Pro Bono Work

Hans Christian Andersen Elementary School Entrance Modifications

The existing entrance to this west side elementary school is stark and uninviting. The architects were invited to propose a design solution that would rectify this and create a symbolic gateway at which students would shed their ‘street' identities and put themselves in a ‘school' frame of mind. To enhance visibility of the entrance and to add an element of fantasy to the long, low modern building, the proposed improvements include a gabled roof composition and a large wrought iron clock. Existing windows would be decorated with wrought iron window grills incorporating designs inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's paper cuttings. These include a sailing ship, a swan and a dancer, all frequent themes of both his stories and his paper cuttings.

Iglesia Nostra Senora de la Candelaria, Porto Rico, Manabi, Ecuador

On a recent trip to Ecuador, the architects visited the town of Porto Rico, a fishing community on the Pacific Coast. Noting their interest in the native use of bamboo, the president of the town invited the architects to design a new church from the strong, light material. He was interested in promoting bamboo construction for its sustainability, affordability and ease of use. Since most of the residents had never traveled further than the next town, their expectations of what a church should be was based on the grand colonial stone cathedral they had seen there. The new church was seen as the center of the community, both literally and figuratively, so the structure was left open to the surrounding environment, allowing community activities to blend with worship services. The challenge of the design was to incorporate the iconography of the prototypical Latin Church into a bamboo structure. A scale model of the church was shipped to Ecuador to assist the town residents in constructing the building.