The Design Brigade is CCAM’s ongoing community engagement project. It is an internship for students to solve spatial problems for New Haven Clients. The program has created long-term value across three main areas in our communities:
 

• The development of meaningful community-based work through design and problem solving
   
• The strengthening of CCAM’s relationship with partner organizations both internal and external to Yale
   
• The centering of under-served communities in New Haven through user research and project implementation
   

The internship was conceived in the spring of 2020 as a collaboration between CCAM and Atelier Cho Thompson, a multidisciplinary design firm with an office in New Haven, co-founded by Yale alum Ming Thompson. 

The project was directed by Ming Thompson and Dana Karwas, Director of CCAM.

Projects

Design Brigade Summer 2021: Envisioning a More Inclusive Farmers’ Market

This summer, Design Brigade is working with CitySeed to design a more equitable and inclusive farmers’ market. What does this inclusive market look like? How might it engage more BIPOC farmers, vendors and shoppers? How can it promote healthy and nutritious food accessibility for the communities of New Haven? With the advice of local food justice leaders, policymakers and designers, the project team will grapple with these questions to produce an inclusive market design toolkit for CitySeed and the larger public.

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Design Brigade Summer 2020: Covid-19 Memorial for the People of New Haven

Client: City of New Haven

 The On Memory group worked with the City of New Haven to design a proposal for a memorial to commemorate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people of New Haven. The project was further developed into the Diary Disks public art installation throughout New Haven.  

Project Booklet: On Memory
 

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Design Brigade Summer 2020: Facilitate Family Visits for Adult Living Facilities

Client: Tower One

The On Family group worked to design a solution to facilitate family visits to the Tower One adult living facility in New Haven.

Project Booklet: On Family
 

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Design Brigade Summer 2020: Bring learning resources to out-of-school students in their communities

Clients: NXTHVN, YUAG, YCBA, Beinecke

The On Learning group worked with organizations to bring in-person educational opportunities from New Haven’s cultural institutions to neighborhoods throughout the city. 

Project Booklet: On Learning

Students

2021 Cohort: 
 

Claire Hicks - MArch ‘22 - Yale School of Architecture

Joseph Reich - MArch ‘23 - Yale School of Architecture

Sebastian Bruno - BS, Mech. Eng. ‘22 - Yale College

Serge Saab - MArch II ‘22 - Yale School of Architecture

Veronica Chen - BA, Art and Mech. Eng. ‘21 - Yale College

Yang Tian - MArch ‘22 - Yale School of Architecture

Huy Truong - MArch ‘23 - Yale School of Architecture

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2020 Cohort:
 

Advisors 2021

Angela McKee-Brown, Executive Director, Edible Schoolyard
Curt Ellis, CEO, FoodCorps

Peter Crumlish, Dwight Hall at Yale
Latha Swamy, Director, Food System Policy, City of New Haven
Kimberly Acosta, Food Policy Analyst, Food System Policy, City of New Haven
Ivan Rodriguez, Student Nutrition Services, San Francisco Unified School District
Marissa Mead, Atelier Cue, Svigals + Partners

Advisors 2020

Caitlyn Taylor, MASS Design Group
John Cary, Eames Institute, Author of Design for Good
Daisy Ames, Columbia GSAPP, Studio Ames 
Jeffrey Mansfield, MASS Design Group 
Caitlyn Taylor, MASS Design Group
Marissa Mead, Svigals
Daniel Fitzmaurice, Arts Council of Greater New Haven
Elihu Rubin, Yale Architecture 
Clarisa Diaz, WNYC
Rob Goldman, Tsai City, artist
Daisy Abreu, Yale College Arts Coordinator 
Devin Vermeulen, Creative Director
Liz Ogbu, Designer & Strategist 
Allison Arieff, SPUR, NYT Contributing Columnist
Monique Atherton, Tsai City, photographer and Yale development office 
Nick Novelli, Yale CEA 
Brian Stromquist, Gensler

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