community: create. preserve. maintain

Creating & Preserving a Better Sense of Community:For The Chinese American Immigrant Youth of Chinatown

Justin Agustin Arch 24 MW Spring 2010

My Project Purpose Statement

My architectural project is addressing the social-cultural issues within the immigrant youth of the Chinatown area. Historically and currently, the Chinese American Immigrant youth face the pressures and residue of Chinese Gangs. It is a growing problem in the United States that there is an increasing percentage of Asian Americans who are joining gangs in order to escape the feelings of loneliness, fear, and rejection. This group of youth is struggling to find camaraderie, safety, and social acceptance within their own communities. My purpose is to provide the youth with more opportunities for community, to find friendships, maintain their culture, and feel safe within their neighborhood.

Early Explorations of ChinatownSanFrancisco, CA

Final Document Focusing on Conflict

My Project Goals

My project will create a place within Chinatown that

promotes a better sense of community for the Chinese American immigrant youth.

I am focused on creating an environment geared toward making this youth group feel less alienated by

providing a place where they can come without fear of rejection, danger and social out casting.

This place is dedicated to providing services for the purpose of inspiring the youth,

encouraging individuality, and preserving & maintaining their cultures –

in hopes that it will ultimately guide, redirect, and influence the Chinese American immigrant youth

to find alternates other than becoming part of a gang.

Site Selection Criteria

The site should have historical significance to the community and my topic.

The site would be conveniently located centrally in the center of CT.

Alleys have direct relation to the CT gangs.

Possible Site Selections

Creating a Sense of Community for the Asian American Youth

• Charting Out Problem, Place, & Problem

Editing Overlay

Relation Diagram [incomplete]

Issue & Program Development…

Specific to Site.

DimensionsRoss Alley is 232 ft. long, 13 ft wide, and 35-55 ft. tall. The alley entrance from Washington St is only 10 ft. wide. The width of the adjacent buildings on either side range from 30-55 ft. The floor of Ross Alley has a 1 degree slope decline (from both entrances). Near the center, there are 3 ft. gaps separating adjacent buildings.

Final Model is in 1 ft. = 1/8” scale.

Site Analysis

Site Analysis

Site Analysis

Gesture Models

Gesture Models

First Site-Based Gesture Models

Site-Based Gesture Models

Site-Based Gesture Models

Site-Based Gesture Models

Site-Based Gesture Models

Site-Based Gesture Models

Sketchs and Diagrams

Sketchs and Diagrams

Dig. Slice. Cut.

Morph. Shift.

Program of Activities

The place will provide spaces for youth groups of the performing arts – traditional dancing, orchestra and bands (with Chinese instruments), plays, and poetry.

Charcoal Drawings

Charcoal Drawings

Charcoal Drawings

1/8” = 1 ft. Models

Drawing: Section

Scaled Section Showing locations of Programmatic Activities

Art GalleryHere, young artist can

showcase there visual arts through multiple mediums. It will be a gallery for the public that connects the main

entrance to the theatre. Starting from the Ross Alley entrance and

ending at the theater entrance, the gallery will occupy a zone of 100 x

125 x 50 feet (but not the entire volume). There will be multiple floors

in the gallery to accommodate a combination of gallery only viewers

and the circulating audience from the theatre. It will provide for about 30

art pieces (15 wall art, 5 sculpture, 6 wall installations, and 4 floor

installations), with an average of 25ft sq. ft. per piece.

More Sections of Gallery

More Sections of the Theater and Practice Rooms

Practice RoomsIn these spaces the youth will practice individually, rehearse together, review, and prepare just before performances. There will be a minimum of 4 individual practice rooms available to the performing arts students. Each of these will be 100 sq. ft. (10x10). In addition, there will be 2 slightly larger rooms (10x 20) for groups to rehearse together. The practice rooms will be close to the Theatre for convenience. It will most likely be away from the Gallery, as to not disturb the viewers

Performance Theater The theater is for the youth to perform and display their talents expressed through dance, drama, and musical performances. There will be 2 main spaces – the stage and the seating for the audience. The theater will be adjacent to all of the rehearsal rooms for easy access from one to another. The space will accommodate a minimum audience of 250 people. The stage will be about the size of BTML 244 and 245 combined. The multi-leveled viewing space will be twice as large as the stage area.

More Sections…

Multi-leveled Floor Plan

An Exploration of Various Methods of Framing

Final Model

Presentation Day

ABANDONMENT.