Students in the K-State architecture program are finalists for the Toro Green Spaces Make Great Places grant initiative with their work on a project for the Wonder Workshop Children’s Museum in Manhattan.
“The grant is for green communities,” Renee Petty, graduate student in architecture, said. “Toro took nominations. We nominated ourselves and explained how we would give back to the community. We were selected as one of four finalists.”
Toro will award $15,000 in grant money total: the first place organization will earn a $7,000 grant, second place will receive a $4,000 grant and the remaining two organizations will receive $2,000 each. All of the organizations are nonprofit and The Wonder Workshop is currently in first place.
“The grant will be used to build an active green play area here in Manhattan for the Wonder Workshop Children’s Museum,” Timothy Tse, graduate student in architecture, said. “We are hoping to get first place. People can support by voting for us on Facebook.”
On the Toro Yard Facebook page, people can click on “Vote Great Spaces” to vote and watch the K-State architecture student’s video.
“The video explains our project and how the grant would help us complete our project for the Wonder Workshop,” Tse said.
Petty said the K-State architecture students plan to add features to the Wonder Workshop adventure garden.
“We are designing and building water and climbing features for the adventure garden,” Petty said. “We plan to add things such as cabins in tree houses.”
Tyler Clark, graduate student in architecture, said the project would not end with his studio class.
“In spring 2014, there was a K-State architecture studio that developed a master plan for an adventure garden at the Wonder Workshop Children’s Museum,” Clark said. “They were able to complete a portion, which constructed two pavilions on the site and then left the rest to be constructed by the rest of the architecture studio groups.”
The Wonder Workshop Children Museum is currently located at 506 S. Fourth St.
“Wonder Workshop Children Museum hopes to expand the Randolph site,” Clark said. “It is currently an open site. They want to add cabins and tree houses.”
Randolph is a small town located north of Manhattan on Highway 77/Tuttle Creek Boulevard. However, Randolph is a part of the Manhattan Metropolitan Statistical Area.
“Currently the students visit the site, but return home after the activities,” Clark said. “Our project will allow the students to spend a night and stay for longer time periods at the site.”
The architecture students began the project in spring 2014 with a different studio group. The project will continue with the spring 2015 studio group.
“One of the goals is to let the kids get out of town and experience nature so the Wonder Workshop have a plot of land near Randolph, Kansas, right on Tuttle Creek Lake,” Clark said. “Our project will provide kids with the opportunity to play and learn about nature.”
People can vote until Nov. 21.
