We’ve been working with DC Chinatown’s only Chinese Buddhist temple, the Temple of Cun Yum, to reimagine what it might look like upon reopening after the pandemic. Our open house prototype tested what welcome might look and feel like for regulars and newcomers alike. Elements included a welcome table outdoors to beckon passersby, various types of temporary signage, photos depicting the neighborhood 40-50 years ago, and prompt cards on a tea table to jog conversation. We are so excited to have the opportunity to support the Temple to become a symbol of the Chinatown that people want to see. Swipe for some photos of the event and our making process!
Check out @1882foundation@myaapidc #wahluckhouse @savechinatowndc@dchistory@dcpubliclibrary for more on local history in Chinatown.
We attended the opening for the @mansfieldartcenter triennial exhibit, “Proximity of Fate,” curated by our own @quise.design alongside @alicegraystites , @seenbyjustine , and Karina Salamanca. The exhibit blurs the lines between local, national, and international artists to challenge how art is perceived and shown—each piece contributes to a broader narrative about identity, opportunity and the human experience.
We are so inspired by the resourcefulness of Detroiters and all the different ways community spaces are being built and maintained across different scales and neighborhoods, from the newly renovated @michigancentraldetroit to @theshepherddetroit , @theavalonvillage , @playdetroit , and so many others. Thank you @breakout for bringing us together—we loved celebrating your 10th year anniversary with you. Cheers to new friendships, connections, and lessons.
Photography by @stephmontelongostudios
A month later and we are still feeling inspired by all the possibilities of making the built environment more equitable and just. Thanks @designfutures_pid for having us! We loved getting to share more about our work and process and learn more about the research, practices, creativity and activism from students, faculty, and friends alike. Thanks @samfox_engage and St. Louis for welcoming us with open arms!
Photos by @jccotto
Greetings from Portland, Oregon! Openbox presented two of our projects at EDRA55: Human-Centric Environments—Balboa Park Cultural District, and Portland Museum of Art (of the other Portland, Maine), with our incredible collaborators @LEVER@akomawt@studiopacificaseattle@RIOS@HOK
We’re headed back home to Brooklyn with full minds, stomachs, and lungs filled with some fresh Northwest air. ’Til next time, Portland! #edrapdx55
With some cardboard, vinyl, and ping pong balls, we returned to DC for one of our favorite projects! Last week we went back to the MLK Library to help prototype new concepts and content to continue to refine the exhibit we worked on with @studio.joseph .
Shout-out to the rest of the original team that came together to bring this exhibit to the DC community: @dcpubliclibrary@wrkhrsco@colloqate@kubikmaltbie@bluecadet
We're still feeling nourished and inspired from the Future of Equity Design Summit in St. Louis, where @quisenyc , @aliasamy , and @jennlow had the chance to re-imagine the future of equity design with fellow design practitioners, educators, and framework-makers. Thanks again for hosting us @crxlab !
From getting our flight rerouted, to our Wheel of Emergencies prototype blowing over and cracking into pieces due to high wind, our team confronted our own slew of emergencies while engaging DC residents on how they'd like to receive critical emergency information from the city. Thankfully some super glue, clear skies, and great conversation around our ReadyDC outreach prototypes kept us going!
With @stevesauthentic key lime pie in hand, we visited our neighbors @futuregreenstudio in Red Hook. We're excited to continue these conversations about building relationships between people and place, and find more excuses to share pie.
What elements create an inclusive and welcoming experience of the @portlandmuseum ? We hosted a brain storm at our studio in Red Hook with @leverarchitecture@akomawt and @unknownstudio_la to come up with ideas to test with community when we return to Maine later this summer.
We love field trips and studio visits! This week we visited the Architecture Now: New York, NewPublics exhibit @themuseumofmodernart featuring innovative NYC design interventions of all shapes and sizes (including some exciting AR). Our team hosted Farzana Gandhi Design Studio, learning about high-impact, local and international, sustainable and socially conscious design projects. Finally, we held a private screening with @opndox of This World Is Not My Own at @wythehotel . Thanks to all the friends and family who came out, it's been a busy week!
