Blackstone Bicycle Works
Timeline: June 2020 - August 2020
Site: Blackstone Bicycle Works Chicago, IL
Role: Garden bed designer
Programs: Sketchup, Photoshop
Tools: Hand Drill, Power Washer, Nail Gun
Client
Blackstone
Bicycle
Works
The client for the summer was Blackstone Bicycle Works. This project occurred during the summer of 2020, therefore the program was online except for the last two weeks of the program. BBW is a bike shop that works to educate and empower youth through bicycle education for over 30 years. Over the course of 6 weeks, I worked alongside a group of high schoolers to design and build their courtyard space to aid in the mission of BBW.
They hoped to include shade for outdoor programs, seating for events and gathering, and general things to make the space more inviting.
Site Visits
We took multiple site visits to analyze the courtyard. Some things we noticed include:
Current rubber tile flooring was overgrown with vegetation and had misc. bike parts.
There was no adequate seating for any outside programming.
The shop liked to utilize bicycle parts in their decorations on site.
In the afternoon, the space only had shade from two trees. The rest of the courtyard was exposed to the sun.
Community Engagement
We got design feedback and insight from the representatives of BBW by using Jamboard to brainstorm and ideate. We also able to meet with a few youth members who were in BBW programs online and got their feedback on what they would like to see on the site.
Design Process
We each created a site model at home and were able to sketch and share ideas through Zoom. We also worked in breakout groups to create physical models or SketchUp models to share with our team.
I became in charge of the plant landscaping. My goals was to design the raised garden bed in the corner of the site. I also contacted multiple garden stores or organizations to see if they would be willing to donate plants for the site. I then organized pickup for plants, pots, soil, and mulch.
Workshop
In the workshop, we pre-fabricated the bed/planter that would go onsite as well as the small stools. This was my first time learning to use power tools and basic wood construction.
Installation
During installation week, we cleaned up the site and placed gravel along the site. We then worked on constructing the canopy, painting a shipping container, installing the benches, building the raised garden bed, and planting the plants. My role was scattered depending on the construction needs of the day but I mostly took over helping the raised garden bed construction.
