We’ve got a homework assignment: D:center Baltimore has challenged each of our constituents to write up a concise, clear vision for effecting change, this is our brief:

What’s your idea for a project that will change the way people think about the city? Be as abstract (manifesto) or as concrete (manifest) as you like, write a call to arms or an action statement, but it should be a vision that you can stand behind and support, and it should be something that the D:center has the unique opportunity to participate in.

… now we’re at the due date, and the responses are flowing in:

There’s a proposal for an Art Market incubator zone on the West Side of downtown near Charles Center, from Craig Purcell.

We have a point-by-point primer on the relationship between social interaction and the essence of creative change from Marian Glebes.

There is a vision of a physical Design Center at 10 North Charles St. by Klaus Philipsen.

Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson imagines a design-build competition that would make Baltimore its own developer, and its own client.

Mary Anne Akers wants to see a sustainable redevelopment project for the Baltimore City Gateway site.

I’ve posted a new diagram and concept plan for The PLANT, a phased, multidisciplinary, small scale development project originally created for the Baltimore Bioneers Conference.

… a lot of similar themes are emerging here. What’s your plan for changing the way people exist in the city? This post will continue to be updated as new writeups come in.

The Plant is a sustainable strategic development masterplan proposal for Baltimore. At the the building scale, The Plant is a mixed use prefab construction, containing a small meeting, office, and retail space for a nonprofit cultural institution, with apartments above. At the scale of the block, The Plant generates surplus energy for its neighbors, food from an onsite garden, and improved water quality. Income from The Plant, along with added equity from the block’s other properties, is able to effect change at the municipal level, helping fund a prefab construction supply startup, which is then able to export new techniques and technologies to other postindustrial cities in the larger region.

The Plant was created for the Baltimore Bioneers Conference in the fall of 2008, by the Visionary Green Design and Development Panel: Lisa Ferretto, Eric Leshinsky, Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, Prescott Gaylord, Thibault Manekin, & Fred Scharmen

Click Here for a fullsized version of this diagram.

Click Here for more information.

Prepared by Dr. Mary Anne Akers, Dean, School of Architecture and Planning, Morgan State University
Executive Summary for the COIL, Inc. Redevelopment Project
INTRODUCTION
The proposed project area is located on the 1200 block (and possibly, 1100 block) of West Baltimore Street, located on the southwest portion of the City of Baltimore. For decades, the area, known as the Baltimore City Gateway Community, was an industrial, residential and light commercial district but fairly recent development projects (i.e., Oriole Park Baseball Stadium, M&T Raven’s Football Stadium, and University of Maryland Biotech Park) have positively modified the face of the district. As other changes are anticipated, the proposed project area is confronted with developments that do not necessarily address community needs. Typical of other major cities, urban physical transformations and gentrification practices force local residents out of their familiar environments.
PURPOSE OF THE COIL, Inc. PROJECT
The purposes of the proposed project are three-fold:
1. To revitalize the area by generating jobs and achieving economic viability in the community;
2. To develop innovative development models that address the needs of multiple stakeholders (i.e., community residents, UM Bio-tech park campus, Bon Secours Hospital); and
3. To create an urban hub for cultural activities (i.e., jazz music, community-based performing arts).
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
While there is a strong demand to develop the area with a conventional development mindset, this project serves the community and the city better if alternative strategies are implemented. To achieve the goals for the proposed project, the development team must adhere to several principles which include the following:
1. Development projects should be designed in the context of urban sustainability. This, of course, does not only apply to the construction of green buildings, but the integration of urban ecology, microclimate, urban design, transportation, and people-oriented public and private spaces.
2. Development projects should not only cater to one specific group of users. For the area to be socially and economically viable, mixed-used and mixed-income projects, as well as inter-generational and multi-cultural projects should be designed.
3. A socio-behavioral and educational component should be part of the over-all behavioral concept. Bricks and mortar will not necessarily uplift and revitalize a community. Educational opportunities, job training, and social services are integral to the development process.
COMMUNITY WISH LIST
To jumpstart the development process, project ideas were discussed among residents and COIL,Inc. Please note that feasibility studies, environmental analyses, participatory charrettes, and the development of a community master plan and site concept plan for the 1200 and 1100
Prepared by Dr. Mary Anne Akers, Dean, School of Architecture and Planning, Morgan State University
Executive Summary for the COIL, Inc. Redevelopment Project
blocks of West Baltimore Street must first be accomplished before any construction is initiated. The following are several ideas that were gathered:
▪ Multi-cultural complex, which includes a jazz library, recording studio, performing arts auditorium, and a music school;
▪ Hotel, such as a Marriott hotel;
▪ Negro League Baseball and Sports Museum;
▪ Leadership training center;
▪ Mercantile Financial Development Empowerment Center;
▪ Retail shopping mall;
▪ Loft apartments;
▪ Professional Center; and
▪ Medical building.
NEXT STEP
The City of Baltimore and COIL, Inc., at this point, should hire a consultant to provide the necessary studies to move forward with the redevelopment project. The School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) at Morgan State University has the capacity to render services for the project. SA+P is an academic unit that approaches the study of urban communities from an interdisciplinary perspective.
We believe that SA+P is the best and most appropriate consultant for this project because of the following reasons:
1. The SA+P is the only school in Baltimore that has accredited programs in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and City and Regional Planning and we have fully qualified professional faculty members who can lead, guide, and facilitate the planning process.
2. The community project is consistent with our School’s mission which is to, “…advance the principles ofspatial justice, urban revitalization and sustainability and design for the everyday experience, through teaching, research, creative work, and community service.”
3. We use Baltimore city as our main educational laboratory but are also mindful of its context (i.e., region, nation, world). This means we are cognizant of Baltimore’s history, political dynamics, and cultural nuances, and are experts in observing and reflecting on its urban complexities, including the built environment’s impact on people, neighborhoods, and districts.
4. We are a special organization because of our student and faculty diversity, which lends itself to a dynamic exchange of ideas and experiences. These diverse perspectives result in a unique synergy that produces fresh and innovative solutions to urban problems.

IMAGE: A design by Baltimore-based architecture studio PI.KL for a design-build competition sponsored in Dallas. Called Re:Vision Dallas, the competition slogan stated: “The Future of Cities Starts Now…One Block at a Time.”

One of the most common concerns among architects (and others) in Baltimore is the dearth of creative clients willing to take risks on buildings. I propose that the D:center becomes that client.

The D:center’s inaugural event becomes a design-build competition set on developing a prototype building or structure for vacant infill. The parameters of the competition encourage progressive environmental and economic approaches and the result is a completed building. The city would be a key partner, helping to identify the location and develop the competition structure.

To cultivate the clients of the future—and to engage the general public in a recognition of their own power to effect place through design—a strategic PR campaign will pull citizens into the mix. There will be a public component to the competition (perhaps a cash award to the People’s Choice architect team, similar to that given by the Baker Awards). Citizens are actively a part of the process and are encouraged to rethink their role in designing their city. A slogan for such a campaign could be—Meet Baltimore’s Newest Developer: You.

In this way, the D:center begins to transform the city into a lab of actionable design while also transforming the way we all relate to our built environment.

The D:center at 10 North Charles Street is a facility shared by institutes and studios of the School of Architecture of University of Maryland at College Park, urban studios of the Department of Architecture of Morgan State University and urban studio programs of the Maryland Institute College of Art. The three institutions of higher education use the shared facility to collaborate, team teach and to conduct joint and separate research related to the fields of architecture, design, urban design, planning and art. The academic portion of the facility consists of auditorium space, seminar rooms, design studios, research and administrative offices.

Beyond the academic programs and spaces the facility accommodates a number of professional organizations in the same fileds which concentrate lectures, programs and exhibits in the building. Those organizations include the Baltimore Architecture Foundation with their offices and two public lectures series each year, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) with administrative office space and a number of lectures and presentations, the American Institute of Architects (AIA Baltimore Chapter with various programs and continued education lectures.

The facility is the headquarter of D:center, the Baltimore based nonprofit established to promote design excellence in the region. D:center interacts with all other groups, organizations and institutions in the facility and activates manufacturers in the design field as sponsors . D:center brings to Baltimore programs, lectures and activities related to design which advance awareness of the value of design, add knowledge in all fields of design and provide resources to those who benefit from design capacity and design thinking.
A design center located at the seam between the traditional downtown business district and the Westside, the former retail hub re-emerging as a diverse neighborhood with cultural institutions, offices, retail, housing and various institutions will have an important function in re-energizing this part of downtown Baltimore while strengthening the entire region .

creativity and social interaction should be encouraged without thought of profit.

all parties are capable of creative equity. nothing is limited/scarce/precious.

design embraces categories and unique skill sets, but eliminates divisions between them.

skills and knowledge, like commodities, are meant for redistribution amongst all parties.

as facilitators and cultural producers, our main commodity is social interaction and its perpetuation/stimulation.

never leave an interaction not having learned something, or questioned previously held beliefs.

encourage generosity over exclusivity.

there is never a reason to stop or end because there is no failure.

the design center is a flowchart where everything circles back to the beginning.

there is no shame in desperation or frustration or disagreement. these are natural in the social sphere.

there will be no progress without ingenuity. if there is no budget, how can it be done for free? if there is no space, how can one be created? if there is no know, how can parties listen harder until there is an answer?

there are no requirements to traffic in traditional definitions of received concepts, including, but not limited to: space, performance, media, need, or collaboration

ideas and production are more important than hierarchy, and action determines infrastructure, not labels.

the end of over-stimulation is boredom.

The BSA is moving to the Fort Point Channel, aka ”the Station North of Boston,” where they will create a new “design and architecture center complete with a museum and lecture hall to serve the public.”

http://news.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view/20100222architect_group_plans_new_digs_eyes_move_to_atlantic_wharf/srvc=home&position=also

Create an Art Market for local (and other) artists to sell their work thereby establishing an agora for the Arts of sorts and central “place” for the visual arts in Baltimore — see the attachment “Art Market” in Google Groups for the D Center Board members.

Other items may be sold here – reference Eastern Market in DC.

We’re going to try to have paper and pencil available at the Design Convos from now on, we’ll collect your notes, doodles, grocery lists or whatever and post them here in the blog. Design Convo #16 (we went back and counted, and decided it really was 16, after all), had some great doodling fodder. The collage here shows what looks like some notes from Dana Bourland’s excellent presentation on her work at Enterprise Community Partners (Food Distribution, Public Transportation, Healthy Housing). On the upper left corner is a graphic that looks inspired by some of the amazing diagrams from Pavlina Ilieva of PIKL (this one is my favorite). In the center are some bubble diagrams, reminiscent of Julie Gabrielli’s presentation on wrangling the diversity of constituents involved in the production of UMD’s award winning LEAF House Solar Decathlon entry. Someone’s got some notes on the Baltimore Community Foundation’s Kresge Grant program, which we were lucky to hear about from BCF’s Melissa Warlow.

There’s also what looks like a sketch for some kind of cryptographic or programming matrix, a diagram about greywater capture in a plumbing drain stack, and, interestingly, a small illustration labeled: Blueberry, Mint, Cardamom (sounds delicious). Click here to see a larger version, and check here to download the presentations. Keep the doodles coming!

Thanks to Geoff Stack for curating this one, and thanks to Russell, our host at Windup Space, and to everyone who donated, for helping us raise some funds for Architecture for Humanity’s reconstruction plan in Haiti. Those are on their way to AFH now.

Emily Pilloton, founder of Project H and recent Colbert Report guest, hit the road on Friday for her Design Revolution Road Show. On Thursday, March 11, Emily and her Airstream trailer will be in Baltimore and D:center Baltimore is co-hosting a panel discussion at MICA.

DESIGN REVOLUTION: JOIN THE DEBATE

Thursday, March 11, 6:30 p.m.,* Falvey Hall, Brown Center, 1301 W. Mount Royal Ave.

THIS EVENT IS FREE!

Debating how the issues of social justice and advocacy will impact the way artists conceive and execute their visual environment, a panel of top designers and editors looks at the future of design practice. Panelists include Emily Pilloton, founder, and Matthew Miller, project manager, of Project H Design, a non-profit dedicated to bringing product design to those who need it most; John Bielenberg, founder of Project M, an immersion program created to inspire young graphic designers, writers, photographers and other creative people to do work that can make a difference; and Julie Lasky, editor of Design Observer’s Change Observer section, which covers socially aware design. Baltimore-based architecture and design writer Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson will moderate the discussion.

This panel is a part of the Design Revolution Road Show, an initiative of Project H Design that is traveling across the United States with an exhibition of humanitarian products that empower people and improve life. The exhibition trailer will be open for viewing before and after the panel discussion. The lecture is co-sponsored by D:center Baltimore and Urbanite magazine.

*Note time change.