Freedom by Design spans the country, but Syracuse’s branch builds bigger.

A national organization under the American Institute of Architecture Students, Syracuse University’s Freedom by Design designs and builds construction projects that enhance the homes of low-income or people with disabilities, said second-year School of Architecture student and director of SU’s Freedom by Design branch, Evan Ginsburg.

“We’re a lot more established than the other chapters around the country, and most of our projects cost over $10,000,” Ginsburg said, “whereas other schools are focusing on smaller projects, like hand railings for bathrooms, which are usually under $1,000.”

The projects tackled by SU students in the organization, though, are often 10 times bigger than many of those at other programs, he said. Its most recent project is “Into the Fold,” which will include a ramp, seating, a barbecue area and a protective overhang to catch dangling icicles and snow at the Westminster Presbyterian Church located at 1601 Park St. But the project is taking longer than expected, Ginsburg said, because of students going abroad, poor weather and funding.

Ginsburg said the group, which has been around for six years, is planning to resume construction on “Into the Fold” in mid-March. He said the project is estimated to cost $10,000.

Freedom by Design — which had about 20 people attend its last meeting, Ginsburg said — is looking for potential projects on campus. And while SU’s Freedom by Design also takes on simple projects like ramps, “Into the Fold” is hardly its first major endeavor.

A few years ago, SU’s Freedom by Design students designed “Play Perch,” a tree house for the Jowonio School at 3049 E. Genesee St. Ginsburg said the program plans to return to work at the school.

Freedom by Design’s SU branch gets money from the university, but also does much of its own fundraising through direct donations, Indiegogo campaigns and annual events like Freedom by the Mic.

The money from the university is not enough to complete its projects, Ginsburg said, which is why the organization does its own fundraising. The advisers of the program assist with buying materials for construction.

“We have two advisers and one of the things they help us with are picking materials that are the cheapest, but also the most durable,” Ginsburg said.

SU’s Freedom by Design also struggles when the students organizing projects leave.

“Architecture students will be abroad for almost a full year, and when they get back, they want nothing to do with architecture programs,” Ginsburg said. “We can really use the help of the upperclassmen because they’re more experienced and can help us improve our designs.”

Danya Li, a first-year architecture student who recently joined the program, said Freedom by Design helps her specialize and learn about cost-efficient ways to help others, especially in the Syracuse community.

“The program helps the community around us and gives back in the kindest ways possible,” Li said of why she decided to join.

The program rarely denies construction requests, Ginsburg said. And as long as the projects can fit with the group’s mission statement and be fundraised for, Freedom by Design takes it on.

After “Into the Fold,” Ginsburg hopes to bring that work to campus.

“We’re definitely trying to look for a project on campus that we can stretch to fit the mission statement so students will say, ‘So this is what architecture students are doing,’” he said, “because everyone has this preconceived notion that we’re holed up in Slocum all night long.”

Published on February 17, 2015 at 12:01 am

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