UWM, where a few of us went to Grad School, has hatched a plan to build a School of Freshwater Sciences. After being named by the UN as an important site for water research, the City is looking to capitalize on this with the University. The focus is on a strip of land right on Lake Michigan - between the Art Museum and Discovery World - a science/children's museum - currently occupied by a empty restaurant called Pieces of 8. The selection of this site - still in debate by the City and University - has been greeted with dismay by the the average Milwaukeean. Not only do we closely guard our lakefront, a largely public space, but we also fear the worst. What if this building is ugly?

Putting aside the debate of whether this is an appropriate site for the project, the Arts & Architecture writer for the Journal Sentinal - Mary Louise Schumacher - has challenged local architects & designers to submit their ideas. Lost somewhere between free work and an ideas competition (with no winner...) the proposal hopes to spark debate and push any selected architect in the future to rise to the occasion.

For us, participating is our only way of being a part of this conversation. The small / young firms usually get shut out of consideration such projects - not only in Milwaukee, but in the US at large. This is an opportunity to be heard (seen) and for our name spread a bit.

This is not a School. This is a Marketing Campaign.

Published by Brook Louis Meier in design