Color is an ambiguous topic. This publication could not be about color because that topic is too big, broad, and vague. Instead, this year of Spacework breaks from explored themes of the past and instead focuses on a very specific part of color: how color activates space. We believe that by narrowing our thematic investigation, the theme of color can be investigated in different ways by future publications.
Part I of this publication is the results of our investigations of how color influences space. Rather than our theme running through the full book, it is investigated solely through interviews of individuals at the College of Architecture and the Built Environment. Again, this narrowing of scope is done to enable the other sections to stand on their own, create a richer dialogue, and more thoroughly investigate our theme. Interviews were conducted with individuals in a variety of majors to investigate how each discipline utilizes color to influence space.
The students interviewed were: Adam Hoover, Christine DiTiranti, Abigail Kern, Sarah Scott, and Darby Mann.
Faculty members and Directors interviewed were: David Kratzer, Kim Douglas, Lauren Baumbach, Robert Fleming, and Robert Fryer.
What is the relationship between space and color? What is the impact of color and space on humans?
DK: Color is literally one of the systems we use to perceive space. Through varied hue and value, colors create the foreground, midground and background of our visual depth of field. We understand distance and the boundaries of our physical environment by the colors that surround us. The consistent combinations of colors in our spatial landscape lead to rules of perception and representation - the foundation of our architectural imaginings. The language we speak is in this sense very “colorful.”
What are we to make of those among us that are considered “color-blind” though? Are they indeed blind or do they just have a different vocabulary of space? Does their combination of colors result in a different world view? Are their spatial songs in a different musical key? Perhaps
their combination of colors is correct, based on the originating baselines of colors they learned when they were young.
We are constantly reconstructing our visual world as we lose our physical ability to actually see it. In the design of environments for aging, our choices of colors must consider this gradual yellowing of the ocular lenses with brain confusions resulting from macular degeneration – especially in those afflicted with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“Through varied hue and value, colors create the foreground, mid ground and background of our visual depth of field.”
-David Kratzer
What is the importance of color in Architecture?
DK: Color as an active design element had been mostly lacking in much of the late international style of the 50’s and 60’s. The absence of color as a design agenda can be just as interesting though.
I am reminded of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work published in Europe in the early 20th century when drawings were printed in stark black and white. Together with wide framed dynamic perspectives, the representations conveyed an abstract quality of form that inspired waves of young European architects. Ironically, FLW’s work in reality is quite colorful with sophisticated palettes of hue and value. This balance between reality and its representation is grounded in color and/ or lack thereof. This speaks of the primal importance color has on the discipline of architecture and its ability to spark our spatial imaginations.
In the newly constructed medical building on our campus, how does color make the new space livelier?
DK: I respect the color coding of the classroom alcoves as a wayfinding system and find the specific choices of color pleasing. I find the fairly neutral color base of the building with the alcove accent colors to be a good balance for framing the activities in a learning environment. It creates a narrative which enriches the students’ displays of work.
“The consistent combinations of colors in our spatial landscape lead to rules of perception and representationthe foundation of our architectural imaginings.”
-David Kratzer
What is the relationship between color and materiality?
CD: You can get really contextual in that sense like Philly contextual would be red brick and concrete and steel. So our color scheme is red and gray and transparent.
If you were in Rome, all the buildings are warm, pastel, and oranges, and reds and yellows. Rome is all travertine but they paint all their travertine to reflect the warm vibe of the area.
AH: If you look at any metropolitan city like New York you get completely mostly black and glass and reflection so it also includes the skies as well; blues are incorporated into that. It’s not just physical architecture but its also the physical environment.
What is your opinion on white space? Is the absence of color more attractive?
CD: It depends on the architecture of the building that you’re in. Like in this room, it’s more white. I think that’s successful because this is a room where you’re supposed to pay attention and if it were colorful, I’d be distracted. It depends on the activity that you’re doing in the building. I like the idea of people bringing the color and the architecture is just the canvas. Like this building, we pin up our stuff and that adds life to something that is blank and boring.
AH: Modern, capital M modern composition using white with primary colors is really interesting because it highlights. Usually, openings are highlighted in the primary colors so it obviously informs some sense of change or change in space.
“The relationship between color and materiality is contextual”
-Christine DiTiranti
Describe one of your projects where you choose colors consciously or intentionally avoided it.
CD: The only time I ever consciously used color was in my D8 project with Reid Young. We were doing a multi-family building in Philadelphia on the Schuylkill. We researched materials that could warm up the residential facade to make it feel more homey. On the exterior, we decided to use terracotta batons that would be a shading device and bring texture and warmth because terracotta has a reddish orange hue.
AH: My D8 project Had a very color focused facade. On the front side, there were aluminum triangular panels that were operable for the residents. The exterior face of the panels were painted white but the inside had color. When you opened the panel, light and color would start to reflect off the other panels to make it like a mural. Based on the lighting, it would change throughout the seasons, and throughout the day as well.
Why does modernization connote a white space design as opposed to historical designs that incorporated color more?
CD: Modernism and modern architecture is devoid of decoration and anything extra and superfluous.
AH: In older and historical buildings, color is expensive. Looking at colors and vernacular in the past color is not something you’ll see unless it’s a church or something that’s wealthier.
Left: Adam Hoover Design 8
Bottom: Christine DiTiranti Design 8
“Modernism is where it is very much about simplicity,materiality, space, and form. The color white emphasizes that.”
-Adam HooverChristine DiTiranti and Adam Hoover | Architecture Student Interview
According to you, what is the importance of color?
FRYER: Colors are not always used subjectively; they can be used as a performance or system aspect. Different colors are more effective at absorbing of rejecting heat which is important to keep in mind. For example, a white color roof is preferred on a hot sunny day than a black color roof.
Architects such as Le Corbusier are known for using white in their work so when color is used today, it references and signals a connection with history and the great designer.
Frank Lloyd Wright has a very special red that he used over and over again in his projects called Wright’s Cherokee Red. We can assume that he probably chose this shade of red to reference an organic material or a geographical area.
The image above is an example from my student Khalid Mirza and his thesis project. This is an example of an integral use of color. So, per the quadrants:
Experience: the use of biophilia and the natural color of vegetation, stone walls and floor. The daylighting is nicer than artificial lighting and provides better color rendering and experiences.
Culture: the use of colors and patterns connect with the vernacular architecture of Saudi Arabia (which is the location of the project).
Performance: the use of light-colored surfaces diffuses daylight more efficiently through the space, improving lighting performance.
Systems: the improved daylighting performance from the light-colored surfaces impacts the relationship with other mechanical systems, reducing the amount of energy the community solar array needs to provide to achieve netzero emissions.
“Biophilia is the theory that we all respond to nature and natural colors.”
-Rob Fryer
FLEMING: Continuing the discussion about the four quadrants and performative aspect for interior design, I tend to utilize a light color that reflects daylight. When we were thinking of picking the color for our roofs, we were thinking about location. In Alaska, we would use a dark color roof to absorb heat. In Florida, we would use a light color roof to reflect heat. Color can be a performative choice.
Additionally, you can use colors as warning signs, communicate when to stop or go, or enable people to earn more money. It’s a tool one can use to influence people’s personal experiences.
What is the relationship between color and sustainable spaces?
FLEMING: This project [below] relies on gradations of color to generate a Biophilic experience for the interiors. The stone harkens to local stone that is seen along the trails of the Wissahickon. The local wood reflects the colors that a person would see in the local forests, further connecting the design to its location in the region.
How would you relate systems with color and space?Left: Khalid Mirza Sustainable Design Thesis Bottom: Angela Valazza Sustainable Design
“Cultures have evolved to have certain colors and I bet they are related to the ecosystems within which they are derived [...] Biophilia is one way to it.“
-Rob Fleming
What are the psychological impacts of color? Describe how you’ve used color in your projects to portray a feeling or emotion.
AK: Colors not only have psychological impacts, but they have a great impact on the health and safety of users as well. Throughout the research process for capstone, I came across Chromotherapy. This actually talks about the healing powers of some colors combined with light that can revitalize the body and organs.
SS: For an interior designer to successfully demonstrate the appropriate experience and mood of a design, an understanding of color psychology is crucial. In a past project, a senior/child mentor center, I used accent colors like bright green to inspire growth, renewal, and relaxation, orange to spark creativity, and blue to conduct creativity and promote collaborative interactions.
What is the aesthetic value of color?
AK: I think color makes or breaks an aesthetic. [...] Color theory needs to be used to enhance the concept and drive it home. It is a tool we use to accentuate the architectural moves that are being made. Keep in mind, color does not have to be neon blues and pinks. Color can be whites and shades of greys if that is what’s most appropriate.
Describe a space you love and or are very familiar with. How does color play a role in this space?
SS: There’s a coffee shop in my hometown, [called] Big Dog. The use of warm greys in the space gives the illusion of advancement which provides a sense of comfort and security. The pretty jewel tones provide an atmosphere that is relaxing and perfect for reading a book, meeting a friend, or just hanging out with a cup of coffee.
“Color decisions can have an effect on the health and safety of users in a space.”
-Abigail Kern
In what ways can color be attributed to types of spaces?
AK: I’ve utilized color mainly within four different types of spaces.
Public Spaces - It depends on the type of public space. If it were an art gallery, the colors should promote focus and not distract from the art. If it’s a community space that promotes communication, then the colors should be bright and energizing.
Learning Spaces - I personally feel that these spaces need a balance of color. The color can’t be distracting, but at the same time, it should stimulate the student, helping them to stay alert and focused.
Sterile Spaces - Colors in these spaces need to be light and fresh. If colors are dark and saturated they appear dirty.
Play Spaces - This space should have the brightest and energetic colors. This is an area where physical activity and socialization is promoted and the colors should reflect that!
When you studied abroad, how did color stimulate your experience? Which places portrayed color best?
SS: When traveling abroad, the various cultures displayed the use of color in many different ways. It was always exciting traveling to a new place and exploring how each space spoke to their culture’s aesthetic.
Left: Abigail Kern
Ad Agency Project Bottom: Sarah Scott Ad Agency Project
“Color is a tool we use to accentuate the architectural moves that are being made. It gives the space definition and an energy.”
-Abigail Kern
What types of impact can color have in space?
All color has impact on space. It is interesting that 20th C. modernism, from the 1930’s – 1960’s, in an attempt to create a universal architectural language that was not place-centric and was free of ornamentation chose white as the basic color language. Of course, this a reductionist version of modernism, but the association still lingers. One thinks of modernism and white comes to mind. Of course, color was not entirely absent from this architecture, especially the interiors, except for a few absolutists. When a space is absent of color, one can begin to focus on form, light, tonal qualities and lustrous natural views, which of course, include color. So, even all-white architecture embraces the color of daylight and its natural surroundings. Of course, many architects and designers explored color and color theory during this time.
How can color portray a certain feeling or emotion?
While popular color psychology may associate colors with certain universal “feelings” it is important to remember that response to color is heavy influenced by cultural background and is experienced in the context of specific places. Generally, studies in popular color psychology will discuss cool colors (blues, purples, greens) as calming or sad and warm colors (reds, yellows, oranges) and exciting or angry. Of course, this is very broad and does not take into account the cultural influences, place, context, geography, climate, light, tonal and value qualities of colors. All of these will influence responses to color in a much more nuanced way and interesting way.
“Response to color is heavy influenced by cultural background and is experienced in the context of specific places”
-Lauren Baumbach
What does the process of choosing colors and materials look like in an interior project?
Choosing color for an interior depends on many factors that must be understood and synthesized by the designer. Questions like: What is the space to be used for? Who will be using the space? What kinds of objects, cultural elements, art, etc. will be part of the space and what colors do they already possess? Will there be views to the outside that become part of the inside color experience. What kind of daylight is coming into the space: north, south, east, west? How will the geographic and climatic profile influence choice of color? Colors must be chosen with all of this context in mind. Color selection is a careful process. Color studies during the design phase certainly help the designer explore how color will influence the overall perception of the space and can help set the direction.
Describe an exceptional student project that used color in a very effective way.
Diya Taib, an interior architecture student, used color nicely in her Seaside Environmental Center in Design V. She choose natural materials that had nice contrast with each other: dark rich corten steel, light blond woods, luminescent etched glass and some plain whites. This was accented by pops of color in the graphics of her exhibit space.
“You must examine real samples of the physical colors/materials within the same types of lighting conditions of final built space or you may be unpleasantly surprised by the end result.”
-Lauren Baumbach
Seasonal changes imply color shifts over the course of the year. How might seasons impact your designs?
DM: Landscape architects are always mindful of seasonal change since it affects user experience, programming and plant choice. Since plants respond to the shift in conditions, we try to use plants that will retain appeal year-round. Plants with phenological characteristics, or attributes based on seasonal change, include buds, flowers, fruit, bark, smell, and most commonly, foliage color. Seasonal change also implies pollination and wildlife value. Species that have seasonal appeal like berries, bright colors or flowers commonly benefit wildlife.
What can you say the importance of color is in landscape design?
DM: Color is everywhere in landscape design. Each landscape’s palette is reflective of it’s ecosystem and season,
and how it’s always changing. Brighter colors usually represent new growth or blooms, whereas there’s much more earthy and neutral tones to stabilize the We often select a variety of green shades to unite the combination of plants used, so that it compliments the more robust colors. Nature already creates such a subtly intriguing palette that’s almost perfect, I’m my opinion it’s hard to mess with it.
How often do you use color theory to unite or contrast natural elements?
DM: Hierarchy of color is very important to create movement through a garden or landscape. Sometimes using too much color can be a bad thing because it detracts from a certain viewpoint and creates an imbalance.
“Each landscape’s palette is reflective of it’s ecosystem and season, and how it’s always changing.”
-Darby Mann
In your practice, what is the role of color and how integral is it to landscape design?
KM: Having a good understanding of color is critical. The way that it’s combined is more important than the color itself and what you’re trying to evoke. We are developing park prototypes that the communities can build themselves which maintain a design with a certain plant palette that evokes certain feelings. In the sanctuary park, there’s moss, grasses, a canopy; things that move with the wind. In my mind, that’s a green scenario. Whereas the edible park is all about feeding wildlife and humans which would naturally be more colorful. The art park will have color in it but it is derived from the fruits, berries, roots, and twigs that you can make dyes from. Sometimes the design dictates what the color is going to do in that space.
From your experience as a professor, explain a project in which a student incorporated the use of color well.
KM: Ben Nardi did a courtyard garden between a church and an existing building along Chelten Avenue and his planting plan was very specific about how he layered the planting and the color to work together. The design choices he made were very conscious about having seasonal color. In the winter, things like red twig dogwood and evergreens in the background would maintain their character. Each season had a different character as different plantings bloomed.
-Kim Douglas“Every plant he chose for this space revolved around color and seasonal changes”
Each year, the College of Architecture and the Built Environment at Thomas Jefferson University creates many amazing projects from different design levels and majors. These projects respond to various contexts such as cultural, natural, urban, vernacular, and regional.
Part II of this publication is an opportunity to showcase the best work from our college. These projects are not directly connected to our theme of color and how it activates spaces. While several projects utilize color to create dynamic moments, trying to categorize and narrate how each project utilized color would not only be redundant and surface level, but it would also speak over the project’s original intent and concept. Therefore, these selected works are showcased to stand on their own merit as exemplary work.
Please note: The order in which the projects are shown is not based on which is best but rather through a color it predominantly used. This organization system enables each project to have a relationship to color and organization while still maintaining the projects’ original integrity.
30th Street Station Collage
Contrary to Iris Van Herpen's concept, I want to take the man made, architectural language to imitate the natural world, causing the space itself to become a breathing, pulsating being.
Iris Van Herpen, a couture fashion designer, seeks to “blend the past and future into a distinct version of the present by fusing technology and traditional craftsmanship” within her work. Contrary to Iris Van Herpen’s concept, this design seeks to imitate the natural world with the man-made, fusing the two in a way that is inherently unequal. Through this imitation, the space itself becomes a breathing, pulsating being.
Dolce & Gabbana was chosen for this fashion showroom’s couture designer because of flowery, flowing nature of many outfits. Within the space, the flowing, organic nature of the ceiling pulls people through the space, while the polish marble and granite surfaces speak to the couture’s sleek, clean looks. The richness of the red and gold elements are further derived from the Dolce & Gabbana couture line.
The idea behind this building was to overlook its surrounding context and create space placed within the site, Midtown Manhattan, while disturbing as little of it as possible to respect the historical value of the surrounding city. This proposal implements a hydraulic cable car system as an addition to the existing New York City transit infrastructure. The goal with each station was to respect the existing conditions and avoid disturbing the area as much as possible while still creating an engaging and pleasant pedestrian experience. This was achieved through the use of a simple and elegant above ground form supported by a completely steel structure only seen from below ground.
Inspired by modern society’s concept of beauty, “many things we regard as beautiful are neither perfect nor complex,” the vibrant charisma of a raw soul with real intentions is what makes someone truly beautiful. The concept of Unearthed is unmasked through the transition from symmetrical, orderly, and polished shapes that break down into irregular, unique and revealing shapes. The strong contrast of raw beauty versus masked beauty creates the dynamics between the different disciplines of the office space.
This project also focuses on the environmental impacts of design. Two interior gardens help improve indoor air quality, while the clerestory is retrofitted with operable windows. Many interior finishes and materials were selected due to their ability to be reclaimed, readapted, and reused.
The Stewardson Competition is an annual competition open to graduating architecture seniors and alumni. Every year, the fifth year architecture studios begin the spring semester with this rigorous 10-day project utilizing only the prompt and their own technical skills. Professional or peer assistance is prohibited. The grand prize for winning is $10,000 to utilize toward global travel relating to the concept of the brief.
This year, Hutten Moyer won the first place prize with his proposal. This proposal is multifaceted, acting as a research center throughout the year, a fire watchtower and emergency shelter during times of danger, and a memorial for when the structure is eventually lost to the flames itself. The large timbers which support the original structure would survive after the inferno due to them developing a protective layer of char; during the day these charred pillars would cast shadows, representing the charred trees of the forest around them.
Theresa Chiarenza, Ross Capaccio, Nhan Dung | B.ARCH | 2020
How can attached housing play a role in revitalizing a cyclically traumatized culture and neighborhood, while also designing a solution for gridlocked unsustainable city infrastructure? This project aims to answer that question by creating two prototypes for net zero energy row homes-an infill model and a renovation model-in order to establish a new standard for urban renewal and development.
The proposals are located in Sharswood, Philadelphia, which is a historically abused and impoverished neighborhood. By combining these models across a block scale to create a mixed-income community, the design encourages lowincome home ownership, creates public space, and increases financial stability in the neighborhood. Due to the nature of row homes, the individual proposals will be applicable on sites all over Philadelphia.
The infill model is designed for the scenario with the toughest constraints, fitting into the smallest lot (14’ wide) that could exist between existing row homes thus allowing it to be adapted to fit into any lot. This supports its neighbors not only structurally and thermally, but also financially through excess energy production and rainwater collection, treatment, and distribution. This is a twounit model with an ADA low-income unit on the ground level and a market rate 2 bedroom 1.5 bathroom unit above.
Situated a block from the beach yet nestled in a densely wooded area, this family home is a secluded, sheltered getaway from the hustle and bustle of daily life. The house is situated in the landscape which maximizes the potential of the existing topography and provide access to exterior spaces on all levels. The nestled condition of the home also provides it protection from high winds and falling trees. The study is the only space that breaks this protection, lifting upwards to catch a glimpse of the ocean.
The exterior materials shift from smooth to textured stone as an indicator of interior program. The punch-out windows, strategically placed on key walls, allow for curated moments rather than large, sweeping views typical to panoramic windows. This type of window selection additionally doubles as a preventative measure from the harsh elements that seasonally impact the site.
Winner of the It’s Not Just a House 2020 Competition
A home for multiple family generations to live in is a place that necessitates the ability to withstand time. This design for a house in Woods Hole, MA, realizes the idea of timelessness by creating a relationship with nature, structural honesty, and proportion. Crossing axes created by interior and exterior program are joined by a glass atrium, blurring the boundary between nature and architecture. Material decisions further enforce this connection between the home and nature.
The house is organized through a tatami mat grid, a proportional grid derived from Japanese architecture, which has permeated and continues to influence American architecture. Exposed trusses and connections maintain the house’s structural honesty. This structural honesty reflects the honesty of family and home,
It’s Not Just a House Competition 2020 Honorable
Anthony Elia, Drake Shaefer | B.ARCH
Rowhomes are essential to the history of Philadelphia’s residential development. However, the density of modern American cities dwarfs the relative breadth and sprawl of rowhome blocks. This proposal seeks to preserve the pedestrian friendly streetscape and stoop of the traditional rowhome, while simultaneously expanding the density. This leads to an extrusion of the street upward, with a network of paths that are reminiscent of sidewalks, giving public, exterior circulation space to upper levels of the project.
The proposal contains 43 apartments, each formed by the dimensions of an average rowhome. On the ground level, a terraced public plaza connects 24th Street to Walnut Street, building upon the network of public sidewalks throughout the entire city, helping to create through traffic on the site. This avoids the site being a dead node, and helps the site to become a part of the existing urban network of pedestrian passageways.
“Reaching” is a structure that unveils its programmatic elements through multiple human senses: smell, sound, and views as you transition from space to space. The building sits atop the site of the old firetower and expands this epicenter. The memorial to this event is the first element experienced by the user. An open-air space showcases the history of the location with a ceiling made of gathered burned wood compresses you and releases you beneath the fire tower, the two arches frame the view.
On the opposite side of this area lies the sleeping area and living quarters for the staff at the tower. During the seasons of staffing the tower, personnel would make their way up the western side of the tower, which compresses the individual together until the grand release at the top of a full 360 degree view.
Taking its form from pictographs of the condor from Chumash myth, Apex is a symbol of change and healing. According to legend, the condor used to be white, but due to its fixation with man’s fire, it one day flew too close, permanently dyeing itself black. Yet, according to myth, it still lived and became a symbol for healing.
The tower stands as two angled towers held in tension by the other, preventing them from falling and creating the iconic X-shape. However, when the tower eventually succumbs to the forces of nature and wildfire, the tension wires will break and the metal columns will begin to buckle and warp due to the heat. The resulting form will symbolize the condor with its wings spread out, as compared to the previous form with the condor’s wings in a resting position. Thus, a silver lining is attributed to the ravaging flames, indicating the forest’s eventual healing and recovery.
Due to the lack of pollination bees bring, there is yet another concern for the growing global climate crisis. As more bees die and are driven out of the world’s growing urban landscapes, the growth of vegetation is slowing. This building proposes possible solutions for New York City to use and implement into city infrastructure which provides areas of refuge and habitats for bee colonies in the city.
The building utilizes a combination of hard and soft structure. The hard structure, being what attaches the habitat to the sides of buildings, creates a gridded frame to hold the inner pneumatic structure in which the bee colonies would inhabit.
Pneumatic Pods inflated with air and keep bee hives protected from natural elements.
Grid relates to the rectangular city grid
The holes are all facing the North East direction to allow for natural bee circulation.
Steel fitting welded joint
Semi transparent PTFE fabric
High frequency plastic welding
Each Pod has its own vertical steel tube that allows the bees to enter their respective hives.
In 1890 the city of New York released 100 European Starlings into Central Park which quickly reproduced and increased their population throughout the city. However, in theorized future of 2052, the Sterlings are near extinction in the city due to an increase in predatory creatures and demands to reduce the number of bird related to air traffic accidents by airlines. This project seeks to assist the survival of starlings by creating avian hubs which reintroduce flocking.
Many starlings have disbanded flocks due to the growing number of predators. Certain sections of the design lift up throughout the day, grouping birds closer together in the hopes of them finding mates or a flock.
There is limited access to mental health facilities that provide outpatient services in the Philadelphia area at an affordable cost. The focus of this project is to educate patients through alternative and adjusted means and to create a community dedicated to assisting mental health by providing services similar to impatient facilities but without disrupting a patient’s daily lifestyle.
This center is a place for people who are looking for stability or change in their life. Routine is a large aspect of establishing change or stability. When routine comes to mind so does repetition. Repetition is represented here through the use of spheres. These symbolize the program spaces, and the types of wavelengths.
UrbanScape is a gastronomic market and vertical farming facility designed to uplift the North Philadelphian community. Using the rich architectural and artistic history of Philadelphia, 2700 North Broad street is transformed into an epicenter for economic and social growth.
Through the exploration of graffiti and North Philadelphian architecture, the relationship between the organic shapes found in street art contrasts with the angled lines of Philadelphia’s structures. This juxtaposition between rigidity and fluidity is paired with vibrant colors and compelling textures, using metal and stone to join graffiti and Philadelphia architecture with 2700 North Broad Street.
urbanSCAPE
Located on a seaside, this environmental center is designed with the natural terrain in mind. The framed windows and large viewing platforms provide different views of the scenery. The highlight of the design is its central courtyard composed of ponds and green space. When the north and south breeze blows, it will naturally create a microclimate. The sustainable strategies in this design include a geoexchange heating and cooling system, rainwater collection, louvre windows, natural lighting, ventilation, and the use of recycled materials throughout the building.
The Seaside Envrionmental Center
The Mind Zone is composed of a think tank where interdisciplinary designers are invited to collaborate and innovate. The idea was influenced by the most current habits of humanity, which is the loss of human interaction and spacial awareness. The goal of the project is to unify interdisciplinary designers, raise awareness of occupants with the surrounding environment, while simultaneously creating a strong indoor/ outdoor connection within the dense urban environment. The program is designed to inspire people to collaborate and innovate. It consists of various collaboration spaces, galleries, a theatre, a cafe, offices, and outdoor space. The furniture collection consists of minimal, ergonomic products, while using modular systems for high flexibility and adjustability. Additionally, OLED screens are used to create interactive partitions that display ideas produced in the think tank. This connects the design back to its’ inhabitants, serving as marketing and advertising of the space’s production, and also as inspiration to the employees.
mple
the southeast
The term “Woods Hole” has referred to the passage for small ferries and boats traveling between Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. The concept of the Woods Hole Residence represents the idea of passage into nature and a forever home through the use of an accentuated threshold. A center spine creates an efficient means of circulation that facilitates human interaction and the experience of spatial volumes.
(1) The massing shoulders the southeast cardinal direction - allowing ample sun exposure and heat gain in the morning. Refrigerant carries that heat to the zones which receive
In responding to environmental factors, the building is oriented east to west, enabling the south facade of the house to take in abundant morning light and warm up the interior. In the summer when this heat gain is unwanted, the chimneys dual purpose of venting air is utilized. Lastly, clerestories are used along the roof peak to pull light deeper into the building.
This building is a Community Center in Fairmount, Philadelphia, designed with the intent to combat the addiction to technology creating a generational divide. The concept is to create a common space for all ages to share while encompassing and joining the wide range of demographics in the neighborhood.
The main goal of the design is to create a condition where water, landscape, and building would be interlaced seamlessly creating a natural flow from interior to exterior in biophilic atmosphere.
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The design for this health center in the Kasungu district of Central Malawi consists of four different programmatic units: Administrative, Outpatient, Maternity, and Staff Housing, all arranged on a 4m X 4m structural grid. The intention of this project was to create a framework for health center development in other regions of the country by generating a system of tectonics that are adaptable to different climates, materials, and construction techniques, while creating flexibility in interior programmatic spaces.
The Woods Hole Retreat uses the vernacular of local Massachusetts communities to inform both its massing and materiality. The simple gable roof and cedar shingle siding bring a familiarity to the Cape Cod homes historically built in the area. The glazing and curtain wall system evokes more modern sensibilities and allows ample light into the two-story home. The use of light wood on the interior tracks the current trend of Scandinavian design, while also providing a blank slate for the owner’s collection of Tobi Kahn art.
Given that this property is near the ocean, the concept of the beach house lends itself to a programmatic flip: private bedrooms lie on the ground floor, and primary living spaces rest above, granting views of the surrounding ocean. The building forms two wings; on the second floor, they are divided by the master suite, which includes a study and the main communal spaces including kitchen, dining, and living rooms. A light well penetrates through to create a courtyard that allows light to filter into the lower bedrooms and second floor spaces.
Woods Hole Retreat
In the heart of NYC lies Central Park. The park is a peaceful reprieve in the bustling circulation that surrounds the park. This project takes a Greyhound bus parking lot and turns it into a transportation hub that maximizes green space, cars and people. The ground level embodies the city’s movement and activity while the green spaces above embody Central Park’s peace and tranquility.
Gabriella Semaña
Brillhart House by Brillhart Architects 2D Study Design 2: Prof. Carol Hermann
Ezra Barrett
Rural House by RCR Architects 2D Study Design 2: Prof. Andrew Hart
Daniel Habeeb
Rural House by RCR Architects 2D Study Design 2: Prof. Carol Hermann
Auriel Lewis
Two Hulls by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Design 2: Prof. Carol Hermann
Nick Rozas
Maker-spaces are major hubs for social and corporate interactions with discussions between clients and businesses on how to improve projects and build companies up to their full potential. This building’s goal is to provide the proper equipment, tools, and spaces to enable these types of interactions between client and business to flourish in an inviting and natural way by providing these resources through workshop, social, and crucial equipment in a fun and comfortable space to provide the building blocks for success for anyone who enters the maker-space.
The overarching problem this project seeks to explore is the separation and singular functionality of the medical facilities on Thomas Jefferson University’s Center City campus. In both the existing 2019 conditions and the college’s 2030 plan, the medical facilities remain separate with each building providing a single use. This building pushes its program upwards, anticipating zoning changes and utilizing both emerging and existing highrise technology.
The three forms are visually distinct and provide insight to the program on each level. The exterior of the patient care wing, the shortest of the three forms, shifts horizontally, distinguishing wings of program. The tallest form is the assisted living tower; it provides the most natural light to the residents, has open community spaces that span multiple floors, and its adjacency to the proposed patient care wing provides the residents close and dependable healthcare.
This project is an adaptation of the Serpentine Pavilion, the seasonal architecture exhibition that takes place on the lawn of the Serpentine Galleries in London. Conceptually, the project intends to convey an abstraction of music, the notes, octaves, and the transparency of music, while also conveying music as mathematics, much like J.S. Bach interpreted writing and arranging music.
Located on the corner of 17th St and Wallace St, the Philadelphia Community Center for Women uses the ideology that nature is the most effective way of healing both mentally and physically. The use of five green spaces allow patients to relax their mind. The combination of green spaces and natural sunlight simulates being outside without actually being outside.
Biological structures were the inspiration for The Network’s form as their inherent connective nature speaks to the connective and collaborative experience of a student center. The center has a variety of spaces for students to utilize: classrooms, medical labs, and computer labs, just to name a few. These spaces are physically connected by the structure which runs through them in seemingly endless directions and orientations to create a highly dynamic, highly organic form.
The exterior utilizes two types of glazing to create a play between conventional highrise expectations and this building’s novel structure. Certain pieces of the facade are peeled away, revealing programmatic spaces such as gardens and vertical circulation.
Cynthia Baublitz, Eric Ruchinski, Elias Valdes | B.ARCH | 2021
Located in Savannah, Georgia, the library SQ1 is placed within the center of Forsyth Park. The library provides interactive learning opportunities on three different subjects that are bound to help the community around Savannah survive flooding that will occur in the near future. The 3 main cores are based around biodiversity, geology, and infrastructure. Based on these are the 3 factors that the community needs to focus on in order to prepare for the worst. In order to express the importance of this issue the library is placed directly over the pedestrian path to force people to encounter the building and understand that they will need to take action as soon as possible. The form completely stands out from its surroundings in order to signify that a big change is coming.
This historic building in New Hope, Pennsylvania, is transformed into an art shop and maker-space inspired by the 1960s Minimalist Art Movement. This art movement is represented through the compression and expansion within the space and sleek, geometric works that purposefully and radically refrain from conventional appeal.
At the entrance one is greeted with confined, sleek multi-colored panels followed by an open space in the center with mid-century modern pendant globes that act as a sculptural element visible from all levels. A key idea of the Minimalist Art Movement was qualities of weight, height, and the appearance of light as a material presence.
Mod De Novo seeks to create a relaxing, inviting experience while inviting community interaction. Atypical to other wine stores, this store does not seek to pack in the most alcohol per square-foot through abundant shelving. Instead, after interviews with the area’s residents, it was decided that the calm, community-driven culture should also be utilized in the program of the design.
A wine store was chosen as the retail designation through analyzing community sentiments and demographics. However, Mod De Novo also seeks to push new ideas and technologies forward against conventionality. The interior is sleek and bright, as compared to various wine store case studies where the majority were found to be rustic and moody.
Cinematography is a blend of science and art that captures, manipulates, and expresses moving images to create a motion picture and illicit an emotional response. This proposal for the Robinson Building utilizes dichroic glass to achieve the same effect: to create a dynamic facade with shadows and colors that shift throughout the course of the day.
This proposal for the Robinson Department store in downtown Philadelphia seeks to preserve the original facade while providing programmatic cuts that enable individuals to experience it in a new context. Many are unaware of the Robinson’s building purple-tinted tiles due to the tile’s neglect and the distance at which the viewer sees them. The glass protrusions give life to the old facade and its historic legacy.
Located in the Navy Yard of Philadelphia, Pivot brings two contrasting sides together. In the advertising realm, two sides must come together to produce a product: the fiscal side and the creative side. Within the design these two sectors of the agency pivot around a central node. The center is a moment of collaboration and energy, embodied by the large overhead piece.
Due to the open ceiling, elements such as the center ceiling piece and the programmatic distribution of offices also provide acoustic barriers. Felt wallcoverings and high-back furniture help reduce acoustics in the open spaces while carpet surrounding and inside the offices prevent these space from becoming echochambers.
Not all of the best work done in the College of Architecture and the Built Environment is visually based; some of it is shown through the projects’ rigorous attention to detail, experimentation with data, and thorough research. This year, we decided we wanted to explore showcasing these projects and present an often overlooked side of design.
Part III of the publication intends to showcase more technical, long term, in-depth research oriented student projects. This section expands on selected projects in an effort to showcase a more expansive understanding of the work included, and the breadth of the research. Many of the projects selected have been worked on over the course of multiple semesters, giving students a chance to create a more compelling, detailed narrative, backed by scientific data and experimentation.
• Historic New York Rowhome, Sustainable Adaptation
• AirScapes
• Eco-Tone
• Hill-ding
• Sustainable Community Development
• Community Infrastructure Planning
The focus of this thesis is on two opposing topics: passive house design principles and historic preservation. The juxtaposition of these two ideas brings about a discussion surrounding the imperative topic of sustainable renovation. The two concepts are often in contrast. Historic neighborhood designation typically comes with several limitations toward a building’s appearance on all facades, sometimes even including the roof. Additionally, historic homes may have a reliance on mechanical systems or few design considerations in place to deal with changing climates and temperatures. Therefore, homes in historic neighborhoods may be the most inefficient in energy use but also come with the added difficulty of being the most difficult to reactively adapt.
The project site is located in Brooklyn, New York, a historic district filled with rich culture within the bustling urban environment. The basics of passive
house design principles are studied and applied to the final design. The guidelines of the Landmarks Preservation Commission are careful reviewed and implemented throughout the design process. The integration of the two ideas finds challenges, but ultimately creates a dynamic solution.
Originally, the building consumed 35,000 kwh (kilowatt-hours) per year. Through the basic implementation of passive house strategies, this number was almost halved, reducing the annual energy consumption down to 19,000 KWH. Passive house strategies included replacing existing windows with thicker glass and adding more insulation to the exterior walls.
While the original intent of the design was to reach a net-zero energy consumption, the limitations of the designation prevented this goal from being achieved. However, the proposed
changes to the design would reduce the building’s energy consumption by 82.5% annually. The existing building was evaluated at an EUI level of 40 ktBTU/ ft2/yr (40 kilotons of British Thermal Units per square foot per year). In order of intervention, the following reductions were made:
Introductionofathickerexteriorenvelope andthermalinsulation:20%energy reduction
Introduction of thicker, more efficient glazinginconjunctionwithenvelope changes:32%energyreduction
Introduction of more efficient HVAC systems,inconjunctionwithglazingand envelopechanges:50%energyreduction
Introduction of PV Panels, used to harvest solarenergy,inconjunctionwithall previouschanges:82.5%reduction
The introduction of the PV panels was the most successful element employed in reducing energy consumption, however, it also had a severe limitation. While the roof could technically hold more panels than those in the final design, limitations of the historic designation prevented these. PV panels could not be too close to either the front or back facade, nor existing skylights and windows.
Overall, this proposal paves the way for sustainable historic properties while abiding by historic designation guidelines. While this single rowhome could reduce its energy and water consumption, there exists a whole block of similar homes with the same energy and water inefficient systems. If this model is applied on a neighborhoodwide basis, the original character and quality of the historic district would remain in addition to greener, more sustainable building strategies.
entering a mutual relationship Sarah Scott, Abigail Kern | INTD | 2020
PATTERN 2 PROCESS PATTERN 2
PATTERN 1 CONCEPT DIAG CONCEPT DIAG
PROCES
the visitor.” PATTERN 1 MATERIAL EXPLORATION_distortion CONCEPT DIAGRAMS_containment CONCEPT DIAGRAMS_distortion
breathe in and breathe out, thus
through real time climatic data-
and netting structures that -fed
of becoming with the body of DISTORTED STRING LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & BODY STRING & SILICONE PAPER FOLD PAPER & SILICONE SILICONE LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & BODY SILICONE & AIR STRING LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & BODY STRING & SILICONE MATTE BOARD FOLD LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & PERSPECTIVE LIGHT & PERSPECTIVE PAPER FOLD LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & PERSPECTIVE SILICONE LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & BODY SILICONE & AIR SILICONE & STRING LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & BODY PATTERN 3
DISTORTED STRING LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & BODY STRING & SILICONE PAPER FOLD PAPER & SILICONE SILICONE LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & BODY SILICONE & AIR STRING LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & BODY STRING & SILICONE MATTE BOARD FOLD LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & PERSPECTIVE LIGHT & PERSPECTIVE PAPER FOLD LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & PERSPECTIVE SILICONE LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & BODY SILICONE & AIR SILICONE & STRING LIGHT & SHADOW LIGHT & BODY PATTERN 3
SITE ANALYSIS distortion
CONCEPT SITE ANALYSIS_containment containment grid structure grid column connec grid angular structure angular column connection disto all layers new distorted grid
containm
MATERIAL EXPLORATION_distortion
Can interactive interior landscapes
These concepts are actualized in situ with a sense of poetry and mystery by engaging the human body in a playful dialogue with soft air and netting structures that — fed through real time climatic data — breathe in and breathe out, thus entering a mutual relationship of becoming with the body of the visitor. The installation eventually becomes a living organism itself bringing life to the
CONCEPT DIAGRAMS_distortion
angular column connection distortion angular truss distortion
What are the relationships between information, visualization, and inhabitable space?
AirScapes is an interactive installation with a focus on Philadelphia’s unconscious use of energy, specifically electricity. The exhibition offers educative angles highlighting the recursive relationship of humans and their artificial, constructed environments in the age of the anthropocene. The exhibition raises awareness of the energy utilized to sustain an interior microclimate in the scale of the building as well as the wider climatic implications in a biospheric and atmospheric scale.
connections sm. truss grid column ion distortion angular truss distortion air channel grid
containment grid column connections
grid sm. truss grid
HVAC systems are well embedded in the western construction practices and have become so commonplace that we do not realize the unprecedented energy values we utilize. This system is operated year long, with peak seasons in winter and summer due to heating and cooling. Displayed in the museum is real time climate data values paired with usermanipulated data values.
ontainment grid structure grid column connections grid sm. truss grid
CESS 78
The usage of air poses a design challenge: How do we embody air to give physicality to atmospheres? The concept of containment provides a solution. The exhibition’s inflatable vessels contain the human body staging intimate encounters that powerfully engage the visitor’s own physical presence, while the juxtaposition of hard and soft, ergonomically safe and precarious scapes immerse the visitor to the simultaneous environmental equilibrium and precarity of the world.
MEZZANINE PLAN scale | 1’-0” = 0’-1/8”
MEZZANINE PLAN scale 1’-0” = 0’-1/8”
MEZZANINE PLAN scale 1’-0” = 0’-1/8”
FIRST FLOOR PLAN scale | 1’-0” = 0’-1/8”
FIRST FLOOR PLAN scale 1’-0” = 0’-1/8”
Can an office building play a role in revitalizing a historically, cyclically traumatized culture and neighborhood?
A focus on energy cannot heal culture, but healing culture might require netpositive buildings.
The Sharswood neighborhood in Philadelphia has been subject to rapid development over the course of the past few years. This wave of transformation has contributed to the distress of a community that is experiencing displacement and disregard. Throughout this abuse Sharswood’s residents have remained a resilient community that continuously advocates for themselves in the face of adversity.
The Eco-tone Office Building intends to bolster the existing movement in this neighborhood by reconciling the community contributors and commercial investors into an office building that will create opportunities for interaction through environmentally-conscious design. Eco-tone will provide available to lease office spaces that include conference rooms, lounges, workstations, and breakout spaces. The building will also include neighborhood resources such as a bank, a cafe, a community room, and a fitness center promoting healthy lifestyles. With the goal of creating a net-positive building and a sociallydriven work environment, Eco-tone will contribute to Sharswood’s evolution into a self-sustaining community that can be actualized and regenerated in other under-resourced neighborhoods.
The form of the project is derived first through a series of passive strategies that significantly reduce the use of active energy systems within the building. One of the most significant moves is balancing conditioned and semi-conditioned spaces through an expanded double-skin facade.
The building is also elongated along the east-west axis of the site for optimal southern daylighting and the roof is angled to allow for maximum PV energy gain.
Another major move involves burying a portion of the building six feet below grade for energy savings. This technique reduces the building’s thermal loss in comparison to ordinary above-ground building insulation by using the thermal properties of the earth.
This organization of systems allows for the active systems of the building to work in line with the passive strategies during the more extreme months (June-August, November-March) and for the active systems to be turned off during milder times of the year (April-May, SeptemberOctober), relying solely on passive air flow.
The core design concept approaches a mixed-use block scale development with a business model that incorporates existing homeowners and repurposes vacant structures. An elevated podium provides universal access to all units (existing and new) via a heavily landscaped exterior corridor. The podium supports several prefabricated woodframe structures, each two to three stories in height and angled towards solar South to optimize solar radiation, natural interior daylighting, and the conditions for public/ private greenspace.
Units are mixed-rate, to offset the costs of affordable housing without compromising quality interior space. Materials are spec’d on cost and the impact on indoor air quality (avoiding VOCs and sprayed treatments or adhesives). After designing with analysis driven passive strategies, the next step towards net-zero is a super-insulated airtight envelope. Compartmentalization of spaces create thermal buffers at envelope penetrations
which enables the building’s air systems to source from preconditioned air, saving energy on cooling in the Summer and heating in the Winter.
NEW RENT-TO-OWNERS:
Affordable and built to last, home value investment towards a unit on this block is a secure future with an opportunity to pay towards ownership within the new residence association. Ideally filled by displaced neighbors and those who decide to sell their family homes, having a smaller unit available to own can help people stay in the neighborhood.
NEW RENTERS: Opportunities for high quality apartments at both market rate and UN affordability standards. In addition to amenity access, community planning, and a prime location central to Center City, the new building is an opportunity to live comfortably nestled in nature while living in an urban setting.
EXISTING HOMEOWNERS: The design will seek to include existing homeowners through a consent process, upon agreement connecting their home to the block-scale power, HVAC, water, & food grids and utilizing the efficiencies of the neighboring new construction. This community does not want to move out of their neighborhood, so planning should include adapting to include existing homeowners, not ignore them.
SURROUNDING COMMUNITY: Access to grocery co-op, daycare, vocational training with tool sharing, and publicly programmable event space. A co-op membership program turns work hours into savings. Potential impact groups include single families with one or multiple children, older retirees on fixes income, and those below the poverty line in need of nourishment.
FUTURE RENTERS/HOMEOWNERS: As owners, residents have the ability to make improvements, increasing the value of the home and most importantly passing it down through family as a form of stable capital.
Joseph Burleigh, Kyle Chang, Derek Sibinga | B.ARCH | 2020The core design concept approaches a mixed-use block scale development with a business model that incorporates existing homeowners and repurposes vacant structures. An elevated podium provides universal access to all units (existing and new) via a heavily landscaped exterior corridor. The podium supports several prefabricated woodframe structures, each two to three stories in height and angled towards solar South to optimize solar radiation, natural interior daylighting, and the conditions for public/ private greenspace.
Units are mixed-rate, to offset the costs of affordable housing without compromising quality interior space. Materials are spec’d on cost and the impact on indoor air quality (avoiding VOCs and sprayed treatments or adhesives). After designing with analysis driven passive strategies, the next step towards net-zero is a superinsulated airtight envelope.
The scope of this thesis project is to design a mixed-use community in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia, that reflects the local culture, accommodates the topographic condition of the site and consumes less energy and water. The project was designed to address the potential of sustainability in Makkah City based on the four quadrants of Integral Theory: Culture, Experience, Performance and Systems. The design discusses the need for green and social spaces to promote interaction community, health and wellbeing while preserving the cultural need of privacy. In addition, Scenario Planning was used so the design can adapt to an uncertain future without resulting in massive construction waste or compromising various cultural needs.
This thesis investigates the impact of integrating vernacular traditional elements on annual energy demand and indoor comfort levels. Moreover, the paper studies the effect of integrating a passive evaporative cooling system through a traditional courtyard on the cooling demand in Makkah’s climate. The design was simulated in IES to evaluate the proposed systems. The simulation tools used found that the house can rely on the proposed passive cooling system only if the outdoor temperature is below 30°C. Also, the envelope of the building, with U-value of 0.15 (37.86 ft2.h.°F/BTU R-value), will help reduce cooling demand in summer daytime when air-conditioning is needed.
A Vision For A Sustainable Hijazi Mixed-Use Community In Makkah, K.S.A.
The goals of the project were set for the eight key sub-systems: air, water, energy, culture, experience, fauna, flora and earth. Starting with air, the green area along with the proposed water features will provide a clean healthy environment by filtering the dust and pollution from the air. The design, however, at this point reduced annual indoor water demand by 66%, falling short of the goal to be net zero water. However, the design met 100% of the energy goals by achieving net zero energy demand in both scenarios and gaining LEED for Homes Platinum certification by using high efficiency appliances, which may not be affordable. For culture, the design encourages the public and pilgrims to experience the site, which meets the set goals for culture. The design also meets the goals of experience, fauna and flora by promoting the ecosystem and creating social spaces to allow people to interact with different species.
The design of a sustainable Hijazi mixeduse community can be an ideal step to restore the lost culture and heritage of Makkah City, while tackling other issues associated with the rapid construction of housing projects in the Holy City including significant demands for energy and water. This thesis aims to provide an integral solution that suits the culture, climate, environment and economy while adapting to an uncertain future. Moreover, the strategy of using the four quadrants to evaluate contemporary housing issues has significant impact on the proposed solution by providing a holistic view of the problems as a system and addressing different issues as a part of the system. Thus, the proposed project can help and inspire other architects, researchers and governmental sectors to push the country beyond Vision 2030 to make a global impact.
The underlying goal of this research is to understand the impact of master community planning for rural communities in Malawi, Africa.
As stresses on the built environment continue to increase, such as staggering population growth, strategies for community infrastructure master planning are strongly needed.
While there are a handful of reasons as to why tensions exist, these conflicts arise due to the lack of effectively translating the reclassification of spaces into law, and as a result, communities are developed without any formality. It is important to understand how these infrastructures may integrate within rural communities to create positive impact, foster change and advocate for health. To do this,we must look above to the larger order imperatives of community planning and public services.
How might we begin to understand and acknowledge cross-cultural complexities to consider an intervening framework for community infrastructure planning?
We have to acknowledge the cross cultural complexities when designing in a foreign context to define and find our role as a designer. There are many levels of governance, funding, cultural competence, dialogue and participation that takes place from the united nations,
countries governments, NGO’s and community leadership before reaching a community member.
With some historical competency of colonial Africa, in which community development was manifested primarily by colonial administrators, through the decolonization period to post-colonialism we begin to understand what didn’t work and how these communities can be envisioned moving forward. Communities during the colonial period referred to as “edge cities”and “inner cities” were strictly developed on the basis of race and wealth, where the wealthier white individuals had large lots of land located near water or public service infrastructure, pushing the less wealthy inland or to the outskirts of these cities with little to no access to necessary resources.
Decolonization and the post-colonialism period sparked the rebirth of the “garden city”, essentially banding different services within the community with the urban core in the center out to the rural belt and the “integrated cities” connecting all public services and resources together.
Future Growth Safety & Security
Movement and Mobility
How can we define criteria for community development to implement public service infrastructures on a rural site?
Outlined is five important components of a community development framework and how they link spatially to a site. Communities should be walkable in which all public services are within 400 meters of each other, sustainable, healthy, safe and expandable to accommodate increasing populations.
Walkable - A community is considered walkable when all public services are within 400 meters (quarter of a mile).
Sustainable - Providing small plots of land for farming and resource storage can increase food security.
Healthy - Creating communities that emphasize and provide access to healthcare. Create public open space for gathering and physical connections.
Safe - Ensuring and providing security infrastructure at main access points to the community to foster a sense of safety.
Expandable - Designing and planning for future expansion of infrastructure on the site due to increased populations
Using Pamoza’s site and context, how might we begin to ground concluding research in regards to public service infrastructure in community planning to define and develop a community as holistic?
The Holistic Community in the northwest region of the Mzimba district provides a framework for ideal community development for rural communities in Malawi. Currently, where health centers develop, there tends to be no strategic planning for other public service infrastructure implementation that follows. Therefore, when a health center is funded to be placed within a community, it is crucial to consider all public services and large order imperatives to foster a sense of community. Public service infrastructure placement was informed through existing policy contexts, Malawi’s resilience goals, stakeholders and the economic drivers of future population growth.
A Holistic Community holds the potential to promote integration and expression of culture, provide a sense of belonging and ownership, and advocate for the health of individuals. Holistic in a communal sense is characterized by comprehension of the parts as something interconnected to the whole. Holistic in a health sense is characterized by the treatment of the whole person, both mentally, physically and socially.
As I am writing this letter for the 7th edition of SPACEWORK, I am sitting in my home office during one of the most unprecedented and challenging times in the 21st century. We are in the middle of a Stay-at-Home order that has brought the whole world to a halt. Like all universities and schools, Thomas Jefferson University pivoted to online learning, transitioning studio, lab and seminar classes to a remote format, including our Architectural Publication elective that produced this edition of SPACEWORK. We continue to teach in this strange, new world that sometimes feels like a dream from which we cannot wake up.
During these extraordinary times, I learned to appreciate the resiliency, flexibility and perseverance of our students who had to adapt to this new learning environment often under difficult circumstances. The work presented in this journal is the visual documentation of the strength and talent of our students. I want to express my gratitude and admiration to all of you who persisted and continued to work on.
This special issue is dedicated to one of my favorite subjects, color. As a scholar of Le Corbusier and his Polychromie Architecturale, I am fascinated by the effect and interrelationship that color and light have on the physical expression of space and the emotional responses we attribute to it. In the interplay with light, color is a powerful tool to modulate and change the perceived gestalt of architectural space and to create a human dimension to the spaces in which we work, live, and play. It is an element of spatial creation that connects all disciplines in the built environment and as such a great theme to explore through the work of our students.
I would be amiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful accomplishments of our students during this academic year. CABE continued its winning streak at the John Stewardson Memorial Fellowship in Architecture Competition held every year among the seven accredited architecture programs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In the last seven years, the Bachelor of Architecture Program in CABE has produced the first prizewinner five times. This year, Hutten Moyer won first place, with Drake Shaefer placing 4th place and alumnus Andrew Sauer winning honorable mention. M.S. Interior Architecture student Ariadna Hernandez won second place in the Jacobs Design Competition, while the teammates, Theresa Chiarenza, Olivia DeAgro, Shelby Latham and Brian Aylesworth, won first place in the Woods Hole Competition, juried by Tod Williams, Billie Tsien, Frank Grauman and Jim Cassidy. A big congratulations to the second prizewinners: Hutton Moyer and Kyle Chang and to the third prize winners Mathew Conrad, Anthony Elia and Reid Young.
Professor Kim Douglas was honored for her life-time work by the American Society of Landscape Architecture with the annual 2019 ASLA Community Service Award. Professor Robert Fleming, along with his colleagues Sharon Jaffe, Mark Kalan and Saglinda Roberts, published their new book Sustainable Design Basics (Wiley 2020).
This has been in many ways an extraordinary year, and I am starting to look forward to a bright future when we are back on campus. I can’t wait to see you in person and welcome you back to our campus after this long hiatus behind computer screens and Zoom meetings.
Stay safe and healthy.
Barbara Klinkhammer Executive Dean Thomas Jefferson University
“As designers, we acknowledge that color informs our perception of space and time through the agency of light and qualities of selected materials. Color, like this publication, is a reflective proposition.”
“When you find yourself in a situation where you are 1) the only returning editor to your school’s publication, 2) there is a new professor teaching the course starting this year, and 3) halfway through the semester the world throws a pandemic at you, you’ll think to yourself: “Is this going to be the best edition of Spacework?” The answer is yes because I am unstoppable.”
“As an architectural designer, I have to give credit to interior designers for embracing color in ways that I’ve never considered. How we see, live, and use color day-to-day is a factor that all designers should consider.”
“Architecture has the power to shape civilizations and color has the power to be optimistic. As architects, it is our responsibility to wear black and create colorful forms.”
“It’s great when inside jokes bridge outside the realm of the people that understand them because they become almost nonsensical. Anyway, this CABE publication has been hijacked by the gays to be used for the noble cause of spreading the gay agenda.”
“Architecture follows functions, so when we build, let us think that we build forever.”
“To paraphrase Karl Marx, a bee puts many architects to shame with the construction of her hive, yet it is the architect’s ability to raise a structure in their imagination before creating it which distinguishes them. Architecture is a physical expression of deep, abstract thought; a direct connection between the subconscious and the real world”
Brian Johnston
Evelyn Juliano
Enya Barquia
Abhijeet Bhogade
Dennis McWeeney
Nikita Sathe
Reid Young
SPACEWORK is a publication produced by the College of Architecture & the Built Environment, Thomas Jefferson University. www.Jefferson.edu/CABE
ISBN 978-0-9903292-6-8
©2020 by CABE PRESS College of Architecture and the Built Environment, Thomas Jefferson University, 4201 Henry Avenue, Philadelphia University, PA, 19144.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of CABE PRESS. All images of student projects appear courtesy of students enrolled in the College of Architecture and the Built Environment, copyright, CABE PRESS, unless otherwise noted.
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders where applicable, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked, the necessary arrangements will be made at the first opportunity.
Printed by PDC Graphics, Southampton, Pennsylvania, USA
CHIEF EDITOR
Evelyn Juliano
MANAGING EDITOR
Enya Barquia
STUDENT EDITORS
Abhijeet Bhogade
Dennis McWeeney
Nikita Sathe
Reid Young
FACULTY EDITOR
Brian Johnston, AIA, LEED AP
GUEST EDITORS
Brienna Sheeler
Amanda Weko
EXECUTIVE DEAN’S OFFICE
Christiana Fail
Sarah Bott
The editorial staff would like to thank Executive Dean Barbara Klinkhammer and the College of Architecture & the Built Environment administration for their enthusiastic support for a student initiated and produced annual CABE publication. The publication would not have been possible without the additional support of the CABE Advancement Council. Lastly, we would like to especially thank Professor Brian Johnston for his commitment to this publication.
Barbara Klinkhammer, Dipl.-Ing. Executive Dean and Professor
Brian Johnston, AIA, LEED AP Adjunct Professor, Architectural Publication