Calvin Architecture Students Get Real-World Experience

November 28, 2005 == MEDIA ADVISORY

An octet of Calvin architecture students is designing a monument for the East
Hills neighborhood in Grand Rapids.

The students, members of the Calvin chapter of the American Institute of
Architecture Students (AIAS), have created several designs for a sculptural
marker that will best represent the East Hills neighborhood.

The monument, whose design will be determined by the marketing committee of
the Uptown District, will be built on a traffic island where Lake Drive Avenue
intersects with Cherry and Diamond streets, at the center of East Hills'
revitalized business district.

The students will present their designs to the Uptown District's marketing
committee at 8 a.m. on Thursday, December 1 at Bazzani Associates, 959 Wealthy
St., SE.

"Before this, we've only had experience in the Calvin community and around
campus," says senior Todd Palmer of the AIAS. "This allows us to get out and
help our community."

That's the idea behind the East Hills project, says Nate Gillette, an
architect for Bazzani Associates and incoming vice president of the American
Institute of Architects (AIA) Grand Valley chapter. Gillette became aware of
the plan to build a monument in East Hills when he was searching for projects
for the West Michigan Community Design Collaboration (WMCDC), which he formed
this summer with associate AIA member Geoff Gamsby.

Although the WMCDC contacted all of the associate AIA members and local
schools with architecture programs about the monument project, only Calvin
students responded to the e-mail, Gillette says.

At a design charrette held on Saturday, October 15 at Calvin, the students
brainstormed their way to three monument designs.

"The end design will probably incorporate ideas from all the designs,"
Gillette says.

The neighborhood association plans to build the monument, using money from a
Grand Rapids Community Foundation grant, in the spring, and the Calvin students
will participate in its construction.

For the full story see
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2005_06/east_hills.htm
Contact Nathan Gillette at 616-774-2002 x11 or see www.Bazzani.com
 
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Received on Mon Nov 28 09:30:38 2005