https://smithson.cargo.site Aaron Smithson Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:20:59 +0000 https://smithson.cargo.site en https://smithson.cargo.site/Info Sun, 11 Jul 2021 04:01:46 +0000 Aaron Smithson https://smithson.cargo.site/Info Aaron is a designer, planner, writer, and photographer originally from and currently based in New York City. He is most interested in affordable and multifamily housing design, public architecture, urban design, and participatory planning practices. Aaron is the current Housing Design Fellow at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. He received his Master of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), both with distinction. He graduated with a BA magna cum laude in urban studies and architectural history from Columbia University, where he received the Presidential Global Fellowship and the Philip E. Aarons Thesis Prize in art or architectural history.&nbsp;While at the GSD, he received the Dean’s Merit Scholarship, the Gramlich Fellowship in Community and Economic Development, a Community Service Fellowship, 1st place in HUD’s Innovation in Affordable Housing Competition, 2nd place in the GSD’s Plimpton Poorvu Design Prize, and 3rd place in the FHLB’s Affordable Housing Development Competition. Aaron’s writing—including journalism, personal narrative, and report-writing—has been published by Colorado Review, Architectural Record, Urban Omnibus, Dwell, The Architect’s Newspaper, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Joint Center for Housing Studies. He has practiced and researched with firms and agencies in New York, New Orleans, Melbourne, and the Boston area, including Agency Landscape + Planning,&nbsp;Utile, the Boston Housing Innovation Lab, the Cambridge Community Development Department,&nbsp;Office of Jonathan Tate (OJT), the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, the NYC Department of City Planning, French2D, MoMA’s Department of Architecture &amp; Design, Sage &amp; Coombe Architects, Project for Public Spaces, CoDesign Studio, and the Architectural League of New York. https://smithson.cargo.site/Contact Mon, 12 Jul 2021 01:18:04 +0000 Aaron Smithson https://smithson.cargo.site/Contact aaronsmithson7@gmail.com aaronsmithson@gsd.harvard.edu @azsmithson NYC // Cambridge, MA https://smithson.cargo.site/Hinge-House Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:20:59 +0000 Aaron Smithson https://smithson.cargo.site/Hinge-House 1. Hinge House Harvard GSDArchitecture Option Studio, Spring 2024Critic: Mohsen Mostafavi<img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1842efbf8ca2d518516cf9642f642c23d3a3c079b1090ad907ab6aed68242efc/IMG_3457.JPG" data-mid="222604084" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1842efbf8ca2d518516cf9642f642c23d3a3c079b1090ad907ab6aed68242efc/IMG_3457.JPG" /> <img width="3888" height="2916" width_o="3888" height_o="2916" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/147670f398c34bd5370fc1816d5fe54aac5e64eea93d586abcd138662b757a4d/IMG_2544.jpg" data-mid="222604094" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/147670f398c34bd5370fc1816d5fe54aac5e64eea93d586abcd138662b757a4d/IMG_2544.jpg" /> A shared residence for students and seniors at the edge of the University of Tokyo campus near Ueno. More to come... https://smithson.cargo.site/Out-of-Office Thu, 09 Dec 2021 18:53:31 +0000 Aaron Smithson https://smithson.cargo.site/Out-of-Office 6. Out of Office Harvard GSDArchitecture Core 3 Studio, Fall 2021Critic: Michelle Chang <img width="1272" height="624" width_o="1272" height_o="624" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/25a08ebb9c5cfbd6e3aeda40500f009a82c3bdd0bf22e21f67cc52bab7e19f6b/211206_Office-Hall_FINAL.jpg" data-mid="126980947" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/25a08ebb9c5cfbd6e3aeda40500f009a82c3bdd0bf22e21f67cc52bab7e19f6b/211206_Office-Hall_FINAL.jpg" /> In the typical Taylorist office building of the 20th century, hierarchical approaches to management shaped open plans with rigid, highly surveiled rows of desks -- mechanisms aimed at increasing the productive efficiency of clerical workers. Openness and transparency are still promoted as unmitigated social and political goods, despite vast majorities of office workers reporting negative experiences with open plans. Posed as a new headquarters for the administrative offices of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in downtown Boston, Out of Office reimagines the workspace through frameworks of opacity, enclosure, and sanctuary. <img width="8371" height="4726" width_o="8371" height_o="4726" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f721cb0375e6b58b513875e6cef9aad210984ae0556cf4500f0ca3f2b913665/Plan-Diagram.png" data-mid="183240666" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f721cb0375e6b58b513875e6cef9aad210984ae0556cf4500f0ca3f2b913665/Plan-Diagram.png" /> Set in a gridded plan reminiscent of Taylorist workspace organization (above), two modular rooms tesellate across each floor plate through a series of rotations, reflections, and enlargements, rendering the grid imperceptible at the experiential level (below). <img width="5908" height="4726" width_o="5908" height_o="4726" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e68dd043be187b371e7b19ce8913307a439e630034906b740aad784a4b7828ea/Typical-Office-Plan-1.png" data-mid="183240668" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e68dd043be187b371e7b19ce8913307a439e630034906b740aad784a4b7828ea/Typical-Office-Plan-1.png" /> <img width="5908" height="4726" width_o="5908" height_o="4726" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9c7930acaa2c82f6b02921420a540f0b9aded4cf3eaa87a9772bf21e14f76b52/Basement-Plan.png" data-mid="183240663" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9c7930acaa2c82f6b02921420a540f0b9aded4cf3eaa87a9772bf21e14f76b52/Basement-Plan.png" /> <img width="5908" height="4726" width_o="5908" height_o="4726" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9a1edcb1d8e116451ba4b5fd95d12c4e82f172a8a051659d206a38c662d3c9ab/Typical-Office-Plan-2.png" data-mid="183240669" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9a1edcb1d8e116451ba4b5fd95d12c4e82f172a8a051659d206a38c662d3c9ab/Typical-Office-Plan-2.png" /> <img width="5908" height="4726" width_o="5908" height_o="4726" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c3ba3a84acfe834c6126cdf76dc36a75a3ba5fdeb9c20cb7a3322576d610a2c0/Library-Plan.png" data-mid="183240665" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c3ba3a84acfe834c6126cdf76dc36a75a3ba5fdeb9c20cb7a3322576d610a2c0/Library-Plan.png" /> The rooms can be programmed as private offices, conference rooms, and storage rooms depending on their size and position within the floor plate (below). The plates also accommodate four egress cores and private restrooms that double as structural components. The winding circulation spaces between rooms can double as individual or group work zones. <img width="960" height="960" width_o="960" height_o="960" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ac99c39a8ca7084e3311ae7565aeb6d1fd6238bebcdcf395a33087cfdd2e60c0/211206_GIF.gif" data-mid="183501893" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/960/i/ac99c39a8ca7084e3311ae7565aeb6d1fd6238bebcdcf395a33087cfdd2e60c0/211206_GIF.gif" /> Massive concrete versions of the two enclosure modules give shape to a partially open-air ground floor (below), where passage through institutional barriers is not a prerequisite for access to amenities, space, and interaction. Pockets of public gathering space recede from the sidewalk along curving walls and a gently-sloping ground plane. Abundant seating, outward-facing restrooms, and warm lighting invite passersby to engage or rest. <img width="5908" height="4726" width_o="5908" height_o="4726" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b807bf9e82733d923e1e6dc6ccb67b6cef59cce0a2c35626a8aefea82eccc47a/Ground-Floor-Plan.png" data-mid="183240664" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b807bf9e82733d923e1e6dc6ccb67b6cef59cce0a2c35626a8aefea82eccc47a/Ground-Floor-Plan.png" /> <img width="1800" height="1012" width_o="1800" height_o="1012" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f9b60ed84db389904014de51a8c603f1df27d4aa19315daaefc714d4cc9298f6/asmithson_1201_mc_ground-floor-render.jpg" data-mid="133234561" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f9b60ed84db389904014de51a8c603f1df27d4aa19315daaefc714d4cc9298f6/asmithson_1201_mc_ground-floor-render.jpg" /> The office building’s structural system relies on a column field in which load-bearing elements always fall within enclosed rooms. The rooms’ wall systems are composed of aluminum frames encased in translucent corrugated polycarbonate. Floor plates are lightened through bubble-decking, while volumes at the edges of the plates benefit from additional insulating panels (below). <img width="5908" height="4726" width_o="5908" height_o="4726" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7649e2a2125e77c5594c85a8f1d784d0c6c4311353549b07da11ff90946935b8/Axon-Detail.png" data-mid="183240662" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7649e2a2125e77c5594c85a8f1d784d0c6c4311353549b07da11ff90946935b8/Axon-Detail.png" /><img width="2954" height="2363" width_o="2954" height_o="2363" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f3d04c2f9edb32421228a1c98e347f003a7f328f450e96940bdbb80b53fba987/211206_ColumnRadii-01.jpg" data-mid="183502044" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f3d04c2f9edb32421228a1c98e347f003a7f328f450e96940bdbb80b53fba987/211206_ColumnRadii-01.jpg" /> The arrangement of rooms changes on each floor, generating an idiosyncratic facade that breaks with the monolithic curtain walls of Boston’s West End, mirroring the small-grain urbanity of Beacon Hill across the street and carving out small terraces for employees (below). <img width="3723" height="2771" width_o="3723" height_o="2771" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d695d3d635c61e6d85b805cc98e67a077c0ec47eef8b87def778dd0142af8ef8/asmithson_1201_mc_facade-render.jpg" data-mid="133234560" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d695d3d635c61e6d85b805cc98e67a077c0ec47eef8b87def778dd0142af8ef8/asmithson_1201_mc_facade-render.jpg" /> <img width="2500" height="2500" width_o="2500" height_o="2500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5b733e29e423720f010b98e993a4acf643438e0feec0b7b922fd1612fb094d73/asmithson_1201_mc_oblique-render_REDUCED.png" data-mid="133234831" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5b733e29e423720f010b98e993a4acf643438e0feec0b7b922fd1612fb094d73/asmithson_1201_mc_oblique-render_REDUCED.png" /> Lightwells in the shapes of the two modules puncture the building to varying depths. Two of them cut through to the ground floor, enabling modest light filtration and views through the building (below). <img width="5860" height="4688" width_o="5860" height_o="4688" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b474219b8678e79d160d671cd4cab5a86d8222032ca810a737627b5dcb07039f/Section.png" data-mid="183240667" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b474219b8678e79d160d671cd4cab5a86d8222032ca810a737627b5dcb07039f/Section.png" /> Global trends toward work-from-home models have proven that the home is not always a space of comfort, safety, and mental freedom. A series of diptych model photographs (below) demonstrates the ways in which&nbsp;Out of Office reimagines the workspace as a thermal, visual, and acoustic refuge for the clerical worker.&nbsp; <img width="1263" height="616" width_o="1263" height_o="616" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a42c6a4fe1955fba01c4a945aa8afebfd7331f3cac9034e07b8d10ab757fdd04/211206_Office-Terrace_FINAL.jpg" data-mid="126980950" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a42c6a4fe1955fba01c4a945aa8afebfd7331f3cac9034e07b8d10ab757fdd04/211206_Office-Terrace_FINAL.jpg" /><img width="1240" height="655" width_o="1240" height_o="655" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/da129da6438547ebb67930dc0e5a9321599472fa3cf8f381d1caafc96b5b1aab/211206_Office-Conference_FINAL.jpg" data-mid="126980946" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/da129da6438547ebb67930dc0e5a9321599472fa3cf8f381d1caafc96b5b1aab/211206_Office-Conference_FINAL.jpg" /><img width="1280" height="960" width_o="1280" height_o="960" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/15ea35d083ba7633a24d7ceb48287b05bc6492aca216ac9dd286ac93444b7462/211206_Office-Lightwell_FINAL.jpg" data-mid="126980948" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/15ea35d083ba7633a24d7ceb48287b05bc6492aca216ac9dd286ac93444b7462/211206_Office-Lightwell_FINAL.jpg" /> https://smithson.cargo.site/Lakeside-Grove Thu, 27 Jun 2024 19:50:07 +0000 Aaron Smithson https://smithson.cargo.site/Lakeside-Grove 2. Lakeside Grove 2024 HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing Competition First Place, Spring 2024Advisor: Jim Stockard Partners: Emily Hsee, Erik Larson, Maggie Weese <img width="2258" height="1888" width_o="2258" height_o="1888" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/07a628489932f228b1ea76d2706cb77cafff6e167a667837d856ec8a5c270ae5/240303_Wide_FULL2.jpg" data-mid="222604725" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/07a628489932f228b1ea76d2706cb77cafff6e167a667837d856ec8a5c270ae5/240303_Wide_FULL2.jpg" /> Lakeside Grove is a proposal for the redevelopment of the Romnes Apartments, a 168-unit public housing site in Madison, Wisconsin. Devised for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) 2024 Innovation in Affordable Housing Competition, in which it won First Place, the proposal centers on continuity for existing residents, long-term manageability for staff, and contextual densification for neighbors and future residents. <img width="5500" height="4250" width_o="5500" height_o="4250" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/75121e0b8c479dd1c21f5cabec85eea818604794488f07e154046205dfa13d5e/Map8-01.jpg" data-mid="222602568" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/75121e0b8c479dd1c21f5cabec85eea818604794488f07e154046205dfa13d5e/Map8-01.jpg" /> Sited just south of Monona Bay in the Bay Creek neighborhood, Lakeside Grove benefits from its proximity to numerous bus routes, bike paths, green spaces, schools, and other critical services (above). The site plan strategically arranges 5 L-shaped buildings to preserve dozens of mature trees and break up the parcel’s open space into three distinct courtyards (below). The southern courtyard hosts a public plaza and walking paths with access to the on-site offices of the Community Development Authority. The central courtyard offers 113 resident parking spots, while the northern courtyard features flexible recreation space and a shady tree canopy. <img width="2358" height="2700" width_o="2358" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2a40418d0ec33026abacba40719aab6459eaf95d13149f335b5a637651ebe9cf/240303_Wide_FULL_with-legend.jpg" data-mid="222604297" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2a40418d0ec33026abacba40719aab6459eaf95d13149f335b5a637651ebe9cf/240303_Wide_FULL_with-legend.jpg" /> A shaded plaza at the relatively busy intersection of Olin and Hickory welcomes visitors who have bussed, biked, or walked to the site and provides entry to the community clinic, CDA offices, and a protected green space (below). <img width="2250" height="2522" width_o="2250" height_o="2522" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f83a00a6c0878e4c5ee454af6d49bc7c7d71bfe8422b5fda290bfbeb4f973c6b/240303_Wide_FULL.jpg" data-mid="222604737" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f83a00a6c0878e4c5ee454af6d49bc7c7d71bfe8422b5fda290bfbeb4f973c6b/240303_Wide_FULL.jpg" /> In accordance with the Madison CDA’s requirement that existing residents only be asked to move once, the project’s phasing was carefully devised to enable residents to remain in their homes while buildings with replacement units are built at the edges of the site, then demolish the original horseshoe building at the middle of the site. Once demolition is complete, additional buildings holding another 119 units are constructed for residents on the CDA affordable housing waitlist (below). <img width="3400" height="2200" width_o="3400" height_o="2200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/94395bc438c4d8f30587900183b774cde5918338de7f824b52a3dbb96edc623b/20240414_HUD-axon-1-1.png" data-mid="222602551" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/94395bc438c4d8f30587900183b774cde5918338de7f824b52a3dbb96edc623b/20240414_HUD-axon-1-1.png" /> <img width="3400" height="2200" width_o="3400" height_o="2200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4b87edd80e0101ab3912aea2496be71e3dd2e8cdda073e3b0a83fe1777697b14/20240414_HUD-axon-2-1.png" data-mid="222602552" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4b87edd80e0101ab3912aea2496be71e3dd2e8cdda073e3b0a83fe1777697b14/20240414_HUD-axon-2-1.png" /> <img width="3400" height="2200" width_o="3400" height_o="2200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c482b48895a546325cc10f138bf35476116cb60b45f7e2c9111dd4286f515525/20240414_HUD-axon-3-1.png" data-mid="222602553" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c482b48895a546325cc10f138bf35476116cb60b45f7e2c9111dd4286f515525/20240414_HUD-axon-3-1.png" /> The buildings at Lakeside Grove are electrified and Passive House certifiable, using superinsulation, high-performance windows, and efficient mechanical systems to slash energy use while reducing noise and improving air quality for residents (below). Buildings are oriented to preserve as many trees as possible. New trees and grasses native to southern Wisconsin are planted in gardens, including on portions of the roof of each shared space. Rooftop solar arrays generate 130,000 kWh annually, decreasing utility costs and qualifying the project for key state funding sources (below). <img width="4000" height="3000" width_o="4000" height_o="3000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1979d5d2ac1cb85b0e4be4bef79ce6df030caeecb202cbfe7b13ab081de4e6c2/Sustainability-Render.png" data-mid="222602570" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1979d5d2ac1cb85b0e4be4bef79ce6df030caeecb202cbfe7b13ab081de4e6c2/Sustainability-Render.png" /> <img width="4617" height="953" width_o="4617" height_o="953" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bd28cc23753b65790034a4ba1cfb0a27c0899d38e6b58bfe9cfe61042ebe4443/240303_Wide_FULL3.jpg" data-mid="222604480" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bd28cc23753b65790034a4ba1cfb0a27c0899d38e6b58bfe9cfe61042ebe4443/240303_Wide_FULL3.jpg" /> Affordable for-sale townhouses are distributed across the site to encourage interaction between tenants and owners. One-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments are mixed within each building so as not to segregate individuals from families (below). <img width="4676" height="1702" width_o="4676" height_o="1702" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f8cca3839c663992082dd6060c12bdf789497f2c4d16ca29c4da9c0e1dab51dd/240303_Wide_FULL4.jpg" data-mid="222604479" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f8cca3839c663992082dd6060c12bdf789497f2c4d16ca29c4da9c0e1dab51dd/240303_Wide_FULL4.jpg" /> The joints between apartment blocks and townhouse blocks become community hubs. Each “hinge” accommodates covered bike storage, car parking, and a lobby on the ground floor, as well as a lounge, laundry room, and outdoor terrace on the second floor (below). Concentrating shared uses in the hinges enables the main residential massing of each building to be a box, simplifying both construction and maintenance, ensuring the long-term manageability of the property. <img width="2258" height="1317" width_o="2258" height_o="1317" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c28826ea13ed98ad0d93e3158a8c5c7d8d5f6e181e9573556122fcd8f3496c4d/240303_Wide_FULL2.2.jpg" data-mid="222604733" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c28826ea13ed98ad0d93e3158a8c5c7d8d5f6e181e9573556122fcd8f3496c4d/240303_Wide_FULL2.2.jpg" /> <img width="3000" height="1687" width_o="3000" height_o="1687" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bc326d30e37ca6f15f6c4a7afb202378c692355329ab1715ca03507c904ad17d/240413_Laundry.png" data-mid="213744076" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bc326d30e37ca6f15f6c4a7afb202378c692355329ab1715ca03507c904ad17d/240413_Laundry.png" />Informed by discussions with CDA staff at Romnes Apartments, amenities at Lakeside Grove include a communal gym and tool libraries where residents can rent out items like snow shovels or power drills (below). <img width="4000" height="2250" width_o="4000" height_o="2250" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/402f91c145d6f9f355d5d8a54eddde912e9564e32bc9523c9f591ceefa91d55a/Tool-Library-Render.png" data-mid="222602571" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/402f91c145d6f9f355d5d8a54eddde912e9564e32bc9523c9f591ceefa91d55a/Tool-Library-Render.png" /> In the interest of providing existing residents with a sense of continuity, the abundant terraces and patios of Romnes Apartments are carried forth in Lakeside Grove. Each unit, regardless of size or floor, boasts direct access to outdoor space (below). Mansard roofs give Lakeside Grove’s low-rise apartment buildings an appearance more characteristic of smaller scale domestic architecture, connecting them to their single-family context (below). <img width="3150" height="1185" width_o="3150" height_o="1185" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/538abab9a8868b8706514e211d26f91faa72b48e84218b23f964a77a90ddac3a/240303_Wide_FULL5.jpg" data-mid="222604716" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/538abab9a8868b8706514e211d26f91faa72b48e84218b23f964a77a90ddac3a/240303_Wide_FULL5.jpg" /> <img width="4500" height="1546" width_o="4500" height_o="1546" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6cb7eeb2fc9e78bf2cc3f45eb4412d8981ae44e36ed0a116239ae7b09f6cd0f4/240128_RENDER-02_FINAL_SMALL.png" data-mid="213744075" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6cb7eeb2fc9e78bf2cc3f45eb4412d8981ae44e36ed0a116239ae7b09f6cd0f4/240128_RENDER-02_FINAL_SMALL.png" /> Because residents at Romnes Apartments enjoy personalizing their doors with photographs and other mementos, Lakeside Grove incorporates extra-wide door frames for each unit, providing each resident with a cork board and a shallow shelf to help identify their unit. In alignment with trauma-informed design principles, each floor is color coded to assist with orientation and navigation (below). <img width="2000" height="1125" width_o="2000" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4a5538693076bfe0fc058521311f1a0615ee2f0175c3c708d52228879f8220b2/240413_Door-2_FINAL.png" data-mid="222602577" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4a5538693076bfe0fc058521311f1a0615ee2f0175c3c708d52228879f8220b2/240413_Door-2_FINAL.png" /><img width="2000" height="1125" width_o="2000" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/14dccd8cd81f47535f903bb6590621a66c3bd75d35c90932d53855a4b54b85ed/240413_Door-1_FINAL.png" data-mid="222602576" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/14dccd8cd81f47535f903bb6590621a66c3bd75d35c90932d53855a4b54b85ed/240413_Door-1_FINAL.png" /><img width="2000" height="1125" width_o="2000" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/20c3ba1d9e567a54e9abfe5a4b2843ed39aba123de76629fcc4fac484b516495/240413_Door-3_FINAL.png" data-mid="222602578" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/20c3ba1d9e567a54e9abfe5a4b2843ed39aba123de76629fcc4fac484b516495/240413_Door-3_FINAL.png" /> Personalized doorways create warmer and more welcoming hallways for residents. Every corridor has access to natural light, fostering connections to nature even from the most mundane spaces on site (below).&nbsp; <img width="3000" height="3000" width_o="3000" height_o="3000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0b78327523e8863fbcc41d35fde282c62b6a76a5d5909ae9398f48234a5b34b7/240413_Hallway-Render_FINAL.png" data-mid="222602579" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0b78327523e8863fbcc41d35fde282c62b6a76a5d5909ae9398f48234a5b34b7/240413_Hallway-Render_FINAL.png" /> https://smithson.cargo.site/1-5-Loaded-Corridor Sun, 11 Jul 2021 04:01:47 +0000 Aaron Smithson https://smithson.cargo.site/1-5-Loaded-Corridor 4. 1.5-Loaded Corridor Harvard GSDArchitecture Core 4 Studio, Spring 2022Critic: Jenny French Partner: Taichi Wi<img width="4800" height="2700" width_o="4800" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ca8fa848b517a02e453cd3f4323664492c87359bc28449d2bf8e6c8990f2145d/230322_Open-House-Presentation10.jpg" data-mid="183631697" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ca8fa848b517a02e453cd3f4323664492c87359bc28449d2bf8e6c8990f2145d/230322_Open-House-Presentation10.jpg" />The double-loaded corridor is seamless and efficient. Ubiquitous in high-density housing design, it maximizes private space for the nuclear family while minimizing spaces for interaction,&nbsp; negotiation, and friction between neighbors. It serves and promotes lifestyles of stable self-sufficiency and independence – values framed as absolute social goods in the U.S. housing market. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Independence and total separation in multi-family housing, though, also generate isolation and distrust. In lieu of the alienation of the double-loaded corridor, this project asks how architectural form can cultivate neighborly inter-dependence and broader notions of collective care. What spatial transformations might make room for the kinds of social friction and mutual negotiation necessary for expansive, resilient networks of support? <img width="4155" height="2700" width_o="4155" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/02a708c20748578e49ddc8f28cae9fca61ca0d48ec7fff4b4a53160c44a8e91c/230322_Open-House-Presentation4.jpg" data-mid="183641058" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/02a708c20748578e49ddc8f28cae9fca61ca0d48ec7fff4b4a53160c44a8e91c/230322_Open-House-Presentation4.jpg" /> The project operates on a ubiquitous North American residential format--the long, thin high-rise tower centered on a double-loaded corridor (above). <img width="4800" height="2700" width_o="4800" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cfa4a9be2f0e353734d16b2a6bbf13fcf292ddef5edb95c1e9e73530ba902826/230322_Open-House-Presentation3.jpg" data-mid="183640184" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cfa4a9be2f0e353734d16b2a6bbf13fcf292ddef5edb95c1e9e73530ba902826/230322_Open-House-Presentation3.jpg" /> Adapting a building in West Cambridge (above), our proposal expands its corridor and shifts it off-center. The building’s existing column grids, floor plates, and wet walls guide the formation of a bumpy, irregular circulation space (below). This “1.5-loaded corridor” encourages interaction across the hallway, providing space for increased awareness of the lives of others and promoting, in turn, both negotiation and mutual aid. <img width="4800" height="2700" width_o="4800" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/239c96400428093fafc7b3ebacf4231005497b20de167cf581b25598ab79adb0/230322_Open-House-Presentation6.jpg" data-mid="183631692" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/239c96400428093fafc7b3ebacf4231005497b20de167cf581b25598ab79adb0/230322_Open-House-Presentation6.jpg" /> <img width="4800" height="2700" width_o="4800" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e7aeb49326b8a44228618c24cdf2e24c410c65e2419eefff4be516404c1de55a/230322_Open-House-Presentation7.jpg" data-mid="183631693" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e7aeb49326b8a44228618c24cdf2e24c410c65e2419eefff4be516404c1de55a/230322_Open-House-Presentation7.jpg" /> <img width="4800" height="2700" width_o="4800" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a06656cba9ff71f4aac3586278c20f46dd685e03cd03d9903f9303a9fcb0152d/230322_Open-House-Presentation8.jpg" data-mid="183631694" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a06656cba9ff71f4aac3586278c20f46dd685e03cd03d9903f9303a9fcb0152d/230322_Open-House-Presentation8.jpg" /> <img width="4800" height="2700" width_o="4800" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5f6a5c93fa3ed9b48969b55be21849689a776b0a95de5f19f033dd60169f16e8/230322_Open-House-Presentation9.jpg" data-mid="183631695" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5f6a5c93fa3ed9b48969b55be21849689a776b0a95de5f19f033dd60169f16e8/230322_Open-House-Presentation9.jpg" /> <img width="4800" height="2700" width_o="4800" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ca8fa848b517a02e453cd3f4323664492c87359bc28449d2bf8e6c8990f2145d/230322_Open-House-Presentation10.jpg" data-mid="183631697" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ca8fa848b517a02e453cd3f4323664492c87359bc28449d2bf8e6c8990f2145d/230322_Open-House-Presentation10.jpg" /> <img width="4800" height="2700" width_o="4800" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cb6abc3cc61a31f73a60c4200034ab742b7f12d0f8ac3229e133c36e542b1a4c/230322_Open-House-Presentation11.jpg" data-mid="183631698" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cb6abc3cc61a31f73a60c4200034ab742b7f12d0f8ac3229e133c36e542b1a4c/230322_Open-House-Presentation11.jpg" /> <img width="4800" height="2700" width_o="4800" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/25b32f300ddb4c986d7260278701cc2511637037a5c61bc4b1fb993afccfd698/230322_Open-House-Presentation12.jpg" data-mid="183631699" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/25b32f300ddb4c986d7260278701cc2511637037a5c61bc4b1fb993afccfd698/230322_Open-House-Presentation12.jpg" /> <img width="2595" height="1904" width_o="2595" height_o="1904" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/88d4f1dea1303ece1f852c5dcf6cf0cb1ef091e6b483003d45f7dcd2b07c75eb/zoomed-plans.jpg" data-mid="183642169" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/88d4f1dea1303ece1f852c5dcf6cf0cb1ef091e6b483003d45f7dcd2b07c75eb/zoomed-plans.jpg" /> On the north side of the building, the plate is expanded to accommodate single-room occupancy (SRO) units, which are interspersed with shared terraces and alcoves that enable light to penetrate the corridor. Additional fire doors and egress routes compensate for the resulting increase in residential capacity (below left). On the south side, existing plumbing chases now support hallway-accessible ADA bathrooms and kitchens that residents can intermittently open up to or close off from the collective space of the corridor – units are not uniformly locked behind fire-rated doors that prevent any sort of sensory bleed. These multi-room units are also expanded to the south in the form of terraces that can be appropriated and territorialized according to the needs of each resident (below right). <img width="2400" height="1350" width_o="2400" height_o="1350" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6105ab2a84eab89d33f2644ce5fca80154a54c5d18eb8e673887c09e5df86afd/230330_Construction.gif" data-mid="183631309" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6105ab2a84eab89d33f2644ce5fca80154a54c5d18eb8e673887c09e5df86afd/230330_Construction.gif" /> On the south facade, a skeletal column frame is attached to the existing steel frame, from which terraces are suspended in three tapered groups of six (below). The resulting tripartite division of the facade, as well as the appropriation and territorialization of the terraces by the residents, enables the building to read as more textural than monolithic. <img width="4800" height="2700" width_o="4800" height_o="2700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3fd64e00f274963315691eeb232c3c09d49586b6f2d28174c105bf64435d5f8f/230322_Open-House-Presentation25.jpg" data-mid="183639951" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3fd64e00f274963315691eeb232c3c09d49586b6f2d28174c105bf64435d5f8f/230322_Open-House-Presentation25.jpg" /> <img width="4250" height="2751" width_o="4250" height_o="2751" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b33d418beb234ac8b329ff3c28f983d65d8a3c162a4a6e67cf9346702b737dda/Section-Zoom-01.png" data-mid="183642018" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b33d418beb234ac8b329ff3c28f983d65d8a3c162a4a6e67cf9346702b737dda/Section-Zoom-01.png" /> Existing window frames are expanded into sliding doors for access to outdoor spaces. A fragment model describes the relationship between these terraces and interior rooms (below). <img width="1170" height="1380" width_o="1170" height_o="1380" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0a719a8b7f521346675ebc328c1195972aa94fe174580054f72e9eee2d38a6a7/IMG_2206.png" data-mid="183389406" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0a719a8b7f521346675ebc328c1195972aa94fe174580054f72e9eee2d38a6a7/IMG_2206.png" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/379b968aea2afc251f43ff68a7498099fa96c4235ac6f47cea2e9317c069222e/IMG_2509.png" data-mid="183389408" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/379b968aea2afc251f43ff68a7498099fa96c4235ac6f47cea2e9317c069222e/IMG_2509.png" /> Extensions of the existing apartments onto generous terraces enable residents to reconfigure their spaces according to their needs, including through climatized solariums. <img width="3840" height="2880" width_o="3840" height_o="2880" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4d978df94f276a4b772a8407af3e53c71667bb9084edf0556a15ff38b09bef49/IMG_2887.png" data-mid="183389410" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4d978df94f276a4b772a8407af3e53c71667bb9084edf0556a15ff38b09bef49/IMG_2887.png" /> <img width="3841" height="2881" width_o="3841" height_o="2881" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8a606936eca001031449c75755c99322146acae0d31170312660a6dd7da1c620/IMG_2243-1.png" data-mid="183389407" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8a606936eca001031449c75755c99322146acae0d31170312660a6dd7da1c620/IMG_2243-1.png" /> <img width="2500" height="1875" width_o="2500" height_o="1875" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7661e15bb5615397ace0fbeb62cae2c830e59a1352fce81fb016aaf05bb53586/IMG_2937.png" data-mid="183389491" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7661e15bb5615397ace0fbeb62cae2c830e59a1352fce81fb016aaf05bb53586/IMG_2937.png" /><img width="1170" height="1661" width_o="1170" height_o="1661" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/df18da0f409e2468c1635ecbb879841866dbda4a2919eb2f46a9674b953137ad/IMG_2072.png" data-mid="183389405" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/df18da0f409e2468c1635ecbb879841866dbda4a2919eb2f46a9674b953137ad/IMG_2072.png" /> https://smithson.cargo.site/Forgotten-Fort-Kongenstein Wed, 03 Jan 2024 03:34:32 +0000 Aaron Smithson https://smithson.cargo.site/Forgotten-Fort-Kongenstein 3. Forgotten Fort Kongenstein Harvard GSDArchitecture Option Studio, Fall 2023Critic: Olayinka Dosekun Adjei <img width="3024" height="3708" width_o="3024" height_o="3708" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3864d5299e033e55fa09262cbdbd78241bd8a0782691da2122996050c04576c4/240105_glow.png" data-mid="203750096" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3864d5299e033e55fa09262cbdbd78241bd8a0782691da2122996050c04576c4/240105_glow.png" /> This library and learning center reimagines the rigid, impenetrable ruins of a former Danish trading post on Ghana’s Atlantic coast as a porous community landmark. Integrating formal logics from the exaggerated roofs of Asante courtyard buildings (below) and the accretive plans of traditional West African compounds, the proposal introduces three stories of additional learning and study spaces above the fort’s existing cellular rooms and courtyards. <img width="9258" height="3723" width_o="9258" height_o="3723" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c748440cbe716bdc6f83b46f4b3453bd54adb6f0ec48d520b0a09917ac505193/240228_Wide_FULL_REDUCED-IMAGES.jpg" data-mid="205812473" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c748440cbe716bdc6f83b46f4b3453bd54adb6f0ec48d520b0a09917ac505193/240228_Wide_FULL_REDUCED-IMAGES.jpg" /> <img width="4663" height="1308" width_o="4663" height_o="1308" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/387f9983a8b074da34802005756cafe8a7bfb3adb6b24fdf513461a18895a663/240228_Wide_FULL_REDUCED-IMAGES.jpg" data-mid="205812889" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/387f9983a8b074da34802005756cafe8a7bfb3adb6b24fdf513461a18895a663/240228_Wide_FULL_REDUCED-IMAGES.jpg" /> The project began with an exercise to design a building that transitions from a prototypical Western courtyard to a prototypical West African courtyard space. Modeled in clay, the resulting study building dissolves a rigid, rectilinear form (similar to Fort Kongenstein, photographed below) into several small rooms with passable gaps, creating more intimate gathering spaces cohered by a substantial, occupiable roof (below). These formal techniques were carried into the final design project. <img width="3742" height="2215" width_o="3742" height_o="2215" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/06348c6f5f4d1ec076320231084e3f48fdd4e353cfcc86b973da563b6bdead6b/DJI_0606.jpg" data-mid="205812704" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/06348c6f5f4d1ec076320231084e3f48fdd4e353cfcc86b973da563b6bdead6b/DJI_0606.jpg" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/81c4877c2dd5c0d6dd5bb20c1f4e02354b333d7c1fbbc149eaef5c15268f22f1/231213_clay-model-2.png" data-mid="203750095" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/81c4877c2dd5c0d6dd5bb20c1f4e02354b333d7c1fbbc149eaef5c15268f22f1/231213_clay-model-2.png" /> <img width="2000" height="1500" width_o="2000" height_o="1500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/15c8363baf89b3f6f664310d88407564f0a6f4ee337727d6a3f17976d431b54e/231213_clay-model_REDUCED.png" data-mid="203751982" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/15c8363baf89b3f6f664310d88407564f0a6f4ee337727d6a3f17976d431b54e/231213_clay-model_REDUCED.png" /> <img width="6097" height="2238" width_o="6097" height_o="2238" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9c748b0e9674a18b1552efd81df9b34885d31cb9938a06e59a5ad6b9d14e05d6/DJI_0578_Panorama.jpg" data-mid="205812700" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9c748b0e9674a18b1552efd81df9b34885d31cb9938a06e59a5ad6b9d14e05d6/DJI_0578_Panorama.jpg" /> On the ground floor of the final design, four of the fort’s existing cellular rooms have been removed to enable free-flowing connections between the inner courtyards and an external triangular plaza. Volumetric modules have been added to create more intimate spaces for socialization, learning, and cultural events (below). <img width="2000" height="1600" width_o="2000" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f2e2f08c2030dee1d97c4e08a8ff9e3c047296e8e5a31a390961499af47de065/Plan-GIF.gif" data-mid="200607464" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f2e2f08c2030dee1d97c4e08a8ff9e3c047296e8e5a31a390961499af47de065/Plan-GIF.gif" /><img width="3000" height="2250" width_o="3000" height_o="2250" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/11b4b9f08e3b67a6e4f77c664701cbcd49b8262c2141cf28476c8fdcb54e1568/231210_courtyard-01.png" data-mid="222605052" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/11b4b9f08e3b67a6e4f77c664701cbcd49b8262c2141cf28476c8fdcb54e1568/231210_courtyard-01.png" /><img width="3000" height="3109" width_o="3000" height_o="3109" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/09726434773d554a671ff497a173a4f13fcbc9ead49d6447b8e27a41b8c95b10/231210_courtyard-02.png" data-mid="222605053" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/09726434773d554a671ff497a173a4f13fcbc9ead49d6447b8e27a41b8c95b10/231210_courtyard-02.png" /> <img width="2000" height="1600" width_o="2000" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3556c6777927577ca4656422080d9969b10bf4897df3eb8e4cfb1711778d51fe/Axon-GIF.gif" data-mid="222605115" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3556c6777927577ca4656422080d9969b10bf4897df3eb8e4cfb1711778d51fe/Axon-GIF.gif" /> The elongated, bar-shaped addition above the old stone fort celebrates Ada Foah’s unique geographical position while signaling the building’s importance as a collective gathering space for the entire town (above). Circulation and services spaces are housed in volumes that protrude from the bar (above), affording visitors continuous views from the Atlantic Ocean in the south to the Volta River in the north (below). <img width="3810" height="1384" width_o="3810" height_o="1384" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/601e62859dec126820971c5e88172873893be481eeb13500802bbf49726a37ac/231210_main-model_floor-2.png" data-mid="200606880" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/601e62859dec126820971c5e88172873893be481eeb13500802bbf49726a37ac/231210_main-model_floor-2.png" /> <img width="5400" height="3354" width_o="5400" height_o="3354" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1d7b1a11fcaa55e499af7bacd4e2aaed7a2982acf1719aa65b87d072f76ad4df/Section-cropped.jpg" data-mid="222605071" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1d7b1a11fcaa55e499af7bacd4e2aaed7a2982acf1719aa65b87d072f76ad4df/Section-cropped.jpg" /> The addition is built in lightweight timber to resist corrosion from the salty Atlantic crosswinds. As the ocean inevitably erodes the site within 40 years, the modular rooms can be moved to other locations throughout Ada Foah to serve as classrooms, libraries, or other communal spaces. Certain components of the wood structure can be dismantled and reused. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7ca884cb81fb0b4be5c34eeffd6f6840fd642fbb4614f22136bb591e4c16d587/231210_detail-03.png" data-mid="200607585" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7ca884cb81fb0b4be5c34eeffd6f6840fd642fbb4614f22136bb591e4c16d587/231210_detail-03.png" /> <img width="2250" height="3000" width_o="2250" height_o="3000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/73e50f10fa54b8ca4b09ab8fb2f1ef46f8bf4f0971a9b28ae3df9e97fa435531/231210_detail-02.png" data-mid="200607583" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/73e50f10fa54b8ca4b09ab8fb2f1ef46f8bf4f0971a9b28ae3df9e97fa435531/231210_detail-02.png" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8c462f1365b8cdc5f9114cd1bb85c2ce96cce87ec8aab0b21e759f492672dd48/231210_detail-01.png" data-mid="200607588" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8c462f1365b8cdc5f9114cd1bb85c2ce96cce87ec8aab0b21e759f492672dd48/231210_detail-01.png" /> <img width="2878" height="3838" width_o="2878" height_o="3838" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c742f32ddcffd63fa18dafad38d589fbfcc159cf930093298cd33fae64466b86/231210_detail-05.png" data-mid="200607589" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c742f32ddcffd63fa18dafad38d589fbfcc159cf930093298cd33fae64466b86/231210_detail-05.png" /> https://smithson.cargo.site/NYC-Urban-Design-Principles Mon, 26 Jun 2023 00:52:30 +0000 Aaron Smithson https://smithson.cargo.site/NYC-Urban-Design-Principles 4. NYC’s Principles of Good Urban Design NYC Department of City Planning, Division of Urban DesignUrban Design Fellowship, Summer 2022Supervisor: Eugenia Di Girolamo Collaborator: Melissa Gutiérrez Soto <img width="959" height="675" width_o="959" height_o="675" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1e3efecb75c3175936ceb54e97f7681f13e8341886561587ef8e4c9987b6f688/urban-design-principle1.jpg" data-mid="183387467" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/959/i/1e3efecb75c3175936ceb54e97f7681f13e8341886561587ef8e4c9987b6f688/urban-design-principle1.jpg" /> <img width="900" height="675" width_o="900" height_o="675" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f43b9deb16ef4413f3a5b804b086cbe7645cbe0b1fb4d1023569ce994c489b55/urban-design-principle3.jpg" data-mid="183387469" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/f43b9deb16ef4413f3a5b804b086cbe7645cbe0b1fb4d1023569ce994c489b55/urban-design-principle3.jpg" /> <img width="900" height="675" width_o="900" height_o="675" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8878061d894001810a5412897e6540fb1afb2a5be2ed21dc90bddcf776a5f430/urban-design-principle2.jpg" data-mid="183387468" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/8878061d894001810a5412897e6540fb1afb2a5be2ed21dc90bddcf776a5f430/urban-design-principle2.jpg" /> <img width="900" height="675" width_o="900" height_o="675" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7a265ab9281c2fe284ce0b7161108acee4d6d47feaa18d515e9bb291ac7f39c0/urban-design-principle4.jpg" data-mid="183387470" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/7a265ab9281c2fe284ce0b7161108acee4d6d47feaa18d515e9bb291ac7f39c0/urban-design-principle4.jpg" /> Now published on the NYC Department of City Planning’s website as part of the agency’s Principles of Good Urban Design, these illustrations convey key characteristics of well-designed neighborhoods in New York City. The principles are meant to serve simultaneously as a guide to development teams seeking sign-off from the department as well as an informative tool for everyday New Yorkers. Rather than representing precise locations, the illustrations are amalgamations that evoke the scale and built characteristics of various neighborhoods across the five boroughs, including Astoria, the West Village, Forest Hills, Crown Heights, and Bedford-Stuyvesant. The four principles are as follows (with relevant text pasted below each illustration): <img width="959" height="675" width_o="959" height_o="675" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1e3efecb75c3175936ceb54e97f7681f13e8341886561587ef8e4c9987b6f688/urban-design-principle1.jpg" data-mid="183387467" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/959/i/1e3efecb75c3175936ceb54e97f7681f13e8341886561587ef8e4c9987b6f688/urban-design-principle1.jpg" /> Enhance People’s Daily Lives: Everyone should feel safe and comfortable moving around New York City and enjoying its many open spaces. Good design can contribute to a more inclusive, enjoyable experience of everyday life in a city that fosters a sense of pride and belonging. This principle speaks to: Accessibility and SafetyMobility and ConnectivityComfort and BeautyQuality and Durability <img width="900" height="675" width_o="900" height_o="675" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8878061d894001810a5412897e6540fb1afb2a5be2ed21dc90bddcf776a5f430/urban-design-principle2.jpg" data-mid="183387468" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/8878061d894001810a5412897e6540fb1afb2a5be2ed21dc90bddcf776a5f430/urban-design-principle2.jpg" /> Care for a Neighborhood’s History, Culture, and Identity: People make our neighborhoods and the buildings, parks and streets are their backdrop. Good design respects the histories, identities, and cultures that have shaped and continue to shape the city’s many diverse neighborhoods. This principle speaks to: Community and DiversityExisting Networks and UsesNatural Features and ResourcesBuilding Features and Form <img width="900" height="675" width_o="900" height_o="675" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f43b9deb16ef4413f3a5b804b086cbe7645cbe0b1fb4d1023569ce994c489b55/urban-design-principle3.jpg" data-mid="183387469" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/f43b9deb16ef4413f3a5b804b086cbe7645cbe0b1fb4d1023569ce994c489b55/urban-design-principle3.jpg" /> Embrace the City’s Dynamism: New York City is an unparalleled, dynamic, and vibrant world capital. Whether it is the iconic landmarks admired around the world, the bustling commercial districts driving innovation, the vibrant parks that everyone can enjoy, or the rhythm of apartment buildings that define a neighborhood – "New Yorkness” looks different in every neighborhood. Good urban design can challenge preconceptions, advance progress, and open new ideas. This principle speaks to: Innovation and CreativityFlexibility and VarietyOld and NewResourcefulness and Tenacity <img width="900" height="675" width_o="900" height_o="675" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7a265ab9281c2fe284ce0b7161108acee4d6d47feaa18d515e9bb291ac7f39c0/urban-design-principle4.jpg" data-mid="183387470" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/7a265ab9281c2fe284ce0b7161108acee4d6d47feaa18d515e9bb291ac7f39c0/urban-design-principle4.jpg" /> Confront Society’s Greatest Challenges: New York City must secure its future against many challenges, from the climate crisis to social inequity. We must make design choices that help us build a safer, stronger, fairer, more resilient city for generations to come. This principle speaks to: Sustainability and AdaptabilityEquity and OpportunityHealth and Well-beingDiversity and Mutual Understanding https://smithson.cargo.site/Walnut-Park-Place Mon, 26 Jun 2023 00:50:39 +0000 Aaron Smithson https://smithson.cargo.site/Walnut-Park-Place 5. Walnut Park Place Harvard GSD/HKSAffordable and Mixed-Income Housing Development and Finance, Spring 2023Instructor: Ed Marchant Developer: Urban Edge Design Partner: Angie Lopez Videla Finance Partners: Emma Bonnano, Cory Azmon, Michelle Leung <img width="3194" height="2555" width_o="3194" height_o="2555" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/661c6f213f9613b73221f8db2f91c882bac4c9c7440c2465d82b1c915c307e36/street-frontage-night-UPDATED.png" data-mid="183252562" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/661c6f213f9613b73221f8db2f91c882bac4c9c7440c2465d82b1c915c307e36/street-frontage-night-UPDATED.png" /> <img width="3200" height="2560" width_o="3200" height_o="2560" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/80a81deef161ff8fc1e7f3019336239a8c20b2ed672830e36544b070dcf966d0/Street-Frontage-updated.png" data-mid="183252561" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/80a81deef161ff8fc1e7f3019336239a8c20b2ed672830e36544b070dcf966d0/Street-Frontage-updated.png" /> Walnut Park Place is an affordable homeownership development proposal for a pair of adjacent lots on the edge of Boston’s Roxbury and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods. Developed in partnership with Urban Edge for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s 2023 Affordable Housing Development Competition (AHDC), in which it won Third Place, the proposal includes stakeholder input, a design scheme, a full pro forma, and a community engagement plan to maximize feasibility. The proposal was revised for the GSD’s 2024 Plimpton Poorvu Design Prize, in which it won Second Place. <img width="828" height="662" width_o="828" height_o="662" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e31ffdb8cbb9f7a9f07e418a2093077fc6ba4c53e332c11627b370ae31be79e2/41-walnut.png" data-mid="183633254" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/828/i/e31ffdb8cbb9f7a9f07e418a2093077fc6ba4c53e332c11627b370ae31be79e2/41-walnut.png" /> <img width="1005" height="804" width_o="1005" height_o="804" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ee60bacf7a02aa5b5844ef490ba5790d79bd6bd932efc2449aee213d35322b6a/51-walnut.png" data-mid="183633253" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ee60bacf7a02aa5b5844ef490ba5790d79bd6bd932efc2449aee213d35322b6a/51-walnut.png" /> <img width="1745" height="1163" width_o="1745" height_o="1163" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/679c8024e1617e17132e7f4523862b0586e1a3497fafb37a5487fcce58185440/context-2-01.png" data-mid="183633461" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/679c8024e1617e17132e7f4523862b0586e1a3497fafb37a5487fcce58185440/context-2-01.png" /> The project site is located on Walnut Park Place near Egleston Square with considerable access to public transit and childcare infrastructure. One lot has a historic home with 3 occupied rental units owned by Urban Edge, while the other has an abandoned home slated for demolition. The City responded to Urban Edge's previous proposal for the site, which involved demolishing the active historic home as well, by asking the CDC to maintain the building. <img width="1437" height="1245" width_o="1437" height_o="1245" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c43249daa4c1a346705cb64709f38bc9f61de1cf4b7a6dcd4c4e7dcb7fbcf285/context.jpg" data-mid="183633086" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c43249daa4c1a346705cb64709f38bc9f61de1cf4b7a6dcd4c4e7dcb7fbcf285/context.jpg" /> Channeling the Wu administration's push for the development of affordable ownership housing across Boston, Urban Edge is now interested in developing the site exclusively for homeownership opportunities, which are sorely lacking for Roxbury locals due to decades of disinvestment, redlining, neglect, and other elements of structural racism. Units are to be filled by tenants living in Urban Edge's many rental housing developments in the area, many of whom already participate in the CDC's first-time homebuyer education programs. <img width="1600" height="1600" width_o="1600" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/227d5f2bf1861b928847449d0f76ded47a777e95297083e15563c6cb9220eb7c/sidewalk-final.png" data-mid="183252408" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/227d5f2bf1861b928847449d0f76ded47a777e95297083e15563c6cb9220eb7c/sidewalk-final.png" /> <img width="1430" height="1912" width_o="1430" height_o="1912" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/01409dc7974b11fb2609b97d08c8f5e5d27ef55d005887806cf2870ea0190a0d/massing.jpg" data-mid="183633085" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/01409dc7974b11fb2609b97d08c8f5e5d27ef55d005887806cf2870ea0190a0d/massing.jpg" /> Taking cues from our own focus group meeting with Urban Edge residents, the design capitalizes on the organization's unique status as its own rear abutter. On-site parking--16 spaces in total--is accessed from Columbus Ave through the parking lot of the neighboring property, Egleston Crossing. Funneling cars through a major thoroughfare reduces traffic on quiet Walnut Park Place, a key concern for many residents in the area. The massing itself steps back from the street in increments, meeting the sidewalk with a 3-story volume that mirrors surrounding houses and stacking up to a 5-story apartment building at the rear of the lot. The setbacks accommodate terraces that are privately and communally occupied by residents. <img width="660" height="660" width_o="660" height_o="660" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a1b77bd792495ab0ecbe6da19315ec4e843e47658be9bb5d0c98730601baf71b/unit-types-1.jpg" data-mid="183634071" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/660/i/a1b77bd792495ab0ecbe6da19315ec4e843e47658be9bb5d0c98730601baf71b/unit-types-1.jpg" /> <img width="660" height="660" width_o="660" height_o="660" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7d1ce0dba80da4f29fa57c1a51569f9580efe83614e67cbd8bd3a962e68597ed/unit-types-2.jpg" data-mid="183634072" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/660/i/7d1ce0dba80da4f29fa57c1a51569f9580efe83614e67cbd8bd3a962e68597ed/unit-types-2.jpg" /> <img width="660" height="660" width_o="660" height_o="660" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5fc4f58ba000eb5a6695d22326516bb9a1836edf7123dc541f3e57a2e6313b1b/unit-types-3.jpg" data-mid="183634073" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/660/i/5fc4f58ba000eb5a6695d22326516bb9a1836edf7123dc541f3e57a2e6313b1b/unit-types-3.jpg" /> <img width="2126" height="2751" width_o="2126" height_o="2751" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9f92d2c3349bd6f4ebb635b033b98b4e2c4a7d39eff2e6a46abd374a4fcd73ac/230402_Plans-01.png" data-mid="183633668" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9f92d2c3349bd6f4ebb635b033b98b4e2c4a7d39eff2e6a46abd374a4fcd73ac/230402_Plans-01.png" /> <img width="2126" height="2751" width_o="2126" height_o="2751" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ba00dc570c2b4dab1b60cc643d7b57b230aab77c833ac17497892af3cca9c2fc/230402_Plans-02.png" data-mid="183633669" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ba00dc570c2b4dab1b60cc643d7b57b230aab77c833ac17497892af3cca9c2fc/230402_Plans-02.png" /> <img width="2126" height="2751" width_o="2126" height_o="2751" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/889707d17c99848ad4eff257c276fe746bef7b84cb7b20e248be64a69dc9e579/230402_Plans-03.png" data-mid="183633670" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/889707d17c99848ad4eff257c276fe746bef7b84cb7b20e248be64a69dc9e579/230402_Plans-03.png" /> <img width="1600" height="900" width_o="1600" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/29abc25b38d85dc7463941f4965a5ee6fdc76f327ffc2f8e4e76af9b32ef74f9/Bedroom-View-FINAL.png" data-mid="183252402" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/29abc25b38d85dc7463941f4965a5ee6fdc76f327ffc2f8e4e76af9b32ef74f9/Bedroom-View-FINAL.png" /> <img width="1600" height="900" width_o="1600" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e6da4a9377ee67bba71a75c0367ec2e8a7c07d52aee4f72c9ae6c2c2911d9d9d/kitchen-living-FINAL.png" data-mid="183252404" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e6da4a9377ee67bba71a75c0367ec2e8a7c07d52aee4f72c9ae6c2c2911d9d9d/kitchen-living-FINAL.png" /> In order to take advantage of catalytic subsidies offered by the city, state, and federal governments, Walnut Park Place includes 7 market-rate and 22 affordable condos subsidized for households making 80 to 100% of Area Median Income (AMI). Units range from 1- to 3-bedrooms with a particular focus on ADA-compliant and family-sized apartments to accommodate a variety of households. <img width="1600" height="1600" width_o="1600" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9a062873eff8f8d0019c916a34df44bbdbad9114ab3fbd489f97563df2048bbf/entryway-updated.png" data-mid="183252403" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9a062873eff8f8d0019c916a34df44bbdbad9114ab3fbd489f97563df2048bbf/entryway-updated.png" /> <img width="1600" height="900" width_o="1600" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f3e387bd9e150da074ff73c13ddfe9c7a4cd8c34c817e6852ba1e581b98530a1/Lobby-FINAL.png" data-mid="183252405" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f3e387bd9e150da074ff73c13ddfe9c7a4cd8c34c817e6852ba1e581b98530a1/Lobby-FINAL.png" /> Communal spaces include a shared lobby lounge, a rooftop deck, and a publicly accessible garden at the front of the lot. The design incorporates a number of sustainability features, including permeable groundscapes and solar arrays already common on Urban Edge properties. Colors selected for the ceiling of the parking area and the mullions are taken directly from the famed 'Friends of Dudley Square' mural in Roxbury. <img width="1600" height="900" width_o="1600" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6381b241f17922e3e0885f5abeadc86701c4912d9d80f6904a80588a08c8a70a/roof-view-1.png" data-mid="183252406" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6381b241f17922e3e0885f5abeadc86701c4912d9d80f6904a80588a08c8a70a/roof-view-1.png" /> <img width="4751" height="3300" width_o="4751" height_o="3300" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b4f237c2403f1e17d51b6b2dfe2056c4c3ccea83047480ac3117ab884e918006/sustainability.jpg" data-mid="183633759" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b4f237c2403f1e17d51b6b2dfe2056c4c3ccea83047480ac3117ab884e918006/sustainability.jpg" /> https://smithson.cargo.site/Two-Blocks-in-Alphabet-City Sun, 11 Jul 2021 04:01:46 +0000 Aaron Smithson https://smithson.cargo.site/Two-Blocks-in-Alphabet-City 8. Two Blocks in Alphabet City Harvard GSDArchitecture Core 2 Studio, Spring 2021Critic: Sean Canty <img width="5400" height="7200" width_o="5400" height_o="7200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/be40dc17bceb7849c35f2fa9d935e5dd3bd5bdc1806131144cd216ba74b94dae/210316_FUTURE_FINAL-01.jpg" data-mid="113574258" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/be40dc17bceb7849c35f2fa9d935e5dd3bd5bdc1806131144cd216ba74b94dae/210316_FUTURE_FINAL-01.jpg" /> <img width="5400" height="7200" width_o="5400" height_o="7200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2e874db555a7601f072a10ea31eac418137aa3a61fc9cb8448425c35cd33ea5a/210316_PAST_FINAL2-01.jpg" data-mid="113574256" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2e874db555a7601f072a10ea31eac418137aa3a61fc9cb8448425c35cd33ea5a/210316_PAST_FINAL2-01.jpg" /> The 1954 construction of a school building in New York’s Alphabet City permanently severed East 5th Street from its intersection with Avenue C. Now culminating in a cul-de-sac and courtyard, the dead-end thoroughfare ruptures the surrounding grid, precludes chance encounters, and cuts off circulation between city blocks that host critical social and cultural infrastructure. Using vibrant colors and divergent oblique projections to capture the energy of the neighborhood, this diptych depicts the two blocks that flank East 5th Street in their past (purple) and future (yellow) states. In the imaginary future iteration, a gap is opened in the school building to restore the street’s function as a thru-space, while mid-block passages and additional fire escapes for spectatorship re-introduce forms of urban vitality that once defined this stoop-lined promenade.