INDEX
4 BEGINNINGS 18 SITE 30 INTERVENTION 70 ATMOSPHERE 84 CONCLUSION
The Gilgamesh Tablet, c. 668 BCE
01
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BEGINNINGS
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BEGINNINGS
How is our ever-changing world affecting the way designers determine the value of space? The beginnings of my thesis started from my interest in how technology is shifting the way we as humans occupy space. Every day I observe how digital means and data are starting to replace many of the modes that used to document information. Our iPhones/ iPads/laptops have an infinite amount of information accessible to us at our fingertips, so why would we need to go to the library and check out a book when we can download it on our phones? Why would we go to the music store and buy a CD when we can stream it on our phones? Why would we go to the grocery store when we can order groceries on our phones and get them delivered to our house? On this spectrum of how technology can potentially replace the older means in which we experienced space, it is easy to go down the rabbit hole and dream of the extremes. These observations sparked in myself a call to question why architects in today’s age are not recognizing this shift in how we occupy space, and continuing to design (both spatially and programmatically) inefficiently. Now more than ever, is a great opportunity to examine opportunities to imagine spaces differently to benefit us better in the long run. I needed to determine a specific program so I could begin to test my thoughts. In search for the most impactful program that could generate the most positive change in a community, I chose the public library as my program because it is the most democratic building in the city. It does not discriminate against race, gender, age, occupation, and offers opportunities for everyone in the community to succeed. As I began looking closer at the public library as a building type, I noticed common threads that ran through a majority of them globally, and that was they are not just a repository of books anymore. Public libraries are anchors in each community and offer important resources to generate opportunities for success. Libraries host career fairs, free English classes, free Wi-Fi, and many other diverse programs that benefit and support the members of its community. However, not every community is lucky enough to have a “Starchitect� come in, create a flashy new library, and move on to their next project. If all designers took care in examining the needs of the community, I believe the benefits could be limitless.
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My following work explores these ideas I have in place, both spatially and programmatically. I found the site of Hunts Point Library in the south Bronx when I stumbled upon a New York Times article about this particular spot. It addressed how there was a need to update and renovate the library to support its robust set of programs it offers. This place is so important to the neighborhood and many people rely on its services to find jobs, learn English, utilize the Wi-Fi, vote, and so much more. I visited the site this past January, which confirmed all that I had read about it. I stopped by on a quiet Wednesday afternoon, and as I walked in I was welcomed by a packed first floor. Many members of the community were at the computers using the internet, and the following day the librarians were preparing to set up a career fair where individuals were welcome to come and network. This visit was a turning point in my continuous research of the site, validating all my points that if designed thoughtfully, an expansion of the building could tremendously support the community and reap many benefits.
Annotations on NYT Article “New York Public Libraries Warn o Published Online April 21, 2015 - Accessed April 6, 2020
*Using a historical site in the community with a legacy of the Carnegie Libraries, how do you begin to respectfully address the existing building and site, while introducing new elements that would serve the community more efficiently?
*How can an investigation of spatial qualities start to address the issues brought up by the community to alleviate the stress on their public library system?
of a ‘Staggering’ Crisis With Infrastructure”
*Designers are constantly questioning/testing how certain spatial and material qualities can serve the human better, but how can questioning the function of the space effect the way we design?
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*As architects, how do we start taking our observations of broken systems and turn them into vehicles of change for our communities?
Thoughts on NYT Article “New York Public Libraries Warn of a dsds *Using a historical site in the community with a legacy of the Carnegie Libraries, how do you begin to respectfully address the existing building and site, while introducing new elements that would serve the community more efficiently?
- There are several different ways to start acknowledging the historical significance to a site, whether it be notable landscape features or an existing building itself. Using the example of Hunts Point Public Library, it is an early 20th century Carnegie Library, funded by a foundation where their ideals encouraged free and abundant access to acquiring knowledge and bettering their own lives. Almost a century later, that is still what holds this building so strong in the community. Many locals depend on going there and using its resources. A way to respect this legacy is to keep parts of the existing building that are still functional and also retain the beautiful architectural qualities of when it was first built. The facade of Hunts Point Library remains an iconic image in the neighborhood, and deserves to be celebrated and elevated by the new design. Whether an architect decides to keep the existing building, or parts of it, or recreate a memory of the exisitng building in the new design, these different approaches all hold value and create unique impacts on the community. *How can an investigation of spatial qualities start to address the issues brought up by the community to alleviate the stress on their public library system?
- I believe that thoughtfully designed architecture can make a great impact on social causes in the community. When we, as architects, create the spaces for often neglected members of our own communities, they immediately begin to reap the benefits. There is plenty of research to support the fact that when people start investing in the social infrastructure (i.e. parks, public libraries, cafes, grocery stores, etc.) of their community, all the members are given the opportunity to succeed with the resources they deserve. After reading this article, it is obvious Hunts Point Library is in need of more space to accommodate all its programs it offers to the community, and needs enough flexibility to allow it to grow even more. Studying how multipurpose spaces can fit into the needs of the program will allow for this growth the community most desperately needs. Library officials have expressed the “staggering infrastructure crisis� in their branches, showing that this is not a site specific issue. The crumbling infrastructure issue of public libraries extends itself nation wide.
a ‘Staggering’ Crisis With Infrastructure” dsds *Designers are constantly questioning/testing how certain spatial and material qualities can serve the human better, but how can questioning the function of the space affect the
way we design?
- This is where I believe architects need to do better at questioning whether the building typologies that we all know are really serving us to the best of their abilities. Public libraries are
so much more than just a repository of books and knowledge. They are staples in all of our communities that people depend on, they offer free wifi, computer access, local classes, job fairs, blood drives, shelters during natural disasters, the list goes on. If architects began to design spaces with this flexibility in programs in mind, they could start to function longer and more efficiently in our communities and continue to offer a safe environment for individuals who need it. This issue extends beyond the program of the library; how do we begin to design solid, efficient buildings that last in communities for centuries no matter what their program is? By creating flexible and dynamic spaces that last beyond our own lifetime is a sustainable way to impact our communities for the better.
*As architects, how do we start taking our observations of broken systems and turn
them into vehicles of change for our communities?
- The most important lesson from this article is hearing the voices from the community express what they need. Liana Acevedo, the Hunts Point Library Manager, walks through the existing building and has a whole laundry list of potential improvements. Patrons express their own visions for the future of the library as well. There is an obvious collective dream for what this space can offer, and I believe as long as architects keep observing and listening, the more efficient and better off our communities will be. Part of what I believe is an architect’s responsibility is to be both alert and sensitive to their communities needs. We typically work where we live more often than not, and if we stay aware of our surroundings and take note of when we
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see systems crumbling, there is great opportunity for architects to find a way to get involved.
A time line exploring influential libraries, plotting them in terms of how traditional their services were to more contemporary uses.
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Jussieu – Two Libraries
Their approach of reconfiguring the library layout from stacked floors to a system of ramps allowed for a new opportunities in the way humans used the spaces.
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Each of these planes connecting to one another suggests how the floors become an extension of the street, and act in a similar way. This integration of urban concepts in a public building inspired the way I began to approach my own thesis.
The simple paper studies of how each floor could be a seemless extension of the other provided me with ideas on how to concisely express my own ideas and methods through sketches. Their re-imagining of what the library could be, and exploration of how the form of the building could host a diverse portfolio of programs that extend far beyond the lifetime of the library as we know it.
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OMA
precedent 01
Biblioteca Vasconcelos
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There are certain design approaches taken in this building that start to direct the way individuals inhabit the space. The designers took great precautions in encouraging serendipitous movements; by incorporating transparent walls and floor levels that don’t align with one another, the user has no choice but to wander, and hopefully find their own discoveries.
Alberto Kalach/ TAX
precedent 02
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The suspension of the books hovering over the users at the bottom creates a poetic note on how knowledge is always above us. This building is a safe haven in the community and constantly used—not exclusively a space to hold books, but a shelter with natural light, clean air, greenery, and amenities that support the community at large. The design choices made here extend far beyond their functional properties and begin to have a bigger impact on the city itself.
dsds
conceptual programatic thoughts:
A designated quiet space in this building that hosts several dynamic programs, contemplation space is designed at the scale for the individual. It is not often we find ourselves truly alone; I believe this could be the most unique spot in the whole building.
Classrooms become a necessary space for community members to gather to learn new skills that can advance them in their careers and life situations. The term “it takes a village� begins to be fostered in the classroom, we cannot do all of this alone. We need teachers, peers, and friends to share their knowledge and wisdom.
Private and more secluded spaces offer moments of refuge in a loud and busy city. There is so much noise that it can begin to weigh us down. The reading room is a designated space for reading and discussion, where abundant natural light and shelves of books surround you as occupy the space. The possibilities of what you can learn from the books that surround you are infinite, and many interpretations can be shared. Maker spaces in terms of this program can be defined as physical places that can facilitate workshops, classes, both formal and informal, for individuals in the community to learn skills that are not traditionally taught in schools. It can hold new technology, tools, machinery, etc, where experts can be employed to teach others their trade.
An ablution space is a sacred place where one can cleanse them self and take care of their well being. Many community members in the South Bronx do not always have access to clean water, showers, or places where they can clean themselves. Maintaining this sense of dignity is a basic right that all individuals should have access to.
Starting on the ground level of the library, the site gives the opportunity to welcome the street into a more formal, enclosed public space: in this case the atrium. Its a space that encourages individuals to interact with one another, learn more about their community, display/share their work, or simply find a place of refuge to sit down inside. This multipurpose space can begin to take on many different roles as it sees fit.
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6
Map of South Bronx, 1942
02
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SITE
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STREET ELEVATION
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SITE STRATEGIES At the beginning of my thesis studies, I knew I wanted to explore my initial ideas reimagining the public library system in an urban setting because of the higher density of people in a particular area. Before I had any idea of where the exact site would be, I began to question the siting of a building on an urban street block. Through sketches and research on city mapping, I questioned the different ramifications of urban conditions, for example corner lots versus interior lots, alley ways, building heights, etc. After finding the New York Times article on Hunts Point Library in the South Bronx, I had an immediate gravitation towards choosing this site. Not only was there a need expressed by the community, but there was an ideal urban siting condition that made it extremely desirable, no matter what program was put there. Hunts Point Library is settled in a quiet neighborhood on a corner lot, receives lots of natural lighting, and has a garden area behind it. My initial reaction in regards to exploring my own ideas of my thesis on this particular site was to completely remove the existing building, and start fresh with my own design. This led to several premature site studies that played with the relationship of the form of the new building and the garden, relative to the two bounding streets (pp.28-29) I followed those early axonometric drawings with elevation studies (pp. 36-45). However, through failed attempts of trying to incorporate the memory of the existing building in my new design, I learned it was much more sustainable and valuable to retain the existing facade and insert my new design from the inside and extend upwards, inserting new and additional floor plates.
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The latter explorations can be found in the final elevation drawings supporting the intervention (pp. 46-49)
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BUILDING FOOTPRINT VS. THE GARDEN
tiffa ny stre et
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03
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INTERVENTION
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INTERVENTION
The intervention of my design on the site was divided into three approaches:
A) The treatment of the facade B) The engagement of the street C) The floating atrium
Each of these three strategies informed different formal decisions throughout the design process. The treatment of the facade began when the site in the South Bronx was chosen, and the decision was made to keep the facade of the existing building. Questions arose regarding what parts of the existing building would stay, and how the new design would interact with it. An important aspect of the design was to create site lines from each floor that extended throughout the building, so individuals could see what was happening on each floor. The floating atrium helped achieve this by opening up the center of the building, and with staggered floor areas individuals can begin to see what happens on each level.
p. 35
Lastly, the engagement of the street was an important gesture to welcome the community into the new space. The courtyard behind the existing building was a hidden gem, and to embrace the concept of the garden as a sanctuary in this loud, busy city, I needed to find a way to invite the individual in. By creating a translucent ground floor entrance, anyone walking on the street would be able to see the garden peaking through behind the building. A new dialogue between the city street and the garden is created.
A) TREATMENT OF THE FACADE
p. 36
Opening up the existing facade (shown in green) by taking out the windows allows for travel in between the existing and the new intervention, and begins to define what is inside and what is outside. The new building would be setback 10’ in on each side of the existing footprint, creating a pathway around the exterior. The expanded floors would then grow upwards and over the existing, increasing the floor area. Floating atrium allow for view points to each floor.
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APPROACH 1
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Similar to the previous approach by opening up the existing facade to define interior and exterior spaces, the new intervention simply grows upwards from the existing footprint. The layering of semi-transparent materials can start to visually define what are private spaces and what are public, but still allow for site lines to extend throughout the building on each floor.
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APPROACH 2
p. 40
This scheme completely removes the existing building and starts new, however it creates a memory of the Carnegie Library by creating a similar form of the previous facade in a new, solid material, for example concrete. This memory is then the solid foundation for the new space to grow out of, using transparent materials that create a dialogue between the exterior of the building, and those looking in, and vice versa the individuals on the inside looking out.
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APPROACH 3
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This approach similar to the previous, however it extracts the most minimal forms of the existing facade, and using a new material begins to transform it into an extension of the urban street to the garden. The deep arcade intends to draw people in from the street, offer a moment of covering from the weather, and introduce them to the garden that peaks through from the interior courtyard. The hope of this scheme is to create a dialogue between the street and the garden.
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APPROACH 4
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This scheme is the most structurally daring, attempting to keep parts of the existing facade and introduce new materials in between, to visually show an intervention of new into the old. Two transparent boxes emerge in the center where the previous footprint of the building was, creating simple spaces for people to occupy, no matter the program.
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APPROACH 5
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B) ENGAGEMENT OF THE STREET The floor plans were a direct correlation to the relationships created by the engagement of the street and the floating atrium. In terms of the engagement of the street, I wanted to create a dialogue between the city street and the courtyard garden in the back of the building. By introducing visual elements of the garden that can be seen from the street, this allows for people to be drawn into this tranquil space. The ground floor plan is reflective of this by large openings puncturing through the existing facade, and set back behind that a transparent wall with the entrance doors, allowing for individuals to see back towards the garden. Also on the ground floor, is an indentation of the concrete, which signals a space for collective gatherings, a place to sit and pause, and even a place for exhibitions. This use of the material concrete, reminiscent of the city street, is then extended into this public atrium in the center of the building. The floating atrium instructed how the floor areas began to decrease per each floor plate. This funnel effect gave the opportunity for individuals on each floor to have site lines to the other floors, and created a visual of what programs were occupying each floor at the time. The need for two means of egress in a building occupancy this size was accounted for by anchoring the two vertical stair cores at the north-west and southeast corners of the buildings. These two corners offered the least advantaged views, so it made sense that the solid cores took up these spaces.
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C) THE FLOATING ATRIUM
The floating atrium was an early concept that was rooted in the idea of offering many different viewpoints into other spaces from one singular point. As you travel through each floor, there are constant view points into other programs, allowing for the individual to visually understand what happens in each space, without physically traveling there. This concept was coupled with open floor plans that can adapt to different programs as they change over time, in addition to movable partitions also allow for more flexibility in the way different spaces can be occupied. The flexibility of these spaces gives freedom to change programs in the future, and can extend the lifetime of the building. This approach is more sustainable and anticipates the fact that communities are ever-evolving and their needs change over time. By designing a multi-functional space in the heart of this neighborhood, it easily adapts with whatever the future holds for it.
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MODEL STUDIES
BASSWOOD SHEETS, BASSWOOD STICKS
CORRUGATED PLASTIC
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CONCRETE BASE
10’
40’
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0’
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CROSS SECTION A
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CROSS SECTION B
04
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ATMOSPHERE
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
05
p. 83
CONCLUSION
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CONCLUSION
I waited until my last day of putting together this thesis book to write a conclusion, and with the current events going on in the world I feel it was meant to happen that way. I want to take this time and space to comment on the world I live in right now, how I feel about it, where I fit into it, and what I can do to change it. On May 25th, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by overt police brutality. How many more times can we share hashtags, send prayers, post an Instagram story of our confusion as to why this still happens, still to see no real systematic change. Only until recently has there been this great momentum for change in our communities--a momentum that cannot be lost. I believe we should be questioning why police officers are not punished for so many of these brutal crimes, this happens every day and we should not wait for the next one that happens to be caught on video to catch our attention. We need to be putting pressure on our elected officials by calling them, sending emails, writing letters, to push for change and to protest the systematic racism that plagues this country. Cities in this country perpetuate this problem by continuously defunding public institutions like public libraries, schools, hospitals, etc, that our communities need to survive. This is an issue that originally inspired my own thesis project. As budget cuts continue and these institutions are systematically defunded, we all see the damage it causes. The police are then used to manage the inevitable crime that arises from these underfunded lifelines in the city. More often than not, this results in the use of unnecessary violence and brutality from police officers, directed towards black lives. As these public institutions continue to take financial hits, the police absorbs majorities of the cities budgets and rarely experience layoffs and budget cuts. As a white woman, who grew up comfortably in a middle class family, from a small town in Connecticut, I must ask myself every day, where do I fall into this picture? With a degree in architecture, I want to believe I can do so much--yet why are architecture firms so silent? In a predominately white and male dominated industry, we need to be loud about this. First, by talking about these issues no matter how uncomfortable it can be. As I enter the work force, it must be my responsibility to hold others accountable when I see others being mistreated. Voting for officials who will not allow for these systems to remain, and understand the changes that need to be made. Understanding my innate privileges and in this moment, using it to protect Black bodies, because our government has made it very clear they will not. As an architect, this means not only advocating for these spaces to exist, but fight for them to be designed, thoughtfully and efficiently. I want to look back on this thesis book in thirty years, and remember how I did everything I could to be on the right side of history. I’ll end on this quote from Whitney M. Young Jr.’s speech from the 1968 AIA Convention, that feels all too relevant now, “[A]s a profession, you are not a profession that has distinguished itself by your social and civic contributions to the cause of civil rights, and I am sure this has not come to you as any shock. You are most distinguished by your thunderous silence and your complete irrelevance.
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Now, you have a nice, normal escape hatch in your historical ethical code or something that says after all, you are the designers and not the builders; your role is to give people what they want. ... You are employers, you are key people in the planning of our cities today. You share the responsibility for the mess we are in terms of the white noose around the central city. It didn’t just happen. We didn’t just suddenly get this situation. It was carefully planned.”