Inspire Volume 10 Issue 2 by College of Design Iowa State University

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 FALL 2020

College of Design

146 College of Design 715 Bissell Road Ames, IA 50011-1066

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 | FALL 2020

Researchers to study effects of landlord decisions during pandemic A $60,000 rapid response grant from the National Science Foundation will allow an Iowa State University research team to study how landlord decision-making has contributed to rental housing instability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team includes three community and regional planning faculty members — associate professors Jane Rongerude and Biswa Das (also an extension community development specialist) and assistant professor Daniel Kuhlmann — and statistics professor Lily Wang. They will study Cleveland; Minneapolis; and Lexington, Kentucky. The research will include surveys and interviews with landlords and property managers, as well as interviews with local government officials and policy stakeholders.

An additional grant from the Polk County Housing Trust Fund will allow the research team to collect data on landlords in Polk County. “As a person who studies housing, when COVID-19 started and there was news of the first rental moratorium, it seemed clear to me that we had a potential eviction crisis on our hands,” Rongerude said. “People were not expected to pay their rent for awhile, but there was nothing in place to guarantee that at the end of that moratorium they would be able to pay their rent. “There has been really good work looking at housing instability from the tenants’ perspective, but I found that almost no one talks to landlords, even though they’re an essential piece of our system.”

Pandemic Response ISU Computation and Construction Lab partners with Alliant Energy to produce face shields for Iowa medical facilities

The team hopes that the study’s findings can help local governments as they evaluate policy responses and rental housing stability strategies in the aftermath of disasters.

Top: Architecture student Bryan Dellett loads printing parameters into one of the 30 3D printers used to manufacture face shields in the Computation and Construction Lab last spring. Above left: Healthcare workers at Finley Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa, were thankful to receive one of the first boxes of face shields produced by the ISU CCL in partnership with Alliant Energy. Above right: Architecture student Gautam Pradeep adjusts the headband on a face shield. Left: Partially assembled face shields await attachment of the bottom frame before being cleaned, bagged and boxed for delivery. Finley Hospital photo courtesy of Alliant Energy. All other photos by Christopher Gannon.

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 FALL 2020

College of Design

146 College of Design 715 Bissell Road Ames, IA 50011-1066

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 | FALL 2020

Pandemic Response ISU Computation and Construction Lab partners with Alliant Energy to produce face shields for Iowa medical facilities

The team hopes that the study’s findings can help local governments as they evaluate policy responses and rental housing stability strategies in the aftermath of disasters.

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human resources at Alliant Energy. “In times of need, Iowans come together to help their neighbors and their communities. Through this unique and collaborative partnership with Iowa State University, we [came] together to help save lives during this health crisis.”

Opposite: Students Gautam Pradeep, Jacob Gasper and Hannah Underwood form a physically distanced assembly line to put face shields together in the CCL. Above: Architecture assistant professor Shelby Doyle coordinated the students’ work, purchased materials and provided printing files. Photos by Christopher Gannon.

By Chelsea Davis and Heather Sauer

LOCAL I M PAC T Architecture student team 3D-prints face shields for Iowa hospitals

2,000 face shields were distributed to medical personnel at 63 Iowa facilities, including the Boone County Hospital (above)

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals were in desperate need of personal protective equipment. An Iowa State University College of Design team, in partnership with Alliant Energy, found a way to help by manufacturing and distributing face shields to Iowa medical facilities. Shelby Doyle, assistant professor of architecture, is co-founder of the ISU Computation and Construction Lab. As COVID-19 spread, she and others in the digital fabrication community started talking about how they could help responsibly. Because the CCL is not a medical-grade fabrication facility, it could not make N95 face masks. So, Doyle and her team of eight architecture students started looking for other options.

“Colleagues from other institutions were posting about face shields on social media and I asked if they would share their files,” Doyle said. “I started printing some of the designs here to see if we could do it. I wanted to keep the students employed and busy, and we all wanted to do something to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19.” After testing several variations, the CCL decided to work with face shield designs by Prusa3D in the Czech Republic and adapted by the Storrs FabLab at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. ISU’s Office of University Counsel helped navigate liability issues and gave the green light for production. While the remainder of Iowa State’s semester after spring break was delivered online, some student employees were

still allowed to work on campus so long as they followed ISU guidelines and precautions. Doyle gave her team the option of working in rotating shifts. They all signed up. “I thought it was a good use of our time, an opportunity to keep working and a way to make an impact,” said Hannah Underwood, from Cedar Rapids, who graduated with a bachelor of architecture in May. “We knew there was a shortage of PPE, and this was one small way to ease that situation. It was exciting to be a part of that greater effort to help out the healthcare community.”

Adapt and collaborate Before the College of Design building closed in mid-March, Doyle’s students moved the architecture department’s 3D printers to the CCL. During peak production, they had 30 3D printers creating parts for face shields. Sourcing materials, particularly those manufactured in China, soon grew difficult due to pandemic-related supply chain issues. Wisconsin-based Dremel, the maker of filament for some of the CCL’s 3D printers, was subject to that state’s stay-at-home order — meaning “everyone was buying what was already circulating in the market,” Doyle said. “We experimented with different types of elastic, Velcro and face shield plastics, and it came down to what we could get and in a timely fashion.” The students 3D-printed the top and bottom segments of the face shield,

adding a clear plastic cover and an elastic band to secure around a person’s head. The team continually adjusted its version of the design based on feedback from recipients to improve comfort and enhance safety. In addition to working rotating shifts, students created a physically distanced assembly line to put the parts together. During fabrication, each student wore gloves and continuously disinfected the work area and materials. Finished face shields were disinfected again before being placed in sealed containers. “These weren’t models or prototypes; we had to maintain quality control in production and keep them clean during assembly,” said Michael Stanley, from Sugar Grove, Illinois, who also received a BArch in May. “Even though they’re not N95 masks, they’re still being used by frontline medical personnel. We wanted them to be high quality.” Nick Peterson, community outreach manager for the ISU Digital Manufacturing Lab Powered by Alliant Energy, saw the project unfolding on the CCL’s Instagram and contacted Doyle to offer support. Alliant Energy helped fund the 3D printing and donated muchneeded supplies. They also coordinated distribution of the completed face shields throughout Iowa. “Alliant Energy is committed to helping the communities we serve,” said Diane Cooke, vice president of

ISU’s Printing Services also stepped in to help. Because the plastic for the face shield covers could not be laser cut, students had been cutting it by hand. After seeing a university news release about the project, Printing Services director Nathan Thole offered to use their large-scale CNC machine to speed up the process. “They were able to cut face shields at a rate that would have taken us weeks to do by hand,” Doyle said. Students worked on the project through the end of May. Even those who graduated were allowed to continue when the university temporarily adjusted its employment policy due to the pandemic. This enabled the CCL to reach its goal of producing 2,000 face shields, which were distributed to 63 medical facilities statewide.

Tangible outcome When Iowa State announced it would resume classes on campus for fall semester, Doyle received a request from the College of Design to produce another 160 face shields for faculty and staff who wished to use them instead of or in addition to cloth face coverings. Doyle hired Gautam Pradeep from the original team to do the work. Pradeep, from Dubai, had worked with Doyle as an undergraduate research assistant in the CCL last summer and fall before heading to Italy to study with the College of Design Rome Program in the spring. When the university recalled all students from study abroad in early March, he was grateful to have a job to come back to. “Working in the CCL helped bring a routine during all the uncertainty. We had some agency in giving back and supporting the community we’re a part of,” he said. “It was interesting to see how our skills in digital fabrication

or rent. It became clear that this had thrown a curve ball at all of the planning students and their families had done to fund their education,” said Pearsall, FAIA, from Phoenix, chairman emeritus of DLR Group. “We received a letter from one of the students about how much the support meant to her; it literally allowed her to return to college this year,” he said. “We realized what an impact this could have not only now but also down the road. As we emerge from this global health crisis, there will be a great need and demand for bright young design professionals. We want to do our part to ensure they’re able to complete school and enter the workforce.”

Summer housing International students have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. Travel and visa restrictions have limited their mobility and their employment options. With his city on lockdown and his father unable to work, Asif Khan — a landscape architecture graduate student from Sylhet, Bangladesh — could neither return home nor rely on his family for support. Two internship offers in the United States were rescinded and a potential research fellowship canceled as a result of the pandemic. An emergency grant from the College of Design allowed Khan to stay in Ames over the summer. “It is great to know that our alumni are there to support us during this crisis, and I’m very grateful for the help,” Khan said. He is also thankful his assistantship was renewed for fall. Khan is helping landscape architecture assistant professor Sungduck Lee with data collection and a literature review for her project to develop

a best-practice manual for aging in place, specifically focused on small communities in Iowa.

Continuing research For many students, research opportunities have been put on hold. Access to emergency funds allowed the college to support students from multiple majors to work on new or continuing research projects with faculty. Since January, Margaret Parks has worked with interior design assistant professor Daejin Kim to develop an aging-in-place assessment tool. When her original summer job fell through due to the pandemic, the college offered Parks — a graduate student in interior design from Americus, Georgia — a grant to continue her research with Kim. The tool they are developing will help aging Iowans identify hazards in their home that pose a fall risk, as well as items that could be modified to enhance their quality of life and help them stay independent as long as possible, Parks said. “This research is valuable to me because I am interested in how the built environment impacts someone in their final years, both physically and emotionally. I eventually hope to work in the healthcare sector of interior design, designing spaces specifically for senior adults,” she said. “I am so grateful to the alumni who value education and research and made this opportunity happen,” she said. “It's really meaningful to me to not only have a job, but to be researching something I'm passionate about and that will benefit many people for years to come.”

To learn more about how you can support students in the College of Design, contact director of development Kim McDonough, (515) 294-7272, kmcdonough@foundation.iastate.edu.

inspire Inspire is published twice per year by the Iowa State University College of Design and is mailed to more than 18,000 alumni and friends. Newsletter Staff Editor Heather Sauer Writers Hailey Allen, Chelsea Davis, Heather Sauer Photographers Brett Biwer, Cameron Campbell, Christopher Gannon, Jordyn Holtmeyer, Metropolitan Picture Company, Michelle Ohle, Pia Schneider, St. Louis ASLA, Austin Stewart Graphic Designer Alison Weidemann Contact Us 146 College of Design 715 Bissell Road Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011-1066 inspire@iastate.edu design.iastate.edu Connect With Us facebook.com/CollegeofDesign Instagram: @isucollegeofdesign LinkedIn: Iowa State University – College of Design Alumni Updates Have you married, moved, changed jobs, published or exhibited your work or earned an award? Let us know at http://www.design.iastate.edu/ alumni/share-your-news/. On the Cover Hannah Underwood (BArch 2020 Architecture) attaches a clear plastic cover to a 3D-printed plastic headband at the Computation and Construction Lab last semester. She was one of eight students who helped produce 2,000 face shields for Iowa medical facilities. Photo by Christopher Gannon. Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 3410 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515 294-7612, Hotline 515-294-1222, email eooffice@iastate.edu

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By Chelsea Davis and Heather Sauer

LOCAL I M PAC T Architecture student team 3D-prints face shields for Iowa hospitals

2,000 face shields were distributed to medical personnel at 63 Iowa facilities, including the Boone County Hospital (above)

a best-practice manual for aging in place, specifically focused on small communities in Iowa.

To learn more about how you can support students in the College of Design, contact director of development Kim McDonough, (515) 294-7272, kmcdonough@foundation.iastate.edu.

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 | FALL 2020

transferred from architecture to healthcare; a year ago, we were using it to make tiny models and now we’re making PPE. I’m glad we were able to help in this situation.” Doyle says this project wouldn’t have been possible without Iowa State’s collaborative and innovative culture, or the support from Alliant Energy. “All the things we do in studio courses and at the CCL are really about developing design knowledge and workflows that are flexible and can be adapted to contribute in unforeseen ways,” Doyle said. “Our students are capable of imagining and engaging through design in an unprecedented and uncertain time. And the need for PPE has brought out the best in the fabrication and design community.” She hopes this project leads to future opportunities for industry partnerships “around specific issues where we’re pursuing a question that design education and skills can contribute to answering. So many people reached out and said they knew someone on the front lines in the pandemic and thanked us for our work. Especially as designers, so much of what we do can be very abstract — this was very tangible,” she said. “This project exemplifies the potential of industry partnerships in higher education as well as Iowa State’s land-grant mission to ‘create, share and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place.’”

EAR SAVERS Face-mask strap extenders reduce discomfort for hospital staff

The online shift of classes and everyday work for ISU faculty, staff and students last spring forced many to upend and rethink their daily routines. It also created a moment to think outside of academic silos and find ways to help a variety of communities during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The College of Design building was mostly silent over the summer except for two staff members, model shop manager Jeremy Thurlby (pictured above) and studio support coordinator Joseph Bovenmyer. Their supervisor, operations director Mike Miller (MLA 1995 Landscape Architecture), pitched an idea to make “ear savers” to alleviate discomfort for hospital staff who wear face masks all day. Thurlby started sketching designs and laser-cut several prototypes that he tested on Bovenmyer. They sent the best prototypes to Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames and Boone County Hospital in Boone for feedback. The final design uses flexible material that curves to the head as well as upward to alleviate pressure on the head and ears. It has three hooks for face-mask straps on each side that can be adjusted depending on individual needs.

So far, Thurlby has cut and shipped 60 ear savers to Boone, 20 to Mary Greeley and 25 to Broadlawns Medical Center’s urgent care clinic in Des Moines as well as a handful to the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which is processing campus COVID-19 tests. He’s ready to make more as the facilities need, but in the meantime he and Bovenmyer have returned to their “typical” duties — although even those have changed. The college’s shop is open on an appointment-only basis this fall, with a maximum of five students in the space at a time to allow for physical distancing and cleaning between appointments. The laser cutters in the college’s output center are service-based this semester; students drop off files and fill out a form to select materials, then pick up their completed projects. Thurlby, Bovenmyer and their student workers are devoting much of their time to maintenance tasks and installing new technologies in classrooms, both to accommodate hybrid and online learning this academic year and to enhance the student experience when all courses can be held in person. 3

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St. Louis office, designing spaces in China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, California, Texas and Iowa. Several of her projects received merit and honor awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects, including the

By Heather Sauer By Hailey Allen

MICHELLE OHLE

Ohle, far right, is a principal of DTLS, the largest woman-owned landscape architecture and urban design firm in Missouri. Photo by Metropolitan Picture Company.

Design leader emphasizes agility, equity and collaboration Ever since she was a child, Michelle (Pinkston) Ohle wanted to be an architect. So much so that she even dressed up as Frank Lloyd Wright for Halloween several years in a row. But on her first day of orientation at Iowa State University, a twist of fate led Ohle to the wrong place — or, perhaps, the right one. “I walked into the wrong orientation session and I was like, ‘Wait... landscape architecture is way cooler.’ So I did that,” said Ohle (BLA 2005 Landscape Architecture). “I liked that [landscape architecture] was living and breathing and dying and growing and eroding and getting snowed on and rained on, and that soil mattered. I thought that was really a fun challenge, and that’s what drew me to it,” she said.

Crafting her role As a landscape architecture major, Ohle was part of the second annual Savanna Studio, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last fall. “The value of that 4

travel experience was learning about all kinds of places, from urban fabric to native ecosystem, firsthand. Being able to walk the land and absorb the lessons by direct observation was crucial,” she said. Ohle continued her travels in Puerto Rico through the National Student Exchange for the second semester of her fourth year, followed by a summer in Prague, also through NSE, with North Carolina State University. “I was off campus as much as I was on campus!” she said, laughing. Her dream was to work in New York City, so during spring break of her senior year, Ohle visited the city that never sleeps and papered it with resumes and portfolios. The effort paid off; Ohle joined Thomas Balsley Architects (now SWA/Balsley) as a junior landscape architect after graduation, designing sites throughout Manhattan. “I was thrown wholeheartedly into

everything. But I discovered my passion was marketing and business development, and I’ve continued crafting that role since,” she said. Ohle began honing her skills by encouraging Thomas Balsley to pursue the St. Louis Gateway Mall Master Plan connecting downtown St. Louis with the Arch Grounds of the Gateway Arch National Park. While working in St. Louis, she felt connected to the more Midwestern market and saw the design potential within the city. And so, in another twist of fate, Ohle traded her NYC dream in favor of a Midwestern homecoming. “I’m adaptable,” she said. “I like St. Louis because it’s an urban place with some big challenges, and I think that’s an exciting structure in which to practice.”

Increasing diversity After leaving Thomas Balsley Associates, Ohle spent nearly a decade with HOK’s

She likes being able to work directly with clients, and that the relatively small firm allows for more collaboration on every project.

projects have been paused or pushed back to a later date, DTLS has been able to continue with other projects in developmental stages.

It’s also a certified Women-Owned Small Business, and the largest women-owned landscape architecture firm in Missouri.

“This transition to working at home and going mobile has been no big deal, because we have built a practice that allows people to work from all over when they need to. We can be collaborative without being in each other’s air,” she said.

“I didn’t always see design leaders that looked like me, and as with so many industries, we have a major diversity issue in the profession of landscape architecture,” Ohle said. “I think it’s really important An active member of the American Society of Landscape Architects St. Louis chapter, Ohle has chaired its events committee and served that we show as a conference presenter. Photo courtesy of St. Louis ASLA. people this big cross section of women design of the Wellmark Blue Cross and from four or five generations all working Blue Shield Headquarters in Des Moines together in the same practice.” in 2014. “It was awesome getting to work internationally and all over the US,” Ohle said. “But I wasn’t building much in St. Louis, and eventually I wanted to, you know, sit and have a sandwich with my kid on the steps that mommy designed.” In 2016, she decided to apply her skills more locally for the community she’d seen such potential in all those years ago. Ohle joined four former HOK colleagues in the growth of St. Louis-based landscape architecture and urban design firm DTLS, short for “details” (“vowels cost money!” she joked). “We are all big doers; we love the process of putting a project in the ground. And we’re typically found in the ‘details’ folder in the project files — that’s literally how we got our name,” Ohle said. “But what that means is that we love to fulfill the vision. And none of our projects look the same because none of our clients look the same,” she said.

Adapting and evolving

Ohle is particularly proud that “we have grown this practice from four people to 10 in a very short time period, and while we’re smaller than many firms, our size makes us nimble,” she said. Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, “our capacity to adapt and work agilely has meant we can create the flexibility necessary for the evolving remotework situation,” Ohle said. And while some

In fact, Ohle believes her firm — and landscape architects in general — are uniquely poised to be at the forefront of resurrecting society as the nation recovers from the pandemic. “[Landscape architecture] is about people and how we occupy space. Landscape architects can help us maximize the impact of our shared public open space, and that means places for all people to get out and connect with nature and to find their wellness.” She also believes landscape architects have a significant role in increasing equity and inclusion. “Equity is critical to our work and our ethos,” Ohle said. “At DTLS, we aim to use our experience and training to give form to clients’ and communities’ voices. This is why we prioritize listening in the design process.”

Ohle, husband Tom (BArch 2005 Architecture), a partner in RDG Planning & Design’s Sports Studio, and daughters Eleanor, front, and Margaret cheer on the Cyclones. Photo by Michelle Ohle.

Her advice for those entering an uncertain job market? “Learn the basics, and learn them very well, backwards and forwards. Master your kit of tools, and then you can learn how to play with those tools,” Ohle said. “Go out into situations where you’re not the majority and absorb, listen and learn as much as you can.” Also, flexibility is helpful. Take it from the master of switching it up herself. 5

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By Heather Sauer By Hailey Allen

MICHELLE OHLE

Ohle, far right, is a principal of DTLS, the largest woman-owned landscape architecture and urban design firm in Missouri. Photo by Metropolitan Picture Company.

Crafting her role As a landscape architecture major, Ohle was part of the second annual Savanna Studio, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last fall. “The value of that 4

Increasing diversity After leaving Thomas Balsley Associates, Ohle spent nearly a decade with HOK’s

She likes being able to work directly with clients, and that the relatively small firm allows for more collaboration on every project.

projects have been paused or pushed back to a later date, DTLS has been able to continue with other projects in developmental stages.

It’s also a certified Women-Owned Small Business, and the largest women-owned landscape architecture firm in Missouri.

Adapting and evolving

Ohle, husband Tom (BArch 2005 Architecture), a partner in RDG Planning & Design’s Sports Studio, and daughters Eleanor, front, and Margaret cheer on the Cyclones. Photo by Michelle Ohle.

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The initial plan was to continue all instruction remotely after break, with students meeting in Ames and videoconferencing with the faculty in Rome. As the situation rapidly evolved, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic and Iowa State moved all courses online for the remainder of spring semester.

By Heather Sauer

READY TO R E S TA R T

Above: Jacob Gasper sketches at Villa d’Este in Tivoli last spring before COVID-19 forced an early return to the US. Photo by Brett Biwer. Opposite: Students and faculty wear masks in the Rome facility as a precaution last February. Photo by Pia Schneider.

Rome Program adapts during pandemic

about COVID-19 at that point and circumstances were changing rapidly,” she said. “We wanted as much control as possible over the situation, and the only way to achieve that was to get students out quickly.”

Rapid return Jacob Gasper woke “really early” on Feb. 29 in the apartment he shared with seven other Iowa State University architecture students who were studying with the College of Design Rome Program. “I checked my phone and saw an email from the dean that said your program is being canceled. I remember sitting straight up in disbelief. I looked at my roommates and said, ‘I think we have to go home,’” Gasper, from Manchester, said in a video chat after returning from Italy in the spring. As reports of the novel coronavirus emerged from Wuhan, China, in January, Iowa State began planning for potential travel interruptions for faculty conferences and study abroad programs. Based on recommendations from the World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Iowa Department of Public Health, the university first suspended travel to China, then South Korea, and made 6

arrangements for students studying abroad in those countries to return. When the CDC issued a warning level 3 (avoid nonessential travel) for Italy at the end of February, Iowa State had 135 students studying there — 47 in the Rome Program. “The majority of ISU students who study abroad go to Europe, with Italy as the number one destination. When Italy was declared a level 3, we wanted to bring students back before it became impossible for them to leave. For the College of Design this was particularly urgent, because we had the most students in one location in a program we oversee,” said Jen Hogan, College of Design director of international programs. “We didn’t know how contagious the virus was, what would happen if students got sick and had to isolate, how they would deal with a potential lockdown in Italy — there wasn’t enough information

Like many of us, students and their families were surprised by the spread of the virus globally, particularly the mounting cases in northern Italy. Predicting the location of the next outbreak, as well as governments’ responses, was nearly impossible. “We knew things were getting worse in Milan and Venice, but until then, I’d thought the worst thing that could happen would be we’d have to stay in Rome,” Gasper said. “Then we heard other schools’ programs were being shut down. It didn’t seem real until we were told we needed to leave by the end of the week.” Rome Program resident director Pia Schneider and other Rome staff advised students on vacating the studio and rebooking plane tickets. All were asked to fly home and self-quarantine for two weeks before returning to campus at the end of spring break. Iowa State provided housing for those who needed that option.

Virtual interaction “I had taken online classes before but nothing collaborative like studio,” said Brett Biwer, from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, now a fifth-year architecture student. “Our project didn’t really change, but the way we worked on it was different. We couldn’t have done it without video chat and screen-sharing, and being able to draw on the screen with a mouse for critiques.”

Rome, and they were still enthusiastic and encouraging. Without their motivation, I’m not sure we’d have handled things as well,” Biwer said.

Pressing pause While the urgency with which the university recalled students from Italy may at first have seemed undue, three days after the last College of Design student left Rome, the Italian government imposed a national quarantine — sharply restricting residents’ movements and closing all nonessential businesses. “We needed to clean and close the studio and apartments, send staff home and equip them with computers and printers,” Schneider said. “Intuitively, I knew we weren’t closing for just a few days or weeks, which meant making long-term decisions in a short amount of time.” The Rome facility had been booked for summer by other Iowa State programs and external organizations, which also had to withdraw. When ongoing concerns about the pandemic led ISU to cancel all study abroad programs for fall, Schneider and Hogan developed a plan to reduce costs and keep the facility dormant, but ready to reopen when conditions permit.

Students uploaded projects on CyBox (like Dropbox, but a secure university system) so faculty would have access to their files and communicated mainly “We ended leases for through Zoom or our ancillary apartments WhatsApp. For their with the option to art history course, renew, and renegotiated because students Brett Biwer in Florence pre-COVID. rent for the main couldn’t physically Photo by Jordyn Holtmeyer. studio,” Hogan said. visit sites, faculty “The staff are on recorded lectures and furlough and being supported by the shared virtual walk-throughs and videos Italian government, and we’ll bring them online to help them experience the space. back as soon as possible. We’re using this time to think about renovations we could “Our professors were great. We wouldn’t make before we restart the program.” start classes until 5 p.m. their time in

Sixty students from graphic design, interior design and integrated studio arts had registered for the fall 2020 Rome Program. One section of the interior design studio is being taught remotely from Rome this semester, and because those students are juniors, they will have the chance to participate fully in the fall 2021 program. Graphic design seniors won’t have that option, so the college hired Rome-based ISU faculty to teach the art history class they need to be able to graduate. Studio arts juniors can still go as seniors next fall. Schneider also is teaching a one-credit virtual “Design in Italy” course — a modification of the Italian culture course normally offered in Rome — to provide a broad introduction to Italian design, fashion, art and architecture.

Three decades of success Adjustments continue to be made for spring 2021. Iowa State announced a later start to the semester and elimination of spring break, with the goal of minimizing travel and the need to quarantine. As of press time, the college plans to begin the spring Rome Program online and have students in Italy from February–May, which removes the need for long-term study visas. “Student interest in study abroad remains strong, and the Rome Program is vital to our mission of educating global citizens,” Hogan said. “I would definitely study abroad again. It’s one of the best, most life-changing experiences you can have as a student. I know I’ll return to Rome one day,” Biwer said. With the Rome Program marking its 30th anniversary next year, the College of Design hopes to find ways to celebrate the milestone with alumni, colleagues and contributors who have made the program such a success. “Looking ahead, I’m confident students want to discover the world and travel again. I think this crisis has been a catharsis — we are obliged to rethink, revise and reinvent the way we do things,” Schneider said. “One of our strengths is the ability to adapt quickly, remain flexible and focus on the future. We have 30 years of experience and expertise to draw on.” 7

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By Heather Sauer

READY TO R E S TA R T

Rome Program adapts during pandemic

Rome, and they were still enthusiastic and encouraging. Without their motivation, I’m not sure we’d have handled things as well,” Biwer said.

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for coffee but to see each other every day,” Stewart said.

permanent installation by the secondyear architecture studio in spring 2017.

The Stewarts wanted people to be able to sit at the bar and meet others. They also wanted guests to build relationships with the staff. Rather than table service, Lockwood has counter service, so

They’ve also hosted Trend magazine photoshoots and ISU Theatre’s production of members’ one-act plays. And Stewart uses the gallery for his classes’ semesterend exhibitions.

The Stewarts also experienced symptoms, but were turned down for testing at the time. Given the complications of staffing and safety considerations, they chose not to offer takeout even after they recovered. The café reopened Aug. 1 as students returned to Ames for the start of Iowa State’s fall semester. Since then, several of Lockwood’s crew have been unable to work because they were exposed to COVID-19 and “our policies for self-quarantine exceed CDC guidelines — we want to keep our community safe,” Stewart said. “We’re a small business, however, and if too many staff miss work at once, we’ll have to close again.”

By Hailey Allen and Heather Sauer

COMMUNIT Y ENGAGEMENT Reliable Street, Lockwood Café bring people together through art and food Iowa’s rural landscape sprouts countless agricultural buildings, from barns to silos to grain elevators. As the number of family farms has dwindled and the storage and transport of crops has evolved, many such structures have fallen into disrepair. Spurred by the desire to provide a creative community gathering space and breathe new life into an old facility, Iowa State University alumni and faculty have spent the past five years turning one of these — a former feed mill and warehouse in northwest Ames — into Reliable Street and Lockwood Café. The building complex on the eponymous Reliable Street is co-owned by Lyndsay Nissen (MFA 2015 Integrated Visual Arts) and her husband, Elliott Thompson; Austin Stewart, associate professor of art and visual culture, and his wife, Sharon Stewart; with Dan DeGeest (BS 1994 8

After learning of his diagnosis, the Stewarts closed the café, intending to self-quarantine as a precaution. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds then issued her emergency proclamation ordering restaurants and bars to close for the rest of March, later extended through May.

Computer Science) and Alex Braidwood, associate professor of graphic design. Entrepreneurs Nissen and Thompson were looking for a large space to accommodate artist studios and provide a live performing arts venue. When the building came on the market in 2015, they sought other investors to help realize their vision. The Stewarts were natural business partners. Sharon dreamed of owning a café, and Austin shared Nissen’s goal of opening a community art gallery. But the building — once the site of Lockwood Grain and Coal Company, for which the café is named — needed lots of work to make it ready to welcome guests. During the summers of 2017 and 2018, the Stewarts operated the café as a food cart on the property while they worked with Nissen and Thompson to rehab the interior.

Costs mounted as the team navigated zoning and other challenges. A Kickstarter campaign in May 2019 raised more than $10,000 to help fund remaining renovations. Other backers donated time, building materials, furniture and artwork. Lockwood Café opened its new doors last October.

Casual community hub Before Stewart earned his master of fine arts from Ohio State University in 2012 and joined the College of Design faculty in 2013, the couple had lived in Colorado and worked at restaurants that served as community hubs. They wanted to create that casual vibe at Lockwood. “As we explored Ames, we discovered there were no cafés with bar seating as an option. We knew from experience that people would come in, sit at the bar and drink their coffee. Eventually that became lots of regulars coming not only

Opposite: Reliable Street hosts “Social Distance Drive-in” movies so people can watch “together” from the safety of their vehicles. Above: Sharon Stewart behind the Lockwood Café counter. Photos courtesy of Austin Stewart.

customers can converse with staff when they place and pick up orders, then relax for as long as they wish at their tables. The café serves sweet and savory crepes, coffee and tea.

Accessible art Hired to teach digital media courses at Iowa State, Stewart also brought an emphasis on socially engaged art, a focus shared by Nissen and Thompson. “Now that the café is open, a big part of my art practice is what we’re doing in the space: the programming, and being welcoming and inclusive,” Stewart said. Adjacent to the café is a gallery displaying work by local artists. The space also hosts events ranging from music and theater performances to open-mic nights and exhibition receptions — all paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reliable Street and Lockwood Café collaborate with Iowa State faculty and students on activities as well — including a May Day festival organized by the “Art and Social Capital” option studio in 2019, and a design-build

To further bring art and community together, the café features an “art bar” that, pre-pandemic, served beer and wine in the evening, so people could enjoy the gallery in a social, accessible way. “The art world often seems kind of pretentious and inaccessible, so we wanted a way people could stumble upon it more readily than feeling like they have to go to an ‘art space,’ which can feel really intimidating,” Nissen said.

Reliable Street had been set to host “Fortress of Light” — a production involving projection mapping onto the former feed mill towers — in June with funding from the Iowa Arts Council and Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau. Because they’d already purchased video cameras and projectors for that project, they had to brainstorm new ways to use the equipment, Nissen said.

Austin and Sharon Stewart with sons Oliver, left, and Philo outside Reliable Street.

Pandemic pivot Lockwood Café and the gallery had been open five months when COVID-19 arrived. Thompson, who had traveled out of state at the beginning of March, fell ill and tested positive for COVID, just as the World Health Organization declared the virus a global pandemic.

One solution was the “Social Distance DriveIn,” for which they projected public domain movies onto the towers so people could watch “together” from the safety of their vehicles. They’ve also hosted game nights, projecting the game screen so players can participate at a distance from their phones.

As they mark the first anniversary of opening Lockwood Café and the gallery, the team notes they could not have predicted how different the world would be today. “Our goal is to bring people together, and we’ve had to figure out how to do that while staying six feet apart,” Stewart said. 9

C O L L A B O R AT I V E PA R T N ER S H I P

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 | FALL 2020

for coffee but to see each other every day,” Stewart said.

permanent installation by the secondyear architecture studio in spring 2017.

The Stewarts wanted people to be able to sit at the bar and meet others. They also wanted guests to build relationships with the staff. Rather than table service, Lockwood has counter service, so

They’ve also hosted Trend magazine photoshoots and ISU Theatre’s production of members’ one-act plays. And Stewart uses the gallery for his classes’ semesterend exhibitions.

By Hailey Allen and Heather Sauer

customers can converse with staff when they place and pick up orders, then relax for as long as they wish at their tables. The café serves sweet and savory crepes, coffee and tea.

Austin and Sharon Stewart with sons Oliver, left, and Philo outside Reliable Street.

A LU M N I S U P P O R T

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 | FALL 2020

By Heather Sauer

“We received a letter from one of the students about how much the support meant to her; it literally allowed her to return to college this year,” he said.

Photo by Cameron Campbell

EMERGENCY A S S I S TA N C E

College responds to soaring student need with alumni support Kendall Hennig graduated from Iowa State University in May with a bachelor of science in community and regional planning and environmental studies. That statement may seem unremarkable, but for Hennig, it feels momentous. “My past made it seem as if completing college would be an impossible task,” she said. “I come from a lower-workingclass family. I have worked since I was 15 to save for college, but my savings ran out by the end of my sophomore year, and my family could not support me, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.” Hennig, from Elgin, Illinois, worked 30 hours a week during the academic year and 80 hours a week during summers to fund her education. When the pandemic hit the Midwest last spring, she found it much harder to make ends meet and feared she would be unable to finish her final semester. She applied for an emergency grant from the College of Design, which allowed her to pay her remaining U-Bill and graduate. “This grant was the difference between whether or not I received my diploma,” said Hennig, who hopes to work in a city planning office and “combine both of my

majors to create green urban landscapes and support low-income communities. “From the bottom of my heart, I am thankful for this emergency fund. It is inspiring to know that alumni support their institution and uplift the next generation of students.”

Unprecedented need Circumstances related to the global pandemic have led to an unprecedented need for student financial support. Many have experienced loss of jobs and paid internships, parent job loss, extra expenses of returning from study abroad and unexpected technology costs with the shift to online learning in the spring. The College of Design provided $67,000 in support to 61 students through scholarships and grants of $750–$1,700 during the spring and summer to help with these emergency needs. Support came from multiple sources, including a Rome Program contingency fund, the Dean’s Advancement Council Fund, the Foutch Family Scholarship and the Bryce and Rita Pearsall Fund for Excellence. Steve Foutch (BA 1988 Architecture) and his wife, Mary Jane, established the Foutch Family Scholarship in 2019 to support College of Design students who need extra assistance to graduate or enroll for another semester. Because this is an endowed fund, money from

the account is not available immediately to help students in situations like those resulting from COVID-19, and the Foutches wanted to do something to help those students now. “In the current COVID circumstances, we learned there were students who needed a $1,000 boost to stay in school or graduate,” said Foutch, cofounder and chief executive officer of Kansas City-based Foutch Brothers, a development and construction firm focused on historic renovation. “That’s a small sum for alumni in the workforce to help cover when the students are already paying a majority of their costs, and to drop out in their last year would be such a waste of their training and talent. It’s also a statement for ISU that we are a family and will work together towards a common goal,” he said. The Bryce and Rita Pearsall Fund for Excellence, established by Bryce (BArch 1971 Architecture) and Rita Pearsall in 2017, is an expendable fund that allows cash awards to be made as needs are identified. The Pearsalls made additional contributions to this fund for emergency student support in response to the pandemic. “Students lost jobs and internships and with that their ability to pay tuition

“We realized what an impact this could have not only now but also down the road. As we emerge from this global health crisis, there will be a great need and demand for bright young design professionals. We want to do our part to ensure they’re able to complete school and enter the workforce.”

a best-practice manual for aging in place, specifically focused on small communities in Iowa.

To learn more about how you can support students in the College of Design, contact director of development Kim McDonough, (515) 294-7272, kmcdonough@foundation.iastate.edu.

C OV ER S TO RY

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 | FALL 2020

By Chelsea Davis and Heather Sauer

LOCAL I M PAC T Architecture student team 3D-prints face shields for Iowa hospitals

2,000 face shields were distributed to medical personnel at 63 Iowa facilities, including the Boone County Hospital (above)

a best-practice manual for aging in place, specifically focused on small communities in Iowa.

To learn more about how you can support students in the College of Design, contact director of development Kim McDonough, (515) 294-7272, kmcdonough@foundation.iastate.edu.

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 FALL 2020

College of Design

146 College of Design 715 Bissell Road Ames, IA 50011-1066

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 | FALL 2020

Pandemic Response ISU Computation and Construction Lab partners with Alliant Energy to produce face shields for Iowa medical facilities

The team hopes that the study’s findings can help local governments as they evaluate policy responses and rental housing stability strategies in the aftermath of disasters.