== The Point == Project Coordinators: [[http://afhny.org/members/profile.php?id=91|Matt Charney]], [[http://afhny.org/members/profile.php?id=155|Andrea Hopkins]], [[http://afhny.org/members/profile.php?id=154|Jane Ehinger]] {{ projects:thepoint_mural.jpg?300|}}[[http://www.thepoint.org|The Point Community Development Corporation]] is a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth development and the cultural and economic revitalization of the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. The Point operates programs that serve young people in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the South Bronx. But The Point’s extensive programming has grown faster than its building. AFHny and The Point are collaborating to envision the future of the organization’s physical structure. Working closely with the surrounding community, The Point achieves revitalization without gentrification. We are following The Point’s lead by engaging their enthusiastic staff of artists and educators in the design process. === AFHny and The Point === In September 2004 a team of AFHny volunteers met with Point staff members to tour their building, learn more about their programs and to discuss their needs. It quickly became apparent that AFHny could provide assistance with many different areas of their facility. The AFHny team produced a booklet analyzing the Point’s existing conditions and outlining areas of potential work: Public Face (entrances), Outdoor Space (courtyard, outdoor classroom) and Indoor Space (storage, second floor classroom, music studio). === Phase One - Storage Benches === From the initial analysis and the subsequent charette with Point staff, storage emerged as the most pressing issue at The Point. {{ press:2006_01_09_eoculus_afhny_3631.jpg?300|Karen Kubey and Pollyanna Rhee of AFHny paint bench interiors for The Point}}The AFHny team began by designing benches to line the perimeter of The Point’s main activity space. The benches provide a two-fold solution for the Point: additional seating for the students and storage areas for book bags. The team purchased materials and fabricated the benches at shop space in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, generously donated by [[http://www.kellamclark.com/|Kellam Clark]]. Painting and assembly was done in the Bronx studio of Carey Clark, the director of the visual arts program at The Point. === Phase Two - Millwork === {{ projects:thepoint_millwork_0799.jpg?300|Finished millwork installed in the atrium of The Point}}The AFHny team designed additional storage elements to provide new shelving for a more defined library area, coat racks and additional book bag storage, a display center, a vending machine nook, and a ticket counter for theater events. Funds for these additional storage elements were raised through a [[http://www.designerblack.com/events_det_fall2006.htm|2006 event organized by DesignerBlack]]. These elements were fabricated by a professional millworker, with hardware donated by [[http://www.hafele.com/us/|Häfele]] === Phase Three - Rear Courtyard and Green Roof === AFHny volunteers, including [[http://www.usgbc.org/|USGBC]] members, are currently designing a green roof for The Point's main building, and working to revitalize the facility's rear courtyard into a sustainable teaching garden.