An Aberration in the Fabric: Weaving Interaction + Discovering Architecture of Inclusion

an aberration in the fabric:weaving interaction + discovering architecture of inclusion

a final creative project by: Kate Lengachermajor advisor: Wes Janzminor advisor: Josh Coggeshall

weaving interaction + discovering architecture

foreword

In the summer of 2008 I was fortunate enough to do a great deal of traveling. I began my summer in Europe traveling between Paris and Rome. I experienced a lot of inspirational and important pieces of architecture in my month abroad. When I returned home I was then excited to go with a church group to one of my favorite American cities, New York, New York. While we were there we worked with a group of Americorps volunteers under the initiative of the Youth Services Opportunities Project. There were dozens of other church and volunteer groups full of eager youth waiting to help out and experience New York City. While I had experience in my home state in serving the community through the National Honors Society in high school and a service sorority on campus I learned more than I had ever imagined I could in my one week in the city. We worked on projects in all five boroughs and met many diverse groups of people who were happy to see our smiling faces. Through all of these experiences working in less than ideal conditions serving soup, giving clothes, and socializing with some of what we consider America’s neediest people, I learned a lot about who they really are and who I really am. The biggest misconception about homeless people and those in need is that their state of being is what makes them depressed when in reality it is often the fact that they are treated differently because of the way they live their lives. They are often ignored, beaten, and taken advantage of because many see them not as people but as the scum of the earth. I was blessed enough to sit down, talk, and laugh with these people and learn that they are not too different from myself. Many of them are only searching for their dignity which includes being visible and respected by the general public. It was this experience combined with my newfound love of architecture that got my wheels turning thinking about how architecture could help these types of people. As I began to think, I realized that many of use who have homes, families, and careers often go through life invisible to outsiders and may not even know it. My goal is to begin a search on ways to bring people of communities and all walks of life together so everyone is visible. The best chance I have at doing this is through my passion, architecture. This is a lofty goal and I feel that is okay because I have my life to search for ways to create interaction and to find other people who share the same vision as myself. As a starting point, I want to take my creative project and being my search on the scale of one neighborhood to see what architecture can do in bringing those people together.


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abstract 5

background 7

case studies 9proposal 37site research 39method 49

project 51

social scale 53city scale 59neighborhood scale 65site scale 71building scale 79personal scale 87presentation 93

contents weaving interaction + discovering architecture

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As humans it is natural to seek interaction between one another; we crave relationships. Though we seek this interaction, many times we go to extremes to segregate ourselves from people who are different. This practice often creates a group of outcasts that are unwelcome in the places where people choose to segregate themselves. Architecture is often what people use to enclose themselves. Often this is architecture that does not inspire interaction with others or the actual form; it allows segregation to continue and enables architecture to become a luxury. As an architect should we allow this disconnect to happen? For whom should we be designing? The idea is to create an architecture that accepts everyone; an architecture that is interesting to interact with and actually allows for interaction to occur between the people who use it. A successful connecting project is born out of the architect’s knowledge of that which the community needs and desires. These things can be realized through interaction with the community, in this case volunteering and research served as the interaction. Through these experiences and research it became apparent the community was disconnected and in need of various types of services. This led to different implementations that have become woven into the existing neighborhood that inspire connections to happen at four scales: 1) the neighborhood with various sites that have different services that all work together to serve the entire community 2) the site with different programmatic elements and connections made to opportunities beyond the site to serve the majority of the community 3) the reading building with connections to the street and other buildings on the site to encourage flow through the building and to serve struggling children 4) the individual with realization of how a person would use the space created in relationship to other people. By creating these informed implementations that weave into the community the neighborhood is inspired to come together; an interaction and solution are achieved simultaneously.

“What roles should design play in providing basic shelter? How could architects best address the needs of the displaced and the disenfranchised? Should design be considered a luxury or a necessity?” – Kate Stohr, Design Like you Give a Damn

abstract weaving interaction + discovering architecture

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case studiesa set of precedents to study different methods of creating architecture

proposala different way to design + discover architecture

site research information to provide understanding methodan outline of a new process to design + discover

background weaving interaction + discovering architecture

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case studiesThe following case studies were all selected under the broad categories of community based design and ideals exhibited for architecture for everyone. The projects range from benefiting the homeless and children who need a creative outlet, to the everyday community centerpiece and a redefinition of a major skyline. I think the broad range of projects caters to the fact that in communities there are often a broad range of diverse people. It is important to remember that any one case study will not completely address another project being attempted elsewhere. The case studies are meant to begin to provide the puzzle pieces of what goes into community design. By taking the relevant pieces from all the studies patterns emerge. One major pattern that should be important to an architectural project is the idea that a building should address the actual needs of a user group, not the perceived needs. This takes experience and interaction with every single community an architect will design for in his or her career. That interaction between architect, client, and community is the beginnings of what makes a successful piece of architecture. Another major pattern that emerges is that no matter who you are designing for and what budget you have to work with, clients and users deserve the best piece of functional architecture you can give them. Good design is what will make an impact on the world while selling out to create subpar designs or only designing for wealthy clients should no longer be acceptable in general practice. Design wise, the idea of talking to a community and asking what they need to make a program for their building is common practice in the following projects. By doing so, the opportunity to create a new building type unique to its site and function emerges. It is in these new site specific building types that the idea of community connection and interaction begins to form. As the community works together to create a building for their neighborhood and then all come together to use that building, lasting relationships are formed that benefit the community as a whole. That is the end goal of creating architecture for everyone.

background weaving interaction + discovering architecture

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First Step Housing,The AndrewsCommon Ground

New York, NYOCV Architecture

www.commonground.org

Common Ground is an organization dedicated to ending homelessness. They utilize a network of affordable apartments, heath service, and assistance in economic hardships. This program has helped over 4,000 people to rise up out of homelessness through a three pronged approach: affordable housing, outreach, and prevention.

Their philosophy focuses on creating relationships in communities in order to provide the homeless with the opportunity to lead a life full of dignity and meaning through this interaction. They employ many programs to accommodate the wide range of people found in homeless population. All programs are aimed at rehabilitation in order to restore the people of the street to a safer and more dignified lifestyle.

One is the First Step Housing Program present in The Andrews House. This program aims to provide the homeless with housing between the time they enter the program and have successfully found a place of permanent residence. This transitional housing project that provides clean, safe and cost-efficient housing also offers programs to assist its tenants with whatever hurdles they need to overcome in order to conquer their personal homeless struggle. The resources offered range from substance abuse treatment and medical resources to employment assistance. The Andrews provides dignified housing in that each tenant has a private living unit to call their own. The individual units will be lockable and contain a bed, workspace and storage area. In addition to these private units, there are common spaces where tenants are able to interact and form that community bond which Common Ground strives to achieve with those it wishes to help. The Home, Health and Wellness center provides Andrews residents as well as other community members with health care to address both medical and mental health problems often found in the homeless population. It is estimated that The Andrews House can impact and have the opportunity to serve at least 750 people in one year. With further study and improvements to the First Step Program, Common Ground plans to share its knowledge with other cities in order to expand the program and impact that many more homeless people in attempt to conquer homelessness once and for all.

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www.commonground.orgDesign Like you Give a Damn

Common Ground’s First Step Housing Program is an important program to study in that it aims and rehabilitating community members and creating relationships within those communities through the use of a building. While the program is not physical architecture itself, it does use a physical building to house the fundamentals of the program. The way in which units are designed start to lend ideas on how architecture can impact everyone in a positive way. Residents at The Andrews are presented with these well designed, private units that can easily convey to them that they are cared for and just as important as anyone else who lives in their particular community. This then helps to redefine their self-confidence and maybe start to give them something to live for so these people can turn their lives around and stay off the streets permanently. In addition to the individual rooms, the building provides community spaces that fosters interaction and relationships between community members. Through these relationships and interactions, additional self-confidence and social confidence are allowed to develop. Not just the spaces themselves provide impact but, also, the unique program of the building lends a hand in rehabilitation. This building was not only seen as a place to house the homeless, but it also acts as a place where those on the street can come to receive medical and psychiatric attention as well as job placement assistance. All of this is achieved by the repurposing and redesign of an already existing lodging house. By expanding the program of the existing building and redesigning it architecturally, this sends a message to all of the people who benefit from the building that there is hope and they deserve a higher quality of life.

1. www.commonground.org2. Tia Blassingame. “The First Step Housing Competition: Rethinking the Flophouse Starting with the Unit.” New York: New York Arts Magazine.3.http://proxied.changemakers.net/journal/300606/displayhousing1.cfm-ID=104

Design Like you Give a Damn

First Step Housing,The Andrews

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New Carver ApartmentsMichael Maltzan Architecture

Los Angeles, CA& Skid Row Housing Trust

The New Carver Apartments was done by Michael Maltzan, a California architect who has participated in various Skid Row projects, for the Skid Row Housing Trust. This apartment complex houses the formerly homeless, most of which are elderly and usually plagued with mental disabilities. The site for this particular project is anything other than ideal for an apartment complex. It is located directly next to the heavily used I-10 freeway. Despite the lack in quality of site, Matlzan manages to create a design that begins to describe and explore how architecture can impact and benefit the homeless population of the city. The complex employs permanent housing for the formerly homeless elderly and disabled to help reduce the problem of patient dumping which usually results in those patients to continue their homelessness. It acts as a place for solace, support, and individual growth. The project exemplifies how architecture can use program, organization, and form to give new life and hope to struggling individuals on Skid Row by giving them the opportunity to reconnect with not only each other, but the entire city. New ideas for the program include kitchens, dining areas, gathering spaces, gardens, medical and social facilities. The Skid Row Housing Trust supports the project because it believe that by creating well designed buildings for the homeless it creates an attractive addition to the community as well has helps to reconnect the people that live in these buildings.

“It is this mix of realism and idealism, functionality and inspiration that makes the New Carver Apartments (named for an older property that was torn down) such an important achievement. The building is far superior as a work of art to most so-called “luxury” apartments, with the power to transform lives and reshape public perceptions.” -Iwan Baan Architect’s Newspaper

www.mmaltzan.com

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http://duldule.com/2010/04/the-new-carver-apartments-building-design-in-los-angeles/

http://www.architectmagazine.com/multifamily/new-carver-apartments.aspx

The form of the building responds to the unique challenges of the site and the needs of the people who reside in the project. The building has a central focus aimed at the courtyard which helps reduce the prominence of the busy freeway directly adjacent to the site. The exterior of the building uses a sawtooth form to not only create an icon visible from the freeway, but also to give the residents privacy while still utilizing daylight and views. The central focus, the courtyard, acts as the main hub for the building. It too, is screened for privacy with fins that allow the residents to see over balconies without allowing them to be too highly visible.

The ground floor of the building supplies the residents with any addition functions they may need other than their room. This includes the community kitchen, garden, and support offices. The photo of the ground floor included on the next page shows the material palate. Concrete is used for its economy of value as well as a reference to the highway just beyond the front doors. White is used as not to overwhelm the residences and aid to a calming feeling. Yellow accents are used to denote and allow easy recognition of public spaces throughout the entire building.


New Carver Apartments

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Shared public spaces, such as the courtyard an balcony, provide residents with comfortable areas to spend time in to socialize with their neighbors. The central garden can also be used for more formal events such as community meetings. Key windows allow framed views into these spaces in an attempt for the outer world to be able to see in and understand the people who reside at the New Carver.

www.mmaltzan.com


The New Carver Apartments is an important piece of architecture to study given its program and attitude for what architecture can do. Its program, like The Andrews, includes all the things residents would need on site. By doing this, it not only provides residents with more, but starts to engage the community by providing them with some of their needs. Again, like the Andrews, by playing with a more mixed-use program, an ideal environment for community interaction and relationship building is created. The architecture is a perfect example for an architecture for everyone because the Skid Row Housing Trust hired a well recognized architect to design an iconic form in attempt to enhance communities and provide permanent housing to those who otherwise may not have it. The building takes on a central view in order for its inhabitants to fell more protected while still not cutting them off from the city as whole in that it frames certain key view for the outside city to see in.

This project sets an important precedent that architecture can be used to rebuild lives and communities and that everyone in every walk of life deserves to inhabit a well designed space. Apartments for the formerly homeless do not have to be the dingy, unpleasant spaces that they often are; they can be modern, comfortable, dignifying and communal just like other ideal apartment complexes built for those willing and able to pay for them.

1. www.mmaltzan.com2. California Housing Partnership. “New Carver Apartments Open in Los Angeles: Sleek Design and Innovative Partnerships Offer New Solutions for the Homeless.” Los Angeles: Housing Preservation News, 2009.

New Carver Apartments

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Inner-City ArtsMichael Maltzan Architecture

Los Angeles, CA& Inner-City Arts

The Inner-City Arts project is a facility located near the heart of Skid Row that provides children with the opportunity to have an artistic education and outlet often not provided by their public schools. The program was in need of a new building and teamed up with Michael Maltzan to retrofit an abandoned auto body shop. The new building utilizes an open concept plan to allow as much daylight as possible to flood the spaces as well as to create a highly adaptable building to suit the numerous activities that the facility may employ at any given time. The project attempts to deal with the very sensitive challenge of connecting to the site while still providing a safe place for children to come in an otherwise often unsafe neighborhood. It uses massing and strategically placed cutouts to frame views and sight lines into the context as well was create interactive edges surrounding the complex which actually allows the complex to have a relationship with the neighborhood instead of walling it off to create a “gated” experience often found in today’s suburbia. High points in the massing, like the ceramics tower, create a landmark for the entire community to see and utilize. The well designed complex breaks up an otherwise dilapidated neighborhood with a collection of buildings that have their own unique character and personality about them. While still maintaining a character, the buildings are left very raw in the sense that they provide the perfect background for students to create their own beautiful pieces in and do not take away from their artwork. The architecture is obviously not the only contribution to the at-risk children of this Skid Row neighborhood, The Inner-City Arts program has given these children a constructive and safe outlet that actually boosts their chances for graduation. By doing so, these children have a greater chance of success in their lifetime and a greater chance of making it out of the Skid Row lifestyle.

http://architecturelab.net/02/inner-city-arts-by-michael-maltzan-architecture/

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The courtyard space allows for a safe, green plaza space from the otherwise very dense neighborhood. It connects all the buildings of the complex and serves as a gathering space for the students and other community members who wish to take part in the art center. It also is visible from many points within the building which stresses connection to the outdoors. This is important because most children here are kept indoors at home due to the rough character of their neighborhoods. The courtyard also connects the project to the neighborhood by creating controlled gateway entrances to the site at strategic points. This connection to the neighborhood helps to meet one of the project’s goals that is the revitalization of the neighborhood.


Adaptable spaces not only allow for a flexibility in uses by the school, but also provides the students with the opportunity to define what they do and the space they do it in. The idea of customization is very important because it appeals to a much broader user base than a strictly defined building. This is important when the desired outcome is a building that fosters interaction between many.


http://www.nhit-shis.org/inner-city-arts-modern-school-project-by-michael-maltzan-nancy-goslee-power/

h t t p : / / w w w. m o m a . o r g / i n t e r a c t i v e s / e x h i b i t i o n s / 2 0 1 0 /smallscalebigchange/projects/inner_city_arts

The way in which the project treats its context suggests a lot about community design. While it is designed for students to have a safe place to go to express themselves, it doesn’t wall itself off from the neighboring context. The project uses clever design and cutouts in the exterior to embrace the outside world. There was a lot of protest in painting the center white due to the high rate of graffiti that takes place on Skid Row but by doing so, it shows the amount of trust the center does still have for the members of the surrounding community. This trust has been proven in that the walls have stayed white with no tagging. That is the ultimate goal of any good, community embracing project: to be respected by the entire community and to show respect to the entire community. Also the white color allows the building to stand out against a back drop of otherwise run down buildings and communicates to the users it was built just for their needs.

http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2010/smallscalebigchange/projects/inner_city_arts

Inner-City Arts

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http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2010/smallscalebigchange/projects/inner_city_arts

The Inner-City Arts project is an important project to study because it a well designed piece of architecture that was given, pro bono, to students in an at-risk community to further their education and hopes for brighter futures. The design was careful to take into account its context and its function not only on the site, but in the community. It shows the community and the students that they too deserve not only good architecture, but education and communication. In this way the project can begin to act not only as an education center but as a catalyst for neighborhood improvement. By moving this facility into a renovated building that had previously been abandoned, it strengthens safety on the street by bringing in a facility that will be used. Also by moving into the existing city fabric, it communicates to the community that where they are living is worth fixing and may start to instill a sense of community pride which will only strengthen community relationships. Not only is the architecture something that contributes to the community, but the arts program. The program is important because it shows the initiative taken to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to success. The Inner-City program recognized a problem and took the appropriate measures to do what they were able to fix that problem. They went into an existing community instead of taking the kids out of it in order to get the programs they needed. All of these actions are important to note. If communities are interested in improvement, they need to see that it is possible to do without having to start over.

1. http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2010/smallscalebigchange/projects/inner_city_arts2.http://www.nhit-shis.org/inner-city-arts-modern-school-project-by-michael-maltzan-nancy-goslee-power/


Inner-City Arts

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Downtown Drop-In CenterMichael LehrerLos Angeles, CA

& SRO Housing Corporation

The Downtown Drop-In Center is a temporary sleeping facility meant to serve anyone and everyone who wishes to sleep and/or shower anytime of day or night. The drop-in center also offers community space, storage, and case management services to the homeless population. The facility is located near downtown Los Angeles where many homeless reside and one would expect to be a rather derelict place. The drop-in center has changed that expectation and instead, creates a lively place during both the night and day. By the inclusion of a plaza where people can wait for a bed, a strong community element was developed; often people come just to socialize with one another and hang out. The center was designed by Michael Lehrer and it is very apparent that even though this project was built on a strict budget it is still a well designed piece of architecture. Lehrer uses the essentials: play with light, mass, and definition of space to create a place that is friendly and obviously intended for civic use. Lehrer also takes great care to make the building welcoming instead of overly secure and shut off from the public. Even though it was built in a rough portion of town, by not including things like gates, high walls, and other uncomfortable “security” features, it shows that there is a sense of trust extended to those who use the space instead of a sense of distrust based on assumptions of degenerate behavior. Arcades, lattice work, and plantings all give the center a comfortable and warm character to enhance the welcoming feeling of the building. Everything is designed around a grid which makes everything feel as though it fits into its specific place. This regularity in the design makes the building more comfortable in that the people who use it can know what to expect rather than a building filled with complex geometries that are difficult to understand and can often confuse or startle people. The most important thing to note about the center is that it responds to what homeless people in downtown Los Angeles really need, a place to sleep and clean up. The project has fallen under much scrutiny in that it does not aim to provide transitional or permanent housing. This demonstrates to those people who use the facility that if their lifestyle is by choice, they are supported. They are presented with what they need, nothing more, nothing less.

http://www.lehrerarchitects.com/

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The courtyard space ties the three portions of the facility together: the dorm, the bath house, and the community room. It not only provides those waiting in line for a place to sleep with somewhere comfortable to wait and/or sleep, but a place for the entire community to come and interact whether on not they need to amenities offered at the facility. The trellises and vegetation provide shade and intriguing shadows for comfort and visual interest to those who inhabit the space. It also serves as a formalized entrance and connection to the street and neighborhood beyond the site. The openness towards the street also sends a message of trust towards the people of the community and in return the people who use the drop-in center respect it. In this way the building creates a sense of mutual understanding between the architecture and the users rarely found in its neighborhood. The use of the courtyard, colonnade, color, and play with light all help to define the center as a well thought out piece of architecture. This anomaly in the neighborhood fabric acts as a catalyst for neighborhood interaction white simultaneously giving the homeless there that which they need.

h t t p : / / w w w .lehrerarchitects.com/

The Downtown Drop-In Center is a beneficial project to cite because it is an example of entering into a community with the intention of helping and then delivering something that will actually benefit the specific neighborhood because the design team actually got involved with the community and asked what it is they would like to have. In this case, the homeless population needed a place to sleep and shower, they did not desire to have permanent place or transitional place to live. This is important to note because it shows a respect for these homeless people in that the “more fortunate” people who wish to help are not trying to conform anyone to any specific lifestyle. The center also seized the opportunity to create a neighborhood gathering space with the courtyard and welcoming building design. By creating an exceptional design that is not based on assumptions, but rather respect, the community respects the center and is more likely to use it rather than some off putting, closed off facility that is so secure it turns people away. By providing this sort of space, it not only makes the community more lively, but actually makes the community more secure than an extremely security conscious design. By bringing people together so they can form relationships and bonds, they will start to learn who belongs in the community and who does not. When they are out among other areas of the community this begins to set up an informalized neighborhood watch opportunity. You are more likely to give aid to someone in need if you have seen them before or are in fact their friend. One last important thing to note is that the organization that sponsored the center had a strict budget. This is the perfect example of an architecture for everyone because walking through the project, the typical eye would never guess that this building was built for as little money as it was. Well designed architecture does not have to be expensive, good architects should be able to provide good design for any budget and Michael Lehrer certainly has the ability to do so.


1. www.srohousing.org2. http://www.architectureweek.com/2001/0411/design_2-1.html

Downtown Drop-In Center

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James M. Wood Community CenterMichael LehrerLos Angeles, CA

& SRO Housing Corporation


The James M. Wood Community Center is a facility located on Skid Row named for James J. Wood who was an acclaimed advocate for the area’s less than fortunate population. The center aims to strengthen the community by providing a safe and sober place for its people to come together to socialize, learn, recover, and work together to make their community safer. The SRO Housing Corp worked with well known architect Michael Lehrer to complete a new location for the old community center. Lehrer designed the center to be “a place of dignity and joy” for the many disenfranchised people who needed a place to gather, a “community living room” of sorts. Lehrer uses modern design and color to emphasize the building’s presence so ultimately, it acts as a beacon calling in the community found on Skid Row. The center was erected at an infamous intersection referred to as Thieves Corner because it was an area notorious for the exchange of stolen goods. The need for the center and its program was realized by asking the people of the community what they felt they needed. The response was that the people of the community needed a place to gather and relax to get away from their one room spaces provided by other facilities in the area. The result was the James M. Wood Community Center. Not only does the facility act as a safe haven hangout, it is dedicated to the betterment of the people of the community. The center provides many programs for seniors, addicts, artists, poets, and provides health programs for those who otherwise have no access to health care. The SRO and Lehrer believe that by providing a well designed and iconic piece of architecture, the building itself, in conjunction with the programs and spaces it offers, can empower and create a community where there is a great need for one.

“Often these centers are just a roof. They don’t have the emotional power of architecture.” - Rand Elliott

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The first floor “living room” spaces provide places for the community to come together and interact as well as relax. The building provides a sort of relief from the hard, possibly uncomfortable, neighborhood that lies just outside the center’s doors. The bright colors and clean design act not only as a beacon, but provide a comfortable environment that appeals to the masses for this sort of community building to take place. There is a kitchen which provides the means for people to cook for themselves and others as well as a place to feed people who do not otherwise have access to food.

The colonnade and overall modern twist on civic building design help to easily identify the building as a public facility. The large windows on the first floor begin to offer a visual connection between the center and the environment as well as the neighborhood. The connection to the neighborhood communicates that the building is for all and is not a private institution. People outside the facility can see in to what is going on in the building and this may encourage them to enter and participate in the community that is developing there.


The center’s proximity to an already existing park that is a well known place for the community use allows for further growth of community building in an already established community area. Park users will now easily see there is a facility for them to use to expand their socialization as well as to better themselves with the programs offered. Not only does the already established park strengthen the center in that way, it also strengthens the center in that it gives the building an overflow space. People meeting in classes can not only break out in the center’s living room style spaces, but also in the park. If park users are not convinced of the good of the facility just by seeing it, interacting with the people who do already use it may convince any skeptics that the center really is for everyone. And the final beneficial aspect of the center teaming up with a park is that it begins to establish a community language and core. By building on what already exists in the community, it shows the people in the neighborhood that they too can have well designed community spaces and may encourage other community amenities to spring up nearby which would ultimately strengthen the heart of the community even further.


James M. Wood Community Center

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The James M. Wood Community Center is an important project to note for many reasons. First of all, it was built aiming to foster community development and betterment. The program was created by talking to the people in the existing community and determining what it is that they wanted to see in their neighborhood. By doing so, it shows that the people of the community do have a say in what happens in their neighborhood and that they are interested in connecting with one another instead of just staying isolated in their individual temporary housing units. The programs offered in the facility are aimed to dealing with the problems the people on Skid Row face and are implemented in a way that allows people with common problems and desires to work through them together. The architecture itself is import to review in addition to the program because Michael Lehrer designed the building for the community. He made sure to take special care in making the building approachable as well as comfortable. By implementing well designed architecture on Skid Row, it makes the people who live their feel as if they are cared about and could encourage them to seek help for their problems and encourage them to build relationships with others in their community. This ultimately makes for a better, safer environment that the SRO Housing Corporation is striving to create. Additionally, this is the core of what the idea of architecture for everyone aims to do: create architecture that is not just for the people who can pay for it out of their pockets, but for everyone down to those who cannot even pay for a place to live. It looks at creating places where anyone and everyone can come together and develop strong friendships and strong communities.

1. www.srohousing.org2.http://articles.latimes.com/2002/dec/16/entertainment/et-freudenheim163.http://archrecord.construction.com/features/bwarAwards/archives/04a_jamesWoods.asp

http://www.srohousing.org/woods_community_center.htm

James M. Wood Community Center

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proposalbackground

The proposal is to create pieces of design at a detail scale, building scale, site scale and neighborhood scale that will work to create communication, connection, and interaction between the members of the Hanna-Creighton neighborhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Research began to give insight on how others have created an architecture for everyone and community connecting designs. It will be important to get involved with the chosen community to begin to understand them, relate to them, and possibly become a trusted friend to them. I plan on doing this through volunteering with the Learn United program offered at the United Way of Allen County. Once an understanding has begun formation I will need to either figure out, from the knowledge gained or by asking, how a designer can begin to help the community. Experience, site analysis and additional research will then be important pending on what I learn from my interaction with the community. My goal with this is to create a new way of designing for communities that creates moments of interaction. That is where the community involvement comes in; I want to give it to them something they need that can them begin to weave them together. Once the need is identified I can work with the program, location, and design elements to create these pieces of architecture that will respond to their need and hopefully, recreate interaction and connection with the community members in the neighborhood. The architecture is meant to bring anyone and everyone in the neighborhood together in a place where they can feel dignified and accepted.

Essentially, the intent with this project is to recreate a community facility that will be enticing and friendly for any given member of the community. The underlying theme is that it will actually strengthen communities by giving them a place to interact and better themselves both individually and together in a variety of ways: education, understanding one another, creativity, and/or through general social interaction. By involving the community in the design phase it allows an even stronger connection to form not only amongst themselves, but with the piece of architecture as well.


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Being a native of Fort Wayne, I know there is a great disconnect in the city. The affluent suburbs, like many American cities, are greatly removed from the downtown. While many suburbanites are employed in cities downtown and there is a great campaign to bring life into the downtown proper through events and activities, there still fails to be a consistent vitality present in the heart of the city. Another disconnect is found between the suburbs, downtown, and “rough” urban neighborhoods that are on the south side of town. With this disconnect, there seems to be little care given to the people who are stuck in those “undesirable” south-of-downtown neighborhoods. This results in communities that are greatly lacking in the resources they need to live effective lives. The most affected neighborhood by this disconnect is Hanna-Creighton southeast of downtown Fort Wayne. It was once a lively desirable neighborhood and has since become a gather place for the poorest people in the county.

In 2004 there was an initiative to better the Hanna-Creighton neighborhood and rebrand it as Renaissance Pointe. This included a new Pontiac Branch of the Allen County Public Library, a new CANI Head start facility on the former site of blighted housing and liquor store, a new YMCA, and a new Urban League headquarters with after-school youth center that will be completed in the future. The new plan calls for infilled housing to attract a wealthier margin of Fort Wayne’s population in hopes that new people will form a better community.

I appreciate the gesture of the city in that they recognize there is a problem happening on the south side, however, I am left to wonder how much these plans help the existing community. The follow pages highlight key information I have learned about the community from my research that helped me discover how I can make a difference in the lives of the people who are living in Hanna-Creighton now.

site researchbackground weaving interaction + discovering architecture

fort wayne

hanna-creightonneighborhood

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demographicssite research

population: 1,197median income: $16,586 poverty: 51.1% of populationsingle mothers: 41.6% of population

According to the Social Security Administration, the nation average income for 2009 was $40,711. There is only a small portion of the Hanna-Creighton Neighborhood that exceeds this average. The remaining areas do not even earn half of the average. Without adequate incomes, the community members of these neighborhoods do not have enough money to create social amenities and should be able to rely on their city to provide appropriate civic places in every neighborhood.

There is a large percentage of family units in this neighborhood that depend on a single mother. This leaves children with little adult influence and attention. Children crave these sorts of relationships and benefit from having a role model with whom they can interact.

VShanna-creighton neighborhood fort wayne city

population: 253,691median income: $41,038poverty: 12.6% of populationsingle mothers: 10.9% of population

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Fort Wayne is the second largest city in Indiana behind Indianapolis. The economy is based around education, health care, insurance, logistics, and manufacturing. The majority of these industries require either technical training or study at a university to earn a degree. Without access to information and education because of monetary obstacles, the people of the Hanna-Creighton Neighborhood are not qualified for these main industries in the Fort Wayne economy. This is evident in the poverty comparisons and median income levels between the Hanna-Creighton Neighborhood and the city at large.

land usesite research

E C r e i g h t o n A v e n u e

E P o n t i a c S t r e e t

S H a n n a S t r e e t

S A n t h o n y B o u l e v a r d

Emily Street

Weisser Park A

venue

John Street

Gay Street

Smith Street

Oliver Street

Holton Street

Winter Street

Lillie StreetLahmeyer Street

Hurd Street

Site 3

Site 2

Site 1.1

Site 1.2

Bowser A

venue

Opportunities: Vacant lots or abandoned buildings waiting for new purpose.

Apartment Complex

Community Assests: Properties that enhance the community as a whole.

Green Space: Parks or vacant housing lots that could be better utilized for community improvement.

Parking Lots: Many could be better utilized for community improvement.

Residental Blocks : Single Family Homes

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The images to the left are from the Hanna-Creighton Neighborhood. They start to illustrate what the vacancies look like all through the community.

The map to the right shows what each block of the neighborhood is used for. Red blocks denote vacant land that is crying for attention. The green blocks show open space where grass has been allowed to grow but in most cases these properties are vacant, not traditional green space.

Through assessment of the neighborhood, four purple sites were chosen that displayed the greatest potential for social impact on the community.

educationsite research

East Allen County SchoolsPrimarily farmland and factories suburb with some poverty level families

Fort Wayne Community SchoolsRanging from education, students, and poverty level families

MSD Southwest Allen County SchoolsSuburb for healthcare and business

Northwest Allen County SchoolsSuburb for healthcare, business, and education

Hanna-Creighton NeighborhoodService, production, and construction - majority below the national income average

East Allen County SchoolsPrimarily farmland and factories suburb with some poverty level familiesLeo Schools

Fort Wayne Community SchoolsRanging from education, students, and poverty level families

Hanna-Creighton Neighborhood Schools

MSD Southwest Allen County SchoolsSuburb for healthcare and business

Northwest Allen County SchoolsSuburb for healthcare, business, and education

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analysissite research

This diagram illustrates the opportunity the site presents for connections. To the north are townhouses, the east and south are vacant sites, and to the west is the Women’s Bureau. This sets up the major grid lines that manifest in the final site design.

connectionThis diagram illustrates the opportunity presented by the corner. The urban corner is not often vacant and should be taken advantage of when presented.

cornerThis diagram illustrates where the majority of motor traffic happens. This starts to suggest that the more public functions would make sense along the southern portions of the site and more private functions would fit to the north.

vehiclesThis diagram illustrates the pedestrians will be accessing the site from all sides. Therefore it is important to great people from all points around the site rather than creating one main entry. This will help weave the site into its context.

pedestrian

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methodbackground weaving interaction + discovering architecture

1 recognizeI used research combined with personal observation to understand how society views architecture and decides how design will be implemented. This led me to conclude the current standard is not acceptable, architecture should not be a luxury.

2 challengeOnce this observation was made I knew I had to challenge it. I started questioning an architect’s role in society - who should we design for and how should we go through the design process?

3 relateI knew I could not answer these questions on my own so I began more research and volunteering with The United Way to become involved in the community. Through experience I was able to build relationships with students and gain their trust.

4 discoverWith essential relationships established I was able to discover design rather than prescribe one. My investigating and volunteering opened doors of communication that would not have otherwise been available with the typical ‘design from the desk’ mind set. This allows the project to address actual needs of the community rather than assumed ones.

5 exemplifyThe first goal for this project is to use my process to demonstrate how an architect can make a difference simply by getting involved. The second goal is to demonstrate how an architect can reconnect communities through design at a variety of scales.

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The first goal: Create a new design method to redefine and broaden the role of the architect in today’s society. This would allow architects to become part of communities instead of members of an office pigeon holed into doing one type of design.

The second goal: Illustrate how an architect can operate at a variety of scales and achieve design that interacts and includes through architecture.

The following pages will follow the method illustrated in the background section as it was used to discover the design for this project.

project

“Architecture can be a powerful instrument to affect social change. On a small scale, a well-designed public school can positively influence individual learning and help children to identify themselves as parts of a larger community. On a larger scale, urban planning that offers not only the basic requirements of housing, transportation, and commerce but also parks, public squares, and cultural facilities can increase the quality of life for all inhabitants, bolster civic pride, and have a positive impact on a city’s economy.” – Andres Lepik, Small Scale, Big Change


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social scaleproject architect as social activist

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At the social scale my exploration focuses on how an architect can break out of the normal role in which society has placed her. I aim to really look at how an architect can start to question social norms and challenge them through design. I believe through doing this - linking architecture with activism - much can be changed in the current social structure where architecture has become a luxury. Instead of going on with they way things are, the architect can make observations and initiate questioning to challenge those issues.

The following section chronicles how I begin to explore my role as an architect + activist. I start with my observations and move on to my questioning that observation. By following this architect + activist model I’ve created, other architects will have the opportunity to break out of the mold society has given them and allow each individual to pursue their own set of issues.

observationsocial scale

1 humans have become _ _ _ _ _ _

architecture is a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

disconnected

privilege2

vanity_segregation_judgement_disdain_5554

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

questionssocial scale

how do architects _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

rather than_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

include + interact

exclude + segregate?

1

how do architects_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

rather than_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

discover

mandate?

2

how can architecture_ _ _ _ _ _3 impact?challenge_alleviate_initiate_exemplify_ 5756

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

city scaleproject architect as community member

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At the city scale I focus on how the architect can become a key part of the community. This scale greatly overlaps with the social and neighborhood scales. This happens in that at the neighborhood level, the architect gets involved with the community, in my experience it was volunteering. At the social scale, the architect is questioning her role and sets a precedent for the people around her in her own city. By proving the architect’s commitment to community, trust is formed not only by paying clients but also by the public who will be affected by our designs.

I chose to get involved in my city + community by becoming a Learn United volunteer through the Allen County United Way. I volunteer every Friday at the elementary school that the Hanna-Creighton kids attend, Fairfield Elementary. A lot of what I have researched has been confirmed through interaction with these kids. The more time I spend with them, the more they trust me and open up.

This is what allowed me to discover the entire concept for the project – weaving the neighborhood back together at a whole scale to prevent poverty in the first place and also including a reading/mentoring center that can start to reverse the cycle for future generations now.

fort wayne

a poverty issuethe difference

opportunitycity scale

Statistics show that family income levels have a huge bearing on childhood literacy levels. Children in low-income households have much lower reading skills on average. For instance, the average child from middle- and upper-income households enters kindergarten with a vocabulary of about 10,000 words; children from low-income homes enter with a vocabulary of 800 words. That is 92 percent fewer words than their counterparts! In addition, 40 percent of all low-income Allen County third graders fail their ISTEP reading exams every year.

“Most parents genuinely want their kids to succeed, but they may be struggling just to make ends meet, let alone be able to buy books and read to their kids. They need help from caring community members.” - The United Way: Learn United

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communitycity scale

Fairfield Elementary Hanna-Creighton Kindergarten + First Grade Students

Ricky1st grade - desperate for attention and acts out to receive it, punishment leaves him behind on class work

Shionkindergarten - struggles with concentration and would rather tell stories or play games than focus on traditional school work

Jorgekindergarten - shy and his second language is english, his timid nature and limited vocabulary leave him behind because he is too afraid to speak up

Mrs. Crowellkindergarten teacher - compassionate and patient but, with thirty students in her classroom she does not have the ability to give every child the attention they need to succeed

volunteer_understand_mentor_change_

Learn United is United Way’s ten-year commitment to ensuring all local children read at grade level by the end of third grade. It’s a collaborative effort coordinated by United Way of Allen County, the Allen County Education Partnership, the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and the four local school districts. I chose to become a volunteer as my way to get to know members of the community I aimed to help. The following quotes are from my volunteer journal.

“I was surprised at how open the kids are with someone they just met.”

“these kids just need someone to talk to; someone to listen”

“You can already tell at this point that kids don’t really want to be there and they don’t really want to be doing worksheets and tests; they want to play and goof off with one another.”

“What are the implications for her future?”

“I can see results in their learning based on the relationship and trust that has formed with them seeming me on a regular basis.”

“they can depend on me”

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neighborhood scaleproject

Current initiatives are in place to “clean up” the neighborhood by infilling housing to attract a more affluent margin of Fort Wayne’s population. Rather than attract a new population, this proposal focuses on rehabilitating the community members already there by giving them access to the things they need the most through design. At the neighborhood scale opportunities were inventoried to identify key sites to place services so that they would be able to serve the entire population of the neighborhood. Four sites across the neighborhood were chosen. These are sites the yield the most potential for change in that they are completely vacant in areas where growth will be allowed to happen. Three site typologies are implemented onto these three sites that are all within walking distance of one another. By catering to the entire population, not only are the majority of needs being met but also the opportunity for interaction is presented. The architect’s ability to go through this process of identifying potential sites with a wide range of programs illustrates how the she can have an impact at the masterplanning scale.

architect as masterplanner

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conceptweave the neighborhood back together through general provisions

site 1: community kitchen

sleep, wash, cook, eat

site 2: market and garden

grow, buy, sell, work

site 3: learning center

learn, read, create, share

mentors

kids, comm

unity

cloth

esfo

od, goods

books, art

staff, food

By choosing these different programs, the site typologies start to work together and interaction is inspired between them. This flow diagram to the left illustrates how the different sites can work together across the neighborhood to achieve this interaction.

To the right is a diagram of the neighborhood fabric. The more dense portions show where these four different sites are located and illustrates how they can start to weave the neighborhood back together in those areas. They also establish threads between the sites which gives the community opportunities to create their own weaving.

neighborhood scale

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design

1

23

4

community kitchen1

urban garden + market2

learning center3

laundry + shelter4

neighborhood scale

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site scaleproject architect as urban designer

The learning site is an example of an important piece of the mended neighborhood fabric. The site includes a variety of programs to serve a broad range of the population. By filling an entire site with different programs, the urban corner is recreated and existing programs begin to become connect through the site. By identifying opportunities outside the traditional site borders the site design and impact is able to weave into the existing neighborhood. This happens with the inclusion of axes, gardens, a community tool shed, and greenhouse.

The site is designed around an axis derived from the location of the existing Women’s Bureau to the west and an opportunity site to the east where a greenhouse has been proposed. The four buildings are arranged around the axis which derived some form decisions. Respect for the city grid and corner derived the rest of the building footprints.

Other opportunity sites to the south allow spaces for community gardens to happen and grid lines connect those places with the original site. Plantings in these spaces and on the site reinforce the grid on site. The perimeter of the site is left permeable as to allow community members to enter from any angle.

All of the design decisions were discovered based on the idea that the site needs to weave into the existing fabric. They allow the boundaries of the site to be blurred so one only recognizes they are in the neighborhood, not necessarily a specific site typology.

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building 1: day care

play, watch, sleep

building 2: cafe plus

talk, eat, exercise

building 3: creative studio

create, share, express

culture

health

building 4: reading room

learn, discover, mentor

knowledge

safety

conceptweave beyond the site boundaries + include multiple programs to expand impact and

interaction

By choosing these different programs, the buildings work together to draw the community together on this specific site. The diagram to the left illustrates what can happen when these different programs are activated - interaction and learning are created.

To the right is a diagram of how the site starts to weave into the existing context. By taking advantage of these opportunity sites, the formal site boundaries are blurred and a smooth fabric is formed.

site scale

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design

24 hour day care1

cafe plus2

creative gallery3

garden plots4

site scale

12

3

4 5

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designsite scale

east - west section

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building scaleproject architect as architect

The reading room building is an example of how a building can reach beyond its walls and into its context. I chose this particular building type because of my experience with the United Way. The design achieves connection with the use of a site grid that organizes the buildings and spaces within them. Similar massing and facade design allow buildings to relate to one another. An open floor plan allows activities and people to flow through it. Transparent walls are created by the use of large urban doors and view windows which allow the building to open and expand its functions to the outdoors. These features also allow what’s happening outside on the street or a building close by to flow into the building. These design moves were made to create opportunities for interaction. Specific materials were chosen to create a warm atmosphere. Materials available in the area allowed the use of recycled steel and reclaimed hardwood.

7978

conceptweave beyond the building walls to allow flow between inside and outside

By illustrating these different programs in the diagram to the left it becomes clear how interaction can benefit community at the building level. Different types of people use the space and exchange different things with one another.

To the right is a diagram of movement through the building. This demonstrates how people can flow in, out, and through the building. It also shows how their different paths can cross and create “bump” moments that opens the door to interaction between people.

building scale

program 1: reading

read, learn, explore

program 2: mentoring

lead, teach, influence

program 4: community education

share, learn, interact

program 3: computer lab

work, learn, play

program 5: book exchange

reuse, recycle, share

tech

nolo

gy

character

community

literacy

skills

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designbuilding scale

reading platform1

open floor plan2

circulation axis3

patio4

12

3

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designbuilding scale

north - south section

8584

personal scaleproject architect as interior architect

The patio and reading area configuration is an example of how interaction between people can be set up through architecture. Many of these design features overlap with the features included at the building scale. The large urban doors allow the reading space to expand beyond the building interior and onto the patio where tables and chairs are provided. View windows allow people to see into and out of the building. The patio between the street and building interior provides a stopping place and transition space from outside to in where people from the street or building can congregate. By creating this node of activity with many paths of movement and views, the chances of a moment of humanity or interaction between two people greatly increases.

8786

conceptweave moments of interaction between people

By showing the two main age groups, a single interaction between two people is demonstrated through the diagram on the left. This shows how rich interaction can be; each participant gives something to the other than is to their benefit.

To the right is a diagram of movement through this one door. It shows that by opening up walls there are so many opportunities for interaction to occur and paths to cross.

personal scale

owner 1: student

learn, play, socialize

owner 2: role model

learn, teach, socialize

morals, knowledge

fulfillment, fun

8988

designpersonal scale

1

3

2 4

interior seating1

patio2

urban door3

atrium view4 9190

presentationproject april 22, 2011







mentors

kids, comm

unity

cloth

esfo

od, goods

books, art

staff, food


play, watch, sleep


talk, eat, exercise



culture

health



knowledge

safety owner 1: student


owner 2: role model


morals, knowledge

fulfillment, fun

program 1: reading







work, learn, play



tech

nolo

gy

character

community

literacy

skills

1

how do architects_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

rather than_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

observations

how do architects _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

rather than_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

humans have become _ _ _ _ _ _ _

architecture is a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

disconnected

privilege

include + interactexclude + segregate?

discover

mandate?

2

1

2

an aberration in the fabric: weaving interaction + discovering architecture of inclusion

socialscale| city

scale| neighborhoodscale| site

scale| buildingscale| personal

scale|

how can architecture_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _3 impact?

questions

a poverty issue

the difference


“Most parents genuinely want their kids to succeed, but they may be struggling just to make ends meet, let alone be able to buy books and read to their kids. They need help from caring community members.” - The United Way: Learn United opportunity

precedents

Common Ground, First Step Housing

1

Michael Lehrer, Downtown Drop In + James M Wood Community Centers

2 3

Michael Maltzan, Inner City Arts + New Carver Apartments

4 5dignify_interact_connect_respect_

method

vanity_segregation_judgement_disdain_

challenge_alleviate_initiate_exemplify_

community










recognize_challenge_relate_discover_


Current initiatives are in place to “clean up” the neighborhood by infilling housing to attract a more affluent margin of Fort Wayne’s population. Rather than attract a new population, this proposal focuses on rehabilitating the community members already there by giving them access to the things they need the most through design. At the neighborhood scale opportunities were inventoried to identify key sites to place services so that they would be able to serve the entire population of the neighborhood. By catering to the entire population, not only are the majority of needs being met but also the opportunity for interaction is presented.

concept: weave the neighborhood back together through general provisions

The learning site is an example of an important piece of the mended neighborhood fabric. The site includes a variety of programs to serve a broad range of the population. By filling an entire site with deifferent programs, the urban corner is recreated and existing programs begin to become connect through the site. By identifying opportunities outside the traditional site borders the site design and impact is able to weave into the existing neighborhood. This happens with the inclusion of axes, gardens, a community tool shed, and greenhouse.

concept: weave beyond the site boundaries + include multiple programs to expand impact and interaction

The reading room building is an example of how a building can reach beyond its walls and into its context. This is achieved with the use of a site grid that organizes the buildings and spaces within them. Similar massing and facade design allow buildings to relate to one another. An open floor plan allows activities and people to flow through it. Transparent walls are created by the use of large urban doors and view windows which allow the building to open and expand its functions to the outdoors. These features also allow what’s happening outside on the street or a building close by to flow into the building. These design moves were made to create opportunities for interaction.

concept: weave beyond the building walls to allow flow between inside and outside

The patio and reading area configuration is an example of how interaction between people can be set up through architecture. The large urban doors allow the reading space to expand beyond the building interior and onto the patio where tables and chairs are provided. View windows allow people to see into and out of the building. The patio between the street and building interior provides a stopping place and transition space from outside to in where people from the street or building can congregate. By creating this node of activity with many paths of movement and views, the chances of a moment of humanity or interaction between two people greatly increases.

concept: weave moments of interaction between people

fort wayne





1

community kitchen1


learning center3

laundry + shelter4

23

4

12

3

4 5

24 hr day care1

cafe + work out2

creative gallery3

garden plots4

hanna-creighton learning center reading room patiofort waynearchitect’s role

12

3

4

reading platform1

open floor plan2

circulation axis3

patio4

1

3

2 4

interior seating1 urban door3

patio 2 atrium view4

east - west section north - south section

final creative project: kate lengacheradvisors: wes janz, josh coggeshall, karen keddy







mentors

kids, comm

unity

cloth

esfo

od, goods

books, art

staff, food


play, watch, sleep


talk, eat, exercise



culture

health



knowledge

safety owner 1: student


owner 2: role model


morals, knowledge

fulfillment, fun

program 1: reading







work, learn, play



tech

nolo

gy

character

community

literacy

skills

1

how do architects_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

rather than_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

observations

how do architects _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

rather than_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

humans have become _ _ _ _ _ _ _

architecture is a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

disconnected

privilege

include + interactexclude + segregate?

discover

mandate?

2

1

2

an aberration in the fabric: weaving interaction + discovering architecture of inclusion

socialscale| city

scale| neighborhoodscale| site

scale| buildingscale| personal

scale|

how can architecture_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _3 impact?

questions

a poverty issue

the difference


“Most parents genuinely want their kids to succeed, but they may be struggling just to make ends meet, let alone be able to buy books and read to their kids. They need help from caring community members.” - The United Way: Learn United opportunity

precedents

Common Ground, First Step Housing

1

Michael Lehrer, Downtown Drop In + James M Wood Community Centers

2 3

Michael Maltzan, Inner City Arts + New Carver Apartments

4 5dignify_interact_connect_respect_

method

vanity_segregation_judgement_disdain_

challenge_alleviate_initiate_exemplify_

community










recognize_challenge_relate_discover_


Current initiatives are in place to “clean up” the neighborhood by infilling housing to attract a more affluent margin of Fort Wayne’s population. Rather than attract a new population, this proposal focuses on rehabilitating the community members already there by giving them access to the things they need the most through design. At the neighborhood scale opportunities were inventoried to identify key sites to place services so that they would be able to serve the entire population of the neighborhood. By catering to the entire population, not only are the majority of needs being met but also the opportunity for interaction is presented.

concept: weave the neighborhood back together through general provisions

The learning site is an example of an important piece of the mended neighborhood fabric. The site includes a variety of programs to serve a broad range of the population. By filling an entire site with deifferent programs, the urban corner is recreated and existing programs begin to become connect through the site. By identifying opportunities outside the traditional site borders the site design and impact is able to weave into the existing neighborhood. This happens with the inclusion of axes, gardens, a community tool shed, and greenhouse.

concept: weave beyond the site boundaries + include multiple programs to expand impact and interaction

The reading room building is an example of how a building can reach beyond its walls and into its context. This is achieved with the use of a site grid that organizes the buildings and spaces within them. Similar massing and facade design allow buildings to relate to one another. An open floor plan allows activities and people to flow through it. Transparent walls are created by the use of large urban doors and view windows which allow the building to open and expand its functions to the outdoors. These features also allow what’s happening outside on the street or a building close by to flow into the building. These design moves were made to create opportunities for interaction.

concept: weave beyond the building walls to allow flow between inside and outside

The patio and reading area configuration is an example of how interaction between people can be set up through architecture. The large urban doors allow the reading space to expand beyond the building interior and onto the patio where tables and chairs are provided. View windows allow people to see into and out of the building. The patio between the street and building interior provides a stopping place and transition space from outside to in where people from the street or building can congregate. By creating this node of activity with many paths of movement and views, the chances of a moment of humanity or interaction between two people greatly increases.

concept: weave moments of interaction between people

fort wayne





1

community kitchen1


learning center3

laundry + shelter4

23

4

12

3

4 5

24 hr day care1

cafe + work out2

creative gallery3

garden plots4

hanna-creighton learning center reading room patiofort waynearchitect’s role

12

3

4

reading platform1

open floor plan2

circulation axis3

patio4

1

3

2 4

interior seating1 urban door3

patio 2 atrium view4

east - west section north - south section

final creative project: kate lengacheradvisors: wes janz, josh coggeshall, karen keddy

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This is a depiction of the final boards used in the presentation of this project. The boards were broken down into scales much like the project portion of this book. The organization of the boards also took into consideration my unique method of observing, questioning, and seeking an opportunity for change.

Donna Sink, Paul Puzzello, Paul Konwinski, Josh Coggeshall, Wes Janz, Erin Chapman, Ryan Hanigan, and Jason Klinker attended the review. Comments focused mainly on how I could pursue this type of work as a career and still make money to support myself. It was suggested that I explore this idea further. Paul Puzzello was a semester long reviewer and acknowledge the fact I had come to some sort of resolve at the project level in that I moved past typical architectural presenting and really focused on the social initiatives this project took into account. Overall the jurors liked the project and what it stands for and they all encouraged me to pursue this as a career even though they did not know what advice to give to do so.

an aberration in the fabric:weaving interaction + discovering architecture of inclusion kate lengacher

An Aberration in the Fabric: Weaving Interaction + Discovering Architecture of Inclusion

Documents

Transcript of An Aberration in the Fabric: Weaving Interaction + Discovering Architecture of Inclusion