Week 5: Happy 4th!!

This week was a little slower with the holiday and all, and everyone was in and out of the office a bunch.  As usual, I have been working on this outdoor exhibit, and I am actually getting pretty overwhelmed knowing that I will only be here another month and we have so much that needs to get done. 

I have been doing tons and tons of research on fabricators, materials, lighting, and graphics, so this week I have been on the phone a lot calling to get prices and quotes.  It is amazing how expensive such a simple design can be, and unfortunately we have a very low budget.  My design essentially is a series of 3D triangular frames that are wrapped in a canvas-type material where the graphics will be displayed.  Ideally I would like these frames to be welded metal, but I am sure you all remember how costly it was going to be to build those little mannequin stands.  And these frames are 8'x6'x8’!  So I am also looking at alternate material such as wood or plumbing materials such as metal pipes or PVC. 

Also, I have been getting estimates for the graphics and these have been ranging from $400-$800 per triangle, and we will have at least ten.  So you can see how these costs can start to add up really quickly.  Basically my budget is how much we have left over from the original grant and how much we can get from sponsors.  Luckily most of the fabrication is donated or can be done in house. 

Nashville Civic Design Center receives grants based on the projects they do, as I have mentioned before.  They have a billable rate so when a group approaches them asking for their services, they can estimate how much they will need based on how long they think it will take, how many people will be working on the project, and necessary supplies.  But as Gary was explaining to me, since NCDC is a non-profit, their goal is obviously not to make a profit so these are very rough estimates and is basically the minimum needed.  Projects can range in cost, and the project I am working on, Designing Action, is around $30,000.  This cost includes the hourly wage, website design, artist fees, printing and mailing supplies, and the exhibit.  

    

This week I thought you all might like to see some familiar faces.  The UT Summer Architecture studio taught by T.K. Davis meets in our office, and as you can see they were not excited about me taking their picture. Erin is doing a great job representing the ID program, and they are working on redeveloping an area of downtown Clarksville.  And it has been nice to have some friends to eat lunch with!