EDIT: Deadline has been extended to November 11th, 2022.

EskewDumezRipple, the New Orleans-based architecture, interior design, and urban planning practice, will participate in its ninth annual, firm-wide Day of Service on Friday, January 13, 2023. As architects committed to the civic realm and a sustainable future, EskewDumezRipple (EDR) donates its time and talent throughout the year to numerous initiatives that advocate for quality in the design of our built environment. The Day of Service is an annual initiative, intended to unite design and civic leadership to address social and urban issues with the power of good design and community engagement.

About Day of Service

As part of EskewDumezRipple’s commitment to building community, the firm implements an annual, skills-based and hands on service program to benefit non-profit community organizations in the New Orleans and Greater Gulf Coast region. On the Day of Service, EDR donates the time of the entire staff for one work day to community-focused initiatives. During the day-long work session, stakeholders from selected proposals will work with the EDR staff in a collaborative design process tailored to their organization’s mission. Day of Service projects can be in the realm of architecture, interior design, construction, site planning, signage, budgets, zoning, marketing, furniture, hurricane recovery efforts, public service, and everything in between. This exchange of knowledge benefits both EDR and the partner organizations by building a deeper understanding of our city through thoughtful conversations, in-depth explorations and tangible deliverables completed by design professionals.

Locations of prior Day of Service partners

Process

Selection: Proposals received by November 11, 2022 will be reviewed and of those proposals, four to six projects will be selected by the EDR staff. Each project, depending on its scope, will then be designated a team of 5-10 members from the EDR staff.
Planning: Team members and their community partner will participate in at least two required planning meetings, December 2, 2022 and January 6, 2023 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm, to further identify the project scope and deliverables. Planning meetings can be held virtually or in person depending on the preference of partners and teams.
Day of Service: The actual Day of Service, January 13, 2023, is a work day, dedicated to producing the deliverables as agreed upon during the planning meetings. The community partner will be asked to check-in with their EDR team to give feedback on the team’s progress.
Presentation to Community Partners: The Day of Service Final Presentations will be on January 20, 2023 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. Each team will present their work to the group and provide the project partner with the identified deliverables.
Follow Up: Lastly, the EDR staff and community partners will be asked to participate in a follow-up survey to evaluate the experience and impact of the day.

Eligibility

Applicants must have the ability to meet with the team as outlined in the schedule above. The project proposal must identify and propose to address a need for the community it serves. The project must serve the mission of the organization applying.

Selection Criteria

Projects will be selected based on the following criteria:

Project Viability

Is it feasible to meet the project’s needs within the identified time frame?

Organizational Capacity

Is there a clear plan of action after initial design services are provided?

Identified Need

Is there a clear connection between the project’s impact on the organization and community, and the identified need?

Organization’s Mission

Does the proposed project meet the mission of the partner organization and does it have support from those who will be impacted?

Relevance

Does the project support affordable housing, New Orleans’ culture bearers, social justice, or hurricane resilience?

To learn more about how to submit your project for Day of Service 2023, download the PDF at the link above.