Urban Acupuncture

for Community Forge

Location: Wilkinsrbugh, PA
Spring 2019

Taught by: Stefan Gruber
Studio Team:Chitika Vasudeva, Christine Kim, Fon Euchukanochai, Guatam Thakkar, Ghalya Al Sanea, Mariana Alberola Mounica Guturu, Rachel Park, Ritchie Ju, Shariwa Ramakrishnan, Scarlet Tong

Urban Acupuncture is a semester long design build project where the studio team helps Community Forge, a local non-profit organization offering after school programs and community aid, to rethink and transform their outdoor space into a learning playscape and community gathering space. The project scope starts with conducting a series of community engagements for all members of the community - tenants at Community Forge, students, and neighbors alike, to developing an organizational scheme, and eventually realizing parts of the design. The project developed in collaboration with Community Forge, Pittsburgh Learning Commons and Engineers Without Borders. “Acupuncture for Community Forge” playscape is rewarded the ULI Pittsburgh’s 2019 Placemaking Award in the category of Community Places.

SITE ANAYLSIS

OBSERVATIONS AND ANALYSIS Common urban conditions within the borough highlights the blight and displacement occurring in Wilkinsburgh and how that affect the urban fabric

INTERVIEWS It is important for us to understand the hopes and concerns of customers of Community Forge, neighbors and community members that have a stake in our project.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT A series of community engagement sessions are held to allow the studio team to receive feedback from the community and stakeholders of the outdoor area.

OVERALL DESIGN PROPOSAL

BUILD