Project Name: 39571 InfoWash
Project Type:
1) urban planning design strategy
6) architecture
Project Mission/Goal:
1) improve the human spirit
4) address humanitarian crises
Project Description:
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.
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.
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.
Links and Captions:
http://archinect.com/features/article.php?id=91501_0_23_0_M
http://www.shoparc.com/#/office/contact
http://www.dailytonic.com/39571-infowash-by-the-design-workshop-at-parso...
www.parsonsdesignworkshop.org
http://sce.parsons.edu/design-workshop/
InfoWash Project Details:
Location: DeLisle, Mississippi, USA
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)
Year (s): 2006
Client: Mississippi Katrina Fund, with special thanks to Martha Murphy, Kathi Heinzel, Bill Heinzel, and Loretta Lizana
User Client:
Number of beneficiaries/users: Entire community
Project Phase:
Major Funding: Private
Cost/Cost per unit:
Area (if applicable): 2000 sq. ft
Consulting Engineers: Harriet Markis, Dumne & Markis Consulting Structural Engineers (Riverdale, NY)
Engineer of Record: Goeffrey Clemens, Comptom Engineering (Bay St. Louis, MS)
MEP Engineer of Record: Bob Mobley, Hargrove and Associates (Mobile, AL)
Subcontractors:
Richard Thurlkill, T&K Trucking (El Dorado, AR)
Jay Culbertson, Culbertson Contractors (Brookhaven, MS)
Omega Construction (Pass Christian, MS)
Rocky's Plumbing (Pass Christian, MS)
Community Center Project Details:
LOCATION: DeLisle, Mississippi, USA
DATE: 2006
END USER: Communities of Pass Christian and DeLisle, Mississippi
CLIENT: Mississippi Katrina Fund
DESIGN FIRM: SHoP Architects
DESIGN TEAM: Reese Campbell, Kimberly Holden, Federico Negro, Mark Ours, Gregg Pasquarelli, Christopher Sharples, Coren Sharples, William Sharples
ENGINEER: Buro Happold
CONTRACTOR: Culbertson Contractors
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Focus Lighting
COST: $250000 USD
AREA: 1068sqm/11500sqft
Nominated by Cameron Sinclair
