Exhibit Columbus “Public By Design”
University Research Design Fellowship 2022-2023

Pipe UP! Exhibition
BLDS Team

Tamek Baba
Forbes Lipschitz
Shelby Doyle
Halina Steiner

Adjacent to the installation in the lobby of Hotel Indigito an exhibition “Where Does Your Water Go?” connectedthe built work to the water infrastructure of the Mississippi River Basin and resonated wtih the curatorial them of Public by Design for the fourth cycle of Exhibit Columbus.

In cities, a complex network of pipes handles rainwater, waste water from toilets, and chemicals from factories. These pipes function like hidden rivers that sustain the functionality and well-being of our cities. Unfortunately, they often carry a mix of harmful things like metals, chemicals, and raw sewage into rivers and lakes.

In the countryside, farms often rely on pipes called tile drains. These pipes are used to keep fields from becoming too soggy, which helps crops grow better. However, these pipes can also transport nutrients and chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, from the fields into nearby bodies of water.

Whether we’re talking about cities or rural areas, the pipes we use to handle water harm the environment. It is important that we find ways to improve the effects of these pipes on our lakes and rivers and the creatures that depend on them.We can do this by creating better methods to clean the water, changing how we farm, and making sure everyone knows how important it is to dispose of waste properly. By working together to find better solutions, we can make sure that our water is healthy for future generations.



Additionally, an instagram account allowed visitors to share their documentation and exeperience of Pipe Up.

Pipe Up Instragram



Public By Desigh

The theme of the fourth cycle of Exhibit Columbus, Public by Design, built on the legacy of Columbus, Indiana to explore how collaborations between communities and designers could revitalize and reimagine historic downtowns as equitable, beautiful, and joyful places. Public by Design served as a platform for many vibrant communities to become connected around the values of inclusivity, care, and generosity. This cycle celebrated creative methods of collaboration that communities and designers could use to grow a sense of belonging and connection in public spaces.

These ideas extended through every aspect of this cycle of Exhibit Columbus, from shaping the curatorial team and process to selecting participants and creating the format and goals of every event. Starting with the 2022 Symposium, the voices, memories, and dreams of the many communities of Columbus were amplified and celebrated in the design process. We believed this collaborative effort and the process of co-creation would resonate far beyond the city limits of Columbus.

The 2023 Exhibition featured temporary installations throughout downtown, whose impacts were lasting and profound. They grew from the ideas explored in the Symposium, collaborations with community partners, and the creative imagination of the participants. The installations served as prototypes for permanent change in the urban core of this city and examples for other communities to consider. Public by Design represented an opportunity for each of us to play new and transformative roles in shaping a public life that was more connected to public places and public institutions.