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My Vision for the City

An interview with CityVision participant Dymond Washington

Interview by Andrew Costanzo, Associate Outreach Programs Coordinator, National Building Museum

Dymond
Dymond Washington demonstrates a prototype for a bird catcher
Photo by Museum staff.
Using design as a framework, CityVision teaches middle school students that they can enact positive change in their neighborhoods and in the city through good design and urban planning. During the fall 2009 semester, students, in collaboration with the National Capital Planning Commission, are designing a visitor center for The White House. Twenty-four students from the Browne-Gibbs-Young Educational Campus and the Columbia Heights Educational Campus have joined us to share their ideas.

Dymond Washington, an 8th grader from the Browne-Gibbs-Young Educational Campus in Northeast D.C., is a CityVision participant this fall. Dymond enjoys writing poetry, and wants to be a doctor or work with children in the future. National Building Museum Online spoke to her to get her thoughts about the program and hear her vision of the city.

National Building Museum Online (NBM Online): What first interested you in the CityVision program?
Dymond Washington: When you came to talk to us [about CityVision], you were talking about how we visualize the city: city and vision. I thought that we were going to see what was wrong with the city. I also knew that we were going to be working with our hands.

NBM Online: What has been your favorite experience in the program so far?
Washington: When we interviewed people to see what they liked for The White House Visitor Center. We got to see what other people think about the visitor center and see what they would want in it.

Dymond
Dymond Washington (fourth from right) with her team on a site visit to their proposed bulding site on E Street.
Photo by Museum staff.
NBM Online: Can you explain your team’s design for The White House Visitor Center?
Washington: We will have a playground for kids so they won’t be bored. We will have a place where adults can learn. We should also add a reproduction of the Oval Office as our entrance.

NBM Online: How has it been working with design professionals from the D.C. area?
Washington: It’s actually been fun. I get to experience what they do on a daily basis!

NBM Online: What is one way you would like to improve your neighborhood?
Washington: We should add more things for children to do instead of being on the streets. There should be more basketball courts that are open to everyone. And a rec[reation] center with a pool so we can have a swim team.

To hear more from Dymond Washington, and all of the CityVision Fall 2009 participants, please join us on Friday, January 8, 2010, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, for the final presentations in the Great Hall. RSVP for the final presentation.
 


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