This was a pro bono project for the Ashford POA to determine how a new community center would fit on their existing site. We did a charrette to develop concepts for the board to review. Final deliverables were a site plan and building plan for the community to review.
If you find yourself in a meeting where a client asks for alternate ideas but you don't have the luxury of spending a day at the computer, you need to be ready to provide options using only the basic tools every architect has on hand: sketch paper and a couple of different colored pens. This was the challenge for our exercise. We had an approved plan, but we needed to quickly provide options for the building's elevations and form using only two colors of pen and sketch paper.
After 15 minutes, each team member had the opportunity to present and sell their design, receiving feedback from the rest of the team. Learning to communicate effectively beyond just drawings is essential in helping our clients achieve their goals. These quick sketches are meaningless without the ability to convey the ideas behind them. We even took a stab at naming some of the designs to give them a distinct identity.
