SchoolProgram

I need to talk with all of the Clemson group about their individual plans for Spring Break. As it looks now we will be starting our "Architecture Antics" on the 12th of March from 3pm-4pm and each succeding week after that for 3 weeks. The only snag is that our second week of this program is during our spring break, so if there is not enough of us here to have a lesson, we will be skipping that week and continuing on the week after. I am in the process of writing up a explanation about the classes and permission form for the parents of 3rd grade students (also possibly 4th) to sign and return to the after school programs director. The Clemson Elementary school teachers are very exciting about having us there and I think that the kids will be also as soon as we start doing activities.

CreekRestoration

As far as the creek goes we meet with Brad again and another engineer. He had a lot of different ideas for us. The feeling we left with, unlike last week, was that this could be completed in an environmentally friendly way that was simple and inexpensive. This intervention would do number of things, some of which included what was talked about the week before, and would finish till just around the bend. The ball would then be in the cities court to finish the job we started in helping the eroding creek. Our next step is to contact hydraulic engineers to help with a design for the wall/structure to help the erosion. Also, we have yet another meeting with Brad (who is probably our greatest addition and asset right now in studio, we really can't thank him enough) and another engineer to test the soil on Wednesday during studio time.

Also, funny note, while we were having a serious discussion on different possibilities for the creek and little kid stood right on the other side of the fence and proceeded to make a real life fountain that went over the eroded part and into the creek water, while proclaiming he was six and this is what he does, in front of the 20 or so odd people. It definitely would have won money on America's Funniest Home Video.

Rail Ties

Today, JT and I have been calling around looking for composite railroad ties. We were unsuccesful in contacting someone who had the amount of ties that we were looking for, but we did find some other things. I talked with a few companies who had "recycled/reused" ties that were made from plastics. While they were much more expensive than used railties and composite ties they last longer, are denser, and are insect proof. The two most promising companies were EPS and TekTies. Here are some of the things about each:

GPS: available in multiple lengths and widths
insect proof
50 yr. warrenty

TekTies: 6"x7"x9'
insect proof
9 month warrenty (but withstands at least 25years under a railroad)
Expensive

There were also a few lumber companies that I contacted about "used" timber rail ties. The most promising company was Winslett Mulch who sells ties for $10 each with a $50 transportation fee.

Making moves

I've moved on to the next step of getting the gabions set, which is obtaining and the delivery of the correct size stones to the site. On this woodcut are the companies I have contacted to see the prices and what not. Our next step, which should have probably been one of our first, is to get an erosion control engineer (I think that would be there title?) out to the site and make sure the ground is stable enough to handle a load. The way it looks from the facts/figures we will need about 10 tons of Surge Stone (we will use the most abundant stone in SC, granite) and with delivery will be between $290-$320 depending on which companies we decide to go with. Below are the numbers/names of the companies I have been talking with today.

I found a website about gabions, bad thing is that it is from ontario. Regardless, here it is.
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/99-049.htm#advantages

Retaining Wall

While looking for the actual construction of a retaining wall I ran across something I had forgotten about called a Gabion. Not only would this use and match what is on the site now but it would be more natural than a concrete slab thrown down there as a retainer. A couple good websites to go to are http://www.gabions.net/ and http://www.maccaferri-usa.com/. A few good case studies are:

The Igualada Cemetery, Spain

The Protection of Eroded River Banks, Tucker Gulch, Colorado

The Durable Gabion Retaining Structure, Fall Road, Baltimore

Here are also a few photos gabion retaining walls and an illustration on how it works. Also, the third one down is Igualada.

Community Involvement

Just to get it out there I have talked with the First Baptist Chruch Daycare Center in Clemson about some activites on the site and they seemed very happy about it. I also have contacted and have a meeting set up for the 14th of Feburary at 9:30 with the Principal at Clemson Elementary about what we're doing on the Clemson site and possibly getting the kids invovled with some fun activites and teaching them some things about architecture.

Urban Furniture

I was on the computer looking up some things on urban furniture since our landscape is and will be used in this fashion. Some furniture I found wasn't excatly what I was looking for but sparked some ideas and possibilites. Here are a few photos from the site I found.

Here is the website which also has many other designs http://www.myurbangardendecoguide.com/my_weblog/furniture/index.html

I also found a few things on what a landscape is and will be posting it later on tonight.