Day 5, End of the first Week

Well the first week of class is through. The students have done a great job of keeping up with the workload to date and presenting some great ideas. They are scheduled for their first jury review this coming Tuesday and have work to do to get ready.

Friday we spent our time together, reviewing and critiquing their big ideas. They were challenged with continuing to interpret and refine their analysis drawings along with a presenting 2-3 big ideas to Kelly and I on Friday. Joining Kelly and I, Matt Churnock with the City of Birmingham and Phil Amthor with the Regional Planning Council of Greater Birmingham, showed up to see what the students had been doing and provide their insights.

We had a great afternoon reviewing some big ideas. As we discussed, the students are charged with formulating a vision for the Cut and designing this vision through the framework of minimalism. We talked Friday about the difference of using minimalism as a framework and its use as a design motif. It's coming together. We had the afternoon to review 2 or 3 big ideas from each student and to critique not just the idea, but help them explore what they need to do to further this idea, and the needs they have to successfully tell their story.

By Tuesday the students will clean up and polish their big ideas, presenting 2-3 to a group of stakeholders. The goal is to allow the students to use graphics and quick summaries to present their thoughts and ideas about the cut to the stakeholders and then allow the stakeholders to respond. The most critical task for the students on Tuesday is to listen. Listen to what is said to them, about their ideas and overall how the stakeholders feel about the Cut and their ideas.

The graphics will be strong and will convey the students' vision, combined with short presentations. All the stakeholders will have several big ideas to respond to and provide feedback for. That is the goal.

From what we saw on Friday we are headed there, we just have to make sure we get there.