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Times-Picayune, Lolis Eric Elie, Advocating jazzy plan for schools
Home / Media & Publications / Times-Picayune, Lolis Eric Elie, Advocating jazzy plan for schools
Steven Bingler's muse is Concordia, the little-known Roman goddess of agreement, understanding and marital harmony.
When he founded his New Orleans architectural firm 22 years ago, he named it after her and set about creating something of a revolution in his profession. While other architects may focus on forging a signature vision, Bingler's approach is more democratic. He spends hours getting ideas from people who will use the facilities, hoping the results will be at least as practical as they are beautiful.
He also collaborates with artists from other disciplines. Take the Contemporary Arts Center, for example.
A Concordia-led team turned that old Camp Street building into a modern facility. Even the most practical features, like the donor recognition board and the reception desk, bear the stamp of such artists as metal sculptor Martin Payton, visual artist Steve Sweet and glass artist Gene Koss.
"In a way it builds on the concept of jazz where everyone expresses themselves individually, but they come together as one band at the end," Bingler said.
Bingler, a New Orleans resident who hails from Charlottesville, Va., has been thrust to the local forefront recently.
Mayor Ray Nagin, outlining plans to become active in improving the city's public education system, said that Bingler would be a key collaborator in designing his vision.
One of the key concepts Bingler employs is using facilities for multiple purposes. Five years ago, he proposed using the Superdome to house a school with a sports and fitness curriculum. During the day, most of the facility is unused. A city park can be used as a school playground during the day and a Little League ball field in the evening.
Perhaps Bingler's greatest triumph is in Dearborn, Mich., where he helped craft the Henry Ford Academy. That charter school serves 400 students and shares space with the Henry Ford Museum.
The facilities of the museum are utilized in the education process, and the kids help design that coordination.
"What happens is the kids love going to school every day. So the attendance rate is 96 percent," Bingler said. "It's a little bit of a no-brainer. In other words, if you design the education institution the way the customers want it -- and the customers in this case are the kids -- then they use it, or they benefit more from it."
Much of Bingler's work in school architecture has been outside the city. But he thinks the time is right to bring those concepts home now.
"New Orleans is at a place where we can't wait any longer," Bingler said. "I think the community understands that we are beyond anything that would be considered acceptable in terms of the facilities that we are sending our kids to learn in and our teachers to teach in."
"It's time to bite the bullet, it seems to me," he said.
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Lolis Eric Elie can be reached at lelie@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3330.
Comments
I am Natasha Moore, the great grand daughter of the late Roosevelt Sykes, also known as the Honeydripper. I am doing some research into my grandfather's life, and the life of his best friend, Henry Townshend (The Mule). I found your name on a sticky note on the page where Roosevelt is featured in a book on blues history.
I take it you have interviewed him in the past. I want to talk to you, if possible. I live in St. Louis. You may contact me via email or on my cell at 314-479-4888. I will try to contact you next week also.
Thanks. Natasha Moore
Natasha Moore on October 27th, 2007