Eco Abet Summer Charrette 2013 ReCap

On June 13th, 2013, Eco Abet, a Kansas City-based non-profit architecture and design organization, hosted its third annual summer charrette and fund/friendraiser at the KC Design Center in Kansas City, MO. As more than 90% of the population cannot afford design services, Eco Abet bought together the Kansas City design community with several non-profit organizations and individuals that address the needs of local underserved groups. The design charrette included diverse groups of designers, along with representation from the non-profit groups being served.

There were over 50 participants and eight charrette teams signed up for the charrette. The teams collaborated to generate a solution for a specific, identified design need. The charrette took place from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm, followed by a public exhibition and reception from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The presentation started at 6:00 pm.

The general mission of the organization is to act as a catalyst to meet the design needs of the underserved, primarily in the Kansas City metropolitan area, by serving as a connector and conduit between the design community and other nonprofit organizations.

Funds generated by the event will be used to provide architecture and design internships with Eco Abet. In return, interns will provide a valuable design service to underserved communities. Eco Abet would like to thank event sponsors Burns & McDonnell, BNIM Architecte, Price Chopper, Boulevard Brewery, JE Dunn, and Treanor Architects. Thank you to our non profit partners Upper Room Program, St Mark Hope Center and Digital Bridge. Finally the Summer Charrette would not be a success without the charrette team leaders and their enthusiastic team members.

Thank you everyone for supporting Eco Abet to advance it’s mission. We will keep you informed on our plans to take these projects forward. We hope to see you all at a future charrette.

Eco Abet Summer Charrette - Call for Volunteers

Save the Date

2013 ECO ABET SUMMER CHARRETTE

THURSDAY, JUNE 13

  

DO YOU SEE A NEED IN YOUR COMMUNITY?
LET US KNOW!

Eco Abet is currently gathering project ideas for this summer's charrette and we want to hear from YOU!

Projects should be related to an issue or a location in your community to which you believe
a half-day of GOOD DESIGN and GREAT TEAMWORK will make a big difference.
If you have an idea in mind, or know someone who does, let us help!

Send an email to Charmalee Gunaratne at: cgunaratne@ecoabet.org

Eco Abet Winter Charrette 2012 for Cultivate KC

On December 11^th 2012, Eco Abet hosted first Winter Charrette for CultivateKC to design an energy efficient greenhouse for the low income urban farmers. Eco Abet brought together two design teams consisting of Kansas City designers, engineers and greenhouse experts to take this challenge. There were over 20 participants and two charrette teams participated in the charrette.  The charrette took place from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm, followed by a presentation started at 4.30 pm.

Eco Abet would like to thank BNIM for letting us use their space. Thank you to our non profit partner Cultivate KC. Finally the Winter Charrette would not be a success without the charrette team leaders Bob Berkebile and Dominique Davision and their enthusiastic team members.

Thank you everyone for supporting Eco Abet to advance it’s mission. We will keep you informed on our plans to take these projects forward. We hope to see you all at a future charrette.

Winter Charrette for Juniper Gardens

1 out of 45 Children Homeless, Says Report

ABC News’ Tom Shine and Amy Bingham report:

The congressional hearing room in the Rayburn House Office Building was lit brightly, all warm and cozy. The chairs around the witness table were comfortable, and a bottle of water was set before each place.

It was quite a contrast to the living conditions of Rumi Khan, an 11-year-old sixth-grader; Brooklyn Pastor, a 12-year-old seventh-grader; and Brittany Amber Koon, a Pvt. First Class in the U.S. Army.

Bounced between motels and homeless shelters, sleeping in cars, using gas station bathrooms to wash up and brush their teeth in, these young people were here to ask a Congress –47 percent of whose members have a net worth of $1 million or more – for a little help.

Koon, who said she first became homeless in eighth grade, had been in and out of foster care, slept in her car and “couch surfed.” When she leaves the Fort Hood base for the holidays, she said she would still have no place to call home.

“Like me, you have chosen to serve your country,” she told House Financial Services Subcommittee members. “You here in Washington, and me in the field. Just as you have faith that I will be out there protecting you, it is my hope that you will use your power here to protect youth like me.”

Koon was one of six to testify before the congressional committee. According to a recent report from the National Center on Family Homelessness, one out of every 45 children younger than 18 in the United States is without a home. As a result of the recent economic downturn, almost 500,000 more children were pushed into homelessness, an increase of 38 percent. Read more...

Homelessness in New York: it’s not child’s play

Albor Ruiz

Christmas is beautiful in New York, so much so that thousands of people from all over the world flock here to spend the most joyous of holidays.

But for the nearly 50,000 homeless children in this city, Christmas in New York is more Charles Dickens than “Miracle on 34th Street.”

Even worse, New York is not the only place in the country where thousands of children do not have a home this holiday season. Defying all logic, in the U.S., one of the richest nations on Earth, more than 1.6 million children — one in 45 — live in cars, motels or homeless shelters over the course of any given year. Read more...

The forgotten American homeless

Homeless student problem needs solving

By John Darling, for the Mail Tribune

The number of homeless students in Jackson County jumped 23 percent last year, largely because of the poor economy, school officials said.

Medford schools showed an 18 percent increase in homeless students, from 1,139 in 2009-10 to 1,341 in 2010-11, according to statistics released last week by the Oregon Department of Education.

"One in 10 Medford students are homeless now," said Terri Dahl, supervisor of federal programs for the Medford district. "It's totally the economy. People aren't finding jobs, and their homes are foreclosing. They're doubling and tripling up with family members. They're running out of shelter."

The count, required annually for federal grant money, showed Medford ranked 11th in the state for homeless students at 10.7 percent.

Butte Falls, a district of 161 students, showed the highest percentage in the state — 24.8 — with 36 homeless students. Other districts in the top 20 statewide included Rogue River at 10.8 percent, Prospect at 9.2 percent and Phoenix-Talent at 8.9 percent. Phoenix-Talent's homeless student population grew by 144 students from the previous year, giving it the greatest percentage increase among Jackson County districts — 148 percent.

Eagle Point saw a 26-student drop in homelessness from the previous year, a difference of 9.3 percent. Central Point and Ashland's homeless rates grew by 57 percent and 17.8 percent, respectively. Read more...

Tata announces world’s cheapest (flatpack) house

Tata Group, the company behind the ‘world’s cheapest car’ the Tata Nano, has announced the development of its latest product: the ‘Nano’ flatpack house. Yes, Tata is now looking to claim the title of offering the world’s cheapest house on the market.

Dubbed the Nano house, the flatpack dwelling comes with pre-fabricated materials, including doors and windows, for a house of around 20 square metres in size. Materials consist of coconut or jute cladding complete with interior layouts. The proposed price of the ready-to-assemble kit is said to be just $US700 (around AU$660). Read more...

Kansas City Homelessness Task Force calls for nine new committees to deal with problem

By MIKE HENDRICKS
The Kansas City Star

The intent was — and still is — to ensure that everyone in metro Kansas City has a place to call home.

But nearly a year behind schedule, Kansas City’s Homelessness Task Force has issued a final report that even its defenders admit falls short of expectations.

The mission was ambitious: Create a plan that “when fully implemented will end homelessness in our region.”

“We wanted them to come back with marching orders,” said former city councilwoman Cathy Jolly. Read more...

The recession’s effect on children: More kids face homelessness, poverty

By Liz Goodwin National Affairs Reporter

The worst recession in a generation hit the nations' children's especially hard, according to a new report.


A larger number of children fell into poverty between 2008 and 2009 than was ever recorded before in a single year, going back to 1960. Nearly 21 percent of children lived in poverty as of 2009, the most recent year for which data is available, making children more likely than any other age group to be poor. Read more...

Crunching the Numbers in the Fight to End Homelessness

The number of homeless people on America's streets is morally indefensible -- over 600,000 on any given night -- but even more startling is how little we have historically known about this population. If solving a problem depends on first understanding it, it should come as little surprise that solutions to homelessness have often been slow.  Read more...

Refugees in Juniper Gardens - Urban Farm in Kansas City

Eco Abet Summer Charrette ReCap

On July 12th, 2011, Eco Abet, a Kansas City-based non-profit architecture and design organization, hosted its first annual summer charrette and fund/friendraiser at the KC Design Center in Kansas City, MO. As more than 90% of the population cannot afford design services, Eco Abet bought together the Kansas City design community with several non-profit organizations that address the needs of local underserved groups.

The design charrette included diverse groups of designers, along with representation from the non-profit groups being served. There were over 70 participants and eight charrette teams signed up for the charrette. The teams collaborated to generate a solution for a specific, identified design need. The charrette took place from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm, followed by a public exhibition and reception from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The presentation started at 6:30 pm.

The general mission of the organization is to participate in the creation, initiation, and design of local and global architecture projects. Of special interest to Eco Abet are design projects that address the needs of children (and other vulnerable populations) that have been exposed to poverty, natural disasters, and traumas of various kinds. Eco Abet will also engage in research and prototype development for disaster relief housing, schools and clinics, community play spaces, and sustainable design solutions.

Funds generated by the event will be used to provide architecture and design internships with Eco Abet. In return, interns will provide a valuable design service to underserved communities.

Eco Abet would like to thank event sponsors Burns & McDonnell, BRR Architecture, Treanor Architects, Zahner, Spin Pizza, Magnolia's, Boulevard Brewery and My Smart Plans. Thank you to our non profit partners 816 Bike collective, New House Women Shelter, ReStart, Downtown Council and WestsideCAN. Also we would like to recognize our panel members Kirk Gastinger, Kite Singleton, Dominique Davison, Ryan Townsend, Vicki Noteis and Joy Swallow, and the panel moderator Vladimir Krstic. A big thank you to Clint Wynn volunteering his time to document the event. Finally the Summer Charrette would not be a success without the charrette team leaders Chris Mitchell, Devan Case, John Quinton, Aimee Gray, Joy Coleman, Paul Sanders, Brian Roth and Eric Boch and their enthusiastic team members.

Thank you everyone for supporting Eco Abet to advance it's mission. We will keep you informed on our plans to take these projects forward. We hope to see you all at a future charrette.

Number Of Homeless Teens In KC Grows

This article was published in 2010. But still stands true to the number of homeless teens.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The number of homeless teenagers in Kansas City is growing because of the slow economy.

KMBC's Jana Corrie reported that several teenagers shared their stories with her in hopes of opening eyes to the hidden reality.

"I didn't feel like killing myself, but I was just thinking like, 'I don't know why I'm alive because I'm just here for no reason,'" said Dominique.

"Now you are on your own and you have nobody to turn to," said Tailyre. Read more...

Fairfax County Struggles To House The Homeless and Indigent

HOMELESSNESS and affordable housing shortages are traditionally urban problems, but as suburbs urbanize, they are becoming suburban problems as well. The number of people living below the poverty level in the District (about 110,000) is dwarfed by the combined number in Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties (192,000). In those counties, dwelling prices remain high — if still below their housing bubble peaks — and rents are at record levels. That, combined with shrunken local government revenue, has left suburban localities scrambling to house their neediest residents. Read more...

816 Bike Collective Existing Facility

816 Bike Collective is a collective of individuals from diverse backgrounds working on a volunteer basis to rescue and repair bicycles. They believe in empowerment through education and support the use of bicycles as a healthy and ecological means of transportation.

Their Mission:

1. To gather and repair bicycles that would otherwise be disposed of, disregarded or destroyed
2. To distribute these bicycles to those who need them in exchange for donated time, resources or revenue – dependent on each individuals needs and means.
3. To increase the amount of people who ride bikes and time spent riding.
4. To educate the various communities in Kansas City about bicycles: including mechanics, maintenance, safety, and the potential solutions to related social and environmental issues.
5. To empower individuals by providing the education, materials and skills that facilitate self-reliant transportation.
6. To foster a sense of respect and community among participants that will extend to the greater Kansas City communities.
7. As a collective, we will never exclude or deny any individual or group based on race, class, gender, sexuality, age, ability, or any other aspect of their identity in word or deed. If you can assist us in any way, (i.e. tools, bikes, time, legal services, etc)

Eco abet is working with 816 Bike Collective to revovate thier recently purchased building in 31st and Cherry street.

Juniper Gardens

Juniper Gardens is a program under Catholic Charities to support strengthening refugee families and building the local food system. Read more...

Switzer Neighborhood Farm

The Westside CAN Center houses a property maintenance code enforcement officer from Kansas City's Neighborhood Preservation Division, two police officers and a neighborhood specialist. These representatives partner with residents and neighborhood leaders to improve the livability of the neighborhood. The CAN center concept was developed as part of Kansas City’s Community Policing Initiative. Our wide range of partnerships have included: Westside Housing Organization, Guadalupe Center, Inc., El Centro, Inc., City of Kansas City, MO, Kansas City Public Library, Mattie Rhodes Center, Westside Lions Club, Local Initiative Support Corporation, Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance, Probation and Parole, Division of Family Services, Mana de Kansas City, COMBAT, KCMO - Health Department, Hispanic Economic Development Corporation and the business community.

Eco Abet is working with WestsideCan to help delevope their Switzer Neighborhood farm.