Projects Purpose

To design a space that makes an individual feel as if they are at home in a time of chaos. Creating a place of comfort, protection, and functionality for someone who has lost that in their own life helps recreate balance. This space gives them the opportunity to continue doing what they love to do and inspire them to think of the possibilities. Using found items, recycled/reused goods, and with constructability in mind that this place/home can be created anywhere. We’re sharing ideas that help everyone discover better places to call home during a time of disaster.

Place to Escape

A place she can escape. Her one sanctuary where she can forget the havoc that is happening around her and focus; focus on what her mind actually sees or wants to see. She enters a glowing atmosphere shaded with shapes shadowing down below of leaves and squares. Soft angles defuse the light from above with an array of colors highlighting an area where light escapes through varies squares of uniqueness. She loosens lightly tied twine lowering down a beautiful ornate fabric--she remembers finding it under a pile of rubble covered in dust. Now, she’s alone. She sits on a crate and pulls out some paper that she’d torn from a phone book. The pages had been soaked by the rain and the ink was smudged making an acceptable surface to sketch on. A corner wall formed entirely of squares, some covered in colorful yarn and others hold objects she found that held her interest, makes the perfect place to focus. She starts to sketch…..

Makeshift Shelter

Image courtesy of:

http://eyeteeth.blogspot.com/2009/11/nominate-project-for-design-like-you.html

Designed and built for Karen refugees these shelters inspire me to design with a reason. The reason, Design Like You Give a Damn, a book that I have become to love. This photo is part of a future publication of this book and helps to see how communities are created with flow. Our group which includes Hope Tilley, Charese Allen, Paris Willford, David Harrill, and me are going to create an artistic, unique shelter to inspire minds to create their own vision. We hope to create a sketch shelter in mind of creativity, use of space, and interior & exterior flow.