Progress: Design week 1

We are about to enter into another week of studio, and our two site groups are intensely working on our respective designs. The Keese Barn site group is working very well together, and there have been a lot of really great ideas tossed around; however, we are constantly having to be conscious of the fact that we need to both fix the "fragmentation" of the site's ununified elements and prevent our design from contributing to this flaw. In order to counteract the tendancy to create individual projects, we are making a concerted effort to meet only as a group. This has worked relatively well so far, and I hope that it continues to go well.

We are really concentrating on working with the landscape and the existing structures as a framework rather than tearing down any structures just to rebuild something in its place. Our analysis of the site's needs have led us to create a list of design needs including unifying the site's existing elements, making the barbeque pit and table more useable, finishing the porch, adding seating elements, providing shade to the area, adding signage and pictures, and ensuring the safety of the site's visitors from falling wood, etc. The ideas presented by the former students who constructed the site as it is now were really interesting; however, the community does not understand the ideas and see the current site as merely a "curiosity", according to Joe at the Historic Information Center in Pendleton. I really hope that we will be able to re-habilitate the site into something that the community will be proud of and use, but I know that there is no pleasing the entire community. However, even though I anticipate some controversy, I know that this will be a great experience for all involved.