, on site, and in the shop, erecting the new addition to the corrine Jones Park playground was a big task but it was successfully achieved by the team of 10 A+CB trailblazers. You can read more on our blog : https://caccstudiov.com/corrine-jones-playground/ #clemsonarchitecture #corrinejonesplayground #charlestonparksconservancy #cityofcharleston #clemsonlandscapearchitecture #communitybuildmodels #s24engineer
Today, we are featuring “The Butterfly Book Nook Today, we are featuring “The Butterfly Book Nook” completed in Spring 2018 by a team of 6 A+CB students. The studio was devoted to the execution of one project- researching and designing for a community garden site in the North Central community in downtown Charleston, as well as fabricating, and installing a shade structure for the site. The studio worked closely with members of the community, the non-profit Enough Pie, the local First African Evangelical Christian Church, and the John L. Dart Public Library, the City of Charleston and its building department as well as with local architects and engineers. “The butterfly book nook” is a shaded pavilion space with a beautiful mural on site that was painted by Redux, a garden which includes seating and a little free library, and a steel entry gate that was also constructed by Clemson students and participants of the Community Built Bootcamp. The A+CB studio focuses on the concise purpose of these structures; that they address a single function, simple use, or even a purely aesthetic aim, which makes them intellectually as well as physically accessible. “Micro works of architecture inspire an enduring charm that exceeds their function, even if that function is to be a pleasing decoration in the landscape. There are a variety of reasons for our infatuation with little forms. The miniaturization of architecture reduces it to a human scale with which we can interact more readily.” Prof. David Pastre, coordinator of the A+CB certificate Read more on our blog : https://caccstudiov.com/butterfly- book- nook/ #clemsonarchitecture #redux #enoughpie #clemsonlandscapearchitecture #cityofcharleston
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