YMCA Research

Summarized Research:

Kitchen Garden & Relatable community areas-

Sharing Idea of the YMCA – 1^st Avenue and 14^th street

The YMCA is an organization that was created to maintain the idea of keeping "a healthy spirit, mind, and body." The East Village location in particular targets an area that encompasses a neighborhood of the low income to the well to do. 

            Their idea of promoting a healthy mind, body and spirit can coexist well with the idea of a kitchen-garden combination. In a neighborhood that is flooded with fast food establishments, there is a lack of organically grown food in circulation. Cooking through a community effort would be encouraged. In addition, there could be the establishment of workshops and positions for the maintenance of the kitchen.

            Later on, this could stimulate a reactionary response involving grocery store produce and farm fresh goods. Within the confines of the kitchen, there could be cheaper goods through the means of community driven production. 

Art Students' League-Welding Shop

Equipment is shared

Bring or buy your own materials

Small tools like pliers get beaten up very quickly, have to be frequently replaced

Teacher/monitor supervises the students and determines each student's qualification to use certain equipment

Locker space is available for rent

Materials left out are thrown out

Students are required to sign a waiver releasing the school from any liability in case of injuries or accidents

18+ only, exceptions made on a case-by-case basis

Semi-honoer system, students are responsible for cleaning up their work stations

Teacher/Monitor performs a general clean-up and maintenance of equipment at the end of each class

Teacher/monitor perks-full use of studio workshop space, faculty exhibitions in school gallery

1:5 average student teacher ratio

School Resources

So, I've been in talks with professionals in charge of computer labs, sewing labs and other such resources at the New School.
My focus started in the Fashion Buildings, but has since expanded.
Below are my email correspondences with these persons, and more will be added as more is exchanged.

>>> Katarzyna Suska >>>
Mr. Quinn,

Hello, my name is Kasia, and I'd like to ask a few questions.
I am currently enrolled in this lecture course called Designing Not Owning. Through this course we are covering all sorts of sharing related topics- why do people share? what benefits can come of it? how do sharing systems operate? and finally, how can we improve existing systems or create new ones?

This last question is the focus of our discussion section. The class has split up into groups of 4 or 5, each creating or improving upon some system involving rivalrous goods; the rivalry existing in the fact that when one person uses that resource or item, another cannot.

My group in particular is focusing on proposing a student kitchen/dining area, in which there would be facilities to grow produce, cook and even dine or entertain.

The reason I am contacting you is because we are looking at the facilities that are currently available to the Parsons community, and we each are looking into resources related to our majors.
I happen to be a fashion design major.

We are asking questions about the maintenance of facilities, how the school may go about purchasing new equipment, what happens to old equipment? How is the amount of open studio space decided?

If you can give any insight to the computer labs and how these questions apply to them, I would greatly appreciate it.
Perhaps you have some suggestions for the school in terms of the labs?

Thanks for your time and consideration.
Best,
Kasia

Hi Kasia,
            I may or not be the one you need to ask these questions, but I'm happy to help.

Would you like to schedule a time in the next few days so I can provide some of these answers for you?

I'm in from 8:30AM- 4:30PM each day this week.

John Quinn/Fashion Lab
560 Seventh Ave

Room 410
212-229-5300 x2731
I sent the same message, with some tweaks to others, and I got this response.

Dear Katarzyna Suska,

I will be glad to meet with you to answer your questions as they relate to computer labs and classrooms with computer and AV resources. Let me know a few days/times in which you could stop by at 55 W 13th room i809 and I will get back to you confirming a meeting. Thursday and Friday are best for me this week.

For the other questions I recommend you contact the following persons:

facilities - Tim Sheldon, Director of Facilities Management - sheldont@newschool.edu
space - Michael Joy, Director of Space Planning - joym@newschool.edu
capital projects - Marla Appelbaum, Senior Director of Design and Construction - applebam@newschool.edu

Sincerely.

Gisela

Gisela Albuquerque
Director of Academic Technology
Information Technology
The New School
55 West 13th Street rm 809
NY, NY 10011
phone  212-229-5300 x4509
fax  212-647-8202