About a month ago, the team at IQC went through the applications for our projects that we are tackling this year. We received 13 wonderful applications and decided we were able to assist most of the towns. One of ones that stood out the most, and that the team was most excited about, was from the town of Comanche, Oklahoma, a small town of about 1700 people in southwest Oklahoma. Their story was heartbreaking. The town ridden with poverty had no library in the schools, no area for the youth to gather, no cafeteria in one of the schools. A majority of households had no access to internet, which is crucial in this day and age. The elderly community simply wanted to be able to use a computer and communicate with their family that is miles away. The students wanted books as well as internet access to do research for school projects and broaden their learning. All of the town agreed they wanted a space to display history important to their town of which they are very proud. Recently, a building in their town--the Woodrow Wilson building--was lost to a fire. On this site, the city planner asked us to design a library/museum/community center that would unite the community and act as a gathering spot for people of all ages. The team is extremely eager to complete this project and deliver the building of these peoples' dreams. Last week, we visited Comanche. We began with a luncheon where we ate and talked with the seniors of the community. They all expressed a longing for Comanche's history to be gathered in one space and available to the public. They were enthusiastic about the possibility of a computer space, both for their needs and their children and grandchildren's needs.
Afterwards, we drove a short way to the site of the demolished building. The foundation of it still remains with crumbled bricks and plant growth taking over the ruins. Surrounding the site is quite a bit of land that the city manager told us they plan on constructing a city hall, a police station, a fire station, and other civic buildings. We took a lot of pictures of the site and our time in Comanche. After returning, we called a meeting where we discussed our vision for the project. The team pulled up a lot of precedent photos that inspired some of our ideas. We want to retain the traditional feeling of the town while giving it a modern look. So far, the program consists of a library space, a museum space, a cafe, some collaboration spaces, a study space, and a computer lab. We also like the idea of adding a courtyard, so that occupants can enjoy some time in the outdoors. Additionally, we want to include a landscaping plan of the area between all of the proposed buildings. The entire team is very excited about the potential for this project and the final design.
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Quick personal post here. April 16th is Project Semicolon Day. The project was created by a woman named Amy Bleuel, who herself struggled with and lost the battle to depression this past year. The group encourages people to embrace a message about the semicolon. Many people, including myself, get tattoos of a semicolon to remind ourselves; we are survivors, warriors, fighters. The mission statement is a simple analogy. "A semicolon represents a sentence the author could have ended, but chose not to. That author is you, and the sentence is your life. I have remembered this now for several years as I battle my own mental health problems and support those around me who struggle as well. I have lost one of my closest friends to suicide in the past year and it was the most difficult loss I've had to cope with. The day that I heard the terrible news, I was on a plane to Budapest to begin my one month of solo traveling across Europe. I considered cancelling the trip and coming home to mourn, but I knew my friend would want me to go on a wild adventure and learn more about myself and the world. I carried on my travels and although it was the most difficult thing I have ever done, I made so many friends and memories that helped me through my darkest days. One interaction I remember the most is when I crossed paths with a girl in a hostel in Paris. We got to talking as fellow travelers do and realized that we have the same tattoo, the same size, in the same spot. Complete strangers, we shared our stories of what it means to us and opened up to one another. The following morning we said our goodbyes after snapping a picture of our solidarity. I don't know where she is now, but for just one night, she was a friend when I needed one most, and for that I am thankful. So please, be compassionate. Ask those around you how they are, be aware of the warning signs, eliminate the stigma against those suffering from mental illness. It means so much to just have a simple conversation when you are struggling with depression. And for those who are currently fighting just remember: "Your story isn't over." Bringing the Dead Back to LifeA few weeks ago, the dean of the OU Christopher Gibbs College of Architecture contacted me about a project for an acquaintance of his. His friend, an avid historic building and vintage car enthusiast, had recently purchased a building on Linwood Boulevard near Stockyards City in Oklahoma City. The plan is to renovate it and restore it to reflect its original appearance when it was built in the 1940s. The building has quite the eclectic history. Originally it was a transmission shop. Today it is an industrial warehouse that houses the businesses Architectural Antiques and a humorously titled business, Dead People's Stuff. Inside there are hundreds of antique parts that were salvaged from old buildings, such as windows, doors, wood siding, tiles, light fixtures and even an entire staircase. There are also smaller antiques such as clocks, statues, vases, and butter churners.
The client has asked that a student produce elevation drawings of the facade of the building, as well as documenting the square footage of all the warehouse and suite spaces. This involves measuring every detail of the faces of the building, hastily sketching it down, and later translating that into beautiful AutoCAD drawings. A fellow student, Nick Pazdernik, and I were chosen for the job. One of the biggest challenges for me is staying focused on that tasks at hand. When I am standing back looking at the bigger picture, it is easy for me to see a dozen different elements that need to be measured and jumping around between them. That window height, this concrete panel, that sill height, this wall span, that door trim. If it were my job alone, I might take 4 hours to measure one side of the building because I would be running back and forth instead of working methodically. Luckily, working as a team balances out my weaknesses with another's strengths and keeps us focused. As of today we have finished measuring the building. I possess half a sketchbook filled with boxy, not-to-scale diagrams of the facades and tiny dimensions squished in between one another. It is legible to me, and that's what matters. This has been a very useful experience with my first job involving drawings in the real architectural profession and I'm excited to make the final product to show for our efforts. Digital drawings to follow.
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Amy HostetterCurrent student. Archives
January 2019
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