Search this Site

Close

Intern Research: The 07 Crossroads 

Fall Semester Interns

December 18, 2025
Post Tagged in
, , ,

This fall, Design Collaborative interns were tasked with reimagining a site that sits along Rudisill Blvd in Fort Wayne’s historic 07 neighborhood.

The group included two architectural, one electrical, and one graphic design
intern.
Render by the Fall Design Collaborative Interns of a people enjoying a park with a path and bench along it.
Render by the Fall Design Collaborative Interns of a people enjoying a park with a path and bench along it.

Project Objective

The goal is to improve the sense of community through reuse and expansion, with a variety of scopes from master planning to detailed additions.

The chosen site was originally the campus of Fort Wayne Bible College and later Taylor University. The buildings from these schools have since been demolished or repurposed into rentable space. At one point, the south end of the site was used as a soccer field, but all that remains is an abandoned scoreboard and a lone set of bleachers, usually seen over the sea of parking that dominates the north of the site. It feels empty and imposing –underutilized.

Site Context and Analysis

What’s nearby?

  • Foster Park to the West
  • Friendly Fox to the East
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters
  • Various Offices
  • WBCL Radio Station

What’s not nearby?

Early in the project we created a survey for those of us here at DC who live in the area. Between that survey and some valuable in-person conversations, we found a short list of amenities community members found themselves leaving the neighborhood for:

  • Gym
  • Grocery Store
  • Hardware Store
  • Ice Cream
  • Splash Pad

Another concern we became aware of was the difficulty involved in safely crossing Rudisill Boulevard. The cars move fast, and the road feels like a barrier between North and South.

So, in what way could we breathe life into this site and make it a valuable destination serving its surroundings?

Key Questions:

  • How can we strengthen the community’s connection?
  • How can we prioritize wellness and quality of life with our design?
  • Can we make a design that touches all age groups?
  • How can we incorporate details that celebrate the local identity?
  • How can we address issues such as pedestrian circulation?
  • How can we keep and reuse existing conditions?
Satellite map of the 07 neighborhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana calling out a particular site and prominent areas around it. Circulation Map illustration of a site in the 07 neighborhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Satellite map of the 07 neighborhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana calling out a particular site and prominent areas around it. Circulation Map illustration of a site in the 07 neighborhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Planning

With all of this in mind, we came to a list of amenities we wanted to include…

  • Amphitheater
  • YMCA
  • Office Space
  • Café + Outdoor Seating
  • Restaurant
  • Soccer Field
  • Walking Paths
  • Playground + Splash Pad
  • Ice Rink

…And began sketching.

As we worked, the general idea of the site went through a few iterations and configurations of these amenities. These configurations included differing locations for seating, amphitheater and splash pad, as well as the demolition of the retreat center on the site’s west side.

Project Identity

Consideration also went into the presentation of our project. A set of colors and visual concepts that give it its identity were developed, and a title for our site emerged: The 07 Crossroads.
College of colors, words, and images made by the Design Collaborative 2025 fall interns.
College of colors, words, and images made by the Design Collaborative 2025 fall interns.

The Master Plan

After much reworking and deliberation, aided by this sense of identity, we settled on our final design.

  • Provides East/West and North/South connection
  • Provides walking/bike path
  • YMCA gets its own “campus”
  • Restaurant and patio for northeast building
  • Basketball courts double as ice skating rink in the winter
  • Splash pad and playground next to outdoor seating for new café
  • Soccer field allows YMCA to have a league and includes concessions and a small plaza containing games and secondary playground
  • Corner market space providing neighborhood with potential convenience store or small grocery
  • Sea of parking has been cut down to a more manageable size, allowing spaces at the center of the site to feel useable
  • Retains a certain amount of the open space that defines the site as it is now
  • New median on Rudisill Blvd.

Site Entry

The addition of a median on Rudisill in the crossing area gives a safer place for pedestrians to stop when attempting to cross the busy street.

We also wanted to provide a crossing light, operable by pedestrians, to provide an official crossing closer to the site itself.

This also draws attention to the site and serves to welcome pedestrians in at its entrance, where currently there is no crossing – the nearest existing one is a block or two east.
Illustration of a road crossing in the 07 neighborhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Illustration of a road crossing in the 07 neighborhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Splash Pad

  • Includes both aquatic and dry playground
  • Easy visibility from a new café in a currently unused atrium
  • Café includes both indoor and outdoor seating
  • String lights and lamp posts keep the area lit, giving a feeling of welcome and safety

 

Corner Market

  • Two small new buildings contain rentable space for businesses that serve the surrounding neighborhood.
  • Occupants could include an ice cream shop or a small grocery store.
  • Once more, string lights and lamp posts light the area provide cohesion with the north end of the site.
  • Includes a small garden area and space north of it for potential farmer’s market.
  • Seating has a parametric design, providing a fresh look for the area.
Render by the Fall Design Collaborative Interns of a corner market using traditional materials with a parametric design.
Render by the Fall Design Collaborative Interns of a corner market using traditional materials with a parametric design.

 

Amphitheater

  • Small amphitheater seating about 100, for formal or informal events
  • Functions as general seating and gathering place when not in use
  • Parametric design of roof ties this feature with the design of the seating at the market

 

Impact

  • Wood and brick construction along with old-fashioned lamp posts keep the historical feeling of the surrounding neighborhood.
  • New soccer field placement will serve incoming YMCA and provide site with a plaza area.
  • Amphitheater engages people of all ages to the site for formal or informal events.
  • Open space can be used for food trucks or movie nights on the grass.
  • Playgrounds and neighboring café provide interest for both parents and children.
Illustrations of activities for all ages to enjoy outside at the 07 crossroads.
Illustrations of activities for all ages to enjoy outside at the 07 crossroads.

Ready to bring new life to your underutilized space? Reach out to our team to start the conversation.

Contact Us Firm News Join Our Team Privacy Policy Office Locations: Fort Wayne, Indiana & Charlotte, North Carolina
©2025 Design Collaborative. All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2025 Design Collaborative