desigNYCMay20EventPressRelease

New York, NY—May 9, 2012– desigNYC (www.designyc.org), announces desigNYC: Recharging Communities, a pecha kucha-style presentation of some of the organization’s 2012 collaborative projects, followed by a brief panel discussion with “agents provocateurs” from the desigNYC community on Sunday, May 20^th at the WantedDesign Fair.

desigNYC is a nonprofit whose mission is to improve the lives of New Yorkers through the power of design. The organization connects nonprofits who serve the public good with civic-minded design professionals who share their expertise on a pro bono basis. We provide tactical support that enables the collaborations to flourish, including training workshops, guidelines, legal templates, ongoing advisor interaction, and marketing support through events, public programs, as well as videos, PR and social media.

“We are excited to discuss desigNYC’s diverse and challenging projects to a broader design community at the Wanted Design Fair. Our event celebrates another kind of design altogether, one that is concerned with social innovation and doesn’t typically make it to furniture fairs,” says Laetitia Wolff, executive director of desigNYC.

The program begins at 4:30 pm with a keynote address given by Wendy Goodman, design editor of New York magazine and DesigNYC board member, followed by a presentation of this year’s program given by Wolff, and lastly, specific topics will be presented and discussed by four desigNYC collaborative teams as follows:

ON THE FRINGE
Mollie Ruskin, Designer, Reboot with Fiona Mason, Program Director, Safe Horizon
Agent provocateur: Michael DelGaudio, Creative Director, frogdesign

Safe Horizon is a victim assistance agency that provides support, prevents violence, and promotes justice for victims of crime and abuse, and sex and labor trafficking. Their Anti-Traffic Program was paired with Reboot to create outreach materials based upon the testimonies of survivors, as well as training materials for member-led, community-based organizations.

FOOD JUSTICE
Moorhead & Moorhead, Principals with Perryne Lokhandwala, Director, PlayHarvest
Agent provocateur: Leslie Boden, independent Food Systems Planner

In partnership with community groups and public schools PlayHarvest builds kinetically-powered sculptures, meant to activate urban agricultural spaces, encourage outdoor play, and spur an interest in local food cultivation and preparation. Moorhead & Moorhead is working with them to develop play pieces for the Brooklyn New School’s outdoor science lab and garden space.

WORKFORCE
Adam Rolston, Principal, Incorporated Architecture+Design with Henrietta Koffi,
Deputy Director, SNAP Fort Greene
Agent provocateur: Zack McKown, Principal, Tsao & McKown Architects

As a family resource and computer literacy center, Fort Greene Strategic Neighborhood Action (SNAP) offers community programs that teach civic organizing, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and job skills. Incorporated is collaborating with them on the redesign of their learning spaces to more efficiently accommodate a growing number of participants and staff.
GREEN CORRIDORS

Karine Duteil, Partner, Kan Landscape Design with Hans Hesselein, Director of Special Projects, Gowanus Canal Conservancy
Agent provocateur:Bob Balder, Executive Director, AAP NYC, Cornell University

The conservancy’s mission is to steward the preservation, restoration, and green development of the canal and its environs. Kan Landscape is working with the Conservancy to bolster the community’s green infrastructure in the form of a “sponge” park that can capture and treat storm water runoff from the surrounding streets, while also providing public space to be enjoyed by the community.

6:00 PM: Raffle for a CMYK Folding Electric Bike by BROOKLYNESS Urban Cycles, courtesy of designer Emmanuel Saez

6:05-7:00 PM: Cocktails – Chardonnay, Beer (lovingly provided by Brooklyn Brewery) + Vintage Plantations Chocolates will be served.

About desigNYC

desigNYC is a 501c(3)nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of New Yorkers through the power of design by connecting nonprofits working for the public good with talented designers and architects. Grassroots in nature, desigNYC is a platform that sets up a collaborative design process to recharge communities and increase social capital. Our focus is local. Our approach is multi-disciplinary. Our process is participatory and community-centric. www.designyc.org

About WantedDesign

WantedDesign is an international design event in NYC that takes place May 18- 21, 2012.  It is a creative platform that brings together international designers, architects, interior designers, craftsmen, editors, manufacturers, curators and communication specialists to showcase, discuss and share exciting, inspiring and innovative design, and initiate new projects and new collaborations. The first WantedDesign was held in New York City in 2011. Tickets available at FAB.com

http://2012.wanteddesignnyc.com

About New York Media

New York Media is the parent company of the ground-breaking weekly New York Magazine, the up-to-the-minute news and service website nymag.com, the Grub Street network of food blogs, the entertainment and culture news site Vulture, and the twice-yearly New York Weddings magazine. New York Design Hunting, the new stand-alone home design magazine, launched in May.

About Brooklyness

The CMYK Folding Electric Bike by Brooklyness Urban Cycles is the perfect complement to public/personal transportation. Fold down handlebars and seat to carry it on-board. www.brooklyness.com

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desigNYCMay20EventPressRelease

desigNYC announces Recharging Communities, a pecha kucha-style presentation of some of some of the organization’s 2012 collaborative projects, followed by a brief panel discussion with “agents provocateurs” from the desigNYC community.

“We are excited to discuss desigNYC’s diverse and challenging projects to a broader design community at the Wanted Design Fair. Our event celebrates another kind of design altogether, one that is concerned with social innovation and doesn’t typically make it to furniture fairs,” says Laetitia Wolff, executive director of desigNYC.

PROGRAM starts promptly at 4:30PM
ON THE FRINGE
Mollie Ruskin, Visual Designer, Reboot with Fiona Mason, Program Director, Safe Horizon
Agent provocateur: Michael DelGaudio, Creative Director, frogdesign

Safe Horizon is a victim assistance agency that provides support, prevents violence, and promotes justice for victims of crime and abuse, and sex and labor trafficking. Their Anti-Traffic Program was paired with Reboot to create outreach materials based upon the testimonies of survivors, as well as training materials for member-led, community-based organizations.

FOOD JUSTICE
Moorhead & Moorhead, Principals with Perryne Lokhandwala, Executive Director, PlayHarvest
Agent provocateur:  Leslie Boden, independent food systems planner

In partnership with community groups and public schools PlayHarvest builds kinetically-powered sculptures, meant to activate urban agricultural spaces, encourage outdoor play, and spur an interest in local food cultivation and preparation. Moorhead & Moorhead is working with them to develop play pieces for the Brooklyn New School’s outdoor science lab and garden space.

WORKFORCE
Adam Rolston, Principal, Incorporated Architecture+Design with Henrietta Koffi, Deputy Director, SNAP Fort Greene
Agent provocateur: Zack McKown, Principal, Tsao & McKown Architects

As a family resource and computer literacy center, Fort Greene Strategic Neighborhood Action (SNAP) offers community programs that teach civic organizing, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and job skills. Incorporated is collaborating with them on the redesign of their learning spaces to more efficiently accommodate a growing number of participants and staff.

GREEN CORRIDORS
Karine Duteil, Partner, Kan Landscape with Hans Hesselein, Director of Special Projects, Gowanus Canal Conservancy
Agent provocateur:Bob Balder, Executive Director, AAP NYC, Cornell University

The conservancy’s mission is to steward the preservation, restoration, and green development of the canal and its environs. Kan Landscape is working with the Conservancy to bolster the community’s green infrastructure in the form of a “sponge” park that can capture and treat storm water runoff from the surrounding streets, while also providing public space to be enjoyed by the community.

6:05 PM: Raffle for a CMYK Folding Electric Bike by BROOKLYNESS Urban Cycles, courtesy of designer Emmanuel Saez.

6:05-7:00 PM: Mingle with wine, Brooklyn Brewery beer, chocolate and great folks!

Damnº2012_NYC’s design do-gooders

As a catalyst for the revitalization of the Rockaway peninsula, this organization offers services such as employment readiness training and placement, real estate development, and youth development services. They are seeking help to create a cohesive vision that will help engage stakeholders with a masterplan that can strengthen economic development, inspire communities, and activate public spaces.

In partnership with community groups and public schools PlayHarvest builds kinetically-powered sculptures, meant to activate urban agricultural spaces, encourage outdoor play, and spur an interest in local food cultivation and preparation. The design team will be asked to develop play pieces for the Brooklyn New School’s outdoor science lab and garden space.

This organization develops and manages projects that provide housing and services to low-income families and individuals at risk of domestic violence and homelessness. For a 41-unit project located in the Highbridge/Concourse section of the Bronx, New Destiny is in need of a good design scheme for its common spaces and also a children’s room.

People who live and work on the Lower East Side can benefit from the safe, affordable alternative to traditional banking offered by this financial institution that reinvests in the community. An improved lobby and work areas would facilitate better service for its members when applying for loans and receiving financial counseling.

Nonprofit: Lower East Side Business Improvement District (LES BID)
Designers: DUB Studios with SVA Impact! students (Hala A. Malak, Zennie McLoughlin and Jackeline Minkler)
Advisor: Mark Randall

The LES BID is dedicated to revitalizing the Orchard Street Shopping District and surrounding streets by providing economic development and beautification services in addition to programming special events and activities. The project involves the creation of block parties, outdoor markets, and food festivals over three city blocks that will revitalize and energize the community.

SPRING: WORK-IN-PROGRESS

Last April 9, the Gowanus Canal Conservancy held a community design charrette in partnership with design team KaN Landscape. The event, which was held at Proteus Gowanus gallery, attracted two dozen residents from the Gowanus/Carrol Garden area, from seniors to kids, youth recently moved to this part of Brooklyn to long-time environmental activists who’ve seen the potential for making the Gowanus Canal a greener, safer and more public destination. Architect Scott Francisco of pilot-projects, helped moderate the conversation, with Hans Hesselein, Gowanus CC project lead, and landscape architects Karine Duteil and Nadej Hocini, who started the evening with an inspiring presentation of models, ideas and possibilities for the “sponge park” site. Through animated conversations and rapid sketching, ideas were bounced around to assess existing resources and skills in and around Degraw Street (small metal shops, community associations, physical infrastructures, neighborhood events and gardening volunteers) and imagine how to leverage those assets to start building a community wish list. Next step: With the information gathered from this participatory event KaN Landscape team is working on making their first design proposals…

Nonprofit: Gowanus Canal Conservancy
Designer: KaN Landscape design
Advisor: Stephen Koren
The conservancy’s mission is to steward the preservation, restoration, and green development of the canal and its environs. It focuses on developing water quality, ecosystem improvements, and public access. They want to bolster the community’s green infrastructure in the form of a “sponge” park that can capture and treat storm water runoff from the surrounding streets, while also providing public space to be enjoyed by the community.