Shannon Lawler - Westhaven

Executed fully by Shannon

Youth Involvement

Two Person Group

↑Westhaven, Charlottesville was built in the 1960s to serve as housing for those displaced from the Vinegar Hill urban renewal. It was placed strategically on the downward slope of a hill, to hide it from the view of the main street. This has caused major flooding and foundation issues leading to the current redevelopment undertaking. Working with this real-world community I used my architecture knowledge in a variety of ways, helping to assist the community as it plans out its redevelopment, and involve the youth who will grow up during it. This included the creation of a functional site model with 3D-printed buildings that can be manipulated to model various design ideas and community planning. I also designed an interactive community mural, a child-friendly site model using crowd-sourced legos, and art activities all intended to get kids thinking about what they want their community to look like.