By Ryan Sandwick,Community Design Specialist
Link to original post found HERE
Introduction As part of CEDIK’s larger Downtown Revitalization Project this summer, our community design specialist, Ryan Sandwick, is leading an intern cohort in Manchester, KY. Consisting of 4 multi-disciplinary interns this effort has been specifically tailored for Manchester, where the students will study the city’s built and natural environments to determine the DNA of the downtown. This information will then be used to create a menu of potential projects for the city which can be used as a foundation for future revitalization efforts. This blog post is the first of several this summer that will highlight the progress being made in this effort.
However, before I talk a bit more about the project let’s take a minute to introduce the interns:
Brittany Sams Hometown: Maysville, KY University: University of Kentucky Major: Graduate student in Historic Preservation
Kenneth Riggs Hometown: Acworth, GA University: University of Kentucky Major: Graduate student in Architecture
Melissa Habermehl Hometown: Covington, KY University: University of Kentucky Major: Undergraduate student in Landscape Architecture
Ronnie Sloan Hometown: Louisville, KY University: Berea College Major: Undergraduate student in Environmental Policy
Given the diverse backgrounds of the students, their individual set of talents and experiences will be an asset in enriching the breadth of the project. These unique experiences will be amplified through the process of working together as a cohort, where they won’t just focus on their own abilities but will be supporting their colleagues in their own professional specialties.
About the Project The best way to learn about a community is to embed yourself in it, and this cohort is structured to learn as much about the city as possible. Each Thursday the interns are setting up a mobile design studio in downtown Manchester while working from The Makery on Main St. While in town each week the interns will be inventorying the local assets, evaluating how people experience and interact with the downtown, and working with local stakeholders and authorities to ground their findings in the local interests. With open office hours from 11:30 – 1:00 pm each Thursday, they will be available to meet with anyone and everyone who is interested in discussing the possibilities for the future of downtown Manchester. This will allow local partners and stakeholders the ability to provide ongoing input and guidance throughout the project, while affording the students the ability to get an authentic feel for the city.
In addition to the day in Manchester the students will have a ‘studio day’ on campus where they will pin up their work each Tuesday for guest critiques to provide feedback from a design and planning perspective. Further, Landscape Architecture has generously donated studio space in the Good Barn on campus for us to use over the summer allowing the cohort to work together in a collaborative studio atmosphere. The hope is that students will learn from each other and learn from our local partners, and that our partners will learn from the students, creating a cycle of exposure and enlightenment.
In summary, the students are working to identify what is great about Manchester and what can be done to amplify that greatness. This is an extremely exciting project and we are so thankful to our partners in Manchester for hosting us. If you have any questions about this project please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at the email address below, and if you’re interested in discussing how we can help you with your design and planning efforts in your town we’d love to hear from you as well.
Contact: Ryan.Sandwick@uky.edu
Comentários