We would like to take a break from guest lecturers this month to host a round-table discussion about some future building projects we intend to coordinate through the Guild. We have had a diverse array of programming over the course of the last year, and it seems time to finally get our hands dirty!
Convening at 7:00, we will again host the Eco-Arch Guild from the West Bank Social Center. The WBSC is located on the West Bank, above the Nomad World Pub at 501 Cedar Avenue South, on the Second Floor (see directions here).
Some potential projects up for consideration are;
> Seating for a swath of recently reclaimed community garden overlooking the Minneapolis downtown, located on the South side of Hwy 94 in the Stevens neighborhood. This project is currently being negotiated with the Stevens Square Community Organization and the City of Minneapolis Park Board.
> Strawbale benches designed by Adam Jonas and Arlene Birt for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s summer sculpture installations, the 2009 theme is ‘Powerhouse Plants’. Vesper College students enrolled in the ‘Vernacular Architecture’ course will get a chance to schmear some stucco during their project’s construction in May and the invitation has been extended to interested Guild members as well! The Arboretum’s website is; http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/ for further information on programming.
> Further involvement with the Permaculture Research Institute Cold Climate is another avenue up for investigation, their ‘Trellis About It’ design submissions will be opening on Friday, March 12th in the 5th Street Towers (5th St. entrance) 100 S. 5th Street Downtown Minneapolis. PRI’s website is; http://www.pricoldclimate.org/.
> A Twin Cities Sustainable Communities design workshop is also coming up on March 13th that may be of interest to the Guild, more information will be available at our meeting.
> A paint the pavement initiative sponsored by the City of St. Paul will also be up for exploration.
Ideas and enthusiasm for any and all of these projects is welcome and encouraged! If you know of other relavent opportunities, please bring information on those to share with the group as well. We would like to spend this year’s warm season doing as well as discussing. Remember that Monday nights are always 2-for-1’s at the Nomad as well.
