design build at ELON university

"it's a go!"

2011-09-26T09:07:00.003-04:00

Dear DB friends,

things are already heating up at ELON, without so much as a studio brand for our maiden project we are nonetheless underway. students in the ENS360 - Green Design class are design-building a gallery for eco art exhibits by re-purposing a donated greenhouse. the gallery space being developed in collaboration with Samantha DiRosa, an artist and associate professor in the art department, will be off-grid and located in the sculpture park adjacent to Arts West at Elon.

please visit: http://elongreenhouselab.wordpress.com/

in ENS 110 - Humans and Nature we are tackling the design-build of a tool shed/seminar space in collaboration with Professor Steven Moore ENS' agro-ecologist. the mobile structure will be primarily employed at the Loy Farm site on Elon's campus.

in the spring 2012 semester, Professor Moore and I will be collaborating to "re-invent" the high tunnel, another project at the Loy farm.

in the summer of 2012, yours truly will begin work on developing "atelier zéro" at Elon -- more to come on this as work unfolds.

thank you for following us.

cheers,

robert michel CHAREST, associate professor and design/build guru
Elon University

ANOTHER RISING FROM THE ASHES

2011-08-26T09:17:00.003-04:00

dear all,

much has unfolded since our last communiqué. at the forefront is my joining the faculty in the department of environmental studies at Elon University. urban s t u d i o at UNCG is no longer and a new brand of community engaged design-build is about to take flight. this new incarnation will undoubtedly make your heads spin. many, many collaborative projects encompassing responsible design, agro-ecology, entrepreneurship and eco-art are already in the works and will be underway very shortly.

please stay tuned, this is "even better than the real thing"...

regards,

robert michel CHAREST, associate professor and design-build guru

department of environmental studies
elon university

rcharest@elon.edu

in between jobs

2010-07-21T10:48:00.002-04:00

Dear friends of urban s t u d i o,

please keep visiting our site http://www.uncg.edu/iar/us/ and follow [us] as we begin developing our next journey. many avenues are in our sites at this point and suffice to say that the next adventure promises, once again, to re-define the boundaries of community engaged design-build. we do not disappoint - it's our policy!

cheers,

robert m. charest, director of urban s t u d i o [us]

2010-07-21T10:06:00.000-04:00

[us] = always biting off more than one can chew!

2010-02-19T20:14:00.005-05:00

the unveiling was indeed a grand opening. many more than we ever expected attended the event. U.S. Senator Hagan, State Representative Adams, Chancellor Brady and Dean Sims topped the list of distinguished guests. We can only begin to thank all of our supporters and sponsors. please stay tuned and follow the incredible media coverage which began with the opening. below are amazing images by UNCG student photographer john read [http://studentimage.readcreations.com/]. a piece by jeri rowe will appear in this sunday's news and record [02-21-2010].

thank you for following urban s t u d i o,

robert michel charest, director of urban s t u d i o

2010-02-19T20:11:00.002-05:00

2010-02-19T20:10:00.001-05:00

2009-12-18T16:42:00.001-05:00

dear friends of urban s t u d i o,

more time has passed, than we would have liked, since our last post. Save for landscaping, it's snowing much like it does back home today [in quebec that is] and the end of our project is no close we can smell it.

it has been quite the ride to say the least. design-building a 5000 sq. ft. LEED registered, advanced energy compliant, NC Health and Human Services licensed home for 5 teenage moms and their children - within the framework of an academic design studio - has been an herculean undertaking to say the least. we can say for a second time, we did it man and, oh yeah, we rocked it baby!

We should be finished in the next 2 weeks or so -- including a prompt holiday interlude -- with the barrage of inspections and certifications to follow. our open house is scheduled for late January and occupancy of my sisters' house shortly after.

thank you to all who have contributed and to all who have followed the process.

we wish you a very happy holiday season,

robert michel charest, director of urban s t u d i o

2009-12-18T16:41:00.001-05:00

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2009-08-13T09:22:00.002-04:00

Greetings from Urban Studio o2!

It's been a while since our last update... we've been incredibly busy!

Between mid-March and the end of the spring semester, students worked hard to install the basic roof system so that the building could be dried in, and the concrete slab floor was poured inside the building. We hosted a small open house for friends and family, and it was nice to step back and take in all we had accomplished!

After a short break, summer session began, and a whole new group of students ranging from 2nd to 4th year showed up to help. We immediately began framing the interior partitions, and two groups of interns got to work on both roof installation and electrical wiring, neither of which were quick or easy tasks. A separate group of students have been working in our shop to build cabinetry and built-ins. HVAC and plumbing were also installed.

After passing all our inspections, things began to move much more quickly. Since mid-July, windows, curtain wall frames, and exterior finishes (hardiplank and stucco) have been installed/added.

Though summer session has ended, a small group of students have still been working hard to finish the roof and the brick sidewalks. Drywall has been installed inside, and we are planning to start priming and painting this week!

We are currently in the process of searching for appliances, fixtures, and other finish materials and products. In the meantime, enjoy the latest photographs from site, and check back soon for updates!

2009-03-12T12:26:00.001-04:00

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2009-03-12T11:57:00.002-04:00

spring break update

since our last posting the "big pour" has come and gone. on february 27th, we poured, in the pouring rain, 99 cubic yards of concrete. in all, the wall system consumed 117 yards.

both UNCG and GTCC are on spring break this week. we were able to get most of the pressure treated plates installed before leaving the site. the roof's structural system has been delivered and will be hoisted once classes resume.

students from both colleges have met the challenges, associated with design-build, dead-on and with incredible aplomb. the cyclical waves of cold weather systems [no doubt sent by my canuck peers] has set us back a tad and we are slightly behind schedule. no worries because urban s t u d i o has a fresh summer crew ready to receive the baton in may.

the urban s t u d i o summer experience will include juniors, seniors and thesis students. the unprecedented vertical studio will also be the internship site for undergraduates and graduates from the product design concentration.

floor slab, interior partitions and licensed trades [plumber, electrician, hvac, life-safety sprinklers and alarm/monitoring] will follow dry-in in the coming weeks.

cheers,

robert

2009-02-18T11:01:00.001-05:00

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2009-02-18T10:55:00.000-05:00

update from the site

2009-02-18T10:40:00.004-05:00

dear [us] community,

work is in full swing on my sisters' house. we are stacking the last courses of ICF, plumbing and bracing for the big pour -- concrete weighing in at roughly 150 pounds per cubic foot deserves this respect. the roof trusses and i-joist have been ordered so a dried-in my sisters' house is not far on the horizon.

also, please take a look at our site office (aka the club ho[us]e) constructed mainly from reclaimed lumber from our footing forms (it's a beast). erected on site by the students, the design is courtesy of yours truly and the "bangin" metal fab is from none other than Adrian Boggs.

it bears mentioning that we are using LOGIX insulating concrete forms (www.logixicf.com) and concrete from the LOFLIN plant in Kernersville -- recognized by many as the strongest concrete around. Jason Loflin has been an incredible adviser, as well as a truly generous sponsor, for our projects. The LOFLIN company has provided expertise, materials and equipment for my sisters' house as well as for our successful maiden design-build -- urban s t u d i o o1 - 909 dillard street.

cheers,

robert

2009-01-11T08:10:00.001-05:00

Dear [us] community,

though it has been a long while since our last post, urban studio o2 - my sisters' house is well underway. permits were obtained in early november and site work began immediately after. footings have been poured and the plumbing rough-in is complete and inspected.

work on site will resume on January 20 with 20 students from UNCG's department of Interior Architecture and 12 students from the Guilford Technical Community College carpentry program. The site work is led by Thomas Roever at GTCC and yours truly at UNCG. The prefabrication atelier is directed by Adrian Boggs, a IARc graduate student in the product design concentration.

our brand new website will be online in the coming weeks, it will be accessible from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Interior Architecture website and this blog. We will update the blog weekly with progress from the field and from the urban studio prefabrication atelier.

cheers,

robert michel charest, director of urban s t u d i o [us]

2009-01-11T08:07:00.000-05:00

2009-01-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

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2009-01-11T08:03:00.000-05:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:53:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:49:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:42:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:39:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:36:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:32:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:31:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:22:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:20:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:18:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:16:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:15:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:12:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T10:07:00.000-04:00

[us] process

2008-06-09T00:35:00.000-04:00

final [us] presentation

2008-06-09T00:32:00.000-04:00

final [us] presentation

2008-06-09T00:30:00.000-04:00

Final [US] Presentation

2008-06-09T00:25:00.001-04:00

Urban Studio Class: Spring 08'

2008-06-09T00:18:00.000-04:00

happy holidays!

2007-12-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

urban studio o2 - "my sisters' house" is moving forward at a steady pace. a preliminary set of drawings, as well as a model have been presented and well received during a recent multi-venue "tour". Indeed, YWCA Greensboro, the Eastside Park neighborhood, the City of Greensboro Department of Housing and Community Development, The Greensboro Redevelopment Commission and the City of Greensboro Zoning Commission have all reviewed the proposal and commented quite favorably. as of January, students at UNCG's department of Interior Architecture will be hard at work further developing the proposed dwelling's architecture, interior and furnishings. the York street ground-breaking ceremony remains slated for May 2008.

until then, urban studio would like to offer its warmest holiday wishes and a happy new year to all of our supporters!

2007-12-17T17:02:00.000-05:00

2007-12-17T17:01:00.002-05:00

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urban s t u d i o o2 - my sister's house

2007-09-03T07:28:00.000-04:00

dear friends of urban s t u d i o,

urban s t u d i o wishes to thank you for contributing to the
immense success of 909 dillard street. this project would
not have been possible without your support. your
generosity has made a huge difference in the lives of a
community, of students involved and especially, in the
lives of lillie and james marshall. we would also like to
announce that urban s t u d i o o2 – my sister’s house
is presently in the planning stages. this time around, we
are working with the ywca of greensboro to design | build
a home for single teenage moms and their children. this
project will unfold between January of 2008 and June of
2009.

cheers,

robert michel CHAREST,
assistant professor and director of urban studio [us]

department of interior architecture
school of human environmental sciences
the university of north carolina at greensboro

2006-12-29T12:18:00.000-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home.

2006-12-29T12:17:00.000-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home. The First Time [us] Sat Down To Take A Breath.

2006-12-29T12:16:00.002-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home. "Lord I Can't Even Walk"

2006-12-29T12:16:00.001-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home

2006-12-29T12:16:00.000-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home

2006-12-29T12:15:00.002-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home

2006-12-29T12:15:00.001-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home

2006-12-29T12:15:00.000-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home

2006-12-29T12:14:00.000-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home

2006-12-29T12:10:00.002-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home

2006-12-29T12:10:00.001-05:00

Week 14: Our Prize, The Marshall's & Their Home

2006-12-29T12:10:00.000-05:00

Week 14: Finalizing the Interior

2006-12-29T12:09:00.002-05:00

Week 14: Finalizing the Interior

2006-12-29T12:09:00.001-05:00

Week 14: Finalizing the Interior

2006-12-29T12:09:00.000-05:00

Week 14: Finalizing the Exterior

2006-12-29T12:08:00.000-05:00

Week 14: Finalizing the Exterior

2006-12-29T12:07:00.000-05:00

Week 14: Finalizing the Exterior

2006-12-29T12:06:00.002-05:00