A messy, detour ridden approach to thesis


DATE ENTRY
Saturday, April 27thCommunity Workshop @ Repair AtelierFriday, April 26thWorkshop Set Up @ Repair AtelierSaturday, April 20thPVD ThingsThursday, April 18thOld Colony Habitat for Humanity & Creative Reuse CenterWednesday, April 17thBenefit St. Bathroom RenoSaturday, April 13thRepair Space Pop-Up ID Workshop @ Repair AtelierThursday, April 11thBay View Academy Workshop Monday, April 8thValerie’s StudioThursday, April 4thOld Colony Habitat for Humanity & Home DepotTuesday, April 1stCoveted CastersThursday, March 28thBuddy’s Basement Part 2 Wednesday, March 27thBuddy’s Basement Part 1 March 24-26thBuilding a Work Bench ShelfWednesday, March 20thSecond Life ExchangeFriday, March 8thSaversThursday, March 7th Old Colony Habitat for HumanityWednesday, February 28thPVD ThingsTuesday, February 27thCreative Reuse Center & Ruth’s Basement Part 2Thursday, February 22ndRuth’s Basement Part 1My Mom, the Pick Up Artist
Friday, April 26th
Today, I sat uneasily at my workbench at 11:00 am, waiting for my mom to arrive. With Markus' permission, we planned to haul all the supplies to the Repair Atelier. He would meet us there at 1:00 pm and unlock the space for us. I had a few hours to start packing.

This time, I had the moving process better in hand. This seems obvious now, but you should move EVERYTHING next to the elevator, load it ALL in at once, and then take it ALL out beside the basement elevator (where the wheelchair access is). Then, one by one, move each sidekick to the car. While laborious, it removes the more extreme back-and-forth of running up the stairs for each trip. 

I pulled up to the atelier at 1:20 pm, not anticipating how long it would take to load the car. 

It took two trips between the Bayard Ewing Building and the Repair Atelier to empty my workbench and fill the atelier. Unlike the previous workshop at Bay View, the car had extraneous objects in the trunk, making it harder to fit my things in. Additionally, Bill was a passenger this time because Prime Time Adult Day Care wasn't open on Fridays. 

When I visited back in March to check out the space, Church St. seemed like a quiet, narrow, and tucked-away side street leading to Benefit St. Yes, it is all those things, but it also has quite a bit of car traffic. 

We parked beside the entry, switched on the hazards, and started unloading. The PVC cart was having a rough time, falling apart, while I tugged it out of the backseat. At least dog walkers and drivers got a show. 

On my second trip, I re-entered the atelier and met Ethan, a Master's student in Industrial Design. Markus was his thesis advisor, and they were chatting. We talked briefly about his thesis idea and his passion for repairing things left on sidewalks. I shared a bit about my sidekicks, how I sourced my tools, designed the trays, and my workshop. I also introduced Markus to my parents before departing. He lent me keys to the space and instructed me on how to set the alarm and lock up when I was done. 


LILY GUCFA, RISD ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT, SPRING 2024