Re-purpose: Re-use

I would replace the old industrial buildings that are no longer in use with a big park. This park would be aimed toward the college students but would not be excluding families or other friendly people in the community. Aside from the small playground area on the corner of Springdale Ct and Spring Garden St, there are no parks (that I have seen at least). The park would have green recreation fields that could be used for sun bathing, a leisure game of catch, or a somewhat organized game of kickball. A trail around the open area would be nice, and maybe some benches too. The park would be a space where students could go to read in the sun, instead of putting a blanket out next to College Ave and trying to read there as everyone passes.
I think there needs to be a Wal-Mart put in the old industrial area. Maybe I am spoiled and used to the small town life, but I only had to drive 5 minutes to get to Wal-Mart at home. I thought coming to a bigger city everything would be closer, but Wal- Mart is much farther away. In my adventures off campus I have not seen any big stores where you buy your basic needs. With UNCG, Greensboro College, NC A&T, and Bennett College all in the same area there are many people who would benefit from a closer Wal-Mart. If I need something and I cannot find it, or the right kind of it on campus I have to find a friend who has a car here who has the time and is willing to drive me fifteen minutes to get to the cheapest, most of the time easiest place to find any item, Wal-Mart. I assume I could ride a bus, but I have not figured out the GTA, and would not want to try to on my own.
Along the same lines as Wal-Mart, I think a big grocery store would be beneficial to the area. The same reasons apply here as with the Wal-Mart: lack of one close by, proximity to students, and convenience for community as a whole.

Side Streets & Back Alleys

A side street is defined on dictionary.com as a street leading away from a main street; an unimportant street or one carrying but little traffic. An alley is a a passage, as through a continuous row of houses, permitting access from the street to backyards, garages, etc.
Both of these items can be compared to a stack. When I think of an alley, I think of a dark scary place with criminals (outcasts of society, kind of) lurking in every shadow. This may not be an accurate conception, but an alley is a place for hiding things that no one wants to see or have seen. Alleys are home to secondary buildings used for storage, and used to be outhouses. As we walked along the alleys, we passed many trashcans and every spare inch of ground filled with gravel and used for parking. Along the alley ways we came upon sewer vents that are not found on side or main streets, which makes another point for the stack comparison. When you are walking along an alley, most of the time you feel somewhat confined because of the fences residents put up, creating a front between their land and the access way. The fences represent their turf as well.
Side streets can be thought of in the same negative light if in a certain context, but my first thoughts when I hear the words 'side street' are of suburbs and children playing in the streets of their neighborhoods. Side streets are connectors; they connect one street to another, and one family to another. Without side streets where would parents teach their children to learn how to ride a bike? and where would those kids then practice after taught? If you think about it, side streets can be an escape from the busy world. When someone is on a big road that only serves the purpose of transporting traffic from one side of town to the other all they are focused on is getting where they are going. When you turn off of that very street onto one of its side streets you are immediately absorbed into a slower pace and calmer atmosphere. The scenery changes from shrubbery and directional signs to houses and garages. Side streets can be considered beats, but I do not think of them as hectic interchanges.

College Hill Mendenhall St.

This is the oldest building on the block. Located on the corner of W Market St and Mendenhall St. All the land in this area was farmland before filled in with colleges, universities, and houses. This is the original farm house.
On the other end of Mendenhall, we began to see houses with fences around the front yards. I would infere from this that the part of the neighborhood we were in was not the safest, or most neighborly place to be at one point. Maybe I am far off base, and many of the families had dogs who wanted to roam freely in their front yards.
This is one of the houses we looked at. The wrap around porch tells me the family values quality time and the outdoors.
One of the older buildings on the block, this one is in the process of being remodeled and is beautiful. The copper trim and roof make the structure stand out and shine. For the most part the building is symmetrical, showing the value of balance to the architect.
One of the apartment buildings in the neighborhood, all of which are brick. The building pictured above is one of a twin, the other across the street. Houses were torn down and replaced with apartments, showing the value of the location is more important than family homes.
A barn shape roof shingle style was popular in the northeast in the mid 1800s. The builder was from Connecticut and built the house in 1859.
Second oldest building in the neighborhood. This house is farther back off of the street, and was modeled from the Italian style in the pink farm house on the corner.
A bungalo in the middle of the neighborhood. One of the newer structures around, the materials used are mostly natural materials.

College Hill Tate St.

This week we are observing College Hill, the neighborhood to the east of campus. The plan was to go down Tate St to Market St, and then come back down Mendenhall St, but I guess we were slower than Patrick anticipated and only got down Tate St leaving Mendenhall St for tomorrow. The houses found were not very diverse, most looking similar to the one pictured to the left (although very few had shutters). Most were two stories with front porches shaded by tall trees. Wooden siding is the most common material used on the houses on College Hill. I think this says something about the time period when the houses were built; the materials that were available and affordable were used. The first block we walked through had houses with multiple mailboxes, and doorbells, and some with multiple front doors. The second block had similar structures, but more single mailboxes and fewer beer bottles on the porches. The third block was back to looking like there were multiple occupants in the houses, but no evidence of partying. The third block had fewer homes because of an empty field and recreational center on Greensboro College's campus. More houses on the second block did not have driveways. I would assume this is because if only one family lives there instead of five college students, fewer cars are needed. We did come across a few apartment buildings on the second block, and I did not see any parking lots to go with them. Another irregular building in this context was a Baptist Church on the last corner of the first block. The church was made of brick which made it stand out on another level too.

The MHRA Building

The MHRA Building, which stands for Moore Humanities & Research Administration, is located on Spring Garden St just past Yum Yum and the Old Towne Tavern. This building was built in the last three years and is beautiful. Especially in comparison to the Bryan Building, this space is much more simple. Housed in this building are classrooms, conference rooms, offices, and administrative offices. The wide array of purposes brings in a wide array of people, showing a new value of having different generations and scholars in one building. The building is bright, and well lit, with a big entrance way that flows inward, making people want to look around. The walls seen in the picture are made of stone, giving the building a trendy, green feel. The ceilings being white lifts the feeling of the area, making the space seem more grand. The layout is very simple. On the first floor you come in and you have the choice of going down the little hall seen in the picture, a longer hall, that is straight as well, or going up stairs; simple. That in itself is a value, simplicity. Clean-cut, easy to maneuver around, well lit, and basic beauty; I cannot think of more I could want from a building.

The Bryan Building

The Bryan Building is the home of the School of Business and Economics. This building is not easy to navigate, and I don't think it is because of add-ons and what not, I think it was built this way. The building was built in the 1960s, and so is similar in appearance to the Eberhart Building. I have not been in the Eberhart Building yet, but I would say it is a safe guess that it is not as confusing. The Bryan building is shaped somewhat like the letter C, zig-zagging its way around in a way that keeps you from being oriented. I am not sure what values the designer was trying to convey; business students need to practice finding their way around and traversing confusing situations? No center is present in this structure; I hear there is a food court, but have not found it yet... The presence of a food court would show a value of the students in the Bryan school. Long hours and hard work make for a hungry person, and I guess the Caf is too far of a walk for such busy people. There is a courtyard in the middle of the C that could continue that same value of working long hours. The students working towards their majors, must need everything of necessity in closer proximity.
I chose this picture because I only ended up with one good picture of the front of the building, and conveniently part of the class is in it. The teacher, Patrick, is seen waving in the middle.

The Quad

The Quad is a rectangular space of campus defined by eight residence halls, forming somewhat of a neighborhood. The buildings all face inward and have connecting side walks that criss-cross through the space. These buildings are all the same form, all three stories, and not too big. Take the Quad out of its environment and it is still more like a community when compared to the high rises in appearance. Many tall trees live around the buildings within the rectangle creating more of an enclosed feeling; a community is formed. The values of this elite area are seen in the big lawn in the center of the space for recreational purposes, the big porches on all buildings for socializing, and the decorations on the sidewalks. The Quad is known for being home to the fraternity and sorority groups on campus, which is seen in the art on the concrete sidewalks, and around the cigarette buds covering the ground next to the benches. Not all people who live in the Quad are a member of a fraternity or sorority organization, but that is the reputation of the Quad. The location of the Quad on campus shows the balanced value of academics and athletics. From the east side of the Quad you can see the tennis courts, the gym buildings, the soccer field, and the 'golf course'. From the west side, you can see the library, the Caf, the EUC, the Bryan building, and a few other academic buildings in the background.