Once a Saluki Always a Saluki

By Jeremy Clow

Thanks and gratitude comes to mind as how I would describe my experience at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. I, Jeremy Clow came to the city of Carbondale four years ago from Effingham, Illinois. This city has become my new home as well as the University. I started the Architecture program at SIUC in the accelerated summer of 2012. Since that first summer I have made the best friends and acquaintances any person could ask for. The programs professors and faculty have done nothing more than made, themselves available to develop relationships on a personal and professional level. As an outgoing and driven young person I chose Carbondale to be my new foundation. In early 2014 I took it upon myself to open a new store that would be a utility for the university carrying products that were once carried at the existing 710 bookstore, a wonder establishment if I might add. Digital fabrication, an innovative means to the future, was available to the students but not the community. Putting these two pieces together, Saluki Craft was born. A location providing the essential supplies for artistic desires, large format laser cutting at a scale comparable to none, and most of all accessibility through extended hours and deliveries. I the CEO of the corporation have fellow partners, all being students directly tied to the Architecture program in fact. Students understand the mind set of their fellow consumer for they are one in the same. Being directly tied to the classroom, understanding the financial hardship of a student, and being there for them at crunch time allows the up and coming all the essential tools and resources they need for their creative potential. After graduating in May of 2015 with my Bachelors at SIUC I was undecided on the next step for my future. Owning a store in the local community, an avid member of the Chamber of Commerce, and member of the Downtown Advisory Committee I intended to take a year off of school before completing my Masters. This seemed like a good choice at the time however after talking to many professors and the dean on multiple occasions the break seemed unnecessary. Choosing to start the graduate program immediately after my undergraduate has been the best decision of my higher education. I have the upmost respect and gratitude for the faculty and friends who are one in the same for supporting this decision and making it possible. The first semester was intense and provided a lot of useful techniques for the years to come. The research and understanding of multiple structures from around the world connected by a specific common denominator, mine being recycling. The abundance of waste is prevalent around the world leading to the repurposing of these products in many forms, one being construction. The course project included a museum that housed multiple buildings as a collection based off of their connection. As students we designed the museum and strategic placement of these structures on the site given to us at Little Grassy Lake. The museum I designed combined the ideals of one of the collection pieces as well. Villa Welpeloo, constructed with materials repurposed from a thirty kilometer radius. I used a thirty mile radius from the site to research and locate abandoned buildings that could be recycled. The project gave me a new understanding on the depth of research and the utilization of ideals from around the world. I have always had a passion for recycling and sustainability which fueled my research. Taking these ideals into the next level of my graduate work I hope to include the same features in my thesis work. Though the thesis isn’t based on recycling or sustainability the factors can be adjoined to provide a more environmentally friendly design.