nccj office visit

we visited nccj in two stages. edgar, matt, and i went on the first true reconnaissance of the space to think through design opportunities there. we asked alison to provide some additional information about working habits and needs. (actually, it was a proud moment as an educator, as i watched two terrific designers in their element, getting at the human dimension of the design challenges that lay before us).

nccj is located in the "office wing" of the former jewish temple on north greene street. the colonial revival building, to put it mildly, is a little tired, in terms of finishes, but the bones of the building are terrific and offer the opportunity for re-invigoration of the surfaces and finishes. as is the case with many non-profits, nccj is not in a position to be able to dedicate a lot of money to the updating of its offices. it's my hope, though, that they will see the need to use the building to help share an important mission about equality, community activism, and justice in our world.

about a week after our first visit, edgar and i measured up the nccj office while debbie took notes and chatted with alison about needs. i think i impressed edgar by hand-drawing a nearly scaled floor plan of the offices. and while i can draw a darned straight line without a straight edge... i'm no CAD expert, so edgar graciously agreed to put the drawing into form for our use.

that accomplished, our next task was to set a date to work as the community by design team on potential visions for the space.

community by design dinners

i don't know what i'm enjoying more, the really invigorating ideas about design or the food! for each community by design meeting, we rotate among our houses (and chef duties). claiming the idea that food helps stimulate conversation, we've certainly eaten well...and i have truly been most grateful to get to know all of these incredible people much better.

in a moment of silliness, suzanne and debbie led the charge to craft a logo out of the mexican feast. with plenty of design advice from edgar and me, their result was great...and delicious.

newcomer's school

our second potential client has emerged...art teacher victoria wreden-sadeq at the newcomer's school in the guilford county system. victoria met me for coffee at the tail end of the spring semester and we brainstormed about possibilities for her classroom, in dire need of some design energy. the community by design team will schedule a visit to the school to assess opportunities in june.