Discovering Community

For the next stage in discovering this developing community, I sent a questionaire to both the engineers and the architects. This was done in an attempt to begin to codify what the current relationship is between the architecture students and the engineering students.

Do they know any beyond the one's they're working with? How do they contact eachother? Where do they work? Do they feel comfortable or welcome in the studio?

Overall the response was positive, except for the fact that few people of either group actually knew anyone from the other. Also, few associated outside of studio in a recreational activity.

Not only do they not know each other, but there really are no opportunities for them to. The DD studio is not structured in a way which allows for integration of the two groups. It splits them to the two ends of the studio. This is shown in the diagram below. The photos in yellow map spaces used by the engineers and the photos in purple map where the architects with engineers work. They are scattered throughout the space. There is little space for association. The community as it is is extremely fragmented.

The matrix below shows the pairings between architects and engineers. Each group is a community in and of itself. They are relatively isolated from eachother, the ties between the two are weak: single pair to single pair. That is largely the extent of the relationship.

My goal is to try to bring the two communities even closer, to create a single DD community. To do this the community has to be brough outside the studio enviroment, gathered together in comradery rather than for work.

I have begun to plan and organize a "potluck" type party to bring us together. We'll meet outside, share food, and play games. Using Shapies, participants will sign or mark the frizbees and beechballs, creating a lasting artifact of the event.