social design

Urbs + City of Austin Parks & Austin Independent School District

The Reilly Gardens // Places // ongoing

Design Project Team: Urbs, alyson beaton, Design Director, Kate Catterall Design Collaborator, Emma Overholt, Graphics, Michael Herndon, Landscape Architecture Design, Brandon Buerk, furniture system.

The Reilly project started with Kerriann Duffy, Alyson Beaton and Kate Catterall conceiving of an idea to create a wonderful garden on the shared use site of Reilly School Park. The concept behind the gardens is one of social, emotional learning, where the Highland community and kids can come together to collectively nurture these restorative gardens. The gardens are designed as a respite from modern life and a wildlife refuge. The project was funded in large part by a $130,000 St. David’s Foundation, Parks with a purpose grant. The rest of the project was supported by our studio through design time, UT Austin, students and faculty member, Kate Catterall. The park was made possible by donations from Austin Parks Foundation of mulch and dirt. Special thanks to the PARD, AISD, and EdFund for being a partner for the management of the funds.

ideas

// CONTESTED SPACES // Urban Intervention

The Streets are NOT Places for People, is an idea, a dream about a future where our streets are for everyone. A vision where our streets are not spaces that function to merely transport people driving 35 mph down a road, in a rush to arrive at a destination, but a space that is indistinguishable from a park. Cars, are welcome, but they are part of the story that integrates seamlessly into pedestrian life. The streets, as they stand, are under the express jurisdiction of the city designed solely for cars and often times the size of emergency vehicles. What can our streets be, how can they serve as functional ecosystems, not black top heat islands? Can they work to abate flooding and provide spaces for people to gather? Can they be true public spaces for everyone?

Not Open For Business, introduces the idea that a single family lot can function as more than a space for just a house. The high cost of living near an urban center makes it unaccessible for average people, limiting the socio-economic diversity of the city. City codes do not allow multi use residential lots largely due to parking requirements. We are proposing a use of a single family lot, to accommodate business activity, as well as an income producing dwelling.

Urbs + WORKPLACE RESOURCES / HERMAN MILLER / UT AUSTIN // exhibition design

Sit, was an exhibition of the history of Eames furniture and textiles presented at the University of Texas Visual Arts Gallery. The exhibition was created as a collaboration with Herman Miller and Workplace Resources of Austin. Co-Design with Lauren Smedley.

The concept of the installation was to engage students in the design of the pieces, showing the history of the work, importance of design, and functionality.

Toronoto Design Week // 2018 // Storefront exhibitor in Province Apothecary, Toronto.

Print Collection: Street Flowers

Exhibition // Mini Logan Square // 2009

This exhibition was designed to engage and excite the community by creating tiny versions of our neighborhood homes, shops and restaurants. I invited artists and designers to each make a tiny home their own to be a spectacle of enjoyment for the holiday season.