Why, hello there! I am new here, and I am fairly new to Enscape in general (outside of basic conceptual feedback early on in the design phase). However, for my thesis, I thought I would give it a go. I see a lot of fantastic and ultra-realistic renders on here, and while my goal wasn’t quite to have it ultra-realistic per se, I still enjoyed working with Enscape. Not sure if they are realistic enough to be considered in the weekly showcase, nor do I know how that really works on here, but I would have to say that would be pretty cool! Since everything was able to be controlled straight from my Sketchup Model, it was way quicker than Lumion (at least, my computer seems to think so).
I am still actually in the middle of my Thesis (defense is coming up next week, so it is grind time). Fun stuff.
Anyways, a little background for what you are looking at. My thesis addresses small-town decline, more specifically, the dying small town of Cairo, Illinois. (heck of a story behind this little town, would recommend you look it up). It’s at the confluence at the two largest rivers in the United States (Ohio and the Mississippi - hence the title). My design solution is a conceptual vision of a mini-masterplan/large-scale mixed-use development that aims to comprehensively address many of the social, economical, and environmental issues plaguing Cairo and maybe offer some interesting ideas that can be adapted in other small towns across America. I could go on for pages explaining my thesis, but I won’t bore you with the details.
So without further ado, I hope you like some of the images I have made for it so far. Please feel free to add feedback, comments, questions, etc., and I will do my best to get back to them when I can. Cheers!
-Rob
Aerial (looking East / Northeast)
Riverwalk (during flood stage). This Proposed riverwalk is built atop the existing concrete floodwall. This allows for the river to remain accessible to the community even in the event of a flood)
Riverwalk market.
Riverwalk Market / Dining Area.
Riverwalk - Railcar Linear Park and ‘Historywalk’
As stated, this riverwalk is built atop the existing flood wall. Shown here is the existing flood gate that is normally used as access to the boat ramp.
River Lookout/Observation Area
Mixed-Use, Mixed-Income Housing complex. (Courtyard)
Mixed-Use, Mixed-Income Housing complex. I took the idea of a ‘Front Porch’ that is often associated with small-town living and created a more urbanized concept with it. Kinda cool, I think. xD
Mixed-Use, Mixed-Income Housing complex. Again showing more of the exterior circulation.
Cairo, IL is facing severe food insecurity, and is considered to be what’s known as a ‘food desert’. To counteract this, a part of my design aims to create an interactive ‘Foodwalk’ where there are several smaller food and beverage options scattered throughout the development so that when people come to Cairo or stop by, they can explore various different tastes and cuisines. I kind of derived it from the idea that not everyone wants to buy a T-shirt but almost everybody is either hungry or thirsty. Makes sense to me.
This shows a part of the community center. To address the educational and technological gap (prevalent in small towns) in addition to the health and fitness side of the community center, the second floor is home to a library, technology area (which offers educational resources, job training etc.), various flex rooms and spaces, and additionally a business incubator. This would allow residents or startup companies access to low-cost rentable spaces, educationn, resources, training, etc. to learn how to start a business and help generate some economical and entrepreneurial movement in the area.
Multi-purpose court. Basketball is one of if not the most prevalent activity for the youth of Cairo. Offering a place for physical activity, training, and recreation pushes the youth more towards positive, personal development rather than negative and unproductive activities such as crime etc.
This shows a part of the central town square area*.* Surrounded by various restaurants of the foodwalk, it is a vibrant, active, and inviting place to gather. Something would always be going on. Along this foodwalk would be what I term as a ‘Historywalk,’ which essentially creates an interactive historical experience of the area through means of various historical markers, exhibits, images, information, etc, along the winding path of the foodwalk and larger development. This allows users to eat, drink, and learn about the historical context of Cairo, and in turn, potentially become more attracted to Cairo. Once they have a deeper understand of where they are, they (hopefully) would be encouraged to become a part of it or contribute to it (in some capacity) and not think its “just another small town”
This shows one of the (more developed, lol) restaurants of the foodwalk. This is the farm-to-table restaurant where it would establish relationships with local farmers to offer fresh, seasonal ingredients within its menu. A sustainable option that also generates economical movement in a more regional capacity.
This shows the Fueling station. Cairo currently lacks the fundamental infrastructure required for tourism. In town, there is no gas station, places to stay, recreational activities, only a single local restaurant, etc. The first step was creating a stepping stone that gets interest and activity coming to Cairo. A gas station provides means for travelers to, at the very least, stop in town for any necessary refueling. The idea is they would then be exposed to the development/maybe the town square or foodwalk. They might then be encouraged to stay longer, explore downtown, etc.
–P.S.here’s a lot more to each render, but as for now, these captions will remain as they are as I need to get back to actually working on thesis xD–
Along with the next image, I tried to basically rethink the concept of a gas station. shown here are smaller fueling canopies that would feature electric charging. This could take advantage of the nationwide movement towards electric vehicles such as teslas. This idea of charging stations could be viably adapted in other small towns as well. For example, if Sally and Joe are taking a trip from Area A to Area C in their Tesla, and they need to charge somewhere in between, a charging station in a small town could offer that resource which would satisfy their need of charging but also offer benefits to that small town they are stopping in. This could help the town capture and generate exposure to an otherwise inaccessible market/audience, among other things.
Again this just shows my idea of rethinking the gas station to be a more sustainable and welcoming endeavor. Oftentimes, as inherently transient spaces, gas stations don’t enable social interactions to take place as people are just fuel-then-go. But, what if they were? For this design, I imagine these mass timber fueling canopies that offer a central open nature area. This allows a space for engaging and interacting with random strangers (even to let the little ol’ kiddos run around and stretch their legs). A place for seating and serendipity, as I like to call it.
There are so many more ideas, concepts, renders, areas, solutions, design considerations, etc., that went into this project and even into these renders that were shown here today. A year’s worth of work is hardly able to fit into a single forum post, but hopefully, I let you into some of the things I have been working on for this thesis. Again, as stated above, let me know if you have any questions, comments, feedback, french fries, etc. I will be happy to oblige. Cheers again 
-Rob