[Imc-makerspace] Fwd: Re: [IMC] UCIMC lobby getting a facelift

[Brian Duggan]

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Subject: Re: [IMC] UCIMC lobby getting a facelift
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:34:45 -0600
From: Chris Ritzo <chris.ritzo at gmail.com>
To: UC IMC <imc at ucimc.org>, imc-members <imc-members at ucimc.org>

I just realized I forgot to include all the Architecture faculty
members names. They are: Stewart Hicks, Julie Larsen, Roger Hubeli and
Allison Newmeyer.

Best, Chris R.

On Sat, Feb 19, 2011 at 7:47 PM, Chris Ritzo <chris.ritzo at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello friends,
>
> If you've visited the IMC this weekend you'll notice some pretty major
> changes happening in the Broadway street entrance. I wanted to give
> you an update on what's happening, some history on this project that
> began over a year ago and the great partnership that's making it
> possible.
>
> We are fortunate to be working with four faculty members from the UI
> School of Architecture on a re-model of the front lobby area. This
> will include a new staffing desk, seating, plenty of storage, display
> and signage areas, a secure book drop for donations, a computer for
> staff to use and log volunteer information, and more. The first thing
> you'll notice is that a new coat of paint is going up this weekend.
> Sometime in March things will begin going into place and I'm really
> excited for this first collaboration with Stewart Hicks, Julie ??,
> Roger Hubeli ?? , and ?? to be finally moving forward. The staffing
> desk will be in the same location where you've seen Americorps staff
> and volunteers sitting during our open hours. Along the north wall
> near the C4A entrance there will be seating. The Books to Prisoners
> book drop will be integrated into the space. One unique feature of the
> remodel will be a continuous wall curving along the exterior walls of
> the WRFU studio, proceeding to the red door entrance to the IMC. This
> wall will contain integrated storage, corkboard & whiteboard spaces,
> speakers and signage, and will serve as a visual pointer to our
> entrance. It will not obstruct the WFRU studio window in any way.
> These are a few highlights of what's to come. If you're interested in
> seeing some updated designs for the front entrance lobby, come to the
> March Steering meeting.
>
> Let me share some of the history of this project with you.
>
> Back in March 2010, Stewart Hicks, one of 4-5 faculty members from the
> UI School of Architecture, emailed imc at ucimc.org expressing interest
> in working with the IMC as a community partner. Their research is to
> design and complete building projects and then to write and publish
> about it. They had visited the space for an event, and sought us out
> as a potential community partner. Several of us in the community
> connections group, Beth Simpson, former Americorps member Meme Polk,
> current Americorps member and building supervisor Leon McGee and
> myself, kept the connection going, sought broader input, gathered
> people's ideas and helped build support for the partnership within the
> IMC. If you're interested in reading more about how this conversation
> got started, you can read the list archives here:
> http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/imc/2010-April/008908.html
>
> Stewart and his colleagues designed some great preliminary ideas for
> the first floor IMC space, including plans for the front hall lobby
> area that include a seating and staffing area. At the September 2010
> Steering meeting the staffing desk move and remodel was approved. Our
> partners from the Architecture school presented these initial ideas at
> both the Nov. 4th Steering meeting and at the Nov. 13th General
> Membership meeting. You can see some of those early ideas here:
> http://wiki.ucimc.org/pub/CommunityConnections/UIArchitectureFacultyDesignProjects/Architects-Presentation_small.pdf
>
> I have served as the primary point of contact for this project on
> behalf of the Community Connections group, representing the IMC and
> bringing ideas and decisions back to the Steering group as we've move
> along. Last fall I wrote a letter of support for these faculty
> members, committing to the partnership as a community organization so
> they could apply for grant funding. In November 2010, they were
> awarded $15,000 from the University of Illinois' Office of Public
> Engagement grant program. This was very exciting and since then they
> have been seeking materials, making designs, and now we are in the
> first stages of remodeling the IMC lobby area.
>
> The main focus was to design and envision the space as we use it, not
> as dictated by the building itself. The idea is that we're really
> "taking ownership" of the space in ways that represent the IMC as a
> creative and radical organization, rather than just using what's here
> in this 1920's era industrial post office and allowing our energy and
> ideas to be diluted by it.
>
> Please share this information with your working group and other IMC
> members. I'd be happy to field any questions folks have about the
> project to remodel the IMC front entrance. Please feel free to respond
> on or off list.
>
> Chris Ritzo
>
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