Cambridge Common: A Paradoxical Public Space
Exhibition of work from the Second Year Design studio, Fall 2014
Course Description
The second year studio focused on the contradictory reality of contemporary public space. Over the term, students were asked to analyze existing public spaces in Cambridge and Chicago in order to design a new public landscape and community center in Galt. Both the building and the outdoor space were considered as public spaces. The design objectives were to conceptualize what a useful public space might be and how interior and exterior public spaces can be meaningfully related to one another using the elements of architecture.
Exhibition
The opportunity arose to exhibit the student work, which engaged the local context, in the Cambridge City Hall central atrium. Together Adrian Blackwell, Dan Jessel, and myself, Sarah Gunawan developed a light and modular display structure which would prominently feature the selected student projects. Conical concrete bases anchor round aluminum poles which support the wood frames. Custom machined sleeves with countersunk bolts anchor the horizontal elements onto which the drawings are clipped.
Students included in the exhibition:
Laura Di Fiore
Amir Ghazanfari
Alex Li
Mahsa Malek
Julia Nakanishi
Thomas Noussis
Alexandra Sermol
Tong Shu
Meghan Taylor
Joel Tremblay
Felix Yang
Instructors:
Adrian Blackwell
Marie-Paule Macdonald
Christos Marcopoulos
Ryszard Sliwka
Scott Sørli
Delnaz Yekrangian
Teaching Assistants:
Patti Beaulieu
Sarah Gunawan
Exhibition Design and Installation:
Sarah Gunawan, Adrian Blackwell, Dan Jessell
Display Fabrication:
Dan Jessell, Sarah Gunawan