SIU architects offer assistance to local tornado victims

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Professor Jon Daniel Davey, an architect and interior designer with the School of Architecture, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and students of the school will be setting up a design studio at the Harrisburg Public Library to assist victims of the tornado.

According to an email exchange between Davey and Harrisburg Mayor Eric Gregg, the group will be at the library starting Saturday and they will remain there for a week, departing March 17.

Davey said the group will be available to local residents from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day.

Davey said if victims have photographs of their old houses, they may bring them along.

He said the architectural crew will visit the site and will collect, measure and photograph important information such as location of gas, sewer, electric, water, estimated property lines, known easements and rights of way, location of the previous house, sidewalks, driveway and apron, existing entourage (trees) and site orientation.

"We will interview the families to determine the spatial needs of their new/rebuild home," Davey said.

"We will develop a clear architectural program (what are all the necessary needs) and design and layout new house plans that could be similar to their old homes or something new following good sustainable (green) residential architecture guidelines," Davey said.

The design studio group then will provide the families with a set of drawings and recommendations that can be taken to their insurance agents, Federal Emergency Management Agency support or contractors for construction.