What I hope to accomplish:
The design of a center for the trade of local food in Reno, NV that:
1. becomes an event as it changes over the seasons to accomidate seasonal changes in climate and production.
2. clearly complements existing communities, businesses, and venues.
3. interfaces with the river in a way that invites interaction and is multi seasonal.
4. Reinforces the existing network of civic spaces in downtown Reno
Time line:
December 2010: I need to continue exploring the existing food system in Reno as well as hone my program. My biggest questions right now are: What is the difference between the core of my program and a food co-op, and is my goal to expand and improve food coops, or is it to create something else. I think what I am talking about is civic space that focuses on food, not just a co-op store. However, a civic space that focuses on food is typically referred to as Public Market. The primary feature of a public market is lots of farmers selling things from little booths. This is not what I am imagining. I guess I am trying to combine the idea of a civic space and a grocery store in hopes that each function could support the other. I don’t know how to or if I need to provide deeper intellectual support for my imaginary protype of a program. DO I NEED TO PROVIDE DEEPER INTELLECTUAL SUPPORT FOR MY IMAGINARY PROGRAM? OR DO I JUST NEED TO EXPLAIN MY MOTIVATIONS MORE CLEARLY?
Other December work outside of assignments to include:, better site documentation, and creating a detailed 3-d model of the area surrounding my site.
Winter 2010: in a series of four two-week charrettes, focus on each of the above four items. Each “charrette” cycle is is meant to produce a full iteration of the overall design, with the design aspect focus on in each cycle accumulating to the multi-dimensional whole. The last two weeks would be given over to synthesizing and resenting upon the previous 8 weeks of the term.
Spring 2010: having never done a thesis before, I am a little uncertain of how this will go. Things that go beyond the studio experience that I have had so far, would be a complete and detailed understanding of the structural system and the mechanisms for the seasonal transformation of the structure.
It sounds to me you want a food market that has the appeal of a farmers market(with the sideshows, musicians and gospel preachers included) but reaching to a consumer-base unfamiliar with the variety of civic-life. Because of your “audience” you have to tame it down. one of the hurdles being that sense of chaos and uncertainty, that increases some peoples anxiety but in others it invigorates them. perhaps its easing people into a tame version of a public market (no drum circles), and then slowly becomes that sweet spot to people watch over the years.
I think think you can look more in to the reason for “markets”. Meaning I think there is a deep and anthropological history of Humans, the formation of settlements, and the Markets role in the development of who we are today. Markets I feel were originally probably public spaces, but perhaps in the last few centuries markets have be come privatized into Supermarket. Before that there were general stores on the frontier, but those were also about the community information and where people sent mail and what not. Or even if you look at the Roman basilicas and there function as either a public forum or covered market and then a place of worship and ritual. I guess then there is the question which offers a more robust center for your goals?