Architecture students bring improvements to Salisbury building

A group of UNC Charlotte architecture students led by Assistant Professor of Architecture Marc Manack recently installed “Mending Fences,” a design/build project for the city of Salisbury. The project was funded by the city’s BlockWork grant program, which is managed by Alyssa Nelson, urban design planner for the city of Salisbury and an alumna of the School of Architecture.

The design seminar, “Good, Fast, Cheap,” explores how cost, speed and normal construction have expressive architectural potential. It includes both graduate and undergraduate students.

The “Mending Fences” project provided improvements to an old brick commercial building on Salisbury’s South Lee Street. Students painted once-plain boards in bright colors and built a matching screen wall—a fence of rotating studs that invite interaction from passersby. The multiple vibrant colors of “Mending Fences” were inspired by a vintage logo for Cheerwine, Salisbury’s famous cherry soda.

The Salisbury BlockWork program was established in 2010 to bring residents and community volunteers together to make neighborhood improvements. Learn more in this Salisbury Post article.