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. . Check out our May 2023 Notes from the Field to learn about recent updates from our programs.
City Builders Design Workshop
Design Workshops
We convene project-based learning opportunities that focus 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.
SPRING semester
Cities don’t magically appear. They are planned, designed, and then developed.
This semester our City Builders Design students have had an opportunity to learn about the plans for the City of Richmond. Samantha Lewis, a Planner from the City of Richmond’s Planning Department, stopped by to talk about her profession as an urban planner and the plans for Richmond currently outlined in the Richmond 300, the City’s master plan. The master plan aims to guide the development of Richmond by its 300th birthday in 2037. Students discovered how closely related urban planning and urban design are to each other and how impactful they both are when it comes to the success of a city.
Sam, Planner with the City of Richmond planning office introduces the Richmond 300
Design Session
Low-cost Design and Planning Assistance
We provide community members 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.
RVAFridges shelter desigN
Good things take time!
In 2021, we met with RVA Community Fridges to dream up a shelter for a Southside fridge to protect it from the elements. mOb studio continued the project with a focus on modular designs that could adapt across citywide locations. A tiny footprint with a great impact, the fridges promote ideals behind food justice and directly remove barriers to fresh food.
Over the past few months, the RVAFridges team partnered with a local carpenter, August Neuscheler (mound.info) to adapt and build out a shelter design for their new fridge in Northside! Last month, they held a community build led by August to put it all together. We're thrilled and proud of this community partner for taking their design ideas into the built environment. Check out this project at 3613 Meadowbridge Road (along with MAD RVA's new free store!) and leave a food item to help stock the fridge.
reimagining a vacant lot in the east end
Earlier this year, we started working on a Design Session with RVA Community Development Corporation (RVA CDC), a new organization that strives to promote economic opportunity and stability for vulnerable neighborhoods in Richmond. Our fantastic landscape architecture and planning volunteers (Robbie, Lizzy and Michael) reimagined a small vacant lot in the East End into a multi-use community gathering space! Beginning with a chilly site visit and a couple design review meetings later, they created a conceptual plan that does a lot with a little and can be a community engagement tool for RVA CDC to get additional feedback.
mOb studio semester wrap up and fall 2023 project call
Last week, we attended mOb studio’s final critiques. We’re grateful for our community partners and mOb mentOrs that made all the community-engaged projects possible! Keep an eye out on the @middleofbroadstudio instagram to learn more about each project over the next few weeks.
Spring 2023 Community Partners:
Councilperson Robertson / Public Arts Comission
Dept of Social Services, City Hall
Alternatives Boutique
VCU SHIFT Retail Lab
Highland Support Project
Could your organization benefit from conceptual design assistance this fall from a group of interdisciplinary VCUarts students? Check out the program menu and fill out a Design Session form for mOb studio!
mOb studio: Rendering for a gathering space behind Alternatives Boutique
mOb studio: Modular design for an interior fixture at VCU Shift Retail Lab
resources
RPS High schoolers are invited to design Richmond’s next “I Voted” sticker! Deadline May 12th
Community Visioning
Low-cost Design and Planning Assistance
We provide community-based design and planning assistance that inspires community members to take action, leverage their creativity, and realize a shared vision that strengthens our neighborhoods. Learn more about Community Visioning.
JACKSON WARD COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATES
Our team has been collaborating with the Jackson Ward Community Plan project team to host visioning events in 2023, meeting with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) representatives to provide updates on the process, and working together with Gilpin Informed Residents to develop creative communications.
On February 11, we hosted the Draft Plan Event. where we transformed the Calhoun Center’s gymnasium into a community space with interactive stations. Upon arrival, attendees received a passport map to guide them. Attendees took part in many activities to learn about the project, explore maps of current conditions and proposed improvements, and review the community plan’s vision, themes, and goals.
image: Interactive stations at the Community Draft Plan Event on February 11
In April, Gilpin Court and Jackson Ward residents, planning experts, and stakeholders attended one of two sessions, in person or virtual, for the Community Plan Event. This was a great opportunity to see the latest iteration of the community plan based on the input and ideas received over the last ten months. Comments received will help the project team prepare for the final community presentation in fall 2023.
A HUGE shout out goes to the Gilpin Informed Residents, Dreame, Quiera, Paula, and Stephanie, for helping the team lead a great presentation!
image: Gilpin Informed Residents presenting at the Community Plan Event on April 18.
Read the full recap of the Jackson Ward Community Draft Plan Event in February
Read the full recap of the Jackson Ward Community Plan Events in April
Check out the Jackson Ward Community Plan webpage to learn more about upcoming meetings and to review past meeting materials.