Art Center and Urban Tree Farm – St. Louis, MO – Thomson – Spring 2005

Art Center and Urban Tree Farm - St. Louis, MO - Thomson - Spring 2005

Serving as both an art center for underserved children in St. Louis and an urban tree farm, this project reclaims a city block currently populated by abandoned homes. The block is anchored by classrooms on one corner with a pathway to a performance and exhibition center on the diagonal corner. The other two corners provide housing for artists-in-residence and community members. Along the pathway across the site are rows of trees for future planting for the revitalization of downtown St. Louis, as well as seating and play areas, and a community garden.

Model/Renders in Rhino/Flamingo

Design-Build – DESIGN – University City, MO – Safe – Fall 2005

Design-Build - DESIGN - University City, MO - Safe - Fall 2005,

This design-build project transformed a traffic island next to a post office into a shaded sitting area, enjoyed by those walking through or driving around. We had relatively few guidelines – a permanent memorial to be enjoyed as public space by the residents of University City, a material budget of ten thousand dollars, and sixteen weeks to design, obtain permits and city approvals, and build the project. The donor simply asked us to “make something beautiful.”

I explored how a curved, dynamic shape could be made from straight wood members, then collaborated with my classmates to come up with a design. The donor and the city mayor selected this design to be built.