thesis document_community collage
DESCRIPTION
Full thesis document includes written document, design development, annotated bibliography and case studies.TRANSCRIPT
Thro
ugh a
Lens
of So
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and t
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itiga
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,
To W
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Can A
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DSGN 611_Thesis Research
Thesis Advisors_ Prof. Elizabeth Gamard
Prof. Jonathan TateThesis Professor_Prof. Tiffany Lin
05.05.10
Karla E. Valdivia
T H E S I S_T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
THESIS_STATEMENT 2
THESIS_ABSTRACT 3 -10
SITE_INFORMATION 11-19
DESIGN_PROCESS 20 - 26
ANNOTATED_BIBLIOGRAPHY 27-35
ANNOTATED_CASE STUDIES 36-46
THESIS _ STATEMENT
The present typo logy of arch itecture in New Or leans must enab le a community and launch a
communitar ian network if i t hopes to successfu l ly re -bu i ld whi le mit igat ing the e ffects of
gent r if icat ion . However, th is is a task that is compl ica ted by extensive poverty , lack o f home
ownersh ip , abandoned proper t ies, few community resources and , main ly , Hurr icane Kat r ina. In
order to accompl ish th is , i t must take ho ld of a communitar ian idea l in which place making is
ach ieved through the re -deve lopment o f a ne ighborhood and the re -estab l ishment of community and
cu lture . Yet how can an arch itecture re -establ ish these sensib i l it ies whi le the enactors o f cu lture
are wide ly d ispersed? The present typo logy of arch itecture in New Or leans must enab le a
community and launch a communitar ian network if i t hopes to successfu l ly re -bu i ld whi le reducing
the ef fects o f gentr if icat ion.
T H E S I S _ A B S T R A C T
There are a number of issues that estab l ish a f ramework cont r ibut ing to the d ist ress of a
c i ty . These are included , but not l imited to extensive poverty, lack o f home ownersh ip , b l ighted
propert ies, few community resources and ‘outmigrat ion ’ def ined by C larke as “white midd le -c lass
f l ight f rom centra l c ity ne ighborhoods…in search o f community and status dur ing the socia l
upheava l of u rban rest ructuring .” 1
Whi le these factors are numerous and integra l, i t is
gent r if icat ion that acts as the urban strategy inf l ict ing much socia l d istress upon cent ra l c ity
areas. These d istresses are further intensi f ied due to the lack of p lace making as wel l as a ci ty’s
inab i l it y to provide urban space in which enab les a community’s sense of ident ity .
G E N T R I F I C A T I O N _ A N O V E R V I E W
The term gentr i f ica t ion was f i rst co ined in 1964 by sociolog ist Ruth Glass and def ined as
the “t ransformat ion of a work ing -class or vacant area of the cent ra l c ity into midd le -c lass
resident ia l and/or commercia l use… and is ident if ied as a complex urban process that included
the rehab i l itat ion of o ld housing stock , tenuria l t ransformat ion f rom rent ing to owning, property
pr ice increases, and the d isp lacement o f work ing -class residents by the incoming midd le -c lasses.”
2 Gentr if ica t ion is a process in which once in it iated with in a d ist rict would rap id ly persist unt i l
most or a l l of the or ig ina l work ing -class occup iers were disp laced and the whole socia l character
of the d ist r ict was changed. 3
1 P a u l W . C l a r k e . “ T h e I d e a l o f C o m m u n i t y a n d I t s C o u n t e r f e i t C o n s t r u c t i o n . ” J o u r n a l o f A r c h i t e c t u r a l E d u c a t io n . ( 2 0 0 5 ) 4 5 . 2 L o r e t t a L e e s , T o m S l a t e r , a n d E l v i n W y ly . G e n t r i f i c a t i o n . ( N e w Y o r k : R o u t l e d g e , 2 0 0 7 ) , 5 . 3 N e i l S m i t h , N e w G l o b a l i sm , N e w U r b a n is m : G e n t r i f i c a t i o n a s U r b a n S t r a t e g y . ( M a s s a c h u s e t t s : B l a c k w e l l P u b l i s h e r s , 2 0 0 2 ) 4 3 8 .
In it ia l ly , gent r if icat ion was v iewed posit ive ly as i t was a “rena issance” or a
“revi ta li zat ion” of the inner -c ity and a natura l outcome as wealth ier househo lds began to f ind
accessib i l it y to centra l c ity areas and property af fordab i l it y more attract ive . As a resu lt of th is
‘ inmigrat ion ’ o f the midd le -class into downtown areas, market va lues rose as d id rents , making
affordab le housing a lmost nonexistent . However, issues of poverty, homelessness and
d isp lacement were often unaddressed. Contemporary gent r if icat ion encompasses much more than a
resident ia l rehab i l itat ion pro ject and invo lves governmenta l, corporate , or corporate -governmenta l
partnersh ips as the pr imary agents of th is urban regenerat ion . As the sca le and d iversity of
gent r if icat ion has evo lved into a socio log ica l and urban theoret ica l issue,
“The current language of urban regenera t ion is not one -d imensiona l , but it
bespeaks, among other th ings, a genera li zat ion of gentr if icat ion in the urban
landscape… and is an ongo ing transformat ion into a s ign i f icant d imension of
contemporary urban ism.” 4
While posit ives of gent r if icat ion include the stab i l i zat ion of d ist ressed areas, increased
property va lues, reduced vacancy rates, increased loca l f isca l revenues, encouragement and
increased v iab i l it y of fu rther deve lopment, and rehab i l itat ion of propert ies and reduct ion of
suburb sprawl , there is larger l is t of negat ive resu lts to th is socia l ly dr iven urban process.
Gentr if ica t ion renders an increase of rent and property va lues as wel l as a loss of af fordab le
housing . As a resu lt , i t becomes a veh icle for d isp lacement . D isp lacement lends itse lf to
psycho log ica l costs, community resentment and conf l ict , homelessness, under -occupancy,
popu la t ion loss to the gentr if ied areas as wel l as a lack o f socia l d iversity . Smith argues that
addressing gentr i f ica t ion as a form of regenerat ion fa ls if ies the intent ions at hand and in rea l ity ,
those invo lved in the gent ri f icat ion process should be concerned with shi f t ing class re lat ions. 5
4 N e i l S m i t h , N e w G l o b a l i sm , N e w U r b a n is m : G e n t r i f i c a t i o n a s U r b a n S t r a t e g y . ( M a s s a c h u s e t t s : B l a c k w e l l P u b l i s h e r s , 2 0 0 2 ) 4 3 9 . 5 N e i l S m i t h , N e w G l o b a l i sm , N e w U r b a n is m : G e n t r i f i c a t i o n a s U r b a n S t r a t e g y . ( M a s s a c h u s e t t s : B l a c k w e l l P u b l i s h e r s , 2 0 0 2 ) 4 4 5 .
N E W U R B A N I S M _ G E N T R I F I C A T I O N I N D I S G U I S E
The urban strategy of gentr if icat ion is act ivated as means of c i t y regenerat ion or
revital i zat ion and can a lso be understood through the lens of New Urban ism. The pr incip les of
New Urban ism attempt to estab l ish a sense of ident ity through community by means of compact ,
smal l scale, mixed use , pedestr ian fr iend ly ne ighborhoods. In New Urban ism, the cent ra l locat ions
of ne ighborhoods are designed to act as town centers and of ten a l located for the design of c iv ic
bu i ld ings, schoo ls, churches, and/or loca l government. C larke exp la ins, “the asp irat ions for
change that mot ivate New Urban ism are posit ives as wel l as nosta lg ic . I t s aco lytes embrace
t rad it ion , co llect ive memory, and a sense of p lace , a l l in passionate pursu it of a sense of
be long ing and ident ity .” 6
Whi le the intended pr incip les cha l lenge urban sprawl and address the
c i ty as a cata lyst of sociab i l ity , New Urban ism as an urban st rategy works as a means for
gent r if icat ion as it a lters space under the umbre l la of community of fer ing amenit ies and secu lar
fu lf i l lment a f forded by a part icu lar income bracket and c lass.
H U R R I C A N E K A T R I N A _ V E H I C L E F O R G E N T R I F I C A T I O N
Accompanied by pervasive poverty, extensive devastat ion and d if fer ing pr incip les of re -
deve lopment, Hurr icane Katr ina has become the very veh icle of gent r if icat ion with in the c ity of
New Orleans. A lbei t a horr if ic tragedy, the c ity’s arch itectura l and design responses fol lowing the
effects of Ka tr ina offer a perfect case study for the gentr if icat ion of a d ist ressed c ity . Katr ina
a lso ampl if ied the issues of racia l segregat ion , st ructura l impoverishment and the urban
d is investment of New Or leans. Herscher e laborates that :
New Orleans’ most impover ished c it izens were concentrated in ne ighborhoods cut of f
f rom economic development , educat iona l opportuni ty , and socia l ent it lement , neo l ibera l
urban d is investment led the inf rastructure pro tect ing these ne ighborhoods to be under
serviced and neg lected. 7
6 P a u l C l a r k e , " T h e I d e a l o f C o m m u n i t y a n d I t s C o u n t e r f e i t C o n s t r u c t i o n . " J o u r n a l o f A r c h i t e c t u r a l E d u c a t i o n ( 2 0 0 5 ) : 4 3 .
7 A n d r e w H e r s c h e r , “ A m e r i c a n U r b i c i d e ,” J o u r n a l o f A r c h i t e c t u r a l E d u c a t i o n ( 2 0 0 6 ) : 1 9 .
Due to the extreme f looding, many of the aforement ioned residents were d isp laced resu lt ing in
much of the post -Katr ina re -deve lopment p lanning to serve as an urban st rategy of gent r if icat ion .
The in it ia l p lan of at tack on the c ity re -bu i ld af ter the hurr icane was to organ ize New Or leans into
four zones each fo l lowing the f lood maps: immediate rebu i lding , targeted for new deve lopment ,
bu i ld ing moratorium and new parks addressing issues of dra inage . Many of the areas targeted for
new deve lopment and park deve lopment were h igh ly concent rated Afr ican Amer ican ne ighborhoods
with lesser economic means resu lt ing in the potent ia l permanent d isp lacement of these residents
and , therefore, an increased racia l segregat ion . Yet , shouldn’ t the “r ight of return” be granted to
a l l of New Or leans’ residents? Al len argues that “the c ity is now whiter and wealth ier than i t once
was. Ent ire communit ies such as the Lower 9 t h Ward and Gent i l ly , each contr ibut ing s ign if icant
loca l pract ices and cu ltures to the c ity’s gumbo, are not iceab ly absent .” 8
Many of the s ites
intended for re -deve lopment were done so under the idea ls of New Urban ism, such as the si tes
obta ined by HOPE IV in the I r ish Channe l and Andres Duany in the Bywater . As New Or leans beg ins
i ts gradua l re -deve lopment, we need to ask ourse lves, who is the re -bu ilding intended for and how
can a sense of community and cu lture thr ive if i t s residents are dispersed or in most cases
d isp laced?
R E – D E V E L O P M E N T _ C I T Y. C U L T U R E. I D E N T I T Y
The focus on much of the development throughout these devastated areas is p laced on
housing , such as with URBANbui ld and Make i t R ight . However, the format ion of a ne ighborhood
and the creat ion of community have been over looked. Each of these is d if f icu lt to ach ieve without
the return o f the pr imary enactors o f cu lture and the basic understand ing of th is part icu lar
pr inciple. For example , as Kahera asserts :
What does i t mean to l ive day to day in a community? S ince meaning is dependent on
context , v isua l expressions of land use and the way it is read by the pub l ic are deep ly
embedded in the ident ity of a community . Ident ity is not mere ly the drawing of boundary
l ines; ident ity is based on the human rea lm…The fa i lure of archi tecture and urban ism to
8 B a r b a r a A l l e n , " N e w O r l e a n s a n d K a t r i n a : O n e Y e a r l a t e r . " J o u r n a l o f A r c h i t e c t u r a l E d u c a t i o n 6 0 , ( 2 0 0 6 ) : 5 .
respond to the human rea lm and everyday l ife can resu lt in the d isp lacement and
d isor ientat ion of peop le . 9
Th is sense of ident ity is associated with the a ttachment and d ist inct ion of p lace , which can be
descr ibed as a co l lect ion of behaviors and pract ices that lend themselves to a pub l ic cul ture. As
much of New Or leans is in need of re -deve lopment , both physica l ly and sensua lly , i t becomes
important that th is sense of p lace be considered throughout archi tectura l implementat ion . As
urban design and arch itectura l form do no t so le ly const itute socia l reformat ion , there in l ies an
opportun ity for these f ie lds at hand to adapt as a means to service the community and society
through the pract ice of part ic ipatory design and the mending of the urban fabr ic a l l whi le
mit igat ing gentr if icat ion and New Urban ist idea ls .
R E – D E V E L O P M E N T T H R O U G H C A S E S T U D Y
The city of New Or leans can turn to o ther re -bu i ld ing pro jects as re levant examples. For
instance , Israe l’s Pro ject Renewal , f lour ish ing between 1977-1984, uphe ld the pr incip les of
reducing socia l d ispar ity between the d if fer ing income classes and e l iminat ing the ef fects of
gent r if icat ion as efforts were p laced on the rehab i l itat ion of a number o f resident ia l
ne ighborhoods. Whi le abroad , Israe l’s renewal compares extensive ly with many American c i ty re -
deve lopment p lans as it ho lds a large concentrat ion o f poor famil ies encompassing ne ighborhoods
with l i t t le cu ltura l cohesiveness, integrat ion within the community , as wel l as ser ious c ity
decl ine . “They found that the posit ive socia l features of o ld ne ighborhoods, such as extended
famil ies and re l ig ious congregat ions, d isappeared when residents were re located; and the
dest ruct ion of those t rad it ional inst itut ions and support networks aggravated exist ing social
p rob lems.” 10
9 A k e l I . K a h e r a , " T o L i v e o r D i e i n N e w O r l e a n s . " J o u r n a l o f A r c h i t e c t u r a l E d u c a t i o n 6 0 , ( 2 0 0 6 ) : 2 1 .
Through the se lect ion of ent ire ne ighborhoods, rather than ind iv idua l househo lds, a ll
with in tha t area were e l ig ib le for he lp and rehab i l ita t ion . Th is a l lowed for equa l opportuni ty and
a l leviated the tendency for af f luent residents to leave these poorer areas as they now had an
incent ive to remain. There was a lso an effor t to provide residents with invo lvement in the
10 N a o m i C a r m o n a n d M o r r i s H i l l , " N e i g h b o r h o o d R e h a b i l i t a t i o n W i t h o u t R e l o c a t i o n o r G e n t r i f i c a t i o n . " J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r i c a n P l a n n i n g
A s s o c i a t i o n 5 4 , n o . 4 ( 1 9 8 8 ) : 4 7 5 .
p lann ing and implementat ion process through d iscussion , vo lunteer work and job opportun it ies for
parapro fessiona ls within the community . The provided funding for the Pro ject Renewal enab led
improvements to the ne ighborhoods for example, by means of do - it -yourse lf home improvements,
expansion of apartments to the average square footages with in the c ity , as wel l as socia lly
implemented programs ava i lable to the ch i ldren and adu lts. Specif ica l ly , “near ly ha lf of the
fund ing was invested in housing , physica l in frast ructure , and environment improvements; the rest
went for social services: 20 percent for const ruct ion and renovat ion of pub l ic bu i ld ings for the
services and 30 percent for operat ing them.” 11
Whi le Israe l’s Pro ject Renewal may not have taken
care o f a l l the prob lems the many ne ighborhoods possessed , there was a s ign if icant impact to the
l iv ing cond it ions a long with an improvement in educat ion and cu ltural and community services.
The principles uphe ld dur ing the rehab i l itat ion of Israe l’s ne ighborhoods co incide with the idea ls
of posit ive community re -deve lopment as there was an emphasis p laced on mit igat ing
gent r if icat ion , a focus p laced on provid ing services for the residents of the community with the ir
invo lvement in the process and a concern p laced on the sociab i l it y of the community and cu lture .
Through th is case study, i t becomes apparent that one can beg in to address the issues of
posit ive community growth through arch itecture by establ ishing an approach on re -deve lopment
whereby the focus is p laced on part icipatory design through the pract ice o f communtar iansim. The
bu i lt u rban form must then explore what is means to part ic ipate in a community as human act iv ity
informs the organ izat ion of human space . Kahera asks, “Can we [arch itects] estab l ish a
‘counterspace ,’ an ed if ice and a master p lan endowed d irect ly or ind irect ly with a set of cu ltura l
va lues?” 12 As opposed to the pre l iminary zoning plans which e l iminate the “r ight of re turn” for
a l l previous residents of New Or leans, the arch i tecture of re-deve lopment must in it ial ly estab l ish
a means to br ing residents home, as a community can no longer physica l ly exist while those that
make up the cu lture are wide ly d ispersed . As Makker so e loquent ly asks, “what happens to a
cu lture of sca ttered peop le?” 13
11 N a o m i C a r m o n a n d M o r r i s H i l l , " N e i g h b o r h o o d R e h a b i l i t a t i o n W i t h o u t R e l o c a t i o n o r G e n t r i f i c a t i o n . " J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r i c a n P l a n n i n g A s s o c i a t i o n 5 4 , n o . 4 ( 1 9 8 8 ) : 4 7 5 .
12 A k e l I . K a h e r a , " T o L i v e o r D i e i n N e w O r l e a n s . " J o u r n a l o f A r c h i t e c t u r a l E d u c a t i o n 6 0 , n o . 1 ( 2 0 0 6 ) : 2 2 . 13 K i r i n J M a k k e r , " T h e G i f t o f P o e t r y E n R o u t e . " J o u r n a l o f A r c h i t e c t u r a l E d u c a t i o n 6 0 , ( 2 0 0 6 ) : 2 5 .
R E – T H I N K I N G N E W O R L E A N S _ T H E B U I L T F O R M
The f lood ing fol lowing Hurr icane Kat r ina has revea led New Or leans, once v iewed as
re lat ively f lat , as a ci ty with an urban terra in possessing topograph ic character ist ics. New
Or leans’ sect ional qual i ty becomes apparent each t ime it ra ins lend ing to a re levant quest ion
asked by Berman, “ if the topograph ic landscape of New Or leans is so cri t ica l, why are we st i l l so
insistent on th ink ing through the hor izontal p lan , rather than in sect ion , and the ind iv idual lot ,
rather than the interconnected landscape?” 14 As New Or leans is mainly a one to two-story
resident ia l terra in , i ts urban texture is descr ibed by Berman as a “phenomenon , perhaps not
un l ike the ground cover of it s surround ing bayous and swamps, that emerges from the ground up
and then spreads latera lly across the surface ,” 15
lend ing itsel f to re la t ive ly hor izontal c ity .
As New Or leans confronts the need for rehabi l itat ion and the a ltering ecology, the
resul t ing bu i lt form must react to th is context of a chang ing landscape and respond to the physica l
environment in order to render i t se lf adapt ive to a community . I la Berman reminds us that “the
past devastat ion and future rebu i ld ing of the c ity of New Or leans are inext r icab ly bound to i t s
ident ity as a waterci ty - to the reg ion’s deep environmental h istory , and the specif ic cond it ions of
the c ity’s emergence from its surround ing f lu id and mutab le terra in .” 16 I t becomes important now
to re -eva luate the past arch i tectura l pract ices of the c ity which were b l ind to environmenta l
vu lnerab i l i t y and beg in to implement and evo lve an arch itecture that is based on urban
susta inab i l it y , density , d iversity , and connect iv ity in to a post -Ka tr ina New Or leans. 17
14 I l a B e r m a n a n d M o n a K h a l i f , U R B A N b u i l d : L o c a l , G l o b a l . ( R i c h m o n d : W i l l i a m S t o u t P u b l i s h e r s , 2 0 0 8 ) : 1 3 .
The new
archi tectura l typo logy must a lso embrace sect ion and emerge into a vert ica l c ity surrounded by a
ser ies of socia l spaces. The re-deve lopment shou ld estab l ish a ser ies of interconnected networks
tha t l ink the c ity and spaces together as an inter -woven urban fabr ic each respond ing to eachother
as wel l as the chang ing topography, environment and program. Th is new typo logy, most
important ly , must posses new bu i ld ing pr incip les a l l whi le remain ing focused on a socia l ly
responsib le idea l that works to re -estab l ish the community network whi le a l levia t ing the socia l
15 I l a B e r m a n a n d M o n a K h a l i f , U R B A N b u i l d : L o c a l , G l o b a l . ( R i c h m o n d : W i l l i a m S t o u t P u b l i s h e r s , 2 0 0 8 ) : 1 3 . 16 I l a B e r m a n a n d M o n a K h a l i f , U R B A N b u i l d : L o c a l , G l o b a l . ( R i c h m o n d : W i l l i a m S t o u t P u b l i s h e r s , 2 0 0 8 ) : 1 1 . 17 I l a B e r m a n a n d M o n a K h a l i f , U R B A N b u i l d : L o c a l , G l o b a l . ( R i c h m o n d : W i l l i a m S t o u t P u b l i s h e r s , 2 0 0 8 ) : 3 9 .
costs of gent r if icat ion in order to lend itse lf as a successfu l means to enab le a community and a
c i ty through bu i lt form.
COMMUNITY COLLAGE:The Contextualization of the Current Re-development Efforts in Central City, New Orleans
11DESIGN PROCESS
How can contemporary design in New Orleans establish a catalyst that sponsors social
interaction and re-establishes the sensibilities of community while the enactors of a
culture are widely dispersed? The new typology must begin to architecturally explore
section while emerging into a social consciousness. This re-development should estab-
lish a series of interconnected networks that link the city and spaces together as an
inter-woven urban fabric, each responding to eachother as well as the changing topog-
raphy, environment and program. This contemporary typology, most importantly, must
posses new building principles that embrace section while remaining focused on a
socially responsible ideal that works to re-establish the community network while
alleviating the social costs of gentrification in order to lend itself as a positive means
of enabling a community and a city through built form.
This proposal, concentrated in the heart of Central City, New Orleans, explores a way of
developing a connection to the historic fabric while explicating the contemporary goals
of re-development. Through programmatic and socially driven elements, it will work as
both a physical and geographical stitch within the neighborhood and community. Many
of the interventions evoke a common response as being alien as they are seen and
experienced solely from the exterior allowing for little to no understanding of the
spatial qualities, form and tectonics the contemporary typology offers. The proposal is
in critical dialogue with these interventions as it adopts from the achitectonics of these
projects yet renders itself comprehensible by engaging the public as a whole through
program and culture. As the current contemporary interventions in this area act as
isolated, dispersed nodes, the proposed Community Block must work as the anchor that
will didactically allow for the experiential.
12
Saint
Charle
s Aven
ue
Simon
Bolivar
Avenue
Claibo
rne Av
enue
S. Broa
d Stre
et
Caliope
Felicity
Louisiana
S I T E I N F O R M A T I O N
The site is located in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is bordered by 7 TH and 6 TH
street and lies between Saratoga and Loyola. It is situated between highly accessible transit routes and is blocks
away from Washington, Louisiana and Simon Bolivar Ave as well as St. Charles Ave, all of which provide easy
access for pedestrians and vehicles. Two of its edges are bordered by large cemeteries resulting in crime stricken
corners. The site encompasses an entire city block, roughly 70,000 square feet, allowing for a large intervention
This site was chosen as it is a large vacant area in need of development and occupies a portion of Central City that
has little to no engagement. As a vacant lot, providing an intervention will alleviate any displacement of the
residents helping to mitigate gentrification. It is also in proximity to previous contempoaray housing interventions,
URBANbuild 02, 03 and 04, enabling the site to establish a connection with the present typology of the area. The
site is intended to act as a joint of connection for the community as well as the existing urban fabric.
to engage the neighborhood and community as a whole.
C E N T R A L C I T Y _ N E W O R L E A N S, L A
13
S I T E I N F O R M A T I O N_M A I N S T R E E T A C C E S S T O S I T E
14
The image to the left shows the site in relation
to main streets allowing for one to
understand the accessibility of the block. One
can also begin to understand that density of
Central City as well as the bordering
conditions of the site. The site is bound by
two housing blocks, each with vacancies and
suffering from abandonment. The street views
express the need for development on all four
corners as well as the lack of interaction and
integration the site possesses. The views
also help to give a sense of the site’s size. .
V I E W F R O M L O Y O L A D O W N 6 T H S T R E E T
V I E W F R O M 7 T H D O W N L O Y O L A V I E W F R O M 6 T H D O W N L O Y O L A
V I E W F R O M S A R A T O G A D O W N 7 T H S T R E E T V I E W F R O M 7 T H D O W N S A R A T O G A
V I E W F R O M S A R A T O G A D O W N 6 T H S T R E E T V I E W F R O M 6 T H S T R E E T D O W N S A R A T O G A
V I E W F R O M L O Y O L A D O W N 7 T H S T R E E T
S I T E I N F O R M A T I O N_P R O P E R T Y C O N D I T I O N S
15
The following mapping helps to express the
property conditions of Central City. The site
is surrounded by three open blocks
programmed as cemeteries and situated in
the middle of Central City. The neighborhood
possesses a dense urban fabric with a
number of scattered vacant properties yet
the population shows low numbers. The
scale of the neighborhood consists mainly of
one and two-story residential properties
with few community and civic spaces.
Images from URBANbuild: Local, Global
Map Obtained from NHS
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0 3 7 5 7 5 01 8 7 . 5 F E E T
L o t S t a t u s
B U I L D I N G S
E M P T Y L O T
O P E N / R E C S P A C E
P A R K I N G L O T
O C C U P I E D B U I L D I N G S
V A C A N T B U I L D I N G S
S I T E
S I T E I N F O R M A T I O N_C O N N E C T I O N S A N D N E T W O R K S
16
The following diagrams help to establish the
site as a hinge for the neighborhood as it
shows the possible connections with other
interventions within Central City. The site is
embedded within the existing urban fabric
revealing a palimpsest of history expressed
through the pastel diagram. Working as a
joint, the site is intended to create an
interconnected network of axes and
interventions with the existing typology in
hopes to establish successful integration.
TS
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6
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VE
S
L O U
I S
I A N
A A
V E
H A
R M
O N
Y
S T
D R Y A D E S S T
B A R O N N E S T
D A N N E E L S T
L O Y O L A A V E
S L I B E R T Y S T
C A R O N D E L E T S T
S S A R A T O G A S T
TS
HT
HGI
E
T O L
E D A
N O
S T
TS
YR
EN
OC
L A S A L L E S T
W A
S H
I N G
T O
N
A V E
S I T E
S I T E I N F O R M A T I O N_P R O P E R T Y C O N D I T I O N S
17
The site is located in the heart of Central
City, New Orleans, LA. Since 2005, the Tulane
City Center has sponsored a number of
housing prototypes through the Tulane
URBANbuild program lending to a juxtaposi-
tion within the neighborhood of existing
housing typologies up against contemporary
interventions.s.
CURRENT RE-DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS: EXPERIENCED AND UNDERSTOOD BY FEW
The contemporary re-development efforts throughout Central City become isolated objects
within the existing urban fabric as they are unrecognizable and incomprehensible to the
surrounding neighborhood.
s. saratoga ave.
loyola ave.
seve
nth st
.
sixth
st.
liberty st.
washin
gton
danneel st.
harm
ony
dryads st.
SEVENTH STREET
SIXTH STREET
STREET ELEVATION
WASHINGTO
N AVENUE
DANNEEL
DRYADS
SARATOGA
LOYOLA
EXISTING HOUSING TYPOLOGY: EXPERIENCED AND UNDERSTOOD BY MANY
The Shotgun elicits a sense of nostalgia through its recognizable form, texture,
scale and use of material allowing for a comprehension regarding the existing
typology within the neighborhood.
S I T E I N F O R M A T I O N_P R O P E R T Y C O N D I T I O N S
18
The neighborhood is composed of a series of layers of
information that establish the urban fabric of Central
City. Through site analysis, property conditions are
revealed and understood. The site proposal is intended
to restore this urban fabric to a vacant lot embedded
within the neighborhood and surrounded by a cemetery
on two sides. By deconstructing a typical community
center into a number of pieces dispersed throughout
the site, the community block can fit at the scale of the
neighborhood as well as establish a series of spaces
recognizable to the neighborhood.
OPEN SETBACK
OCCUPIED STRUCTURE
ABANDONED STRUCTURE
ENTRY
OPEN / PUBLIC
PERMANENT SOLID
OPEN FABRIC
TRANSIENT SOLID
ABANDONED PROPERTY
INTERSTITIAL SPACE INTERSTITIAL SPACE
S I T E I N F O R M A T I O N_P R O P E R T Y C O N D I T I O N S
19
Layers of occupation shift from permanent, private
edges into transient spaces and, finally, move
through interstitial, public edges as properties
meet the street’s edge. It is these layers of
occupation that make up the existing urban fabric
of Central City and inform the Community Block
that works as a stitch between the existing
typology and the contemporary typology rendering
the current re-development comprehensible.
PERMANENCE
CLAIMED SPACE
PUBLIC
SEMI-PRIVATE
TRANSIENT SPACE
LINE OF PERMANENCE
S. SARATOGA
LOYOLA AVE.
P R O G R A M D I A G R A M S
20
M A S S I N G S T U D Y M O D E L
The corner conditions of the neighborhood tend to have corner stores usually two stories high,
while the block infills are at smaller scales and shift back and forth with varying setback conditions
to give Central City its urban fabric. For these reasons, the proposed site plan holds the corners with
stronger pieces of program at larger scales and places secondary and tertiary spaces in the center.
OUTDOOR AREAS
OUTDOOR RECREATION
FITNESS CENTER
DINING
MUSIC PERFORMANCE SPACE
RE-DEVELOPMENT CENTER
EXHIBIT SPACE AND ADMINISTRATION
P R O G R A M D I A G R A M S
21
The community intervention is intended to stitch the existing typology with the contemporary re-development efforts by
weaving the public into the experiential the contemporary typology elicits. By reaching out into the neighborhood and
establishing a common urban fabric with contemporary architectonics the current interventions become comprehensible.
By representing the site as a woven model, one begins to understand the layering and extensions of spaces both within the
block as well as into the neighborhood.
P R O G R A M D I A G R A M S
22
Preliminary sectional diagrams
begin to express the spatial
extensions of the site and the
registration of scale. The site
intends to capture water and shift
landscape over and into interior
programmatic pieces to establish a
collage of spaces that layer each
other in differing ways.
media lab/classroom
garden
outdoor covered market
vendor vendor vendor vendor
water retention pool
water pavilion
park
outdoor recreation
vendor vendorgarden
park
outdoor r
vendorvendorvendor
The folding of paper as a means to create space helps
one to think about thickened walls, programmatic
pieces, formal gestures, roof, interior versus exterior
and spatial extensions. By beginning to design the site
with this medium, space is flexible, malleable and
easily changeable. Areas of retension, pause, shade
and shadow can be examined and further developed
easily. Just as the neighborhood is a layering of
information and a palimpsest of time and changes, so
becomes the community block.
outdoor performance areaviewing area/park
water retention pool
performance/entertainment space
administration
lobby/flex space
kitchen/dining
reflection pool
outdoor covered market
vendor vendor vendor vendor vendor vendor vendor vendor
water retention pool
child care
swimming pool
indoor recreation
P L A N S
23
The programmatic pieces gesture toward one another to claim exterior space and form
spatial extensions. While the buildings house important program in their interiors, each
hold spatial qualities as diagrammed previuosly such as, areas of permanence,
interstial spaces and public open areas. Each formal gesture allows the program and
engagement of the site to extend beyond the building proper.
The program encourages culture and community re-development through involvement
and the experientail. There are three recreational areas that are 2 feet below grade
allwoing them to serve as water retension areas during times of flooding. The program
of the site responds to the neighborhood, the current re-development as well as
changing lanscape of New Orleans.
INDO
OR CO
URTS
SOCCER FIELD
FLOW
ER SH
OP
RE-DEVELOPMENT CENTER
CLASSROOMS
AFTE
R SC
HOOL
CARE
BASKETBALL COURT
WATER RETENSION
WATER RETENSION
MUS
IC PE
RFOR
MAN
CE
OUTD
OOR
PERF
ORM
ANCE
EXHIBIT SPACE
LOUNGE
INFORMATION
CAFE
MAR
KET
WATE
R RE
TENS
ION
POOL
CHILDCARE
FITNESS ROOM
FITNESS ROOM
LOCK
ER R
OOM
S
MEDIA LAB
DESIGN CENTER
GYM
ADM
INIS
TRAT
ION
CHEC
K IN
ADM
INIS
TRAT
ION
FIRST FLOORPLAN SECOND FLOORPLAN
INDO
OR CO
URTS
SOCCER FIELD
FLOW
ER SH
OP
RE-DEVELOPMENT CENTER
CLASSROOMS
AFTE
R SC
HOOL
CARE
BASKETBALL COURT
WATER RETENSION
WATER RETENSION
MUS
IC PE
RFOR
MAN
CE
OUTD
OOR
PERF
ORM
ANCE
EXHIBIT SPACE
LOUNGE
INFORMATION
CAFE
MAR
KET
WATE
R RE
TENS
ION
POOL
CHILDCARE
FITNESS ROOM
FITNESS ROOM
LOCK
ER R
OOM
S
MEDIA LAB
DESIGN CENTER
GYM
ADM
INIS
TRAT
ION
CHEC
K IN
ADM
INIS
TRAT
ION
FIRST FLOORPLAN SECOND FLOORPLAN
P L A N S A S C O L L A G E
24
BLG PROPER SPATIAL EXTENSIONS GROUND COVER PATH WATER RETENSION SHADOW
The proposal is a layering of spaces and information
onto the site in hopes to engage the site as a whole
and allow for the restoration of the urban fabric to a
vacant block. By diagramming the layering of
spaces, one can begin to understand the process as
well as the organization of the site. Each diagram has
been etched into plexi-glass and coded. These
plates slip over the plans and read up against study
models for further understanding as a collage.
V I E W O F R E-D E V E L O P M E N T C E N T E R
25
V I E W O F C A F E F R O M 6 T H S T R E E T
V I E W O F R E-D E V E L O P M E N T C E N T E R
26
LINE O
F PER
MAN
ENCE
CURR
ENT R
E-DEV
ELOP
MEN
T EFF
ORTS
:EXP
ERIEN
CED
AND
UNDE
RSTO
OD B
Y FEW
EXIS
TING
HOUS
ING
TYPO
LOGY
: EXP
ERIEN
CED
AND
UNDE
RSTO
OD B
Y MAN
Y
SEVE
NTH S
TREE
T
SIXTH
STRE
ET
STRE
ET EL
EVAT
ION
The S
hotg
un el
icits
a sen
se of
nosta
lgia t
hrou
gh it
s rec
ogniz
able
form
, textu
re, s
cale
and
use o
f mat
erial
allow
ing fo
r a co
mpre
hens
ion re
gard
ing th
e exis
ting t
ypolo
gy w
ithin
the
neigh
borh
ood.
The c
onte
mpor
ary r
e-de
velop
ment
effo
rts th
roug
hout
Cent
ral C
ity be
come
isola
ted o
bjects
with
in th
e exis
ting u
rban
fabr
ic as
they
are u
nrec
ogniz
able
and i
ncom
preh
ensib
le to
the
surro
undin
g neig
hbor
hood
.
WASHINGTON AVENUE
DANN
EEL
DRYA
DS
SARA
TOGA
LOYO
LA
MAS
SING
STUD
Y MOD
ELCI
RCUL
ATIO
N ST
UDY
OUTD
OOR
AREA
S
OUTD
OOR
RECR
EATIO
N
FITNE
SS CE
NTER
DINI
NG
MUS
IC PE
RFOR
MAN
CE SP
ACE
RE-D
EVEL
OPM
ENT C
ENTE
R
EXH
IBIT
SPAC
E AND
ADM
INIS
TRAT
ION
SCAL
E: 1’
-0”=
3’32
”SC
ALE:
1’-0
”=3’
32”
LOYO
LA AV
ENUE
Saint Charles Avenue
Simon Bolivar Avenue
Claiborne Avenue
S. Broad Street
Calio
pe
Felic
ity
Louisiana
How
can c
onte
mpor
ary d
esign
in N
ew O
rlean
s esta
blish
a ca
talys
t tha
t spo
nsor
s soc
ial in
tera
ction
and r
e-es
tabli
shes
the s
ensib
ilitie
s of c
ommu
nity w
hile t
he en
acto
rs of
a cu
l-
ture
are w
idely
dispe
rsed
? The
new
typolo
gy m
ust b
egin
to ar
chite
ctura
lly ex
plore
secti
on w
hile e
merg
ing in
to a
socia
l con
sciou
snes
s. Th
is re
-dev
elopm
ent s
hould
esta
blish
a
serie
s of i
nter
conn
ecte
d net
work
s tha
t link
the c
ity an
d spa
ces t
oget
her a
s an i
nter
-wov
en ur
ban f
abric
, eac
h res
pond
ing to
each
othe
r as w
ell as
the c
hang
ing to
pogr
aphy
, env
i-
ronm
ent a
nd pr
ogra
m. T
his co
ntem
pora
ry ty
polog
y, mo
st im
porta
ntly,
mus
t pos
ses n
ew bu
ilding
princ
iples
that
embr
ace s
ectio
n whil
e rem
aining
focu
sed o
n a so
cially
resp
on-
sible
ideal
that
wor
ks to
re-e
stabli
sh th
e com
munit
y net
work
whil
e alle
viatin
g the
socia
l cos
ts of
gent
rifica
tion i
n ord
er to
lend
itself
as a
posit
ive m
eans
of en
ablin
g a co
mmun
ity
and a
city
thro
ugh b
uilt f
orm.
This
prop
osal,
conc
entra
ted i
n the
hear
t of C
entra
l City
, New
Orle
ans,
explo
res a
way
of de
velop
ing a
conn
ectio
n to t
he hi
storic
fabr
ic wh
ile ex
plica
ting t
he co
ntem
pora
ry go
als
of re
-dev
elopm
ent. T
hrou
gh pr
ogra
mmat
ic an
d soc
ially
drive
n elem
ents,
it w
ill w
ork a
s bot
h a ph
ysica
l and
geog
raph
ical s
titch
with
in th
e neig
hbor
hood
and c
ommu
nity.
As t
he
curre
nt co
ntem
pora
ry in
terv
entio
ns in
this
area
act a
s iso
lated
, disp
erse
d nod
es, th
e pro
pose
d Com
munit
y Bloc
k mus
t wor
k as t
he an
chor
that
will
dida
ctica
lly al
low fo
r the
expe
-
rient
ial.CO
MM
UNITY
COLL
AGE:
The
Cont
extu
aliza
tion o
f the
Curre
nt R
e-de
velop
ment
Effo
rts in
Cent
ral C
ity, N
ew O
rlean
s
PROG
RAM
DIA
GRAM
: 3/3
2” SC
ALE
INDOOR COURTS
SOCC
ER FI
ELD
FLOWER SHOP
RE-D
EVEL
OPM
ENT C
ENTE
R
CLAS
SROO
MS
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
BASK
ETBA
LL CO
URT
WATE
R RE
TENS
ION
WATE
R RE
TENS
ION
MUSIC PERFORMANCE
OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE
EXHI
BIT S
PACE
LOUN
GE INFO
RMAT
ION
CAFE
MARKET
WATER RETENSION
POOL
CHILD
CARE
FITNE
SS R
OOM
FITNE
SS R
OOM
LOCKER ROOMS
MED
IA LA
B
DESI
GN CE
NTER
GYM ADMINISTRATION
CHECK IN
ADMINISTRATION
BUILD
ING
PROP
ER
WATE
R RE
TENT
ION
SHAD
E/SH
AD0W
PATH
/ENT
RY
GROU
ND CO
VER
SPAT
IAL E
XTEN
SION
Laye
rs o
f occ
upat
ion s
hift
from
perm
anen
t, pr
ivate
edge
s int
o tra
nsien
t
spac
es a
nd, fi
nally
, mov
e
thro
ugh
inter
stitia
l, pu
blic
edge
s as
pro
perti
es m
eet
the
stree
t’s e
dge.
It is
thes
e lay
ers o
f occ
upat
ion
that
mak
e up
the
exist
ing
urba
n fab
ric of
Cent
ral C
ity
and
infor
m th
e Co
mmun
ity
Bloc
k th
at w
orks
as
a
stitch
bet
ween
the
exis
t-
ing ty
polog
y an
d th
e co
n-
temp
orar
y typ
ology
re
n-
derin
g t
he c
urre
nt r
e-
deve
lopme
nt
comp
rehe
n-
sible.
S. SA
RATO
GAFIR
ST FL
OORP
LAN
SECO
ND FL
OORP
LAN
COM
POSI
TE SI
TE PL
ANSC
ALE:
1’-0
”=1/
16”
SCAL
E: 1’
-0”=
1/16
”SC
ALE:
1’-0
”=1/
16”
SCAL
E: 1’
-0”=
1/16
”
PROP
ERTY
COND
ITION
S
OPEN
SETB
ACK
OCCU
PIED
STRU
CTUR
E
ABAN
DONE
D ST
RUCT
URE
ENTR
Y
OPEN
/ PU
BLIC
PERM
ANEN
T SOL
ID
OPEN
FABR
IC
TRAN
SIEN
T SOL
ID
ABAN
DONE
D PR
OPER
TY
INTE
RSTIT
IAL S
PACE
INTE
RSTIT
IAL S
PACE
VIEW
OF C
AFE F
ROM
MAR
KET
VIEW
OF F
ITNES
S CEN
TER
FROM
SIXT
H ST
REET
SEVE
NTH
STRE
ET EL
EVAT
ION
VIEW
OF C
AFE F
ROM
MAR
KET
VIEW
OF R
E-DEV
ELOP
MEN
T CEN
TER
FROM
SEVE
NTH
STRE
ET
PERMANENCE
CLAIMED SPACE
PUBLIC
SEMI-PRIVATE
TRANSIENT SPACE
PROP
ERTY
COND
ITION
S
OPEN
SETB
ACK
ABAN
DONE
D ST
RUCT
URE
ENTR
Y
OPEN
/ PU
BLIC
OPEN
FABR
IC
TRAN
SIEN
T SOL
ID
ABAN
DONE
D PR
OPER
TY
INTE
RSTIT
IAL S
PACE
INTE
RSTIT
IAL S
PACE
PROP
ERTY
COND
ITION
S
VIEW
OF R
E-DEV
ELOP
MEN
T CEN
TER
FROM
SER
FROM
SEVE
NTH
STRE
ET
PROP
ERTY
COND
ITION
S
27
A N N O T A T E D_B I B L I O G R A P H Y
Al , Et , Ph i l ip Langdon , and Robert Steutevi l le . New Urban ism: Comprehensive Report & Best Pract ices Gu ide , Th ird Ed it ion . New York : New Urban Pub l icat ions Inc . , 2006.
New Urban ism: Comprehensive Report and Best Pract ices Gu ide a lmost
serves as a handbook or techn ica l manua l fo r New Urbanists as it breaks down
the idea ls and pr incip les of the pract ice . The book character izes the informat ion
as a method of bu i ld ing human-sca le ne ighborhoods in p lace of s ing le -use
subd iv is ions, shopp ing centers , and of f ice parks. The report ’s 26 sect ions
descr ibe New Urban ism towns, v i l lages, ne ighborhoods and inf i l l p ro jects around
the count ry and the wor ld provid ing a number of precedence for best pract ices.
The sect ions cover pr inciples of human-sca le communit ies, t rends in community
design and how-to informat ion on bu i ld ing concepts, mater ia ls and methods.
There are a lso a number of sect ions that review revital i zat ion , retai l
deve lopment , market ing , f inance , af fordab i l it y, environmenta l concerns, lega l
issues and p lann ing through charette .
Focusing on community re -deve lopment requ ires the need to ana lyze a
number of st rateg ies and precedence lend ing to the study of New Urban ism
through the use of New Urban ism: Comprehensive Report and Best Pract ices
Gu ide . The breakdown of sect ions and pr incip les provides a better
understand ing of the idea ls used for community design and re -deve lopment
which can be adopted in a number of urban design areas both f inancia l ly and
physica l ly. The manua l presented best pract ices on a number of sca les in a
var ie ty of areas al lowing for an increased understand ing of New Urban ism in
chang ing urban landscapes and , there fore , the ab i l it y to formulate a deve loped
cr it ic ism. For example , wh i le the pr incip les of New Urban ism address these
varying sca les and s ites as wel l as at tempt to provide spaces for a community ,
the resu lt is a h igh ly structured ne ighborhood or c ity with a number o f socia l
imp l icat ions such as, gentr if icat ion .
28
Allen , Barbara . "New Or leans and Kat r ina : One Year later ." Journa l of Arch i tectura l Educat ion 60, (2006) : 4 -6 .
There is a clear sense of identity in New Orleans and the above article begins to look at
the distinction of place and what it is that qualifies a particular space a place. This article also
questions the ability of urban form to establish place helping to push along the argument that
community is established through a sense of being and belonging not the clustering of housing in a
particular neighborhood.
Barrie , Thomas. The Youth V i l lage Urban Design Pro ject : Re -bu i ld ing Detro i t for future generat ions . Roya l Oak : Northern Area Associat ion and Co l lege Of Arch itecture and Design , Lawrence Techno log ica l Un iversity With The Center For Urban Affa irs , Community And Economic Deve lopment , Mich igan State Un iversity , 2000.
The Youth V i l lage is an urban design pro ject in Det ro it , Michigan with
focus on the Northern High Schoo l Area and conducted by students at the Col lege
of Arch itecture and Design , Lawrence Techno log ica l Un iversity . The studio
at tempted to provide a un ique educat iona l exper ience by part ic ipat ing in
community-based arch itectura l, urban design and community deve lopment
pro jects. There was an emphasis on community design through the re -
deve lopment o f housing, b l igh ted areas, open space and ne ighborhood shopp ing .
The pro ject began by reviewing exist ing land-use , c ircu lat ion , t ransportat ion,
open space and zon ing codes. Inventor ies were made of the property cond it ions
and research was gathered concern ing the h istory of the area as wel l as on
contemporary design theor ies and precedence . As a resu lt of the ana lysis ,
gu ide l ines were estab l ished and proposa ls presented.
The Youth V i l lage Urban Design Project has estab lished a ser ies of steps
to fo l low for redeve lopment of an area. Whi le a l l s ites d if fer and proposa ls may
vary , the pr incip les fo l lowed and ana lysis gathered he lps provide a systemic
manner of at tempting a design pro ject in a c ity s tr icken with poverty and
abandonment . F ina l ly , many of the issues that were stud ied for the deve lopment
of th is project a re s imi lar , i f not the same, to those I p lan to further exp lore ; for
29
example , ana lysis o f the physica l s ite , study of i t s h istory , a review of ex ist ing
land use and zon ing and feasible economic deve lopment .
Berman , I la , and Mona Kha li f . URBANbui ld : Loca l , G lobal . Richmond : Wi l l iam Stout Pub l ishers ,
2008.
URBANbui ld : Loca l , G lobal documents the URBANbui ld Stud io’s f irst two
years of work , a comprehensive program at Tu lane Un iversity Schoo l of
Arch itecture in i t iated to act ive ly suppor t the rehab i l ita t ion of New Orleans in
the af termath o f Hurr icane Katr ina in 2005. I t is a doub le -s ided book that
connects and compares local research, ana lysis and design to that of varying
watercit ies . I t estab lishes a broader f ramework in which embraces the
knowledge and exper ience drawn f rom these wor ld c it ies and uses it as a
precedence for the re -deve lopment st rateg ies of New Or leans.
Th is book provides one with a cer ta in leve l of mapp ing and ana lysis
lend ing to a bet ter understanding of New Or leans.
B lake ly, Edward J. "A Cry for a C ity : What is Happen ing to New Or leans." Journa l of Arch itectura l Educat ion 60 , (2006) : 9 -12.
There is a focus on the changes that New Or leans may see af ter Katr ina
and expresses the concern that the c ity may exper ience forms of gent r if icat ion
dur ing its rebu i ld . These issues are much of what I am th inking about whi le I do
research and lend themselves to the quest ion: How can arch itecture mit igate
gent r if icat ion as it re -deve lops the c ity?
Carmon , Naomi , and Morr is H i l l . "Ne ighborhood Rehab i l itat ion Without Re locat ion or
Gentr if ica t ion." Journa l of the Amer ican P lann ing Associat ion 54, no . 4 (1988) : 470-481.
The c ity of New Or leans can turn to o ther re -bu i ld ing pro jects as
re levant examples. For instance , Israe l’s Pro ject Renewal , f lour ish ing between
1977-1984, uphe ld the pr incip les of reducing socia l d ispar ity between the
d if fe r ing income classes and e l iminat ing the ef fects of gent r if icat ion as ef forts
were p laced on the rehab i l itat ion of a number of resident ia l ne ighborhoods.
30
While abroad , Israe l’s renewal compares extensive ly with many Amer ican c ity
re -deve lopment p lans as it ho lds a large concent rat ion of poor fami l ies
encompassing ne ighborhoods with l i t t le cu ltura l cohesiveness, integrat ion
with in the community, as wel l as ser ious c ity decl ine . “They found that the
posit ive socia l features of o ld ne ighborhoods, such as extended fami l ies and
re lig ious congregat ions, d isappeared when residents were re located ; and the
dest ruct ion of those trad it iona l inst itu t ions and support networks aggravated
exist ing socia l prob lems.” 1 Through the se lect ion of ent i re ne ighborhoods,
rather than indiv idua l households, a l l w ith in that area were e l ig ib le for he lp and
rehab i l itat ion . Th is a l lowed for equa l opportuni ty and a l lev iated the tendency
for af f luent residents to leave these poorer areas as they now had an incent ive
to remain . There was a lso an ef fort to provide residents with invo lvement in the
p lann ing and implementat ion process through d iscussion, vo lunteer work and job
opportun it ies for parapro fessiona ls with in the community . The provided fund ing
for the Pro ject Renewal enab led improvements to the ne ighborhoods for example ,
by means of do - it -yourse l f home improvements , expansion of apar tments to the
average square footages with in the c ity , as wel l as socia l ly imp lemented
programs ava i lab le to the ch i ld ren and adu lts . Specif ica l ly , “near ly ha lf of the
fund ing was invested in housing , physica l infrastructure , and environment
improvements ; the rest went fo r social serv ices: 20 percent fo r construct ion and
renovat ion o f pub l ic bu i ld ings for the serv ices and 30 percent fo r operat ing
them.” 2
While Israe l’s Pro ject Renewal may not have taken care of a l l the
prob lems the many ne ighborhoods possessed , there was a s ign if icant impact to
the l iv ing cond it ions a long with an improvement in educat ion and cu ltura l and
community serv ices. The pr incip les uphe ld dur ing the rehab i l itat ion of Israe l’s
1 N a om i C a rmon a n d Mor r i s H i l l , " Ne i g h bo r h o o d R e h a b i l i t a t i on W i t h ou t Re l o ca t i on o r G e n t r i f i c a t i o n . " J o ur n a l o f t h e Amer i c a n P l a n n i n g
A s so c i a t i o n 5 4 , n o . 4 ( 1 98 8 ) : 4 7 5 .
2 N a om i C a rmon a n d Mor r i s H i l l , " Ne i g h bo r h o o d R e h a b i l i t a t i on W i t h ou t Re l o ca t i on o r G e n t r i f i c a t i o n . " J o ur n a l o f t h e Amer i c a n P l a n n i n g
A s so c i a t i o n 5 4 , n o . 4 ( 1 98 8 ) : 4 7 5 .
31
ne ighborhoods co incide with the idea ls of posi t ive community re -deve lopment as
there was an emphasis p laced on mit iga t ing gent ri f icat ion, a focus p laced on
provid ing serv ices for the residents of the community with the ir invo lvement in
the process and a concern p laced on the sociab i l it y of the community and
cu lture .
C larke , Pau l. "The Idea l of Community and I ts Counterfei t Const ruct ion ." Journal of Arch itectura l
Educat ion (2006) : 43-52.
In the art ic le , The Idea l of Community and I ts Counterfe it Const ruct ion ,
C larke quest ions the idea o f community both socia l ly and physica l ly as wel l as
the evo lut ion of the term and i ts deve lopment in to an Amer ican dream ideo logy.
C larke beg ins by def in ing the pr incip les of New Urban ism whi le s imultaneously
cr it ic i z ing the resu l ts of these formula ted communit ies and ne ighborhoods.
C larke exp la ins that New Urban ist p r inciples , wh i le they may asp ire to promote
d iversity through inclusiv ity , most of ten , become deve lopments for af f luent
residents and areas of segregat ion . The idea of community has become a search
for se lf iden t ity and , therefore , is perce ived d if fe rent ly by varying ind iv idua ls.
I f a p lace is much more than a locat ion , than it can a lso be argued that it is
one’s socia l re lat ionsh ips, shared pub l ic l i fe and commonali t ies with others that
beg in to form what is thought of as community . C larke concludes that the
rebu i ld ing of a socia l st ructure and community is more complex than imag ined
and impossib le to ach ieve through New Urban ist idea ls as diversity and equa l ity
in a un if ied communitar ian context a re d i f f icu lt to ach ieve.
As community is the basis o f my thesis , a d iscourse per ta ining to these
idea ls enab les for one to t ru ly quest ion what it means to be a part of a
community and cu lture . Many of the quest ions posed by my thesis are in favor of
community and in d isfavor of New Urbanism; l ink ing these two together helps to
v iew both in a d if fer ing l igh t .
32
Herscher, Andrew. “Amer ican Urb ic ide .” Journa l of Arch itectura l Educat ion (2006) : 18-20.
Andrew Herscher speaks about Hurr icane Katr ina as a form of urb ic ide
as it has created many of the same issues the genea logy of th is term
exempl if ies . There is a d iscussion concern ing Kat r ina as an ampl i f ier of the
many socia l issues New Or leans was a lready suffer ing f rom. Th is discourse
he lps to prove the idea concern ing Katr ina as a vehic le for the c ity’s
gent r if icat ion .
Kahera , Ake l I . "To L ive or D ie in New Or leans." Journa l of Arch i tectura l Educat ion 60 , (2006) : 20-
22.
Th is par t icu lar art ic le speaks about the arch itectura l responsib i l it y to
serv ice a community and enab le it through the re -deve lopment of New Or leans.
There is much d iscussion concern ing what it means to be a community and what
is current ly the arch itectura l typo logy of community deve lopment . Th is art ic le
sparks quest ions concern ing New Urban ism and community that he lp provide th is
thesis with d irect ion as many of the v iews and pr incip les are in l ine with the
idea ls uphe ld in my proposed archi tectura l t ypo logy.
Lees, Loretta , Tom S later , and E lv in Wyly. Gentr i f ica t ion . New York: Rout ledge , 2007.
Gentr if ica t ion serves as the f i rst comprehensive textbook concern ing
the top ic o f Gentr if ica t ion. The gent ri f icat ion o f u rban areas has acce lerated
across the g lobe to become a cent ra l eng ine of u rban development , and it is a
top ic that has at t racted a great dea l of interest both in academia and in the
press. Th is book presents the b irth of gentr if icat ion , the resu lt ing products and
i ts evo lut ion in to a contemporary socia l issue . I t t races its mutat ions under a
sh if t ing socia l ideo logy and d iscusses the resistant cul tura l imp l icat ions.
Gentr if ica t ion, the book, a lso provides arguments for and aga inst gentr i f ica t ion
through case stud ies whi le supp ly ing the major theore t ica l ideas and concepts .
33
Gentr if ica t ion has evo lved into a major socia l top ic under much scrut iny
as many socio log ists d isfavor i t s imp lica t ions whi le a number of c ity of f ic ia ls
welcome the changes it impar ts on the c i ty’s centra l core , for example . Much of
contemporary urban design has enab led gent r if icat ion as i t p romotes af f luent
resident ia l l iv ing and causes d isp lacement of lower- income fami lies . Studying
and understand ing the social products of a sh if t ing arch itectura l t ypo logy
promotes responsib le re -deve lopmenta l design.
Much o f these socia l sh if ts have occurred throughout New Or leans in
the a f termath of Hurr icane Katr ina as many of it residents were d isp laced and , in
most cases, can not af ford to re -bu i ld . When addressing the issue of re -
deve lopment , i t becomes important to remember the socia l imp l icat ions
gent r if icat ion imparts on a c i ty as much o f New Or leans’ cu lture is estab l ished
by those that are now scattered and racia l ly segregated through c ity p lann ing
and arch itectural p ract ices.
Makker , K ir in J . "The Gi f t of Poet ry En Route ." Journa l of Arch itectura l Educat ion 60 , (2006) : 24-
25. The “Gif t of Poetry En Route” is a shor t art ic le expressing concern in
regards to a l i fe less community . Makker worr ies that New Or leans in danger of
losing its cu lture as so many of the enactors of that cu lture have been recent ly
d isp laced and scattered due to the f lood ing of Hurr icane Kat r ina . The author
argues that whi le the dest ruct ion of the Gu lf Coast has imparted a number of
socia l issues onto the residents of the area , the loss of land, p lace and the bu i lt
environment are no t the s ing le e lements that generate community .
Much of the re -deve lopment of New Or leans is focused on rebu i ld ing
what has been lost , yet it is importan t to rebu i ld the socia l fabr ic as well .
Housing re -deve lopment is becoming preva lent with l i t t le focus on c iv ic , cu ltura l
and community centers lend ing to iso la ted re -construct ion of a scat tered c ity .
An opportun ity is provided to re -estab l ish what it means to be a community and
quest ion how the bu il t environment can enab le th is idea l .
34
Owen, Graham. " In Dark Waters : Opportun ity and Oppor tun ism in the Reconst ruct ion of New Or leans." Journa l of Arch i tectura l Educat ion 60 , no . 1 (2006) : 7 -9 .
“In Dark Waters” g ives way to the idea of and arch itecture op as it
compares to a photo op. At the moment New Or leans is in a state of re -
deve lopment which g ives way to the many opportun it ies ava i lab le for archi tects
and p lanners. The art ic le quest ions how the c ity wi ll change and who wi l l these
changes be made for . I t addresses both gent r if icat ion and New Urban ism as
resul ts to the need for re -deve lopment as p laces cr it ic ism on both , tak ing
s imi lar v iews of my intended research.
Smith , Ne i l . New Globa l ism, New Urban ism: Gent r if icat ion as Urban St rategy . Massachuset ts : B lackwel l Pub lishers , 2002.
Th is art ic le launches arguments based on the re la t ionsh ip of u rban ism
to g loba l i zat ion in re lat ion to New York in the 1990’s. There is much d iscussion
concern ing gentr if icat ion as an urban strategy and d iscusses the evo lut ion of
gent r if icat ion as wel l as the evo lut ion of the term’s connotat ion . Whi le look ing
at a form of socia l arch itecture and a means to enable a community, I am
attempt ing to mit igate gent ri f icat ion . Studying th is evolut ion as an urban
st rategy wi ll p rovide a basis for cr it ique .
Smith , Ne i l . The New Urban Front ier : Gent r if icat ion and the Revanch ist C i ty . New York : Rout ledge,
1996. Th is book cha l lenges convent iona l wisdom, which ho lds gent r if icat ion
to be the s imple outcome of new midd le -c lass tastes and a demand for urban
l iv ing . I t revea ls gent r if icat ion as a par t of a much larger sh if t in the po l it ica l
economy and cu lture of the late twent ieth century. Document ing in de ta i l the
conf l icts that gentr if ica t ion br ings to the new ‘urban front ier ,’ Ne i l Smith
exp lores the interconnect ions o f u rban po l icy , pa tterns of investment , ev ict ion,
and homelessness. Smith revea ls that pub l ic po l icy and the pr ivate market are
consp ir ing aga inst minor it ies , work ing peop le , the poor and the homeless more
35
than ever which has proven gent r if icat ion as a po licy of revenge .
C A S E S T U D Y_G U L F C O A S T C O M M U N I T Y D E S I G N S T U D I O
design consciousness. This ideal has proven successful as GCCDS has built more than 80 homes.
The Gulf Coast Community Design Studio in Biloxi, Mississippi is a research extension of Mississippi State University’s College of
Architecture. Art + Design. Following Hurricane Katrina, GCCDS provided Biloxi with damage assessment maps, planning as well as
design services. The studio’s design services are offered to low income families in need of re-building. Each project is designed in
close relationship with the homeowner preserving the individual needs of each resident while keeping in mind the hardships each
have undergone. The result is a site specific, non-speculative housing proposal that achieves a socially responsible agenda with a
Most recently, the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio has begun to shift to a larger scale of re-development with the design of a
health clinic and the housing proposals for Moss Point, Mississippi. Partnering up with East Biloxi Coordination, Relief, and Redevel-
opment Agency, GCCDS is currently looking into acquiring sites for multi-use buildings incorporating multi-unit housing. While a focus
is now placed on a larger scale, the ideals of the studio are the same, “commitment to citizen participation and an effort to rebuild
diverse and complete cities and to preserve and restore the unique natural and cultural resources along the coast.”
The community commitment and successful re-build of a city lends GCCDS as an ideal example for neighborhood re-development as
it pertains to New Orleans. The housing interventions within Biloxi become embedded into the urban fabric of the city as each design
tends to respond to the context of the neighborhood as well as the ecological awareness that is now apparent after Katrina. The
changing architectural typology of the city as well as the ideals of the studio serve as a model for future re-build efforts both at a.
small and large scale.
36
C A S E S T U D Y_G L E N E A G L E C O M M U N I T Y C E N T E R
37
The Gleneagles Community Centrer is located in West Vancouver adjacent to the Gleneagles Golf Course. The project is 24, 000 square
feet in area, organized on three levels. Program components include a gymnasium, multipurpose room, community living room, and
fitness, childcare, and administrative facilities. By adjusting the cross-sectional topography of the site, the majority of program
components have direct access to complimentary outdoor spaces. The gymnasium volume is a unifying space that rises through all
three levels of the building. Glazed walls allow visual connection between the major program components so that the interior of the
community centre is animated by the complex variety of simultaneous activities that comprise the social life of the building.
The building utilizes a highly innovative system of structural/ mechanical/ electrical systems integration to foster environmental
sustainability while minimizing operating costs. Heating and cooling is provided by a thermo-active slab system, consisting of water
piping embedded within the concrete structure. Heated and cooled water passes through the piping, allowing the walls and floors to
act as radiant surfaces. Ventilation is accomplished using a displacement system. 100% fresh air is tempered and supplied at low
velocity at low levels. This air rises, flushing contaminants upward where it is then captured and exhausted. As air is not being used
for heating or cooling, operable doors and windows may be used at any time without affecting the performance of the system. Heating
and cooling for the mechanical systems is provided by heat pumps in combination with a ground source heat exchanger, a clean
The center works to promote social interaction of a community while simultaneously implementing sustainable practices. While
creating a contemporary built form, it remains important to consider changing environmental conditions along with social
implications. The following case study gives precedence for a community based project that remains socially and physically
energy source.
responsible.
C A S E S T U D Y_G L O B A L G R E E N ‘ S H O L Y C R O S S P R O J E C T
Global Green is dedicated to the issues of sustainability and is committed to developing a green model for the re-building of New
Orleans. It has begun working on four projects, the Build it Back Green program, the Green Building Resource Center, the Green
Schools program, and the Holy Cross Project, in hopes to incorporate the goals and ideals of Global Green into the city. Build it Back
Green strives to educate residents of New Orleans and inform them of energy efficient ways and options for re-building their homes
post-Katrina while the Green Building Resource Center allows for the community to gather together and, most importantly, serves as
an information hub open to the public. The Green Schools program not only retrofits schools in New Orleans with energy efficient and
healthy measures, but it also promotes environmental education to the future of New Orleans. Lastly, Global Green’s Holy Cross Project
is attempting to rebuild a community in the ninth ward by introducing single family homes, apartments, a community center and
educational resources. With all of the above projects, the primary goal is education for New Orleanians, the Gulf Coast, and the
broader American public while simultaneously re-building and re-establishing a sense of community to the public.
The combined efforts of re-development, establish Global Green as a case study for the rebuilding of a neighborhood as there is focus
placed on housing, education and community development. Due to these proposals, the urban fabric of the ninth ward has the
potential to become an interconnected system as each program is woven into the neighborhood eliminating individual growth and
rebuild but rather promotes positive re-development for a community as a whole. The Holy Cross Project serves as precedence as it
aims at re-establishing an urban typology for the ninth ward and strives to establish a sustainable project and lifestyle.
.
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C A S E S T U D Y_H O P E V I ‘ S R I V E R G A R D E N
39
River Garden is a new urbanist community sitting on 60 acres, once the site of St. Thomas Public Housing Project. This new project,
bordering the Warehouse District along the Mississippi River in New Orleans, was created by the HUD HOPE VI Redevelopment. The
HOPE VI program plays a large role in the Department of Housing and Urban Development efforts to transform Public Housing with
attempts to build public housing that provides both physical and management improvements to a community as well as social and
The River Garden Apartments were built to look like a historic New Orleans neighborhood, with tropical pastel paints, shuttered
windows, and the integration of porches or stoops, yet the feel is new, sterile and more suburban. While attempting to rebuild a
community and revamp a once decaying area, River Garden has displaced a number of residents and has begun to impart the effects
of gentrification unto its existing residents. HOPE VI’s New Urbanist principles of re-development have imbedded a new housing
project that replicates the past architectural typologies of the city and abandons the need for change and evaluation. While the area
Using a New Urbanism based project as a case study provides precedence for unsuccessful development in which gentrification
effects are apparent and housing is established without a sense of community rebuild. The River Garden project, while embedded
within the urban fabric of New Orleans, appears as an island surrounded by a historical layering of housing and architecture with little
community services to address resident needs.
looks new and resolved, crime remains an issue and the streets see little residential engagement.
integration and connection.
C A S E S T U D Y_I S R A E L ‘ S P R O J E C T R E N E W A L
40
The city of New Orleans can turn to other re-building projects as relevant examples. For instance, Israel’s Project Renewal, flourishing between 1977-1984, upheld the principles
of reducing social disparity between the differing income classes and eliminating the effects of gentrification as efforts were placed on the rehabilitation of a number of
residential neighborhoods. While abroad, Israel’s renewal compares extensively with many American city re-development plans as it holds a large concentration of poor families
encompassing neighborhoods with little cultural cohesiveness, integration within the community, as well as serious city decline. “They found that the positive social features
of old neighborhoods, such as extended families and religious congregations, disappeared when residents were relocated; and the destruction of those traditional institutions
and support networks aggravated existing social problems.” Through the selection of entire neighborhoods, rather than individual households, all within that area were eligible
for help and rehabilitation. This allowed for equal opportunity and alleviated the tendency for affluent residents to leave these poorer areas as they now had an incentive to
remain. There was also an effort to provide residents with involvement in the planning and implementation process through discussion, volunteer work and job opportunities
for paraprofessionals within the community. The provided funding for the Project Renewal enabled improvements to the neighborhoods for example, by means of do-it-yourself
home improvements, expansion of apartments to the average square footages within the city, as well as socially implemented programs available to the children and adults.
Specifically, “nearly half of the funding was invested in housing, physical infrastructure, and environment improvements; the rest went for social services: 20 percent for
construction and renovation of public buildings for the services and 30 percent for operating them.” While Israel’s Project Renewal may not have taken care of all the problems
the many neighborhoods possessed, there was a significant impact to the living conditions along with an improvement in education and cultural and community services. The
principles upheld during the rehabilitation of Israel’s neighborhoods coincide with the ideals of positive community re-development as there was an emphasis placed on
mitigating gentrification, a focus placed on providing services for the residents of the community with their involvement in the process and a concern placed on the sociability
of the community and culture.
presented.
a review of existing land use and zoning as well as feasible economic development.
C A S E S T U D Y_T H E Y OU T H V I L L A G E
The Youth Village is an urban design project in Detroit, Michigan with focus on the Northern High School Area and conducted by students at the College of Architecture and Design,
Lawrence Technological University. The studio attempted to provide a unique educational experience by participating in community-based architectural, urban design and
community development projects. There was an emphasis on community design through the re-development of housing, blighted areas, open space and neighborhood shopping.
The project began by reviewing existing land-use, circulation, transportation, open space and zoning codes. Inventories were made of the property conditions and research was
gathered concerning the history of the area as well as on contemporary design theories and precedence. As a result of the analysis, guidelines were established and proposals
.
The Youth Village Urban Design Project has established a series of steps to follow for redevelopment of an area. While all sites differ and proposals may vary, the principles
followed and analysis gathered helps provide a systemic manner of attempting a design project in a city stricken with poverty and abandonment. Finally, many of the issues
that were studied for the development of this project are similar, if not the same, to those I plan to further explore; for example, analysis of the physical site, study of its history,
C A S E S T U D Y_K A T U A Q C U L T U R E C E N T E R
41
Katuaq contains two auditoriums, the larger one seating 1008 people and the smaller one 508. The big auditorium
is used for concerts, theatre, conferences and as a cinema. The complex also contains an art school, library,
meeting facilities, administrative offices and a café.
Katuaq is an L-shaped building with an undulating, backward leaning screen facing onto Nuuk's central urban
space. Raised above the ground and clad in golden larch wood on both the inside and outside. The screen is
inspired by the northern lights. This second skin also creates a contrast to the building proper. Between the
perimeter screen and the core building lies the large foyer with three white freestanding elements in the shape
of a triangle, square and circle.
While Katuaq Culture Center is located in Greenland and designed in an entirely differing climate from New
Orleans, looking at the facilities it offers and its success of formal gestures helps to offer suggestions as to how
a community center functions positively.
C A S E S T U D Y_M A K E I T R I G H T
42
Make It Right is a housing organization that is working to rebuild the lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana with a goal to place
at least 150 families into affordable, green storm resistant homes. Make It Right relies on the generosity of architects, local, national
and international, who donate their designs of single-family homes and duplexes. Beyond building new homes for residents who lost
everything in Hurricane Katrina, Make It Right also works as a laboratory for testing and implementing new construction techniques,
technologies and materials that will make green, storm resistant homes affordable and broadly available to working families in
The houses of Make It Right are rethinking what it means to build in a watercity in an area below sea-level and establishing a
response to these issue which in turn allows for the residents of these communities the “right of return.” Each home takes contextual
ideas of the urban fabric and re-evaluates them into an architecture of a changing landscape and typology. This effort is successful
as it has been given a blank slate providing an object-like architecture that is alleviated from a competing, pre-existing fabric. Every
house provides elements of precedence that can be then implemented throughout the city during other stages of re-build
and ecological responses.
communities across America.
C A S E S T U D Y_O A K D A L E C O M M U N I T Y C E N T E R
43
The Oakdale Community Centre is located at the edge of a suburban park in North York, Ontario. The building consists of a gymnasium,
The building is organized linearly along the street to reinforce a precinct of public buildings with the nearby school. A steel canopy
runs the length of the building, providing protected outdoor areas at the entries, and defining areas for outdoor activities to occur. The
primary activity spaces are located on the park side of the building, and are linked together with a long connecting space that
supports a variety of informal activities. This connecting space is fully glazed, so that passers-by on the street can see the activities
The construction of the building responds to the sided nature of the site. The active, street side of the building is constructed primarily
of exposed structural steel and curtain wall glazing with masonry and ceramic tile infill. The mute, park side of the building is
constructed of stucco-clad masonry, and is intended, over time, to become covered with Virginia Creeper. Bright colors are used
seniors’ and children’s multipurpose rooms, and an outdoor children’s swimming pool.
This Community center works at a smaller scale and addresses the street while incorporating park spaces. Looking at a number of
seniors’ and children’s multipurpose rooms, and an outdoor children’s swimming pool.
within, as well as the pool on the opposite side of the building.
scales helps to analyze how differing centers address a neighborhood and a city block.
C A S E S T U D Y_R U R A L S T U D I O
44
Rural Studio is a design-build studio through the University Of Auburn School Of Architecture started by professors Dennis K. Ruth and
Samuel Mockbee in 1993 as a community outreach program. The studio attempts to improve the living conditions in rural Alabama
while enabling the students to experience practical architectural practices. The projects are scattered throughout Hale, Marengo and
Perry County in western Alabama and range from affordable housing to civic centers and recreational areas. The program focuses on
providing solutions to community need based issues within its own context while incorporating neighborhood involvement.
The studio is successfully integrating a number of interventions within a historic fabric with a constant response to the typology and
topography of the area. While the existing fabric of the rural Alabama lacks density and an adaptation to the present conditions, Rural
Studio attempts to address these matters with socially responsible architecture for the community. By implementing projects of
varying scales and programs, the studio is able to address a number of issues, socially and physically. This design-build program has
developed an architecture that is responsive and highly integrated within its context while remaining to establish a contemporary
typology for the area lending the studio and its projects to serve as an ideal case study.
C A S E S T U D Y_U R B A N b u i l d
45
URBANbuild is a design build studio out of Tulane School of Architecture in which students participate in the design, development and
construction of affordable housing in low income areas of New Orleans, Louisiana. Each fall semester, students in the URBANbuild
studio are asked to study the context and address the issues of site and prototypical design resulting in the submission of a number
The houses designed in the URBANbuild studio implement prototypical elements but, most often, evolve into custom homes made
affordable with volunteer, student labor. Each home is successful as they relate to the scale of the city and integrate typical housing
t
The program establishes object-like architecture within a historic context and fails to create a unified connection both with each
intervention as well as the urban fabric. However, each house addresses a changing typology and successfully adapts to the
ecological implications Hurricane Katrina has made apparent to the city of New Orleans. The above issues lend URBANbuild as an
ideal analysis for modern housing interventions within a dense urban context. The re-development of housing is just a single aspect
of the re-building necessary in a city stricken with poverty, blight and abandonment. As a case study, one can critique this model and
begin to establish a proposal for connection and community integration as these are lacking in URBANbuild and have proven
necessary.
typologies of New Orleanian homes such as, porches and a relation to the street.
of design strategies for an affordable three bedroom two bath house.
C A S E S T U D Y_V U O T A L O C U L T U R A L C E N T E R
46
Vuotalo Cultural Center is located in Helsinki, Finland and is surrounded by a school and shopping center. The ground floor houses a
library, above which sits an auditorium; and light is brought in via large wells and a full height winter garden. Also included in the
The basic design solution of the Centre resembles a hinge, where multi-level functional and traffic connections are integrated. The
building opens out along its entire length towards a pedestrian route while turning its back against a busy bus traffic artery. All the
activities of the building are visible at a glance behind the 2-story glazed main facade. The rear side, on the other hand, is covered
with stainless steel chain-link conveyor belt normally used in the processing industry, which, depending on lighting and the angle of
view, appears to cover the facade behind it in a silvery armor or scales of a salmon – or turns it completely transparent.
This proves as a relevant case study as it acts as a joint for the growing population and integrates a number of facilities. The building
helps to articulate the landscape with its varying forms helping to inform gestures that may be adopted in a flat cityscape, such as
space is an educational center, performance spaces, as well as offices.
New Orleans.