Week 5 – Design Change!
To kick off this meeting, students had a lesson in drawing views of objects. The students worked individually to draw out different 3D shapes in sectional and elevation views. This exercise gave students the basic principles that go behind Architectural and Engineering drawings.
Objects such as Oranges, Soda Cans, and Cheeseburgers were drawn out to show their different views. While the objects were simple, the concept behind drawing a section and elevation is the same for a building. Students also had some fun drawing the person across from them without looking at the paper!
This week’s meeting changed the project entirely in order to compete in the National Design Competition. In order to compete in the design challenge, the selected project had to fit in one of the following categories:
- Presidential Library/Museum Challenge
- Upgrade a Structure Challenge
- Open Spaces Design Challenge
After some discussion and a team vote, the students elected to move forward with the “Upgrade a Structure Challenge”. Once the Challenge was decided, the next step was to pick a structure to work with. Students and Mentors presented ideas of existing and outdated structures in their neighborhoods. The Damen Silos site, located on the Southwest side of Chicago, was the winning structure. Students were encouraged to come up 
with ideas of how to revitalize this space while upgrading the structure. The focus of next week’s meeting will be to pick a use for the space in order to move forward with the design. With a March 4th deadline, the Team’s schedule will be tight and will involve a lot of careful planning in order to successfully submit all required materials. However, with the momentum of the students and mentors in high gear, anything will be possible! Please keep updated to see how the project comes along.