All around us, we see giants like Apple announcing $1.7 Billion in European projects or closer to home in Arizona $2 Billion over 10 years on a Data Center in Mesa. Tesla is building a battery plant costing upwards of $4 Billion. I have to admit that I do salivate over working on a project for a client like Apple. Apple, you can call me anytime you want.
The $2 Billion dollar data center is said to have ~150 employees once in operation with many people driving by without any clue really what goes on inside. They are important facilities and do bring large amounts of revenue, but the impact on our immediate daily activities are directly minimal. I suppose they do help our computers and phones search quicker, but just like turning on a light bulb, most of us don’t fully understand how the electricity comes from power station to that bulb.
I have worked on projects costing many millions of $ with large multi-billion dollar companies, so I know the drill. The projects within these large facilities have a factor of speed and complexity which is very exciting. Some are hush hush while others are news worthy. But working on small projects has its complexities and gratification as well. ITS LIKE PLANTING A SEED.
The large projects are like giants taking large steps, but what about those small projects which feel immaterial.
Those small projects are for some, BABY STEPS. They can influence and have huge impacts upon its users and people who pass on by.
THAT’S ONE SMALL STEP FOR A MAN
In a smaller city, building projects may not take up an entire city block or involve Billions of dollars to complete, but those projects have a big impact because metaphorically, that ocean is much smaller and the fish appear only bigger.
Working on historical downtown revitalization projects feel like BABY STEPS. For example, adding a dozen or so trees to a main street in Buckeye feels insignificant to many, but just wait until those trees mature and provide shade and beauty to downtown. We have just planted a seed.
We have just planted another seed in Buckeye, the improvement to the facade at the Carniceria Taqueria or the landscape courtyard improvements at Millstone Cafe in Downtown Buckeye. Yes these are small moves in the overall scheme of things, but think of the influences it will have on other business owners to update their properties after they see the success it has brought. The seeds are only beginning to sprout.
Sometimes we all need to take BABY STEPS to get the momentum flowing in the right direction.
A few months ago, Serbin Studio was approached by the Buckeye Valley Historical Society with an architectural challenge. A conceptual design for the exterior of the existing ‘Buckeye Valley Museum’ so that the architecture reflects their mission, ‘To bring a better understanding and appreciation of the history and cultural significance of Buckeye Valley’.
Presentation Board Click on it for larger image
Conceptual Design of Buckeye Valley Museum
The building today lightly reflects back to the historic architecture of Buckeye Valley and through time has blended into the historic fabric in a way that the building is not apparent to the average visitor in Buckeye.
Original Museum renovation to look like Kell store
Current museum 2014 . Beige is not the new black. Consult a color specialist when you paint your building. Did I mention Lara Serbin is a color expert.
Buckeye has a long history dating back to 1885. Prior to the mid 1970’s, the main highway from Phoenix to California passed through downtown Buckeye. But just as we have seen in the ‘CARS‘ movie, the highway system was created and now by-passes historic downtown.
Since being part of a 3rd generation Arizona family and member of the Buckeye Main Street Coalition, I had a good strong foundation for understanding the Museum’s architectural significance. However with every project, further research exposed us to hidden treasures that are only talked about amongst Buckeye residents.
Some inspirations were:
Kell Store built in 1890’s
Hillbilly Hilton. If you get a chance, take a tour of this snapshot in time
Our intent was to minimally alter the interior exhibits and through the use of architectural features, contextual materials and textures enhance the exterior of the building so it clearly indicates what it is, ‘Buckeye Valley Museum’. We created a sense of arrival and a clear pathway into Buckeye’s history. The exterior is now a snapshot of the history and hidden gems within.
Presentation Board
The museum had a re-opening on September 27, 2014 and is open Friday’s and Saturday’s from 11 am – 4 pm. The interior renovation is complete. The museum is now on a fund raising campaign to raise money and materials to complete the exterior facade upgrades. For further information, contact the Buckeye Valley Museum at 602-230-1299.
Have you heard the term “He is a wise old owl?” You can find many wise owls at Wickenburg’s local senior center, Wise Owl Senior Center, located just south of the Santa Fe Railroad tracks. It’s facility was founded in 1979 and has been wisely used over the years.
The existing 6,500 square foot facility has seen many card games (hopefully no strip poker), bingo games (I22), musical bands (I heard the Grateful Dead played there), billiard games (part of Color of Money was filmed there) that have been played in its facility over the years. The center has outgrown its use and the Foundation for Senior Living who operate it, are looking to revitalize the establishment, once it can gather enough gold nuggets from the local mines in and around Wickenburg within its talons.
Serbin Studio first task was a ‘programming session’ or fact gathering, working with the facility managers and users to get a grasp on how the facility operates within the existing building and how it operates. The current building lies outside the historic downtown core of Wickenburg and is camouflaged, like an owl, into the surrounding neighborhoods. Like an Owl who can turn its head as much as 270 degrees, Serbin Studio took its design a step further and designed a facility which looks a full 360 degrees.
The design is two stories and 14,000+ square feet, reflecting on the historic fabric of Wickenburg which is influenced by many things: mining, railroad and the ranch lifestyle. As an owl flys silently, the building pleasantly surprise its users once they step foot into the private courtyard. It’s amenities include a full service Dining Room and associated Kitchen and food distribution on its first floor. The second floor contains meeting rooms, a game room, computer center to email the grandchildren, offices and conference rooms to manage all the programs they offer. The second floor also offers and outdoor patio with views to the local mountain ranges so you can keep your eyes on those claims you may have in them mountains. It’s also a great place to watch the summer monsoon’s roll in from the North.
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The project is only in the conceptual phases, however we hope the design will provide momentum to allow the facility to expand.
I sit as Design Chair on the Buckeye Main Street Coalition in Buckeye, Arizona. Our group is made up of local business leaders in the Buckeye community.
Our focus is revitalization of historic downtown Buckeye. When I say revitalization I mean projects like designing Wayfinding Signage, paving a park with bricks and adding benches or brainstorming about the pinch point along mainstreet to hang a street banner. When we are not working on architectural or landscape improvements we are working on community events that will help attract more visitors to Main Street. A few weeks ago the BMSC had the opportunity to host the AVTT or American Veterans Traveling Tribute in our Buckeye. It is a 5 day event open to the public for 24 hours that honors an 80% replica of the black granite Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC that Maya Lin designed.
The site plan on the left is the original layout of the wall configuration at the Edgar Park along Beloat/Irwin and Miller Road about 15 minutes south of Interstate 10. In the planning phases of this event I started laying out the basic pieces of what was going to arrive on trucks to be set up. This event proved that drawing up a site plan for planning any event is critical to success. It reminds me of one of my favorite movies Home Alone when Kevin who gets left behind by his family is planning his final attack against the Wet Bandits. You know the drill, Kevin lays out the plan in crayon with the broken ornaments for the bandits to step on, a huge nail sitting upright in black goo on a step in the basement for them to step on, hot iron and door knob. Before I settled into the delicious macaroni and cheese dinner or the AVTT coming to Buckeye I had to get everything on a sheet of paper and pass it to the team.
As you can see from comparing plans, things changed. I had the layout set based on AVTT standard horse shoe configuration they had sent 6 months prior. I worked the tents, stage, trees and chairs around their wall configuration. On the day of set up, that all changed. When you are planning like this you have to ask questions of your team. Are you going to have a booth at the event? How close are the motorcycle riders going to ride up to the wall? Where is the power. How much power will we need? How does one sit and honor, respect and remember? Do veterans want to sit on a bench together or in their own chair with some distance?
Thanks to Dave at Jack Rabbit Nursery who let us borrow his 15 gallon trees for the the event! The mass of volunteers from Keller Williams were wonderful on Thursday May 9th our set up day. We only had a window of about 4 hours to get everything set up. Since the plan had changed in an instant, I was scrambling to re-configure the tree layout. It all worked out great. We measured with soft tape measures about 30 feet from the black wall and arranged the trees with the new layout. The loose chairs were set in between the trees so visitors could have some space and be alone if they wanted.
Even though the marine green tents donated by the Prison did smell I liked the look of them. When I sat under it I felt like I was kind of roughing it under the hot sun in some army camp out. Most of the veterans who visited with me liked the look and feel of the tents too. Desert Oasis in Goodyear donated a POW MIA, Gold Star, and Blue Star floral wreaths. The wreaths really added elegance and color. We set them next to the trees and put heavy sand bags around the tree bases and easels since the wind was so strong during the four days. The loose carnations were from Crazy Daisies in Buckeye and given out on the last day of the event, Mothers Day.
I think the line by line agenda with times for each of the set up times, daily activity sheets and of course the site plan made this event really cohesive. Even though there were changes in the layout we were able to roll with them quickly and adapt. The Town of Buckeye was a huge part of the success as well with the use of the stage, sound system and water. They were there at a moments notice for whatever we needed. If a tent was not throwing enough shade for the locator computer station to look up a fallen soldier for a visitor, the next day there was a new tent with side flaps to replace it. If we ran out of water bottles for the bus loads of school kids a bobcat tractor would pull up with bags of ice and cases of water bottles. Thank you to all who participated.
At the end of the event on Sunday I did feel like gliding along a rope hanging onto a bicycle handle bar and screaming, “Whee!” into my tree house! The veterans who I met and the experience of working together with my team is a great memory that will stay with me for a long time. I send special thanks to Buckeye Main Street Coalition, VFW, American Legion, Doris Goetz, Town of Buckeye, Buckeye Fire Department, AVTT, Jack Rabbit Nursery, Desert Oasis, Crazy Daisies, Daughters of American Revolution and Mike Malcom for playing the bagpipes and wearing a wool kilt for hours on end for five days.
