Storefront for Community Design inspires equitable community-driven design through our innovative design education programs including low-cost design and planning assistance and design workshops.
Burt Pinnock Awarded Enduring Spirit of Philanthropy Award
The fall season kicked off with the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Central Virginia Chapter, National Philanthropy Day hosted by Virginia State University.
This year, Burt Pinnock, FAIA, NOMA, received the Enduring Spirit of Philanthropy Award, and it is easy to understand why. Burt Pinnock does not miss an opportunity to do something good for others. In 2011, recognizing the need to create equity and harness the power of design within Richmond's many communities, Burt began serving as the founding board chair of Storefront for Community Design.
Since the inception of Storefront, Burt has been actively involved, supporting through personal dollars, many personal hours, and an incalculable amount of talent. Burt's vast and deep civic engagement is the bedrock of his enduring philanthropy spirit.
Design Session | Low-cost Design and Planning Assistance
We provide community members with design and planning assistance at an intimate, approachable level, including one-on-one advice, conceptual sketches, and plans of action from volunteer design and planning professionals. Learn more about Design Session.
Mobile Market
This fall, Storefront connected Soul Replenishing to convert a shuttle bus into a mobile market for an organization that seeks to feed low-income communities, provide essential products, and enrich lives through health and community. Having personally converted a van, volunteer designer Kylie at Fultz & Singh Architects answered the call to envision an interior design for the mobile market!
MLK Jr. Middle School Restorative Garden
Community Partners shared a working conceptual design for the garden at an engagement meeting earlier this fall. Storefront coordinated design volunteers to support the design process, and we are excited to continue supporting the garden project through a partnership with mOb studio in the spring. This partnership will assist with designing specific elements within the garden space.
playspace
Bryan Innovation Lab at the Steward School needed a new playspace in their learning garden, so mOb created an adaptive design for various user groups of all ages, including storage, canopy, and mobile a-frame structures. Megan Young, Bryan Innovation Lab Program Specialist, shared,
“We were blown away by the wild and novel ideas and appreciated the time spent to make them practical for a school setting – you all balanced this super well! And we loved that you all were able to get our students and community members involved in the process.”
Design Workshops | City Builders
We convene project-based learning opportunities focusing on real-world issues in the built environment and encourage youth and young adults to discover and design solutions that create effective change in their lives and communities. Learn more about City Builders Design Workshop.
City Builders Fall Semester
This semester, City Builders had an opportunity to share their creative vision for everyday spaces in their community. City Builders explored their own identities and how they are reflected in the built environment.
Participants created surface designs for the Richmond Metro Transportation Authority’s (RMTA) Downtown Expressway toll plaza with instruction from VCU Arts professor Emily Smith and mOb studio students. The mObians created a transit tool kit for participants to think of their designs as more than a mural, but a message- an expression of the identity of Richmond.
City Builders visited the Elegba Folklore Society for an illustration of architecture, people, artifacts, and symbols that tell stories about Richmond’s history. During the visit, Omalide encouraged participants to envision a connected identity for the future.
VCU Interior design faculty Sara Reed and VCU student Bryce Carlson led a specially-curated session called What is Good Design? City Builders were prompted to create a collage that used texture, color, and material to express the character of the Storefront block.
At the end of the semester, when asked what an ideal community looked like framed by their identity, the City Builders blew us away with their designs for a healthy and happy community, including a shelter for the houseless, a hotel with state-of-the-art technology, a calm spa, energy cafe, and zen garden.
GOLDEN HAMMER AWARDS (Nov 2)
Historic Richmond and Storefront for Community Design partnered for a seventh year to host the awards program to recognize professionals and community members improving our neighborhoods through restoration, adaptive reuse, new construction, placemaking, and historic preservation.
The 2023 Storefront Teen Choice Award went to Old City Hall. City Builders shared that Old City Hall was their clear favorite, and the revitalized interior and finishings are fitting for "the castle."
Participants and design mentors had 45 minutes to design an award that represents the best parts of Richmond. To make it slightly more challenging, they could only use paper products with tape, string, or glue.
A huge thank you to our sponsors! A complete list of nominees and winners can be found here.
