The goal of the SAY IT LOUD initiative is to highlight underrepresented groups of professionals who work on the built environment. Architects, contractors, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects and planners who identify as female, or who are Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color from across Nebraska submitted work for the state’s exhibit. To meet the goals of the exhibit, the initiative plans to ship the container to various locations across Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. Visitors use QR codes to interact with the exhibit and learn more about featured designers and can then vote for their favorite designer to win a People’s Choice Award. A virtual online resource library allows visitors to expand their knowledge about design diversity and serves as a gateway of information for those interested in the design profession.
The vision for this project/exhibition was to maximize the exposure of the work and stories of the individuals featured. To accomplish this, the team leveraged the adaptable typology of the shipping container and strategically dropped it into community centers where it would amplify the exhibition's impact on local youth and college students. In the summer of 2023, SAY IT LOUD will travel to Metropolitan Community College and locations hosting ACE Mentorship Program Summer Camps to bring the exhibition to students participating in camps that focus on design, engineering and construction.
The exhibition's façade is an interpretation of the shipping container's native profile enlarged to create shadow lines that heighten visual interest and maximize graphics and signage surface areas. While the exterior was a significant part of the construction focus, once complete, it ultimately served as a refined backdrop that elevates the work and testimonials of the diverse designers to the forefront of the exhibit.
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