Now three weeks into the Park Design, we have no time for stopping, it is full speed ahead. The ACE Design Build Group is making progress! This week was spent mostly pushing the design ideas forward and start finalizing them. Construction time is almost upon us!

 

Site Model Group

The site model group spent the week honing their model making skills by finishing a model of the existing site! They have also begun experimenting with modeling parts of the new site proposal as they are being finalized.

 

Site Plan Team

The site plan team has started working on the computer, making the site plan not only in CAD, but making a 3D Model in Sketchup. Of course, though we have been going full speed ahead on the computer, we couldn’t leave out a hand rendered site plan!

 

Design Features Team

The Design Features Team has narrowed down the features to the following: a rock climbing slide, a bubble bounce, a ‘Wilapa Tree’ Climbing Feature, and a water feature. Each of these features have been sketched, developed, and are starting to be digitized. Our next task: Refining them for the new site plan.

 

Park Precedent Site Visits

The group had a chance to visit 4 parks in Chicago. This was an invaluable, and super fun exercise to get us to think about what features/qualities are good/bad in a park. We plan to use the insights from this trip to refine our park design and bring it to the next level. As a special surprise, we also got our T-Shirts!

The students are learning the site like the back of their hands. After group discussion about the current site and features we all agree on, we broke into three teams, the Site Model team, Site Plan team, and Design Features team. 

 

SITE MODEL TEAM (Jesus, Patty, Mike, AshleyAnn)

The context of the site is nearly completed with zero injuries. They handle those Xactos and power tools with the utmost care and safety. 

SITE PLAN TEAM (Daniel, Marcus, Armando, Lissette, Ernest)

It was a bit tricky in the beginning, but they conquered all of the issues with the topography, sidewalks, dimensions, etc. The placement of trees was a pain, but they did it! 

DESIGN FEATURES TEAM (Both Josh’s, Melly, Lesley, Rachel, Emily)

They went from literally a blank sheet of paper to detailed designs of really interesting play features. Getting design block was tough, but they pushed forward. 

 

Additionally, Congratulations to the winners of the t-shirt design competition! It was a ferocious battle, but AshleyAnn and Marcus were voted the best of the best. They combined their designs and created a really rad shirt. The order is in. T-shirts coming soon to a wood shop near you.

Sidenote: We all agree on Wilapa.