Over the course of the past several months, STREB has been continuing its work with Snohetta to develop the schematic design for SLAM. The process has involved periodic meetings that have included the Snohetta design team and for STREB: Elizabeth Streb: board member and architect, Craig Tooman; senior management and on occasion, various STREB staff members whose work and programs at SLAM will be directly impacted by the SLAM renovation.
As Snohetta wrote in our October blog post, the past months have been dedicated to “making an overarching concept a fully functional and real piece of architecture.”
As you can see by the attached slide show, the design has evolved as a result of the following considerations/realizations both conceptual and practical:
• Achieving the goal of physical transparency
• Maximizing the use of space
• Optimizing functionality
• Insuring both accessibility and security
• Maintaining climate control
• Containing cost
These months have been perhaps the most challenging so far as we moved from the conceptual and philosophical to the practical. It’s been a balancing act of determining priorities and addressing both individual and communal concerns while never losing sight of STREB’s commitment to maintaining the spirit and energy of SLAM.