March 5, 2004
Contact: Ray Ladd
(805) 756-7432, rladd@calpoly.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Student Proposals for Paso Robles to be Displayed March 12-13
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Cal Poly design students will exhibit ideas for Paso Robles' future March 12-13 in two separate displays.
On Friday, March 12, landscape architecture students will display the results of a project that focuses on enhancing the connection between downtown Paso Robles and one of the city's primary natural features, the Salinas River corridor.
Then at Paso's Farmers’ Market Saturday, March 13, third-year architecture students will present "Visions for Downtown Paso Robles: Part One."
Ideas for the Salinas River connection, developed by students in Joseph Donaldson's Landscape Architecture Urban Design Studio, will be on display from 9 to 11 a.m. March 12 in the City Council Chambers in Paso Robles City Hall. More information on the project is available from Donaldson at 756-2040.
For the March 13 display, architecture students identified buildings and sites in the city's downtown that they believe would be good candidates for mixed-use development, with lofts and apartments on upper floors for both living and working. They also explored the use of the existing sulfur springs for geothermal power.
Drawings and models of the downtown projects will be on display from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 13 at the Farmers’ Market in the park on Spring Street between 11th and 12th streets in Paso Robles.
The downtown building projects were developed as part of the Cal Poly Downtown Studio, established at San Luis Obispo's Pacific Coast Center. The studio combines academic instruction with actual community projects in an approach called community-based service learning.
One goal of the studio
is to provide creative prototypes for addressing the housing problem and
maintaining the downtown "soul" of small towns. Other goals
are to invite community participation through the studio's presence near
downtown San Luis Obispo and to
act as a conduit to funnel information and creative ideas on housing to
governments, practicing professionals and community members.
"We challenge students to apply imagination, innovation, sustainable principles and cutting-edge technology in their housing designs," said architecture lecturer Alice Mueller. "The project also aims to document not only the best examples of housing design, but also ways to adapt old uses to new, re-use and preserve old buildings, and mix different uses in one location."
The Downtown Studio has received two grants from the Cal Poly Community Development Initiative, a joint project of the Orfalea College of Business and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. Bank of America provided the funds for the two grants.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: Reporters, photographers and television crews are invited to cover the two exhibits. On Monday and Wednesday, March 8 and 10, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Cal Poly Downtown Studio, Suite 170 in the Pacific Coast Center, 75 Higuera St. (at Madonna Road), media representatives can interview and film students working on drawings and models for the Saturday event. Phone 544-1570 to make arrangements.
E-mailable project graphics and photos are available from Ray Ladd at 756-7432 or rladd@calpoly.edu.