Kansas State University's Envisioning Exercise

Each year students of the Kansas State University Architecture program are required to do a community project. Often short on cash, these students are left asking for help from local merchants and manufacturers. This year, the students of the Architecture program had small-town America on their minds. The galvanizer involved in the project has always had a desire to be a part of community outreach, so when this request for help at Kansas State came in, the opportunity to assist the State University and a small town community was a perfect fit.

In the quiet, small town of Alma, Kansas, there is a strong sense of community. People take time to invest in the future of the youth of their community. A favorite pastime of retirees in the community is to gather at the city park and pool to observe the children of the future. They talk, reminisce, and listen to the laughter of the children at play. A convenient forum for this favorite pastime was needed. There was limited shade and seating was at a minimum.

For that reason, the architecture students of Kansas State University chose, for their Envisioning Exercise, a structure with shade and an improved entrance to the pool. They painted the structure first, and after the paint started chipping and pealing, within a short period of time, they decided that hot-dip galvanizing would be the only way to make their project last. With the help of the galvanizers, the students were able to see their visions become a reality and the community has a structure that is aesthetically pleasing for many years to come.