|
|||||||
|
Gallery Located on the first floor, the community gallery is open to the public for viewing. The gallery takes people on a journey through the life of a military family. It explains the lifestyles along with the phases of pre-deployment, deployment and welcome home to readjusting. The gallery ends with people learning how to get more involved within their community to show their support to the families.
The gallery does not show images that are happy and patriotic, but of the true emotion that most people do not see from the civilian world. This helps the viewer better understand the emotions all families go through. They also have a better understanding of the sacrifices these families make. Atrium Below The atrium on the family floor provides open space for families to gather together and enjoy relaxation. The area also provides a place for families to eat their lunch together under the natural lighting and featured waterfall.
The reflecting pool and waterfall not only act as a relation to nature indoors, but also as a symbol for the families to reflect upon their inner selves to find strength during their hard times. The waterfall’s rough texture represents a families tough struggles with the military lifestyle, but connect to all three floors to show the connection they create with one another. Atrium Above The top floor of the atrium looks below to the children and family floors. The pathways cross each other to symbolize the concept of embrace and warmth of hugs. The paths alos push for people to walk through the space to enjoy the natural daylight along with the waterfall feature and reflecting pool.
The family floor is located on the bottom to also symbolize that a family is the stable foundation to any child or adult. To have the solid family, both the parent and the child must find themselves in order to make the circle work. Family Floor Welcome Desk The family welcome desk is located on the second floor. The desk acts as the navigation and dispursement into the classrooms beyond along with security from any public figures coming into the building. The desk points families in the right direction to ease any frustration on having to find where they need to go. This helps familes and soldiers especially who have gone through a deployment already, because tensions can already be high with personal problems. A soldier dealing with PTSD or who is struggling from a war related disability will also need to be told where to go for the quickest route, and the welcome desk will be able to direct them accordingly.
Cooking and Community Service Class Cooking is found to be one of the top ten favorite things for families to do together. It promotes bonding time along with learning how to work together to develop those communication skills again.
In the cooking class, families can enjoy time baking together as a fun activity, but to also do community service for the local New Orleans area. The families will bake goods that will be sent to homeless shelters, churches or poverty areas that are in need. This helps families also take focus off of their own problems and put more energy towards helping someone else. The process becomes a rewarding one for families and helps lift their spirits. For safety reasons, the food is passed through the window to bake the goods in the ovens on the other side of the kitchen. Video Record and Chat Room The video record and chat room is located on the second floor. Families can come and video chat with their loved ones overseas. Each booth features a large screen for everyone to have equal viewing along with a green screen behind for scene changes.
Research has shown that service members have been recording themselves reading books to their children to help them get through the deployment. The children feel closer to their parents by visually getting to see them along with hearing their voice more often. In the video chat room, parents will be able to record themselves to help their children with deployments or anything that requires long distance separation. Video Chat PodsChildren's Floor Welcome Desk The children’s welcome desk is located on the third floor. The desk acts as the navigation and dispursement into the classrooms beyond along with security from any public figures coming into the building. The desk points children in the right direction to eliminate any wondering throughout the building or worry the parents may feel.
My Life Tree and Community Service Class Younger children (ages 4-12 years) cope with their problems on a different level compared to a teenager. Though some may think children don’t understand what is happening, they can have just as high if not higher stress levels than a parent.
The My Life Tree class is a class created by Operation Purple where children pin up images and drawings of their family and talk about what they have done or where they have been. The class gets the children to realize the joys in their families along with happy memories to take place of any negativity they currently feel. The children also make drawings and small packages to send to children’s hospitals across the United States. This helps the children realize there are others out there with problems as well. This activity also helps the children focus on something else besides what they are currently going through. Teen Counseling Lounge Since teenagers (13-18 years) begin to react to problems and stress differently compared to younger children, a teen lounge will help with those differences on a communication level. The lounge is a gathering place for teens to gather around and do activities to help them open up and speak about their issues. Meeting other teens with their same problems will also help them not feel as alone as they normally do in school.
The lounge also provides fun activities for the teens such as video gaming area, snack bar, and a large movie screen. Adult Floor Welcome Desk The adult welcome desk is located on the fourth floor. The desk acts as the navigation and dispursement into the restaurant and lounge beyond along with security from any public figures coming into the building. The desk points the adults and spouses in the right direction to ease any frustration on having to find where they need to go. This helps spouses and soldiers especially who have gone through a deployment already, because tensions can already be high with personal problems. A soldier dealing with PTSD or who is struggling from a war related disability will also need to be told where to go for the quickest route, and the welcome desk will be able to direct them accordingly.
Adult Counseling Lounge Parents and spouses need a place to relax as much as their children. The lounge is located on the fourth floor next to the restaurant. The lounge is a relaxing place where adults can gather around and meet other military couples in a more casual atmosphere than a formal counseling setting. There are counseling sessions within the lounge for various groups such as military wives, miliary husbands or military couples.
Performance and Entertainment Room The entertainment room is located on the fourth floor next to the restaurant. Couples can gather around the stage to hear comedians, musicians, or see movies played on the screen. The space can also be used as another lounge if no performances are happening at the time. Having a place for couples to relax help with their stress levels along with taking time for themselves. Since most couples are occupied with helping their children (especially if one spouse is gone), then there is not much time left to attend to the relationship. The entertainment space allows them to take time together and attend to their relationship. |
||||||
|