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Anyone interested in the future of the Silver Lake Elementary School building should attend the design charette April 22 at the school.
The Northern Indiana Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, in conjunction with Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, is holding the design charette to come up with ideas for the school building.
Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan, president-elect for the Northern Chapter, said a design charette is "something we do a lot of in architecture." It's like a brainstorming session but from a design standpoint. It usually involves more than one architect. The brainstorming session will work around a set of parameters and try to find solutions. Those solutions are then narrowed down. Parameters may include what will fit, cost and time available.
"When we can get away to do this," she said, "we love it. It's a gift back to the community."
Registration for the design charette is from 8:15 to 8:30 a.m. April 22. Introduction is 8:30 to 8:45, with tours of the building from 8:45 to 9:15. The brainstorming session is 9:30 to 10:45. After a break, the first small group design session is from 11 a.m. to noon. After lunch, the second small group design session is from 1 to 3 p.m. A break will be 15 minutes and then the projects will be presented, along with a question and answer session. The day will end by 5 p.m.
"We really need the public to show up for it. If they are really committed to saving this school, they really need to give up their day," said Rudisel-Jordan.
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization of architects. The Northern Chapter includes as far east as Columbia City, west to the Illinois state border, north to the Michigan state border and as far south as Kokomo. Rudisel-Jordan said the Chapter likes to do at least one community project a year. She knew of the closed Silver Lake school and took it to the Chapter for consideration. The Chapter was excited not only about helping Silver Lake, she said, but also about providing solutions for closed schools across the country. The results of the charette could help other communities figure out what to do with schools after they are closed.
For the charette, Rudisel-Jordan invited architects from all over northern Indiana and AAI friends as well.
But the community must be involved for anything to come from the charette. The community must give their input and help brainstorm to figure out what the needs of Silver Lake are as well as the needs of the southern part of Kosciusko County. Each of the small groups will work on ideas for uses of the school. The ideas also will be sketched out. At the end of the day, the small groups will get back together and present their ideas and plans to the larger group.
The AAI then will take the ideas, photograph them and put them into a booklet to give back to Silver Lake.
During the charette, the town gets free service from six to 10 architects on possible uses of the school that are plausible.
Along with the AAI and Historic Landmarks, Rudisel-Jordan said all Warsaw School Corporation Board of Trustees members, local businesses and churches are invited to the charette.
Silver Lake Elementary School was completed in 1930 and is an example of Art Deco architecture. The school, along with Atwood and Claypool, was closed by the Warsaw School Board in 2004. The school board is allowing the school to be studied for a year to determine alternate uses for the school. If none are found, it likely will be demolished.
"It's a beautiful school," said Rudisel-Jordan.
