Community Partnerships Archives
Airport Comfort Zones
The Sky Harbor Terminal Two Comfort Zone project is a 1,000 foot-long shading and cooling structure that employs photovoltaics, evaporative coolers, and low heat-retaining materials for travelers waiting for ground transportation. The project, conceived and designed by School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture faculty, is under construction at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Capitol Mall District
Beginning in 1996, the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture has been working in the Capitol Mall District to bring awareness of the planning, social, and economic issues to elevate the natural and built environments of the Capitol Mall equal to the tasks that take place within its buildings. This early work led to identifying how homeless in the area impacts the Capitol Mall and resulted in the creation of a combined "campus of care" – the Central Arizona Shelter Services campus. In spring 2005, two School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture studios – one in architecture and one in planning – embarked on the next phase of research and planning in the area supported with funding from the Phoenix Community Alliance and APS, which resulted in a research publication – Capitol Mall District Revitalization Plan. Through the participation of the Phoenix Community Alliance, a multifaceted group of individuals from the state of Arizona, city of Phoenix, Maricopa County, and business, neighborhood, and university communities have now formed a task force to implement one of the students' ideas – an Arizona flag walk along Washington Street to help elevate awareness of the Capitol Mall area in general. The School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture is committed to a variety of projects that look toward improving the area for Arizona's Centennial in 2012. This is just one of those projects.
Dean’s Forum
Dean Kwang-Wu Kim held a dean's forum for the community on Jan. 31, 2008 at Legend City – a downtown Phoenix artist's studio space for Randy Slack, Jason Grubb, Jon Balinkie and Brandon Sullivan. The forum provided a community platform for connecting unique visions, imaginations and interpretations of contemporary human experience (social, cultural, civic, economic and technological) engaging a wide public.
These dean's forums continue to be held throughout the year. For more information on the next forum, contact Joe Baker, director for community engagement.
Design of Prostheses
An industrial design studio partnered with the Bioengineering Department to develop a prototype for a prosthetic arm that could be manufactured from readily available materials in developing countries, where there is a need for inexpensive, easily manufactured assistive products.
Garfield Elementary Graphic Design Project
Seniors in the Visual Communication Department choose a variety of projects to focus on for their final year. One group of students chose to work with the Garfield Elementary School on projects that would help the school's young, inner-city students express their wishes and goals for the future. One project had children express what made them thankful through a small painting. The graphic design students took the paintings and transferred them to fabric and hung a "quilt" of these wishes from a tree in front of the school for the school children, parents, and teachers to enjoy.
Kokoon
Kokoon, a transdisciplinary collaboration of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Department of Dance, Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, The Chocolate Factory, created a site-specific work culminating on May 2, 2008 in downtown Phoenix.
The research project focused on creating a platform for faculty, students and artists to approach Phoenix as a place - a constellation of diverse communities to engage a wide audience. The performance took dance outside of traditional presentation formats and created opportunities to perform in spaces that expand beyond the black box or proscenium stage while engaging a larger public with their work.
Pedestrian Amenities Along 7th Avenue
An architecture studio's proposal to use shared urban space to improve the streetscape won the approval of a coalition of businesses located on 7th Avenue in Phoenix. The faculty member obtained a $500,000 TEA-21 grant to build a demonstration site, the second phase of which is scheduled for construction soon.
Pima: The Native American Pima-Maricopa High School Project
Opera appreciation will be introduced to Salt River High School as a new music outreach program targeting Native American adolescents.
Dr. Robert Mills and associate professor Anne Elgar Kopta from the voice faculty of the ASU Herberger Institute School of Music have teamed with Chris Wakley, music director of the Salt River High School, to create an innovative program aimed at introducing 8- through 12-grade students to the world of opera.
Highlights of the program include interactive workshops on various aspects of opera production such as singing and staging as well as lighting, scenery and costumes. The project culminates with a student production in the fall of 2008.
Service Learning/Sowing the Seeds
An Industrial Design studio worked collaboratively with the Department of Plant Biology to design a movable, chair-height gardening box for the elderly or those with limited mobility and tested it with clients at the Scottsdale Village Square.
SITI Company
This partnership between the ASU Herberger Institute School of Theatre and Film and ASU Gammage brings one of the world's most celebrated contemporary theatre companies to ASU. During the next three years, SITI Company, led by Anne Bogart, will create two theatre pieces, conduct acting intensives and perform newly created works.
SITI Company's presence at ASU serves as an invaluable resource for theatre faculty and students and the theatre community, in partnership with ASU artists.
Sound Design
This is a study by Industrial Design faculty and students on the impact of musical instruments for music therapy for children with a variety of physical and mental disabilities. Students researched and developed the instruments for the children's use. The faculty member received the Mortar Board Award from the ASU Student Association for her role in initiating and facilitating this project.
Student Leadership Retreat
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts Graduate Student Leadership Retreat took place May 12–13, 2008 at SkySong in Scottsdale. This retreat sought to encourage and identify emerging scholars and practitioners within the institute and foster communications between graduate students from the various departments and schools.
The retreat participants brainstormed arts initiatives in technology, theater, dance, music, film and art for after school programs in Phoenix public schools. The curriculum developed during the retreat will pilot after-school arts programs in four K-6 schools in fall 2008.
This project is part of the U.S. Department of Education's 21st Century Learning Centers in partnership with the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture and Arizona Department of Education. The program is administered by Herberger Institute Community School for Design and the Arts.
Wheeled Mobility Devices
In partnership with BTI Consultants, an Industrial Design studio and faculty member researched new ways that wheelchairs and scooters could be restrained in buses and light rail cars. Prototypes of wheelchair and scooters have been tested with users with research into new devices ongoing.