“A Tower for Wilmington”

Before starting this project, students completed an architecture unit on innovative housing, which allowed them to brainstorm and design housing that addressed specific needs like homelessness, population growth, sprawl, ecosystem collapse, and rising sea levels. After they did this with the help of a 3D modeling program called SketchUp, students began to focus on the role of towers.

Once they explored the history and the functions of various towers, students were tasked to design one for the city of Wilmington with specific constraints; the size of the base must fit within a certain amount of land next to the Daniel S. Frawley Stadium (home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks), and it must be a multi-purpose tower. The student-made models were built with a 1/4"=1' scale and assessed in terms of stability, structural awareness, craftsmanship, accessibility/safety, and originality of form. Each student presented their model to the class, explaining their tower’s multiple functions and why the city of Wilmington should select their idea.

Lastly, during their final critique, students selected one model they would be proud to see as part of Wilmington’s skyline.
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