Galveston, Texas
Spring 2022, Coleman Coker's Gulf Coast Design Lab
Completed for the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council
Completed with: Michael Anowey, Taylor Luehr, Andrew Brandt, Hannah Oppelt, Heather Corcoran, Andre Rezaie, Judy Labib, Maxwell Vela, Gabriel Friedstadt, Alvaro Favela-Ramos, Curtis Lechner, Kassandra Lee
This 12-member design-build studio designed and constructed a fire circle for the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council on their newly acquired Galveston Island campgrounds. This gulf coast design-build studio is an ecologically-based program that focuses on environmental activism, and public engagement within the field of design.
Construction Video
Gulf Coast Design Lab Team
We began by developing a master plan of the Girl Scouts site to guide future development, trails, and ecological restoration. This determined the ultimate location and objectives of the fire circle. We thoroughly researched the site's climate, ecology, and wildlife. And researched the Girl Scout's badges and activities we could incorporate into the planning. We engaged with the Girl Scouts leadership, holding several meetings incorporating feedback for the design.
We determined that this structure needed to be resilient to an ever-changing coastal environment prone to flooding and hurricanes, and easy to maintain. It was also important to incorporate a material palette that was both affordable, able to be acquired on a limited timeline, and resilient to weather and constant activity.Â
The fire circle itself needed to be multi-functional, facilitating multiple activities at different times of the day such as cooking, performances, outdoor learning, and birdwatching.
We worked as a team designing the structure, sourcing materials, and coordinating transportation and construction. I developed a greater understanding and respect for the great amount of work and material that goes into construction. As well as the importance of communicating, paying attention to detail, catching mistakes, and adapting to challenges. This project helped me better understand how something is drawn and translated into usable information in the field
