I just got back from checking out the Design Marathon‘s exhibit at the CCDC. No trainers required! This "marathon," which happened on October 2, was the second time that local designers have volunteered one very, very long day, contributing their expertise to local nonprofits. See the local-local connection there? It’s very cool. The CCDC has exhibits up through November 30 that explain each team’s project and give some tantalizing behind-the-scenes glimpses of the caffeine-fueled process.
Some projects, like this one for the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, focused on creating new logos and brochures. Others were more architectural or landscape-focused. Jackson Via Elementary is, it seems, planning "outdoor learning centers" for its students, and the display on that project is a riot of kids’ drawings and diagrams and architectural renderings, showing ideas that range from a groundhog viewing deck to a "musical roof":
Some of the beneficiaries have obvious green aspects (the Jackson Via project, Cville Rail, Mountaintop Montessori, the Habitat Store) but others don’t (Hospice of the Piedmont, Quality Community Council). Nonetheless, I like this event as an example of a wider kind of "sustainability," in which smart, focused volunteer efforts can hugely benefit the organizations that make our town work better.
Anybody else checked it out? Anybody know more about that Jackson Via project?
