We finished up the CityStudio with a BBQ/open house celebration. There is still a lot to be finished on 1415 Mallinckrodt, but we did accomplish a lot for just 3 weeks. Near the end the majority of efforts were focused on the back garage door, the landscape and garden work, and the long side wall. I spent a lot time working on the back door that accordions vertically up. In a couple weeks, a fancy, all glass, rollup fire house door, so we wanted to create a secondary door to protect the glass door when the building isn't being used. Seems like a little overkill? Maybe. There will also be a stage built off the back of the house so we wanted to be able to free up as much open space as possibly so we didn't want swinging doors or anything that would impede on the stage.
We built the wood frames for the door on campus in the shop and then transported them to the site where we covered them with green corrugated fiberglass panels, which by the way were not easy to find. The door works on a counterweight system the operates on reused garage door tracks. We're still figuring out the exact weights for the door but it opens and closes so that is successful.
Although working in the heat everyday was insanely hot, I still had an amazing time working on this and would do it again in a second. I'm also hoping to be able to stay involved with ReBuild while I am still in St Louis.
Here are a couple links to more photos that I took:
https://picasaweb.google.com/100568573423954962423
And to an article about the class:
http://blog.art21.org/2011/08/01/creative-rebuild-theaster-gates-in-hyde-park-st-louis/
ReBuild ReBlog:
http://rebuild-foundation.org/blog/?p=261
