The Seaholm Intake Facility held an open house this previous Friday. It was interesting to observe the diversity (and number) of people who attended the event. The space was filled with an eclectic mix of planners, architects, engineers, and locals, all present for a common reason: to reimagine the abandoned facility.
Plywood boards served as railings around deep, cavernous spaces below. Anxious visitors peered inside to gain a sense of the vertical space. Horizontal space, on the other hand, was seemingly just as present. The windows peered out to the endless bounds of Lady Bird Lake. It was an ideal location for any new project.
It was interesting to observe some of the actions that took place among several clustered groups. I engaged in some dialogue with a local resident and civil engineer; both were ecstatic about some of the new plans and often referred to the "beautiful visions" that were on display
Two foamcore boards were situated along a wall with the basic site plan of the park pasted on one side. The resident I spoke to asked me to help her situate her location on the plan, explaining to me that it was "difficult to understand this architecture-stuff." She read some of the suggestions on the board and later wandered away to view the drawings that were a bit more understandable to her: photo-realistic renderings.
It seems that planners, architects, and engineers seems to know what is "best" for the City. Afterall, hey are the entities that possess "adequate" knowledge on how to approach an opportunity like the one brought about by the Seaholm Intake Facility.
But what is the role of the resident? Is there really community engagement in suggestions written on a board when they can be just as quickly dismissed by someone with greater authority? Can questions be answered through drawings that cannot be understood? And lastly, can a vision really be fulfilled in a single open house event?
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