Due to the impact of COVID-19 on the prospect of students returning to school in the autumn of 2020, AIA Ohio held a design charrette to assist schools in developing strategies to mitigate the challenges faced. The ideas developed in this charrette ranged from strategic planning and allocation of resources to the tactical deployment of devices to aid in the safe education of students. For this charrette, I developed the concept of a parasol to help define an outdoor classroom.
The parasol would be constructed of easily obtained and affordable materials sourced from big box home improvement stores or local lumberyards. The device would serve to create shade and personalized landmarks that can be moved and adjusted as needed but are still resilient and heavy enough not to be blown away. The parasol itself can be scaled up in size or scope to include adding photovoltaic solar panels, teaching aids, and charging for the personal electronic devices commonly used in education today.
During the charrette I was paired up with Alexandra Bohler of Hatch Architects to further develop our concepts for the final presentation. Her entry sequence Welcom(ing) Module was similar in scope and deployment as my Parasol; the two ideas worked well together to invite students back into schools. We were one of five groups selected for the statewide final presentation. Our entire presentation is shown available through the link.
