Dan Paier Photo
Paier College of Art Interior Design student Brittany Anderson of Shelton presents her design for the New Haven Job Corps cafeteria renovation.
Mona Berman sent in this press release about a new collaboration between Paier College of Art and the New Haven Job Corps Center:
Sometimes the best way to reach out is to do exactly that. This winter Joe Riccio, director of administration at the New Haven Job Corps Center, emailed Pierre Strauch, chair of the interior design department at Paier College of Art, asking if his students might assist a neighbor. The New Haven Job Corps cafeteria and food service environment was in need of improvement.
Professor Strauch thought this was a perfect opportunity to involve the third-year interior design students in a “real life” project. Instructor Jenna McClure, architect, lead the way with an initial site visit and meeting with Mr. Riccio. Photos of the space were taken and the program was decided.
Instructor Denis Ouimette, architect, took the class on a field trip to the Job Corps campus on Wintergreen Avenue in New Haven. Paier students had the opportunity not only to meet with Mr. Riccio, but to engage in a dialogue with the students at Job Corps. The Job Corps students liked the bright colors of the existing facility. Everyone agreed one of the main problems was noise. The high ceilings made the space feel cold and impersonal. The Job Corps students wanted the space to be more nurturing and personal. One of the most important criteria was cost. Although the budget was limited, the Job Corps students have the talent and skill to get much of the work completed on site under faculty supervision.
Paier’s interior design students were given five weeks to complete and present their proposals. Presentation to the Job Corps staff took place at Paier College on Tuesday, May 15th. Mr. Riccio was accompanied by Facility Manager Tom Flanders, Kevin Green, Food Service Manager Yvonne Cody, and Business and Community Liaison Renée Venturino, each of whom had the opportunity to ask questions and critique the student’s designs.
New Haven Job Corps visits Paier College of Art in Hamden to review student designs for their Job Corps facility. From left to right: Tom Flanders (NHJC Facility Manager), Kevin Green Kevin Green, Yvonne Cody (NHJC Food Service Manager), Kevin Green (NHJC Career Technical Training Manager), Denis Ouimette (Paier ID instructor), Pierre Strauch (Chair ID Dept, Paier College), Renée Venturino (NHJC Business and Community Liaison), Jenna McClure (Paier ID instructor), Paier students Jayanti DiPaola of Guilford and Carly Waldo of Shelton, and Joe Riccio (Director of Administration of New Haven Job Corps Center.)
Some highlights of the varied and highly original projects:
-Ashley Miklinevich of Wolcott showed an excellent multi-level ceiling panel solution that solved the acoustical problem while lowering the ceiling to make the space more personal. The panels could be constructed inexpensively by the Job Corps students.
-Caitlin Costa of Newton, caught the Job Corps staff’s eye with her decorative floor to ceiling columns that could easily be painted by the Job Corps Students.
-As a focal point at the end of the long space, Katherine Hendrickson of Bristol emphasized the importance of the Job Corps students by adding a gallery to display their art work.
-With the participation of the Job Corps student body in mind, Stephanie Mazzulla of Glastonbury suggested a large mural to wrap around the dining space.
-Carly Waldo of Shelton decided to paint walls in oversized letters with inspirational words like HOPE, CREATE, INSPIRE and BELIEVE.
-Jayanti DiPaola of Guilford proposed the students paint a huge sunrise on one wall to invoke thoughts of a brighter day and a new beginning.
-Brittany Anderson of Shelton painted the food service area with labels like “eat fresh” and added kiosks throughout the space to showcase student artwork and sub-divide the large area.
-Joseph Shelfo of Branford, whose main interest is wood furniture, deconstructed one of the existing cafeteria chairs to show they can be restored and refinished, a job that would also be undertaken by the students at the Corps’ school.
The staff at Job Corps will now return to their site and review the proposals. Further meetings with Paier College’s design students are expected and once final decisions are made work on the renovation is expected to begin this summer. All expressed hope this would be an ongoing relationship and that other projects would be created over time.
Work by other students in the Interior design department at Paier College of Art can be viewed at here. More information about the college can be found here.
For information about Job Corps please see here.