During the Spring and Summer of 2006 at Parsons The New School for Design, thirteen graduate students in the Master of Architecture Program and one undergraduate from the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architectural Design in the Department of Architecture, Interior Design and Lighting, designed and built a new information center and laundromat for the town of DeLisle Mississippi, a town that had been hit directly by Hurricane Katrina.
The project was envisioned by local resident, Martha Murphy, who saw an opportunity to engage the students of The Design Workshop after a conversation with Federico Negro, a graduate from the Master of Architecture Program and a member of SHoP Architects. SHoP Architects were in DeLisle working with Martha Murphy to rebuild immediately after Katrina hit, and provided critical input and support for the Design Workshop project of 2006.
The project executed in DeLisle was the most ambitious effort of The Design Workshop since its inception 11 years ago. In The Design Workshop, a group of students work collaboratively with a non-profit client to design, detail and ultimately construct a project, overseeing all aspects of an architectural project from design concept through to final execution.
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The challenge: situation after Hurricane Katrina.
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DeLisle, Mississippi on the map when Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005.
In the 2006 spring semester, students worked with David J. Lewis, the Director of the M.Arch program to collectively research and design the 39751 InfoWash , traveling twice during the semester to Mississippi to meet with the client and members of the community. At the conclusion of the spring semester, the students executed a complete set of construction documents, assembled material orders for the project, and worked with structural engineer and faculty member Harriet Markis to establish the structural drawings.
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During The Design Workshop's spring studio 2006.
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The choice of 13 individual designs had to be narrowed down to 6 paired designs to 3 group designs to 1 hybrid design by March '06. Depicted is a rendering of the final design.
Composed of two volumes connected by a covered breezeway, the southern side of the building is sheltered by a deep overhanging roof, while a translucent polycarbonate northern wall provides ample daylight to interior spaces and allows the building to glow at night. A panelized wood slat screen attached to aluminum straps wraps both the opaque and translucent walls tying together the program elements while adding a degree of warmth and familiarity to the expression of the facades. Western red cedar was chosen as the primary exterior material because of its resistance to insects, its workability, and its natural weathering characteristics. Combining elements that address the short-term and long-term needs of the community, 39571 InfoWash attempts to offer residents a return to normalcy and provide much needed services once taken for granted.
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Site plan of the final design.
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Section and floor plan of the final design.
During the summer, the students had the opportunity to work and learn from Terry Erickson who plays a critical role for The Design Workshop in insuring that the students are able to translate their designs into built form.
The students lived in DeLisle in FEMA trailers and were on the job site from 6am to 6pm nearly every day to see the project completed by the end of August, 2006. During that period, the group erected the steel structure by hand, installed structural panels and waterproofing, built and insulated the roof, clad the building in aluminum mesh and stained Western red cedar, and outfitted the interior spaces with custom built interior furniture and wall systems.
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Students at work erecting the steel structure (July).
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Students at work erecting the steel structure (July).
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Students at work erecting the steel structure (July).
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The steel structure nears completion (July).
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Steel structure connection detail.
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Wood framing detail of the porch.
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Working on the translucent cladding (August).
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The students apply wood siding and install the windows (August).
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Detail of the wood siding (stained Western red cedar).
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North and South elevations.
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Students outfitting the interior spaces with custom built furniture and wall systems (August).
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The interior construction nears completition (August).
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Construction makes hungry!
By early fall of 2006, the building was in operation housing a 24-hour laundromat and the offices of an organization that provides rebuilding assistance to local residents. The simple task of washing one’s clothes thus provided immediate relief while easing community members into the long and complicated process of reconstruction. Because of its program and context, 39571 InfoWash has a responsibility to provide a physically and psychologically sheltered realm, while at the same time projecting an open and inviting presence to its community.
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By early fall 2006, the building went into operation serving the community.
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The finished building: 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished building: 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished building: 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished building: 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished building: 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished building: 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished building: 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished building: 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished building: 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished building: 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished interior of 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished interior of 39751 InfoWash.
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The finished interior of 39751 InfoWash.
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Top row, left to right: Parker B. Lee, Sarah Coffin, Joel Stoehr, Kip Katich, Terry Erickson, Shana Sandberg
second row from top, left to right: Nora Meehan, Laura Lyon
second row from the bottom, left to right: Dominic Griffin, Christian Eusebio, Dominique Gonfard, Ivan Chabra, Kailin Gregga, Emily Wetherbee
bottom: Huy Bui
Architectural Project Team: The Design Workshop, Parsons The New School for Design
Spring Studio Instructor: David J. Lewis
Summer Studio Instructor: Terry Erickson
Summer Staff: Joel Stoehr
Students: Huy Bui, Ivan Chabra, Sarah Coffin, Christian Eusubio, Dominique Gonfard, Kailin Gregga, Dominic Griffin, Parker B. Lee, Laura Lyon, Kip Katich, Nora Meehan, Shana Sandberg, Emily Wetherbee
Architect of Record: ShoP Architects (New York, NY)
Structural Engineering:
Consulting Engineer: Harriet Markis, Dunne & Markis Consulting Structural Engineers (Riverdale, NY)
Engineer of Record: Goeffrey Clemens, Compton Engineering P.A. (Bay St. Louis, MS)
MEP Engineer of Record: Bob Mobley, Hargrove and Associates (Mobile, AL)
6 Comments
Great work!
Jessica C.
Parsons Design/Build Alum-Margaretville 2007
Nice work. I love the simple wood slats over plexiglass/whatever that translucent material is.
Great Job! I remember Greg P. showing images of 35971 when he was here and that town had nothing left. No basic services what so ever. A great project, great community service and I am sure a great experience.
How inspirational! Congratulations to all involved!
congratulations!
you did a great job and got your hands dirty. that is what architectural education is badly lacking in general. People graduating from architectural schools without knowing how a simple foundation footing and a grade beam looks like.
Community architecture is gaining momentum thanks to projects like these.
Is there any information on the cost of the structure, and if somebody can give an update on how the building holding up after three years and how the community interacting with it?
Great program and learning experience.
nice Iwo Jima moment, and "construction makes hungry" picture.;.)
two cents moment: i'd suggest the wood apron of the deck not touch the grass or dirt.;.)
that was beautiful works & design application, and great team work. like it!
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