AUGUSTA — Mill Park has two more places where visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the Kennebec River, thanks in large part to hundreds of hours of work by three University of Maine at Augusta architecture students.

Two white oak and steel benches, embedded in granite blocks salvaged from the former Edwards Mill complex, were installed Sept. 26 along a path in the downtown park. The project cost about $3,000 and was paid for almost equally by the city’s River Walk fund and AARP funding, according to city officials.

The students who designed, built and helped install the benches were Andrew Treworgy of Gardiner, Shauna Riordan of Lisbon and Sam Gerken of Yarmouth, all part of the UMA bachelor of architecture program. UMA’s architecture lab supervisor Oliver Solmitz oversaw the design and construction of the benches.

The project began in early fall 2017 when the Augusta Age Friendly Committee, in cooperation with the Augusta Downtown Alliance and having received a financial contribution from Augusta resident Melda Page, approached city officials about additional benches that senior citizens might use in the city. The committee then contacted UMA’s Architecture program and asked whether students could design and build two benches.

The project was not directly part of their coursework, but it did contribute professional hours – of which they need more than 3,000, according to Riordan – necessary for becoming a licensed architect.

The students, walking Thursday through Mill Park, said they had countless designs before approaching the City Council with a proposal in May.

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“Initially, it could have been an (infinite) amount of iterations,” said Treworgy, a fourth-year student, said. “We had … many different iterations of the same design.”

“I think our final (meeting) we had 20,” added Riordan, a third-year student.

The students worked for over a year on the benches, taking into account design tips from the Age Friendly Committee and inspiration from the mill complex.

“To address Age Friendly’s concerns, we made sure that the bench height was a little above average so it’s easier to get up from when sitting,” said Gerken, a fourth-year student.

The mill complex was erected in the 1840s and continued operating until 1981. The complex, save for a brick building, was destroyed by a fire in 1989. The park occupies the space where the complex once stood and is home to a regular farmers market, a dog park and gravel courts for pétanque – a French sport like bocce.

Augusta’s Cushnoc Brewing Co. supplied some concrete for installation around the benches, Bowdoin’s Elwell’s Masonry and Augusta’s Dufour’s Welding and Mechanical Service offered help with granite and steel work, respectively. Heavy equipment and some labor was provi

Sam Shepherd can be contacted at 621-5666 or at:

sshepherd@centralmaine.com

Twitter: SamShepME


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