Nicholas Byrum · ACE Competition
Mesh the Gap — Multi-Modal Transportation Hub
Goal
The goal of this challenge is to envision what design/construction solutions can be applied to transform, reimagine, or repurpose learning and common areas in a High School setting. The purpose is to enhance or stimulate education, as well as interactive social, community, and/or interpersonal time. The proposal should seek to improve, expand, make interchangeable/multipurpose or otherwise enliven the value and use of space/functionality through design and construction elements. This effort MUST consider the following use of space (can be distinct areas) to accommodate: (1) class instruction/labs, (2) study/down time, (3) food prep and consumption, (4) recreational or social space [where each can be accomplished without interfering with the other], and (5) health/fitness or sporting activities. Entries must demonstrate how specific steps or changes transform underutilized dated, dark, dirty, or otherwise unattractive classrooms and spaces (whether labs, cafeterias, lounges, library, or entrance hall, gyms, pools, stage areas) into inviting exciting and useful areas for students.
Challenges
Iowa’s hub-and-spoke transit routes every trip through downtown, stretching short journeys into 56-stop, 2-hour-23-minute ordeals. With Polk County set to top 1 million residents by 2040, that centralized model would only deepen congestion and inequality. The challenge: rethink the network entirely, while keeping it buildable and affordable.
Solution & Results
Our team proposed an adaptive mesh network of tiered stops — A, B, C, and D — each built from modular, repurposed shipping containers that can be customized and reconfigured as community needs evolve.
Larger “A” stops serve as community hubs with green space, cafes, and convenience stores, while smaller “C” kiosks and a smartphone app bring service directly to neighborhoods and individuals with disabilities. The design used articulated buses, transit buses, shuttles, and ride-hailing to connect the network, dramatically reducing trip times. Construction costs were itemized per stop type using real per-square-foot estimates, and the modular approach allowed phased deployment without disrupting existing service.
