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Future drive-in movie site. Photo courtesy Evan Ward.What started in south Phoenix as a group thesis project quickly became much more for the dozen architecture graduate students involved in Studio 1:1.
“Originally we were going to help out a low-income neighborhood by designing and later building a house — like Habitat for Humanity. Housing isn’t always the solution, so what is the solution?” says Evan Ward, a recent graduate of ASU’s architecture program.
The members of Studio 1:1 turned to south Phoenix with an open mind, wanting to learn about the community and how they could help, rather than study the neighborhood like scientists. Their final project — a proposal for a drive-in theater for senior housing — appears simple on the surface, but it is the culmination of a year's worth of work and research. The final project was accepted as a contestant for the Pepsi Refresh Challenge, which promises to award great ideas with grant money.
It took a year for the graduate students to gain the residents’ trust and embed themselves in the community to find something they could work on together.
“I think the residents are tired of people coming in and telling them what they need, but not getting anything out of it,” says Ward.
The idea for a community drive-in is in the running for a $25,000 grant under the contest's neighborhood category, which is meant to improve living situations and community spirit.
In April, the group tested their idea by projecting the 1980 film "Airplane!" in the parking lot. The showing was a hit, attracting people from all over the neighborhood.
"Every time we go back, people always ask us: 'When is the next movie?'" says Ward. "It's a great way to get the community to interact with the residents of the senior towers.”
The design involves a solar-powered movie screen, a shade pavilion with seating (which residents can use as a place to socialize) and a garden for the residents to work on. The designers envisioned the space as a social bridge for the community, giving the area youth a chance to get to know the inspiring role models that live in the senior towers.
"Funding is really all we’re lacking,” says Pete Rasmussen, a graduate student studying science in the built environment. "We have the design, support from architecture firms and the management of the senior towers. We just don’t have the money — the hardest thing to get.”
Voting ends Sept. 30, and you can vote via Facebook or at Pepsi Refresh, or text 102056 to Pepsi (73774).
"The goal wasn’t to make a place for them to watch movies," says design student Matt Krise. "The goal was for community members to interact and different generations to communicate. It just happens to be that they are watching a movie together."
Contact the reporter at apanguia@asu.edu.
