Squatter Dormitory

for millions of years the stars have been shining down on Earth, and now we’ve begun

shining backstuart brand

water

fiber

opt

ics

heating/cooling ve

ntila

tion

media

sprinkler system

electr

ical

0

open to above shop

study + lounge88 (max) private living pods

rooftop access

up to living quarters

dashed: �re station

pink: open circulation zones

ramp by day / theater by night

kitchen + bath

Alley 444 Boylston

pod

circulationtower service blocko�ce block

people+ cars

bikesmaterial depot: refuse from local industries to fuel pod development

tra�c / loading zone

26 feet

bathing

bathing

cooking

cooking

r/a

r/a

9 feet typ.

studio o�ces

studio o�ces

typical service

block 390 SF snack

lunch

shower

poop

cooktinkle

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

6

studylounge

pods

1st �r bathrooms2nd �r kitchen

1st �r studioso�ce mezzanine

140 sf 2600 ft3

�re station

theaterseating

BAC/ Dormitory urban connectionoutdoor cafe, “Jewel Box” , & bicylcesart, circulation, & the resource pileart, circulation, & the resource pileday one: setting up of the podsthe approach from Boylston

pub

1

Alley 444

BAC

material depot

w/c

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

material depot+

exhibition space

2-5

lecturespace

w/c

pods


3

R

accessiblegreen

roof

0

20’

c1.2 studio

rendered study of the evolution of an unplanned development typical in Turkey

how crazy would it be if students learned to design and build by squatting?

orientation Week 11 out of 5 people on the planet inhabit dwellings without ownership or legal tenure, including the amenities and rights associated with said con-ditions. This fact is personally overwhelming. The notion of this precarious living condition terrifies me. On the other hand, this population also has the most direct and personalized impact on the development of their so-called unplanned communities and the spaces they inhabit—this excites me! It’s possible that these environments promote creative communities that grow directly out of an immediate and ever shifting culture. This might be a more appropriate living arrange-ment considering how our ever accelerating and shifting future, both ‘abroad’ and in the United States, is coming at us with great uncertainty.

processHaving built over a dozen sketchbooks combin-ing collage and hand drawings, I felt comfort-able with “thinking with my body” and was ready to try new modes of communication. I decided to focus on digitally produced hiero-glyphics as a way of developing new translation skills. I wanted to learn how to tell a story with-out sketches or words. This was my personal challenge. To start, I developed several power-point presen-tations and mini-publications on the conditions of squatter lifestyles throughout South America, Eastern Africa, Eastern Europe, and tropic Asia as a means of front loading several weeks of re-search. My professor was particularly interested in pushing the agenda of “digital expansion” which became a parallel point of departure.

my problem... with conventional pedagogy in design education is that it has led us away from the art of making. Drawing and modeling, physical or otherwise, has steered us away from the inherit truth of space, light, form and use, particularly under the false pretense of “concept” driven design with-out criteria. The word ‘criteria’ alone seems to inspire blank stares amid most conversations. As students, we scarcely perceive the impact of the objects we create. I believed that the specific program called upon us for this project was an opportunity to explore not simply new forms for dormitory life, but, a new educational model for cultivating learning experiences for design students altogether. For me, the building was secondary.

C.1 Architectural Student DormCharles Garcia, Kyle Sturgeon - 12 classes

year 1, assembly & personalizationthe living kit Week 2

year 2, tectonic exploration

let’s party!

let’s not :(year 3, urbanism

Taking cues from squatter innovation, Montes-sori’s sensorial education, and applied learning found in programs like Rural Studio, and Ta-liesin, I developed the idea of a squatter campus. To facilitate this ideas I needed a system. In essence, each student is given a single living/learning capsule that they build into, unto, and over as years progress. It’s a 9’3 cubical that is comprised of several interchangeable compo-nents, a flat base panel, and what I dubbed the ‘living wall.’ The wall contains domestic stor-age, a murphy bed, a small fridge, and state of the art touch-sensitive-screens and digital appa-ratus for work and entertainment. Small? Per-haps, but the rendering below demonstrates how various functions can take place at this scale. The module’s assembly uses existing flat-pack and tent frame technologies to come together. The modular panels (which can be changed at any time) align with one another and are linked with spring operated rods like those found in

contemporary tents. Students assemble the kit on their first day. The first year challenges them to reconfigure it according to shifting context (like a neighbor adding a window aligned to theirs). Panels vary in color, surface, and opera-tions. Some can be writing walls. The curriculum challenges the students to add to their module thereby applying real life criteria. Facade studies compliment early studios, the “cardboard chair” actually becomes a fixture that they use and test over time. Structures courses are augmented with structural assemblies and prototypes as students build vertically. All the while, students learn to think with their bodies as our predecessors did. Over time, students develop appreciation for material, touch, smell, weight, assembly, disassembly, recycling, and how to be resourceful in a world with steadily declining resources. In the end, students attain a profound understanding of context, space, light, form, and the reality of architecture.

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(complete with life support systems) a 10’x10’ mesh grid infilled with polycarbonate wafers replacing fiber optics by operating as ‘glass plates’ transmitting light, information, temperature while connecting encapsulated mechanical functions

software (infill, mutable units, fluxuating program)

interface (overlapping physical conditions, optics, light,

existing conditions (recycled hardware)

work / studyplay

cleaningliving

cookingoffice

‘material pile’‘jewel box’shop

&

water

fiber

opt

ics

heat

ing/

cool

ingve

ntila

tion

media

spri

nkle

r sy

stem

electr

ical

0

open to aboveshop

study + lounge 88 (max) private living pods

rooftop access





kitchen + bath

Alley 444Boylston

pod

circulationtowerservice block o�ce block

people+ cars

bikes material depot: refuse from local industries to fuel pod development

tra�

c / l

oadi

ng z

one

26 feet

bath

ing

bath

ing

cook

ing

cook

ing

r/ar/a

9 feet typ.studio o�

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cestypical service

block390 SFsnack

lunch

shower

poop

cooktinkle

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

6

studylounge

pods



140 sf 2600 ft3

�re station

theaterseating

BAC/ Dormitory urban connection outdoor cafe, “Jewel Box” , & bicylces art, circulation, & the resource pile art, circulation, & the resource pile day one: setting up of the pods the approach from Boylston

pub

1

Alley 444

BAC

material depot

w/c

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

material depot+

exhibition space

2-5

lecturespace

w/c

pods


3

R

accessiblegreen roof

0

20’

continuous circulation

vertical circulation

circulation

program

light

use

introducing a path to the pancake Week 3

Surely, the most hair brained scheme I devel-oped was this idea that the floor plates operat-ed as computer boards that students modules plugged into. Imagine for a moment a touch sensitive, 10’x10’ grided floor plate with a universal jack in each square. The floor plate literally senses where people are and gener-ates a map that students can visually access from any module. If you want to see where the party is you simply look it up. Each mod-ule’s ‘jack’ contains CAT5, telephone lines, fiber optics, etc. and perpetually streams all work that students do. Open source, in real time, all the time. Anyway, I was interested in removing the academic hierarchy that a pancake assembly would invariably engender—freshmen on the bottom and seniors at the top. Education is a continuous journey and I wanted to express this. Furthermore, my research taught me that the only thing that links squatter settlements is the path. In so many unplanned settle-ments, the only perceivable organizing prin-ciple is the path that links all homes to one another, so I felt it was important to develop

this feature in the squatter dorm. Rather than using Corbu’s domino plan, I used the parking garage typology to link all levels together so as to create one contiguous street from freshmen to seniors (or gradu-ates). The result is a barbel-like diagram that loads the ends with weighty programmatic func-tions such as plumbing walls and mechanical with a stretched, lightweight, post-tensioned concrete slab connecting the two ends. Be-cause the building is tightly nestled between two buildings on a small urban lot with little access to light, the center is carved out allow-ing natural light to filter to the bottom of the building. Main circulation routes inscribe the void. The two ends are supported by massive concrete spikes that also serve to house over-sized cargo elevators for students who will be wheeling materials on large Home Depot like rolling bins. The ends are where students live communal-ly; showering, cleaning, meeting in offices or in lounge spaces. The center is dedicated to squatter living where all the modules reside.

Favelas/Gekecendu overlay

myour

sharedopen

student life Week 4

territorial development

Like most art students who spend days un-packing an installation, each year, students disassemble their construction, which in itself is a lesson of intelligent assembly. Your living arrangement on campus is based on both lottery and choice the fol-lowing year. Registration feels and looks like buying a ticket online for a airline flight. An online script enforces the rules previously mentioned and you ‘pick a seat’ first come first served. A bit like Ikea Online, a student can toggle through op-tions of color and location. The module is smaller than the lot to allow students to build outside of their walls within their allocated parcel. Students are also able to combine lots and work on larger scale projects. The system allows people to graft onto one another or work strictly in an exclusive manner depending on their preference. Every level has unique ‘street’ arrange-ments based on the input that students gave during online registration. Below, a few diagrams and renderings illustrate just five examples of how the script plays out according the rules of settlement and how diverse each one is despite the subtle difference.

What fascinates me about Favelas, Gekecen-du, and so many establishments throughout the world, is that they all developed organi-cally. How does one foster this growth for stu-dent housing without the associated chaos of real-world squatter scenarios? My solution was to develop a 10’x10’ grid that the 9’x9’ modules plugged into. Three simple rules were established to address fire and egress safety concerns. I tested these rules by de-veloping a script that ran possible solutions, of which there are millions. Each year would never be like the previous. Context would al-ways be in flux, building assignments would never be predictable, and student territorial development issues would always be present (which is precisely the point!) Squatter settlements have demonstrated extremely high levels of social networking not found in developed cities because of the issues that people have learned to deal with. Cultural anthropologists have attributed these successes to the devel-opment of negotiation skills and social empathy and greater social acumen. This program is not for the light-hearted, but programs like Rural Studio have demonstrated that there are many people interested in developing and learning in these unconventional academic settings.

1) 2 Life Walls must touch2) 48” passageways must lead to any entrance3) should occupancy drop, disregard rule #1

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street view

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open to aboveshop


rooftop access





kitchen + bathAlley 444Boyls

ton

pod


people+ cars


tra�

c / l

oadi

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one

26 feet

bath

ing

bath

ing

cook

ing

cook

ing

r/ar/a


cesstudio o�

cestypical service

block390 SFsnack

lunch

shower

poop

cooktinkle

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

6

studylounge

pods



140 sf 2600 ft3

�re station

theaterseating


pub

1

Alley 444

BAC

material depot

w/c

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

material depot+

exhibition space

2-5

lecturespace

w/c

pods


3

R


0

20’

water

fiber

opt

ics

heat

ing/

cool

ingve

ntila

tion

media

spri

nkle

r sy

stem

electr

ical

0

open to aboveshop


rooftop access





kitchen + bath

Alley 444Boylston

pod


people+ cars


tra�

c / l

oadi

ng z

one

26 feet

bath

ing

bath

ing

cook

ing

cook

ing

r/ar/a


cesstudio o�

cestypical service

block390 SFsnack

lunch

shower

poop

cooktinkle

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

6

studylounge

pods



140 sf 2600 ft3

�re station

theaterseating


pub

1

Alley 444

BAC

material depot

w/c

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

material depot+

exhibition space

2-5

lecturespace

w/c

pods


3

R


0

20’

BAC

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

industry at largeThis educational system relies on the symbi-osis enacted by industrial involvement. How the hell else are students going to get all these materials? The ground level dedicates seven thousand square feet to a ‘junk yard’ and in-vites many of the hundreds of local industries to ‘free-cyle’ its cut-offs or overstock with the BAC. It’s a win win win situation. Local companies like 3M are spared the costly fees of waste (akin to emergent practices within restaurant composting practices), and stu-dents get new raw materials such as plastics, sheet goods, paper, and metals. Meanwhile, two critical occurrences take place; students learn to work hands-on with contemporary materials while companies create future cli-ents sans advertising. This system connects and accelerates the link between people, ma-terial, industry, and product—a link that is usually reserved for registered architects that need several years to develop.

‘jewel box’ installation space

junk yard

junk yard

housing

‘top’ yard

shop

front alley

alley 441

lounge

kitchens

offices

lecture

Boylston

Week 7

water

fiber

opt

ics

heating/cooling ve

ntila

tion

media

sprinkler system

electr

ical

0

open to above shop


rooftop access





kitchen + bath

Alley 444 Boylston

pod


people+ cars



26 feet

bathing

bathing

cooking

cooking

r/a

r/a

9 feet typ.

studio o�ces

studio o�ces

typical service

block 390 SF snack

lunch

shower

poop

cooktinkle

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

6

studylounge

pods



140 sf 2600 ft3

�re station

theaterseating


pub

1

Alley 444

BAC

material depot

w/c

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

material depot+

exhibition space

2-5

lecturespace

w/c

pods


3

R

accessiblegreen

roof

0

20’

water

fiber

opt

ics

heating/cooling ve

ntila

tion

media

sprinkler system

electr

ical

0

open to above shop


rooftop access





kitchen + bath

Alley 444 Boylston

pod


people+ cars



26 feet

bathing

bathing

cooking

cooking

r/a

r/a

9 feet typ.

studio o�ces

studio o�ces

typical service

block 390 SF snack

lunch

shower

poop

cooktinkle

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

6

studylounge

pods



140 sf 2600 ft3

�re station

theaterseating


pub

1

Alley 444

BAC

material depot

w/c

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

material depot+

exhibition space

2-5

lecturespace

w/c

pods


3

R

accessiblegreen

roof

0

20’

water

fiber

opt

ics

heat

ing/

cool

ingve

ntila

tion

media

spri

nkle

r sy

stem

electr

ical

0

open to aboveshop


rooftop access





kitchen + bath

Alley 444Boylston

pod


people+ cars


tra�

c / l

oadi

ng z

one

26 feet

bath

ing

bath

ing

cook

ing

cook

ing

r/ar/a


cesstudio o�

cestypical service

block390 SFsnack

lunch

shower

poop

cooktinkle

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

6

studylounge

pods



140 sf 2600 ft3

�re station

theaterseating


pub

1

Alley 444

BAC

material depot

w/c

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

material depot+

exhibition space

2-5

lecturespace

w/c

pods


3

R


0

20’

water

fiber

opt

ics

heating/cooling ve

ntila

tion

media

sprinkler system

electr

ical

0

open to above shop


rooftop access





kitchen + bath

Alley 444 Boylston

pod


people+ cars



26 feet

bathing

bathing

cooking

cooking

r/a

r/a

9 feet typ.

studio o�ces

studio o�ces

typical service

block 390 SF snack

lunch

shower

poop

cooktinkle

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

6

studylounge

pods



140 sf 2600 ft3

�re station

theaterseating


pub

1

Alley 444

BAC

material depot

w/c

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

material depot+

exhibition space

2-5

lecturespace

w/c

pods


3

R

accessiblegreen

roof

0

20’

water

fiber

opt

ics

heating/cooling ve

ntila

tion

media

sprinkler system

electr

ical

0

open to above shop


rooftop access





kitchen + bath

Alley 444 Boylston

pod


people+ cars



26 feet

bathing

bathing

cooking

cooking

r/a

r/a

9 feet typ.

studio o�ces

studio o�ces

typical service

block 390 SF snack

lunch

shower

poop

cooktinkle

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

6

studylounge

pods



140 sf 2600 ft3

�re station

theaterseating


pub

1

Alley 444

BAC

material depot

w/c

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

material depot+

exhibition space

2-5

lecturespace

w/c

pods


3

R

accessiblegreen

roof

0

20’

water

fiber

opt

ics

heat

ing/

cool

ingve

ntila

tion

media

spri

nkle

r sy

stem

electr

ical

0

open to aboveshop


rooftop access





kitchen + bath

Alley 444Boylston

pod


people+ cars


tra�

c / l

oadi

ng z

one

26 feet

bath

ing

bath

ing

cook

ing

cook

ing

r/ar/a


cesstudio o�

cestypical service

block390 SFsnack

lunch

shower

poop

cooktinkle

Boylston St.

Alley 444

Newbury

BAC

Hereford

6

studylounge

pods



140 sf 2600 ft3

�re station

theaterseating


pub

1

Alley 444

BAC

material depot

w/c

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

material depot+

exhibition space

2-5

lecturespace

w/c

pods


3

R


0

20’

context Week 9This project is slated to replace the old ICA Museum. I was interested in maintaining the facade which is ultimately the only piece of ‘fabric’ that the community cares about. The proposed building is set back from the existing (now floating) facade to create yet another alley so as to balance the front and rear. In a way, the remaining facade acts like a curtain and allows the proposed building to reorient it’s “front” towards the rear alley abutting the BAC. This is the real “front,” for the BAC students anyway, and the back is

view from upper floor

view from alley at bike depot

view from cargo elevator

view from BAC proper

view from typical module

the perceived front letting the community at large to think what it wants. Because the site is so constrained, and the project as heavy with program as it is, I chose to lift the building 25’ above the ground plane and shroud it in glass to allow ample light provoking the sense of ‘airiness.’ This allows the existing alley, currently not so hospitable, to swell about the base and feel more lively and urban. The primary idea here is to de-emphasize the macabre sensation associated with small alleys such as this.

lessons learnedI learned that it is much more important to develop strong criteria through research and diagrammatic investigation than it is to de-velop formal strategies. Honestly, this is the ugliest building I have developed thus far but it has the greatest meaning and purpose for me because I understand what drives each (if few) design strategies. I learned that ma-teriality is only as good as the notions that inform it.

Boylston Street. Entrance

Alley 444 Entrance

diner

open to above

shop

shop

studios

exhibitionspace

mixing chamber

mixing chamber

bistro

w/c w/c

lounge

lounge

pods

pods



1st �r studios2nd �r o�ces

jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

140 sf 2600 ft3

140 sf 2600 ft3


Alley 444 Entrance

diner

open to above

shop

shop

studios

exhibitionspace

mixing chamber

mixing chamber

bistro

w/c w/c

lounge

lounge

pods

pods




jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

140 sf 2600 ft3

140 sf 2600 ft3


Alley 444 Entrance

diner

open to above

shop

shop

studios

exhibitionspace

mixing chamber

mixing chamber

bistro

w/c w/c

lounge

lounge

pods

pods




jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

140 sf 2600 ft3

140 sf 2600 ft3


Alley 444 Entrance

diner

open to above

shop

shop

studios

exhibitionspace

mixing chamber

mixing chamber

bistro

w/c w/c

lounge

lounge

pods

pods




jewelbox

outdorcafe

Alley ICA

ramp/theater

open to below

140 sf 2600 ft3

140 sf 2600 ft3


rooftop access



kitchen + bath

typical levelslevels 2-3groundsubgrade studio

Alley 444Boylston

�nal Week11

Squatter Dormitory

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Transcript of Squatter Dormitory