1. How did your group approach the concept of shelter?  Was it successful? Why?

My group saw shelter as being tied to childhood. As a child, you often play with materials you find around your home and backyard–sticks, branches, string, fabric. We built a hanging shelter reminiscent of a child’s fort. We used transparent tulle because it is delicate, gentle, and tangles easily. These attributes all seemed to fit childhood, as well. The fabric gives the person inside a sense of being protected, while still being soft and easy to rearrange. We felt it was successful after multiple people had approached us about the project. Many told us it reminded them of a blanket fort they’d built as children, or a treehouse because of the wooden “roof” we hung from the tree in front of Moody Hall.

2. What was the group budget for the project? Where did you source your materials and how did they cost?

We were given a max budget of $30 and were able to stay under it. We bought two spools of tulle from Michaels for $5 each and twine from Home Depot for $3.50. The branches were sourced for free from Blunn Creek. We spent a total of $13.50 on our shelter.

 3. Was the workload equal? Explain. 

It was mostly equal. I spent $10 on the two spools of tulle, while another group member spent $3.50 on twin, and the third did not purchase anything. I sourced the branches alone. We all worked together equally on constructing the roof with twine lashings, and equally on hanging it. About 50% of the work hanging the tulle was shared equally by all three of us, and the final 50% was done by me alone as my group members had to bail at the last minute for other things when we agreed to meet up.

4. What was the strength that you added to the group, your weakness?

My strength was in organizing us all together, assigning roles for who would construct what, and driving us all to purchase materials. My weakness was not speaking up when I was left alone to finish our project.

5. What role did you find you played in the group dynamic?

I felt like the organizer / leader of the group. I had to steer both group members away from a lot of add-ons they wanted that were going to be too expensive and too time-consuming for our time frame.

6. What advice would you give to the next group that must complete this project?

Clearly define your concept first, and then begin building. We found our concept along the way after deciding on materials, and we would’ve saved a lot of time if we’d had our clear idea from the get-go.