Studio Materials Reuse Center

February 16, 2005

In January of this year the School of Architecture in conjunction with the UVA CSI announced a student competition to create a Materials Reuse Center on the third floor of the Architecture School. Recently the winning team composed of third year students Melissa Elliot, Maria Arellano and Joy Wang was announced. The goal of the competition was to create an adaptable cabinet-like space to store reusable modeling materials. The winning project would act to reduce the amount of waste generated by the Architecture School while simultaneously reducing the expense of materials for students. The site for this Center is the space beneath the staircase leading from the third to fourth floor studios.

Elliot, Arellano and Wang’s winning proposal expertly addresses the goals of the project while considering the unusual parameters of the space. The theme of their proposal “See it, Reach it, Get it” calls for spaces dedicated to each material used in the architectural modeling process. Their project recognizes the habits of architecture students in collecting “potentially useful” materials and creates a community space for these materials. This proposal will result in the organization and collection of materials that now clutter and obstruct the studio spaces. Additionally, the proposal calls for a continued line of site connecting the second year and third year studio spaces.

Phase 2: Design Development

With the first phase of the project, the competition, completed the team is now moving into the design development stages. The project has been funded by the UVA Parents fund and will be completed in the summer of this year. Professor Anselmo Canfora will aid the student team in the design development process while George Gercke of the CSI will aid them in the creation of a specifications sheet. The Public Works Committee will make approval of the final design.

Phase 3: Construction

Construction is scheduled to be completed by summer 2005.