Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group facilitated a community charrette with a group of creative thinkers, residents and leaders in New Harmony to explore specific ideas for the community honing in on two specific local assets -- the old school and the Wabash River bridge with an eye transforming these former community assets into new destinations and economic catalysts.

This charrette provided both long-term and short-term action plans for these two prominent structures to be repurposed as a regional destination. The ideas followed an intense three-day design charrette that examined the school and bridge sites in context with New Harmony’s physical and cultural landscape to present different ideas and determine the highest and best re-use potential. Participants of the design charrette evaluated feasibility, existing assets, existing character, connections and the larger region as well as reviewed case studies to inform the conceptual ideas. Following the design charrette, the team synthesized all information and ideas gathered from the session and organized them into a long-term community vision and short-term action plan.

As reinvestment in these sites progress, the vision and action items set forth in this charrette summary may be altered as other factors, funding or opportunities impact development. Fundamentally, the outcome of the charrette outlines the “first marker” of what and how redevelopment could proceed, and the ideas and action plan will provide a blueprint for moving the projects forward.