Contact: Abby Barber
Students in Mississippi State's School of Architecture hope an ongoing design project will result in a much-needed playground for a county elementary school.
"We discovered East Oktibbeha County Elementary's need for a playground from a university staff member who helped there in an after-school program," said Kimberly Brown, director of the architecture school's Small Town Center. "We decided to use this opportunity to allow our students to gain experience working with a real client."
Formerly known as Alexander Elementary, East Oktibbeha is located 10 miles from MSU's campus and not far from the Clay County line. Approximately 300 children in grades K-6 attend.
During a recent architectural design exercise known as a charette, MSU students developed a full range of proposals for the site. Concepts resulting from the effort will be refined as part of the students' required studio and seminar work, with the final goal of actual playground construction planned for next year.
Brown, an alumna of the architecture school who returned this year as an assistant professor, said the MSU students had some major assistance in developing their proposals.
"We were fortunate to have four highly recognized professional architects attend the charette to assist students in planning and evaluation," she said. The visitors included William E. Massie and Faith Rose, both of New York; Kathleen O'Donnell of Chicago; and Andrew Freear of Auburn University.
Massie heads his own firm while also coordinating building technologies research at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture; O'Donnell, a partner in the Studio Gang/O'Donnell firm; Rose, a partner in the O'Neill Rose firm; and Freear, an assistant professor at Auburn's School of Architecture and a member of its Rural Studio faculty.
"Each professional participated in a panel discussion about the project, presented a lecture of their own work and assisted two groups of 15 students with their plan proposals," Brown explained. "They also served as guest critics to help form a basic plan from the students' designs."
Primary playground details were developed during a public program involving the guest architects and members of the East Oktibbeha Elementary School community. Based on the discussion, the students determined that their plan should contain ideas for playground equipment for both older and younger children, as well as an outdoor classroom and a pavilion that also could be used for community meetings.
"Involving the community in the process is a major goal," Brown said. "Future phases of the playground plan could also be added that would help neighbors of the school greatly."
To complete the project, students will seek donations of building materials and labor.
"The final design will incorporate creative ways of implementing already available products for the playground site," she added. "The use of unexpected materials can encourage both the architecture students in their designs and the children in their play."
To learn more about the project or to volunteer materials or time, contact Brown at (662) 325-0371.