Archinect - design/buildLAB

Formwork

2013-05-19T21:39:43-04:00

Members of the studio went to Clifton Forge to survey the site and install concrete formwork for the foundations of the bridge.

While Marie used the backhoe to dig holes for the formwork, the students used surveying equipment to measure the proper depth for each piece.

While some students dug, others cleaned up the site by cutting brush and removing tree. It looks so much more open now!

Meanwhile, the students back in Blacksburg finished welding the bridge and the ramp. Once the rain dies down, we will be able to paint the steel!

The Design

2013-05-14T17:06:43-04:00

You've seen the pieces of our bridge over the past few weeks- all the steel, wood, and welding that is going into making this design a reality. Very soon, all of the pieces will be ready for assembly and the design will become a reality. The Smith Creek Pedestrian Bridge is more than just a bridge, though. Through our design, we are helping Clifton Forge bridge the gap between the historic downtown and Church Street.

When coming up with a design for the bridge, we kept the Masonic Amphitheatre in mind. The design has similar elements to the Amphitheatre, as well as a similar material palette. We wanted to make sure the bridge felt like a part of the site, like it fit in with the Amphitheatre and the town.

We are using reclaimed white oak from the old tire warehouse that used to occupy the site in the bridge, as well as new steel beams and a custom railing design. Integrated within the railing system are LED light fixtures to guide visitors along the bridge at night.

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Trust in the Truss

2013-05-13T23:19:11-04:00

After many days of squaring, leveling, and welding, the trusses are complete on both the bridge and the ramp!

We've now moved on to welding the guardrail posts to the I-beams, and fabricating the wood guardrails.

We've been using our new dado blade for the table saw to route out notches for the steel supports, LED lights, and a drip edge in each piece of wood being used in the guardrail. It creates a LOT of sawdust, but also creates a beautiful end product. This 100-year old reclaimed white oak is gorgeous, once you plane it and trim it a bit!

Public Presentation of our Pedestrian Bridge Design

2013-05-07T22:40:55-04:00

On Friday, half of the studio went to Clifton Forge to present our bridge design to the community. The audience participated with questions and comments, and a number of people volunteered to help with the landscaping portion of the project. The presentation was very well received!

Facing a crowd required preparation...

Back in Blacksburg, everyone was hard at work drilling holes in the steel beams with a mag drill and planing wood for the handrails and guardrails.

A Week of Steel

2013-05-04T21:57:12-04:00

Our bridge finally became a tangible reality this week with the delivery of our steel. On Monday, all of our barstock, columns, C-channels, and angles arrived at studio. We set to work cutting everything to size.

On Wednesday, our steel I-beams arrived at ESL. We were all so excited to finally see the main pieces of steel arrive! Everything seems so real now that we have all of the structural members.

We cut our 3/4" steel plates on the plasma cutter, and have been prepping the handrail posts for our post-tensioned cable system. Soon, all of the pieces of our bridge will be ready for assembly!

Join us for the Unveiling for the Smith Creek Pedestrian Bridge!!

2013-05-02T13:10:00-04:00

Join us on Friday, May 3 for the public unveiling of our design for the Smith Creek Pedestrian Bridge! We will be at the Masonic Amphitheater at 5:00 PM in Clifton Forge, VA, to present our work and answer questions.

Concrete Coring and Testing

2013-04-29T12:54:31-04:00

In order to use the existing concrete retaining wall as a structural foundation for our bridge, we needed to make sure that it was strong enough to withstand the forces exerted by the bridge. Four of us went to Clifton Forge on Friday to take samples of the concrete retaining wall at the site. Mark Folks from United Rentals joined us and taught us how to use the concrete coring drill.

We took three samples of concrete from the wall and brought them back to Blacksburg. On Saturday, we tested the samples to figure out the bearing capacity of the wall. We used the Quickie Saw to square up our samples, and then headed to RDF to use their testing facilities.

We used a concrete testing compressor to calculate the amount of force each sample could withstand before failing.

We knew that the wall had to withstand 3,000 psi for us to use it as a foundation for our bridge. We tested each sample in accordance with ASTM C39, and after calculating the bearing capac...

Intro to Welding

2013-04-19T23:20:14-04:00

In preparation for the construction of our bridge, six of us went out to ESL on Thursday for an introduction to welding. Only Anna has welding experience, but we couldn't expect her to weld the entire bridge by herself, so all of us will be learning the basics of mig welding.

Steve Bickley was our teacher on Thursday. He went over how to properly clean and assemble the torch, how to turn on and off the welding machine, and the basics to welding. We all practiced on pieces of scrap steel in the shop, first welding on a flat surface, and then welding two pieces together. After some practice, everyone got the hang of it, and we saw some pretty decent welds!

Red Lining

2013-04-10T15:19:08-04:00

This morning, Keith and Marie met us in studio at 10:30 to begin red lining our drawings. We talked about everything that needs to get done by Friday in order to make this bridge a reality. So, we're working very hard right now to fix all of the errors in our drawings and make everything perfect for construction soon.

We've taken over the side room in Burchard Hall and turned it into our construction drawing work shop.

Getting the Ball Rolling

2013-04-09T16:14:36-04:00

Today, we met with two representatives from United Rentals to begin talking about the kind of tools we'll need on the job site.

The plan is to build our bridge in three sections in Blacksburg, transport them to Clifton Forge, and then crane them into place. In order to make this happen, we'll need a massive crane, a saw that will cut through the concrete retaining wall, and oodles of other equipment. So, we will be working with United Rentals here to order the equipment that will help make our bridge come to life.

Presentation

2013-03-29T15:31:46-04:00

Last week, Keith and Marie left us unattended while they attended a conference in San Francisco. We were given instructions to work on our bridge. We all worked very hard (and struggled at times!) but finally designed our bridge for the Amphitheatre site. When Keith and Marie returned, we showed them our progress. They were very impressed with how much we had accomplished in their absence, which made us all feel very proud.

Yesterday, members from the Clifton Forge Community came to Blacksburg for the presentation of our bridge design.

We spent two days making a model, a technical site plan, and a few watercolor renderings for the presentation. Everything turned out very well, everyone spoke very well, and the project was well received!

Now, we begin the long process of making construction documents.

And then there was one.

2013-03-20T11:04:40-04:00

Over the past month, we have been coming up with bridge designs for phase 2 of the Masonic Amphitheater project.

Everyone started out by making their own bridge. As designs progressed, people teamed up to collaborate. Seventeen groups became eleven, eleven became six, six became three. And on Monday, three became one.

Before spring break, we met with the "so called jury" (Keith and Marie's Thesis students), who helped us decide on some criteria that our bridge designs should have. The Friday before spring break, the three groups presented their bridge ideas and strengths were pulled from each- the railing from one, the path from another, and the "hub" from a third. This past monday, we spent the day brainstorming and combining ideas, ultimately coming up with one idea for our bridge.

Now it's time to begin drawing!

Spring Break visit to Beeks Elementary

2013-03-20T10:48:06-04:00

Last week, we all stepped away from our bridge designs to enjoy Spring Break. Some of us went home, some went on service projects, and some of us stayed here in Blacksburg to enjoy a week of peace and quiet. During Spring Break, some of us who were here in Blacksburg went with Keith and Marie to Margaret Beeks Elementary to spend a day with their daughter's kindergarten class and talk about architecture.

Keith began the afternoon with a slideshow showing many different types of houses- some made of concrete, some made of wood, some with square windows, some with circle windows.

After watching the slideshow, each student went back to his or her desk to make their own house! Everyone drew four sides of their houses and taped them together at the end. We wanted to encourage them all to think in three dimensions, rather than drawing a typical house on a sheet of flat paper.

What we didn't expect was how creative these students were! Some had long, short houses, others cr...

Cultural Immersion Weekend- Sunday

2013-03-14T11:19:10-04:00

On the last day of our cultural immersion weekend, we presented our autism school designs to the Shenandoah Autism Center and the town of Clifton Forge.

The lovely ladies at the Clifton Forge Art School let us pin up our drawings and present our models in their facility. We spent the morning setting up our displays and began presenting our research and designs at 2:30 PM.

First, we shared our case study research with the audience, introducing them to other schools around the world. Then, we presented our parcel study of Clifton Forge. We revealed the four sites which we designed our buildings for, and then shared our designs.

Each student shared his or her design proposition with the room. All of the designs were well received, and many of the people in the audience had questions and comments for each student. After all of us had presented, the members of the audience wandered around the room to take a closer look at each project.

The presentations were a grea...

Cultural Immersion Weekend- Friday and Saturday

2013-03-05T13:03:00-05:00

On Friday, we packed up for a day of driving, adventuring, and getting to know the area.

Our first stop for the day was the Humpback Bridge. It is the oldest bridge (and the state bridge!) in Virginia. It's curved profile is supported by an incredible network of trusses inside the bridge.

On our way to the Jefferson Hot Springs and the Homestead, we stopped by Falling Creek Falls. The falls were once over 200 feet tall, but due to mining in the area, the stream was rerouted and the falls were moved. Today, the cliff is 80 feet tall.

We made our way to Bath County, VA, and to the Jefferson Pools. The octagonal buildings sit atop a natural hot spring.

After a visit to the hot spring and a nice studio lunch, we headed back to Clifton Forge. On the way home, we stopped by the site of the Third Year Competition. All of us were blown away by how beautiful (and huge) the site was.

That evening, we all gathered together for an intense round of Just Dance on...

Cultural Immersion Weekend- Thursday

2013-03-01T10:18:46-05:00

Last week, we all loaded up our cars with models, drawings, cardboard stands, and a t-shirt or two and headed to Clifton Forge for a weekend of cultural immersion. We spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday getting to know the town where we'll be working this spring (and getting to know each other better, too!). On Sunday, we presented our designs for the Autism School to the townspeople of Clifton Forge.

On Thursday, we moseyed down to Clifton Forge, stopping at the Belvedere Gardens in Salem, first. Keith and Marie suggested we pay close attention to the detailing in the burial garden.

The area was beautiful and serene.

After spending time at the Belvedere Gardens, we headed to the Homeplace for dinner. The lovely women there loaded us up with barbeque, fried chicken, roast beef, and side dishes until we almost popped. After dinner, we drove the rest of the way to Clifton Forge and settled in to our new home, the Red Lantern Inn.

That night, we headed to Jack Mason'...

Tackling the wood pile

2013-02-15T19:28:40-05:00

We went back to ESL today to continue working. This week, we've been cleaning up and taking inventory, since most of the tools and materials haven't been used since last year's design/buildLAB finished the amphitheater. We organized our tools and all of the leftover Alpolic panels on Monday, and have been sorting a large pile of wood on Monday and Friday.

The massive pile of aged white oak on the property was daunting at first, but we've managed to clean it up pretty well. After two days of prying apart boards, removing nails, and using the saw to clean up the edges, we have a handsome stack of boards in the shop and a much smaller pile outside. Next time we get out to ESL, that pile will be done for!

Rain forced us to leave a little early today, but we managed to keep our spirits up. Some of us even had so much energy that we needed a dance break.

First day of Work

2013-02-13T14:27:15-05:00

On Monday, the design/buildLAB laced up their steel toed boots and ventured out to ESL for a day of work.

A group of us took inventory of all of our tools and supplies- from saws to drills to screws, everything was counted and organized.

A group went and picked up the leftover Alpolic panels that were used for the Masonic Amphitheater. We all chipped in to unload the panels and trim them down to usable sizes.

Bryana and Michael sorted and organized all of the wood, while the rest of us worked on removing the nails from a pile of aged white oak, left over from the demolition of the Masonic Amphitheater site.

Masonic Amphitheater Project wins Building of the Year 2012

2013-02-12T11:02:00-05:00

We are proud to announce that the Masonic Amphitheater Project, designed and built by last year's design/buildLab, has won the American-Architects Building of the Year award!

Photo: Jeff Goldberg/Esto

This award humbles us and excites us for our own project this year. The 2012/2013 crew has some big shoes to fill now!

The full article can be found here: http://www.world-architects.com/en/pages/page_item/us-building-year-2012/1

An Afternoon with the design/buildLAB

2013-02-08T15:13:00-05:00

Join us at the Clifton Forge School of the Arts on Sunday, February 24! We will be sharing our design ideas for a new facility for the Shenandoah Autism Center.

Welcome back, and thank you!

2013-01-29T15:33:28-05:00

Thank you, readers, for making our blog the second most viewed blog on Archinect! We appreciate your interest in the Masonic Amphitheater Project and are excited to share our journey with the School for Autism with so many readers!

The spring semester has begun and we are all back in studio, ready to finish up our projects for the School for Autism. This past week was dedicated to the Third Year Competition- all of the third year architecture students here at Virginia Tech competed to create a design for a visitor's center for the Warm Springs Natural Preserve in Bath county, Virginia. The winners will be announced on Wednesday at 4pm.

While we wait for the final results of the competition, we're planning out our schedule for this semester. Once we present our work on the School for Autism to the town of Clifton Forge and the Shenandoah Autism Center, we will begin designing and building a pedestrian footbridge on the amphitheater site.

Keep checking in for the detail...

Noses to the Grindstone

2012-12-13T18:55:22-05:00

The semester has been incredibly busy, and we've all been working very hard on our Autism School designs. We had our final pin up for the semester on Wednesday, where we presented technical detail drawings and basswood models to Keith and Marie and their thesis students.

We've been working on this project for two months now, first designing a program that would suit the Shenandoah Autism Center's needs, then designing a facility with that program in mind. We embarked on a small urban planning project next, analyzing the available property in the town of Clifton Forge in hopes of finding a suitable site for a new school. After many discussions, we discovered 8 sites that could suit the school's needs. Each student selected a site and began designing their school, taking into consideration the topography, the flood plane, and existing buildings on the site.

Soon, we stepped out of the conceptual realm of designing and began to deal with more practical aspects of building. W...

Advising Session with Chris Henry

2012-10-29T13:07:53-04:00

As we move along through the design process and case studies for our School for Autism, we have interacted with professors, parents, professionals, and people involved with autism. Recently, professors Keith and Marie Zawistowski invited Chris Henry, an autism design consultant and writer for the blog site ArchDaily. His visit included his own presentation on autistic design and an advising session while we presented 9 case studies on autistic schools and related facilities.

Chris’ presentation began by asking the one simple question we’ve all been asking, “What is a successful autism design?” The answer is still unclear but through our case studies we are carefully attempting to contribute to the field and research of autistic design. Chris continued by giving examples of schools that may have contributed to a successful design. Chris covered materials, generalization of skills for special rooms, the need for a calming environment, and spatial consideratio...

Interviews at the Shenandoah Autism Center

2012-10-29T13:00:00-04:00

On October 3rd, the studio returned to Clifton Forge to conduct interviews at the Shenandoah Autism Center. Board Members, teachers, administrators, and even parents gathered at the school to meet with us and talk about the school. Everyone had positive experiences, as well. We gained invaluable information about autism and designing for autism, day to day activities in the school, and the educational program. The interviewees were happy to talk about the program, the students, and their hopes for the future of the school. We originally planned for the interviews to take half an hour, but everyone was so excited to talk that nearly all of the interviews went over that time. People talked for 45 minutes, an hour, even two hours about the school.

The interviews not only provided information for our designs, but also emphasized the reality of what we’re doing. This school is real, the teachers and parents are real, and all of them want to see the school grow in positive directions...

Shenandoah Autism Center

2012-10-22T13:54:21-04:00

This fall, the design/buildLAB studio is designing a school for autistic children. Specifically, the students are coming up with schematic designs for the Shenandoah Autism Center in Clifton Forge. Students visited the Learning Spring School in New York City to do research, but knew that they’d soon be taking a visit to Clifton Forge to see the current facility.

On September 26, we visited the Shenandoah Autism Center. We met with Mindi Gardzinski, the Education Coordinator, who gave them a tour of the facility. We proceeded to meet and talk with teachers, and learned about the day to day requirements that a school for autism needs. Students were able to look into the classrooms and talk to the teachers about the educational program, the customization of each students’ space, and the little details that make the Shenandoah Autism Center special.

The studio wanted to learn more about the program and what people wanted to see happen with the school in the future, so plans were m...

New York Trip

2012-10-22T13:35:51-04:00

After long bus rides, angry Tennesseans, good pizza, and beautiful design, we have returned fromNew York City! In mid September the design/build LAB traveled to NYC for four days to research and study architecture to guide our Fall and Spring projects. The trip included visiting four major works of significance: the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the New York Times Building, the High Line, and the Learning Spring School.

First on our agenda was the Children’s Museum. The key elements the studio discovered and studied were the spatial relationship to children and scaling to accommodate kids. This opened our eyes to a new way to design with a direct emphasis to space and a child’s interaction in “their world.” Students instantly connected this to our School for Autism project.

Early Friday morning, we visited the New York Times Building by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Completed in 2007, the project is a new emblem for NYC and a prime example for adapta...

The New Crew

2012-09-30T18:37:00-04:00

Last year's design/buildLAB crew has moved on to Fourth Year,and a new crew has stepped up to answer the call. This year, a team of 18 students will be working on two projects in Clifton Forge, VA- programming and schematic design for the Shenandoah Autism Center, and Phase 2 of the Masonic Amphitheater site.

We're all excited for what the year has in store!

Bethel Abate Aiysha Alsane Justin Dennis

Carl Fukawa Ryan Hawkins Catherine Ives

Anna Knowles-Bagwell Michael Kretz Jen Leeds

Stephanie Mahoney Stephen Perry Fernanda Rosales

Kitty Schaffernoth Amanda Schlichting Claudia Siles

Dan Ventresca Bryana Warner ...

Construction Time Lapse

2012-07-09T19:05:21-04:00

Finished!

2012-06-26T23:12:00-04:00

After eight months, design/buildLAB students have finished the Masonic Amphitheatre. Students worked through the night, putting the project's last screw in place shortly after sunrise the morning of the opening concert. The day's events drew over 500 spectators who had the chance to see local performers break in the new stage through song and dance.

Some of Clifton Forge's young talent takes the stage prior to the main feature, Grass Monkey

The following photos were taken by Clifton Forge photographer Chuck Almarez of the Fire and Light Gallery:

Grand Opening Poster

2012-06-04T13:00:00-04:00