Urban Insertion Projects for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Abstract

The Community Design Work Shop (CDW) is an Institute within the School of Architecture and Design at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The CDW has been involved with the community urban design projects in architecture and planning for over twenty years. During this time, the CDW has been involved with the small town projects that promoted the revival of their downtown areas and neighborhoods along with the large infrastructure designs for interstate highways and major arterials for Municipalities and the State of Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. The CDW was engaged in restoration projects for small towns following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastation in 2005. Additionally, the CDW has completed multiple projects for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where the CDW team proposed the design, developed the construction documents and was involved with supervising the building construction. The purpose of the CDW is to function as an outreach Institute to the community for urban design and provide the graduate architecture students an opportunity to gain practical experience with real world design problems. The paper will focus on the process of engaging the university’s administration and students in charrettes and public meetings. Working as a team, the CDW produces the design, develops the construction documents and consults with local architects and engineers. The paper discussion will highlight three of the CDW’s projects: The University Bike Path – which links the University Research Park to the main campus completed in 2014; the redesign of the main campus Quadrangle completed in 2017; and the University International/Cultural Space, currently in progress. These three projects demonstrate how the public can be engaged in a design process; how the student learning benefits of all the students, the public, the development of the design show the construction process to completion.