OUR PURPOSE IS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY
The Mobile Design Box Retrofit Project is part of the SARUP Mobile Design Box which is a pop-up gallery that adapts Milwaukee’s existing empty storefronts in order to encourage innovative social, economic and cultural uses for these otherwise vacant spaces. Our current project is about finding ways to retrofit and activate the vacant storefront at 615 W Historic Mitchell Street. For the past 3 years we have been working in the Near West Side Neighborhood in collaboration with the NWSP, Quorum Architects, Marquette University and other local community groups. We hope to work with local residents, businesses, cultural organizations, and institutions to address community needs.
Furthermore, we will be gathering community member descriptions of places, occasions, and events that are memorable and asking how a public space gives you a sense of place. Our team will then translate stories into models and drawings that can be used to spark new details and data that may have been missed. The information generated from these sessions will inform the final design of retrofit-furniture for the empty storefronts in Mitchell Street.
Come Fall 2020, renowned architect Tatiana Bilbao will come from Mexico to lead the SARUP Marcus Prize studio where the mobile furniture will be made. With community input, this designed furniture will respond to diverse programming needs such as farmer’s markets, art galleries, maker spaces, co-work sites, and community centers. By including community voices in the design process — through interviews, surveys and workshops, we hope to address local needs, aspirations, and knowledge.
Furthermore, we will be gathering community member descriptions of places, occasions, and events that are memorable and asking how a public space gives you a sense of place. Our team will then translate stories into models and drawings that can be used to spark new details and data that may have been missed. The information generated from these sessions will inform the final design of retrofit-furniture for the empty storefronts in Mitchell Street.
Come Fall 2020, renowned architect Tatiana Bilbao will come from Mexico to lead the SARUP Marcus Prize studio where the mobile furniture will be made. With community input, this designed furniture will respond to diverse programming needs such as farmer’s markets, art galleries, maker spaces, co-work sites, and community centers. By including community voices in the design process — through interviews, surveys and workshops, we hope to address local needs, aspirations, and knowledge.