As a part of the 25th annual Search for Shelter Charrette through the
Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA),
a group of architects and designers will come up with design solutions
to address various affordable housing and homelessness issues.
The workshop at the University of Minnesota's
College of Design, which goes from Feb. 11 to 13, is the only one of its kind throughout the AIA network, according to event information.
Jacquelyn
Peck, a Minnesota AIA representative, explains that about 50 volunteer
architects, landscape and interior designers, and students who turn out
for the weekend will break into eight-person teams. The teams are then
individually assigned to a handful of different projects.
Nonprofit organizations apply to participate in the event through a competitive process, she says.
The
event includes opening remarks from Minnesota chapter president Steve
Fiskum, a panel discussion with area housing experts, and presentations
from the selected nonprofits.
Afterward, teams meet with
nonprofits to go over more details. They spend the day visiting sites,
developing designs, and creating accompanying images. To help the
nonprofits get going on the projects, "We give them a weekend of intense
design, with boards and images," Peck says.
She describes the
event as a springboard to "get [nonprofits'] ideas down into something
tangible so they can talk about it and educate others with."
On Sunday at noon, the teams present their work as part of a program that's open to the public.
Past
projects have centered on everything from connecting scattered
affordable housing sites to remodeling homeless-shelter lobbies.
One project that has been a success, starting off at the design charrette in 2008, is the revamped facility for
YouthLink,
which provides services to homeless youth. "They took images and got
funding to do the remodeling and addition work," Peck says, adding, that
the facility re-opened a few months ago.
Source: Jacquelyn Peck, representative of the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects
Writer: Anna Pratt