thesis investigation :: masters of architecture student

OCCUPATION AS SPATIAL PERFORMANCE by Devki Gharpure

A Comprehensive Architectural Project Submitted to the faculty of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Architecture in the College of Architecture Charlotte 2010

Approved by:

Professor Eric Sauda

Professor Greg Snyder

Professor Jen Shields

Professor Peter Wong

©2010 Devki Gharpure ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ABSTRACT DEVKI GHARPURE Occupation as Spatial Performance (Under the direction of Professors Eric Sauda, Greg Snyder, Jen Shields and Peter Wong)

The objective of this thesis investigation was to develop an understanding of the occupation of public space within the urban landscape. The concepts and themes most essential to the discourse include the ordinary / the everyday, the production of space as a construct, and the definition of the city as a free-body. A significant portion of the work was influenced by the development of an extended case study comparing two existing sources addressing urban occupation: Iain Borden’s Skateboarding, Space and the City and William Whyte’s The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces.

The methodology for this investigation of spatial occupation incorporates an analysis of the selected site and the design of an architectural intervention based on a multilayered understanding of the existing conditions.

As a public urban corridor within the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, the light rail line was selected as the site of study. Upon continuation, the investigation narrowed from an understanding of the entire line, to three specific stations (Carson Station, Stonewall Station, and Third Street Station), to three unique conditions within Stonewall Station.

In addition, a response to the analysis of occupation of the selected site

generated the development of specific user groups: the banker, the skateboarder, and the child. With the constraints of the existing contextual conditions as well as the user groups, the intervention became an exercise of form-making with the goal of addressing multiple forms of spatial occupation.

The research concludes with the creation of an interesting dialogue between the work of Iain Borden and William Whyte on the subject of urban occupation. The work brings forth additional questions regarding designing for specific user groups and the use of form to address those groups of occupants.

Occupation as Spatial Performance Devki Gharpure Thesis Investigation Masters of Architecture College of Arts + Architecture University of North Carolina at Charlotte December 18, 2009 Advisors: Eric Sauda , Greg Snyder, Jen Shields, & Peter Wong 1

Introduction ................................................................ 5

Abstract Concepts Thesis Questions

Discourse....................................................................... 11

Spatial Occupation Context Precedents Methodology An Architectural Intervention Bibliography

Monograph.................................................................. 27

Introduction & Premise: Iain Borden / William H. White Sources of Information Mapping Strategies Series of Compare/Contrast Conclusion

Esquisse........................................................................ 53

Intended Use

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Evidence of Use Time Lapse Film

rather than formal design moves, this station remains one of the few suburban stations that does actually begin to address human scale.

the form as well as the multi-directionality of the views (to the street below and the pedestrian paths alongside the tracks.

Two blocks from the heart of the city, the CTC Station remains one of the most activated platforms due to the proximity of the Trade/Tryon intersection, the Charlotte Transportation Center, and pedestrian access to the EpiCentre. Sheltered by a glass curvilinear structure, the station emphasizes transparency through

CTC

Half covered and half bridged over the heavily trafficked Third Street, this noisy station presents a complex condition with direct covered access from the adjacent buildings. In addition, with the most dynamic and colorful sculptural art forms of any of the stops, the red and green translucent forms begin to address the unique open and closed spatial condition of this station.

Third Street

Adjacent to Interstate 277 and situated as an

isolated urban room through a balcony condition on the Westin Hotel, this platform presents a dead zone as a result of the severe lack of pathways and destinations connecting and mingling train travelers with city pedestrians. The station leaves the occupant with a sense of bewilderment and abandonment due to the uncanny contrast between the extreme release of open views towards the interstate and the limitations of the large-scale, stark, heavy wall of the hotel.

Stonewall

traffic along the line with city pedestrian traffic.

potential for integrative pathways that remain currently isolated. Interestingly, this station is situated immediately adjacent to a variety of landscaped conditions that may present opportunities to re-connect the

Located in a semi-urban condition but experientially disconnected from Tryon Road, this station has the

Carson St

space between the transportation corridor and the series of destinations alongside the light rail line.

Although the backsides of the adjacent collection of restaurants and bars has not been completely addressed and remain somewhat separated, the Bland Street station presents an opportunity to create a dynamic

Bland St

tion feels well settled into the existing urban fabric. Moreover, the light rail shelters resonate well with the smaller scale of the commercial buildings in this area.

riences free-flowing pedestrian traffic perpendicular to the tracks. Easily accessed by car or by foot, the sta-

A vibrant station due to access to the highly activated SouthEnd district of Charlotte, this station expe-

East/West Blvd

moment of relief after the noise and chaos of South Boulevard.

Located in a semi-urban condition, the New Bern light rail platform is deliberately situated separately from the heavily trafficked South Boulevard. At the same time, the station retains access to the adjacent stops with simple pathways alongside the tracks. As a ground level platform, the station at New Bern provides a

New Bern

A bold contrast to adjacent stations, Scaleybark is squeezed between two directions of traffic of South Boulevard. Interestingly, in a sense, the station feels claustrophobic in its immediate adjacency to vehicular traffic. In addition, although unoccupied due to the design of pedestrian paths, the success of the public art alongside the tracks, the large ceramic disks, begin to respond to the dual directionality of this station condition and give a sense of visual tactility to both vehicular and train traffic along South Boulevard.

Scaleybark

Elevated alongside Old Pineville Road, this station provides a transition from the integration of street traffic with the light rail station at Scaleybark with the substantial elevation increase of the majority of the southern-most stops.

Woodlawn

waiting area with two distinct sides divided by Grove Road.

from Tyvola Mall. Inhabited both on the elevated line and the sheltered area underneath, this station is characterized by the immensity of the support structure. The shelter of the tracks overhead acts as a

One of a string of stations situated across from a South Boulevard strip mall, Tyvola Station is located across

Tyvola

the elements of the adjacent uses deliberately address the light rail line with tables and chairs facing the tracks at Reid’s Fine Foods and the landscaping in front of ImaginOn.

The northern-most platform, as the light rail line currently exists, the 7th Street station situates itself into a dense urban condition in downtown Charlotte. Unlike the semi-bridge conditions of the adjacent stations, this platform feels inherently integrated into the existing pedestrian pathways of the city. Moreover,

Seventh St

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Methodology ............................................................. 71

Analysis.......................................................................... 93

Image Collection Analysis Diagrams

Design Intervention ................................................. 111 Precedents Sketch Concepts Intervention 1 / 2 / 1&2 Stations: Carson, Stonewall, Third Street User Groups Stonewall Station Perspectives

Conclusion...................................................................147 Findings Implications

Table of Contents

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“Architecture is an occupied territory, occupied by architecture. However, long after the building has been made, the non-architects continuously do architecture” - Occupying Architecture / Jonathan Hill

The objective of this thesis investigation was to develop an understanding of the occupation of public space within the urban landscape. The concepts and themes most essential to the discourse include the ordinary / the everyday, the production of space as a construct, and the definition of the city as a free-body. A significant portion of the work was influenced by the development of an extended case study comparing two existing sources addressing urban occupation: Iain Borden’s Skateboarding, Space and the City and William Whyte’s The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces.

The methodology for this investigation of spatial occupation incorporates an analysis of the selected site and the design of an architectural intervention based on a multi-layered understanding of the existing conditions.

As a public urban corridor within the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, the light rail line was selected as the site of study. Upon continuation, the investigation narrowed from an understanding of the entire line, to three specific stations (Carson Station, Stonewall Station, and Third Street Station), to three unique conditions within Stonewall Station. In addition, a response to the analysis of occupation of the selected site generated the development of specific user groups: the banker, the skateboarder, and the child. With the constraints of the existing contextual conditions as well as the user groups, the intervention became an exercise of form-making with the goal of addressing multiple forms of spatial occupation.

The research concludes with the creation of an interesting dialogue between the work of Iain Borden and William Whyte on the subject of urban occupation. The work brings forth additional questions regarding designing for specific user groups and the use of form to address those groups of occupants.

Abstract

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The Everyday “The presence and circulation of a representation tells us nothing about what it is for its users. We must first analyze its manipulation by users who are not its makers. Only then can we gauge the difference of similarity between the production of the image and the secondary production hidden in the process of utilization”.

- The Practice of Everyday Life / de Certeau

The Production of Space Lefebvre understands space as neither natural nor abstract, but rather as something that is consciously created, and in turn, produces special effects.........

For him, space is a social product, not a neutral container, one that can encourage or discourage certain practices and behaviors” - Strangely Familiar / Andrew Blauvelt

Situationists International “the city as a space of play and human self-actualization” “those activities, practices, spaces and things that exist beyond or beside the reach of society’s official dictates and actions” - Situationists: art, politics, urbanism

Concepts & Ideas

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How are urban spaces occupied?

How does human occupation alter those spaces?

How are spaces then marked with past occupation?

Thesis Questions

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[Discourse Outline] I.

[Spatial Occupation] a. Premise b. Thesis Questions c. Situationist International d. Spatial Concept e. Objectives

II.

[Context – Charlotte Light Rail] a. Public versus Private Realm b. Spatial Dimension c. Fourth Dimension d. Social Dimension

III.

[Precedents] a. Iain Borden – Body Architecture b. Theaster Gates – The Dorchester Project c. William H. Whyte – The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces d. Heath Kingston – The Patina of Place e. Jane Rendell – “Bazaar Beauties”: A Spatial Story of Exchange

IV.

[Methodology – Glossary of Tools] a. Collection i. Photography ii. Film iii. Material culture analysis b. Narrative i. Participation-observation ii. Field notes iii. Cataloging the everyday c. Representation i. Diagrams ii. Mapping & Drawing iii. Collage-making

V.

[An Architectural Intervention] a. Why is the intervention important? b. What will the intervention tell us? c. Understanding the city

VI.

Bibliography

Discourse

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I. [Spatial Occupation] “The presence and circulation of a representation tells us nothing about what it is for its users. We must first analyze its manipulation by users who are not its makers. Only then can we gauge the difference of similarity between the production of the image and the secondary production hidden in the process of utilization�.1 The Practice of Everyday Life / de Certeau As addressed by de Certeau in the quote above, in order for an architect to understand the implications of designed spaces, he or she must first seek to understand occupied space through the eyes of the occupant. The study of spatial occupation through human acts of inhabitation establishes an experiential narrative for the built forms within our architectural landscape. The city houses architecture not only in a physical form but also as a palimpsest: the physical qualities of the built forms contain submerged layers of experiences, narratives, and evidence of use left behind by the occupants. While architects design spaces with intent, often times, spaces are not utilized as originally expected. Rather than crediting the architect as the sole designer of the built environment, this study seeks to recreate the role of the occupant as the designer. Thus, the investigation seeks to express the everyday acts of inhabitation and occupation as forms of spatial performance. The thesis topic will investigate the spatial constructs within an urban landscape and seek to answer the following series of questions: How are spaces occupied? How does human occupation alter space? How are spaces marked with past occupation? The exploration of spatial relationships between the city and the inhabitants reveals additional layers of meaning, allowing architects to piece together a deeper significance and role of the selected sites.

This thesis investigation will explore various methods for understanding the city as a social space.

Rather than deciphering urbanity through zones and district boundary lines, this study seeks to discover the city as free body, formed and created through the human occupation of public space.

Therefore, this discourse should begin by addressing urbanism through the ideologies of the Situationist International. A post-war French Marxist revisionary group, the Situationist International debated the role of urbanism, stretching ideas of the city in a more modern context.2 Although the Situationists formed ideas encompassing art and politics as well as urbanism, the discourse will focus on the

1 Certeau, Michel De. Practice of everyday life. Berkeley: University of California, 1984. Print.

2 McCreery, Sandy. Ed. Iain Borden. Architectural Design 71.3 (2001). Print.

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Situationists’ ideas of the city “as a space of play and human self-actualization”.3 The name ‘Situationists’ originates from the basic premise of defining the city through the various settings, scenes, or ‘situations’, created within the urban landscape. The movement persistently attacked the repressive and regulated qualities of modern society and critiqued their functionalist methods of understanding the city.

“Instead of cities being determined by pre-planned structures, they are revealed as amorphous, human and ambient. Indeterminate sites of leisure and play, they are temporary, emergent and transitory”.4 Thus, the SI looked to ideas of the ordinary, the familiar, and the everyday as a means to focus on “those activities, practices, spaces, and things that exist beyond or beside the reach of society’s official dictates and actions”.5 These ideals heighten the role of the user. The occupant becomes the architect and the designer, creating and crafting bodies of space through various acts of occupation. As theorized

by Henri Lefebvre in the 1974 book, The Production of Space, the user may thus re-define the traditional definition of space.

“As the title indicates, Lefebvre understands space as neither natural nor abstract, but rather as something that is consciously created, and in turn, produces special effects………For him, space is a social product, not a neutral container, one that can encourage or discourage certain practices and behaviors” (Blauvelt, 19).6 Thus, pursing Lefebvre’s ideologies, this thesis seeks to observe the everyday activities, practices, and behaviors characterized as “elements of creative resistance enacted by ordinary people”.7 The study encompasses three overall variables: space, time, and occupation. First of all, following Lefebvre, space is produced and constructed by the everyday activities it houses, basically dependent on the actions of the user.8 The inherently flexible, multi-use qualities of urban public spaces also provides an open field for ‘play’, or the acts of occupation, including interesting threshold conditions.

Second of all, the fourth dimension becomes a significant, revealing variable when considering the 3 Situacionistas arte, política, urbanismo = Situationists : art, politics, urbanism. Barcelona: Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, 1996. Print.

4 McCreery, Sandy. Ed. Iain Borden. Architectural Design 71.3 (2001). Print.

5 Blauvelt, Andrew, ed. Strangely Familar: Design and Everyday Life. 1st ed. Walker Art Center, 2008. Print.

6 Blauvelt, Andrew, ed. Strangely Familar: Design and Everyday Life. 1st ed. Walker Art Center, 2008. Print.

7 Blauvelt, Andrew, ed. Strangely Familar: Design and Everyday Life. 1st ed. Walker Art Center, 2008. Print.

8 Lefebvre, Henri. Production of space. Oxford: Blackwell, 1991. Print.

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length of time the selected sites are inhabited. Whether within a span of minutes, days, months, years, or decades, the variable of time provides a valuable dimension with which to fashion a narrative of place.

Third of all, the topic specifically addresses the humanistic aspects of occupation, incorporating elements of the psychology of human behavior. occupation of space and seeks to establish an understanding of space as it is constructed by the experiences of the occupant. Thus, the study strives to capture, collect and interpret the visual evidence of the traces of occupation, placing emphasis on the everyday, including rituals and patterns of use. As the study progresses, the relationship between the three variables: space, time, and occupancy will deepen, interconnect, overlap and lead to a heightened understanding of the connections relating the occupants to the spatial construct of the city.

II. [Context] The primary constructs of this research topic, the occupation of space, easily translate into a variety of built environments. However, this study will delve specifically into the occupation of the public realm within the urban landscape. Although the occupation of the private realm presents a valuable study as a richly personal setting, the public realm presents a vivid, dynamic scene with multiple, simultaneous narratives and diverse forms of social interaction. Also, the urban realm presents a series of relatively unwritten spaces; rather than the dictation of specified rooms within the private dwelling (dining room, kitchen, etc.), the urban realm maintains open spaces – an open field for activity. Lastly, the urban landscape provides an ideal setting to assess the dichotomies of collective public space versus intimate public space.

Moving across thresholds from public, to semi-public, to semi-private urban spaces allows the researcher to consider the implications of the edge condition. As a result, characterized to contain dense, flexible spaces, the city provides a dynamic, interactive environment in which to conduct studies focused on the human occupation of space.

In selecting the specific urban context for the investigation, the city of Charlotte will serve as a local site in which to conduct the project; more specifically, the city’s light rail line will provide a unique context for a study of human occupation. Most importantly, the light rail line specifically responds to the series of significant dimensions addressed previously: the spatial dimension, the fourth dimension, and the social dimension of occupation.

To begin, architecturally, the light rail has some unique spatial characteristics; most importantly, the train’s paths carve a strong LINE through the city, revealing distinctive parts of Charlotte in a sectional view. In other words, the light rail exposes various nodes within the city through a single continuous element, a line or path literally embedded into the city. As a result, these pockets of space created along the light rail line by each stop provide smaller sites of study with unique, independent relationships to the

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surrounding landscape.

In addition, with the fourth dimension, the study incorporates the traces of human inhabitation in the past, present, and future. The present is incorporated by the continuous, consistent cycles of occupation from the daily operation of the line and the resulting residue of use. The site also addresses the past; since the existing lines were constructed within the past five years, the history and past life of the site remains partially revealed as an easily accessible sub-surface layer of information. In addition, the site presents an opportunity to address the future life of the line; with the promise of construction for the continuation of the existing line, there exists an opportunity to explore the design of a future stop based on the ideas gleaned from the studies of occupation.

Finally, the selection of the light rail also addresses the focus of the study on spatial occupation.

The line presents a means to narrow the study of occupation to the predominant act that takes place on site: waiting to board the train. The idea of selecting a particular form of spatial occupation, the act of waiting, resembles a similar study by Andre Kerterz on reading.9 Furthermore, logistically speaking, the site has a currently established routine of occupation by inhabitants of the Charlotte metropolitan area; also, as a form of public transport, the light rail has a relatively consistent schedule of activity during the weekdays as well as the weekends. Lastly, the destinations of the individual users remain variable, creating a unique diversity within the occupant demographic. Thus, the light rail line offers a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional site incorporating the spatial dimension, the fourth dimension of time, and the social dimension of occupation.

III. [Precedents] From the exploration of the existing body of knowledge on spatial occupation, a diverse collection of precedents have been selected and presented below. Some projects seek to re-define architectural space, such as Iain Borden or Theaster Gates; others seek to reveal a spatial narrative such as Jane Rendell and Heath Kingston; meanwhile, others seek to assess occupation analytically, such as William Whyte and John Zeisel. While some of the precedents present a more accurate link to the overall methodologies of this particular thesis investigation, all of the studies present a useful collection of strategies and approaches to the understanding of spatial occupation and the relationship between the built environment and the inhabitant.

9 Kertesz, Andre. On Reading. New York: Penguin Books, 1971. Print.

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Precedent: Iain Borden Body Architecture - Skateboarding and the Creation of Super-Architectural Space

The first precedent, Iain Borden’s essay defines a unique spatial production and construct: the

architecture of skateboarding. There are two basic premises for Borden’s argument that relate directly to this thesis research. The first, the essay cites the theories of Henri Lefebvre, ideas that the recognition of spatial production should be embedded in the everyday; similarly, this thesis investigates the inherent and ritualistic qualities of the everyday. Secondly, Borden’s writing describes three different kinds of “territories of occupation” within the architecture of skateboarding – the physical or natural found space, constructed space, and the space of representation.10 This organization relates to this thesis as it seeks to focus and define the specific aspects of the production of space that relate to the everyday urban landscape.

Moreover, “Body Architecture” articulates the production of space through a specific use and specific type of person, skateboarding and the skateboarder. In a similar vein, this thesis seeks to establish the concept of place within the urban spatial body through forms of inhabitation.

Precedent: Theaster Gates The Dorchester Project The fourth precedent, the Dorchester Project, a modest single-family house located in a small neighborhood in the south-side of Chicago, appears ordinary from the exterior. In contrast, the interior, a gutted and seemingly abandoned space, has been significantly transformed with an incredibly minimalist set of moves. The alteration was completed by a local artist, Theaster Gates, with the goal of reconfiguring the architecture “to suggest that in some small way, Spirit and resource was still inside the building”.11 The subtle and sensitive form of intervention speaks to this thesis through the ideas that the most everyday spaces have unique qualities of place that can be uncovered and highlighted. Theaster Gate’s installation in the Dorchester project re-presents, re-creates, and re-establishes the qualities of place that already exist within the seemingly empty shell of the single-family dwelling. In this way, this work inspires the type of intervention or installation relevant to the illustration of the ideas presented for this thesis investigation.

Precedent: William Whyte The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces Based on a scientific methodology, this study was conducted in the 1980s by William H. Whyte, a sociologist interested in theories of environmental behavior. The Social Life of Urban Spaces grew from ris10 Borden, Iain. Skateboarding, Space and the City: Architecture and the Body. New York: Berg, 2001. Print.

11 Theaster Gates. Web. 3 Sept. 2009. <http://theastergates.com/home.html>.

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ing concerns regarding the relative successes and the failures of various public plazas in the city. Whyte’s study primarily seeks to answer the question: why do some city spaces work for people and some do not?

The study addresses the issue by attempting to characterize the specific elements that differentiate a successful from an unsuccessful urban plaza.12 The study had little or no regard for the more humanistic, personal urban experience, and a significant portion of Whyte’s conclusions were quantitative, taking the form of charts, tables, and graphs.

However, a highly influential study, Whyte’s methodologies (the use of time lapse filming, photography, diagramming, and mapping) provides a useful and relevant precedent for studies of spatial occupation.

Precedent: Heath Kingston The Patina of Place - The Cultural Weathering of a New England Industrial Landscape The second precedent, The Patina of Place examines a New England vernacular building type, the three-decker, based on the concepts of cultural weathering.

The author utilizes the concept of

cultural weathering as an “interpretive tool that demonstrates how layers of cultural evidence left on the built environment by its inhabitants reveal the collective choices made in response to the sub-regional determinants of the locale”.13 The investigation focuses largely on spatial transformation with regard to the continual influence of human occupation and time on built form. Kingston addresses the building type, the site, and the context through a series of geographic, historic, economic, and ethic filters. Studying a full range of changing forces, as a result, begins to articulate new meaning, utility, and character to the existing built form.

Thus, Kingston’s investigation characterizes the role of the inhabitant as the alternate designer who re-inhabits and re-creates the local setting that they occupy. He concludes that the strategy of exploring regional landscapes through cultural weathering provides an effective means to study the manner in which human populations create, adapt, and transform their environments over time.14 Critical to the premise of this thesis, The Patina of Place concludes that a set of buildings is in fact a physical compilation of “many histories, intentions, and contextual relationships” which anchor the built form to its specific setting.15

12 Whyte, William Hollingsworth. Social life of small urban spaces. Washington, D.C: Conservation Foundation, 1980. Print.

13 Heath, Kingston Wm. The Patina of Place The Cultural Weathering of a New England Industrial Landscape. New York: University of Tennessee, 2001. Print.

14 Heath, Kingston Wm. The Patina of Place The Cultural Weathering of a New England Industrial Landscape. New York: University of Tennessee, 2001. Print.

15 Heath, Kingston Wm. The Patina of Place The Cultural Weathering of a New England Industrial Landscape. New York: University of Tennessee, 2001. Print.

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Precedent: Jane Rendell “Bazaar Beauties”: A Spatial Story of Exchange

Rendell begins the essay be describing the concept of a spatial story, which may be characterized by

the “urban explorations, passages of revelation, and journeys of discovery” through the city.16 Although such explorations reveal the city in “strangely familiar” ways, they also create cities as desired by the viewer.17 The author also re-presents the subjectivity of historical knowledge, arguing that a significant portion of history is formed within the person telling the story.

Thus, in the essay Rendell seeks to relate a specific spatial story, the “(history”, of the bazaars in early-nineteenth century London. Rendell’s description of history as a spatial exchange dramatically transforms and deepens the history of prostitution, as it is more commonly known and understood. The author reveals the relevant spaces as spatial players within the scenes she re-creates. For example, the street corners, the movement of the ramblers within the bazaar, the venues within the bazaar, as well as the display of ‘commodities for exchange’ are understood through the ways they occupy the scene the author wishes to relate to the reader. As a result, through a form of story-telling, the narration deepens the reader’s understanding of the history and the events being described.

In relation to the ideas of spatial occupation, the concept of a spatial story utilizes the inhabitation of significant spaces to re-articulate history. Similar to Rendell’s method, all of the precedents presented above utilize the concept of spatial occupation as a means to understand an existing space or the history of an existing space as it is or once was experienced.

IV. [Methodology – Glossary of Tools] The precedents previously presented form a basis with which to select and develop a series of methods, tools, and strategies with which to address the occupation of public spaces along the light rail line.

The methodologies articulated throughout this investigation will strive to present a series of experiences, allowing the student to develop a level of understanding of spatial occupation. In addition, the information uncovered will eventually determine the design of an architectural intervention for the urban spaces being studied. The multi-dimensional qualities of studying the human experience of space present an interesting issue regarding the selection of an effective palette of tools.

“The analysis of urban phenomena requires the use of all the methodological tools; form, 16 Rendell, Jane, Joe Kerr, and Alicia Pivaro. Unknown city contesting architecture and social space : a Strangely Familiar project. Ed. Iain Borden. Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 2001. Print.

17 Rendell, Jane, Joe Kerr, and Alicia Pivaro. Unknown city contesting architecture and social space : a Strangely Familiar project. Ed. Iain Borden. Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 2001. Print.

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function, structure, levels, dimensions, text context, field and whole, writing and reading, system, signified and signifier, language and meta-language, institutions, etc. One also knows that none of these terms can attain a rigorous purity, be defined without ambiguity, or escape multiple meaning”.18 As indicated by Lefebvre, a diverse and inclusive set of tools is necessary to begin dissecting the urban phenomena. Since each method will eventually require subjective interpretation, each methodology utilized will incorporate an analysis portion in an effort to maintain a level of insight from each of the studies conducted and represented. The studies will employ a variety of methods roughly categorized as collection, narration, or representation – each aiding in the analysis and illustration of the experiences of the city.

Firstly, multiple forms of collection such as photography, filming, and artifact collection will be utilized as tools to understand the spatial usage of the selected sites. Secondly, narrative methods, involving participation-observation, field notes, and the cataloging of everyday rituals will be utilized to conduct an ethnographic study of the selected sites. Thirdly, methods of representation including diagramming, drawing, mapping and collage-making, will be utilized, for both the act of creating as well as a visual tool.

Collection The first method, photography, provides a medium with which to capture occupied space as visualized through the eyes of the occupant. Focusing on the details of the scene (a door knob, a change in texture, the rounded edge of a bench) allows the photographer to capture and demonstrate the particular experiences within the specific space. In addition, by viewing the selected space through a wide-angle lens rather than a telephoto lens, the photographer may begin to understand the space as it is experienced rather than as it appears from afar.

Also, photographs may be presented as a series or as a collection, allowing the viewer to compare multiple images. Also, photography provides a powerful tool with which to examine the visual transformation of a place over a variety of time spans, whether hours or decades. One example, Charlotte – Then and Now, demonstrates the physical transformation qualities of Charlotte as a city, presenting a series of historic framed shots, in black and white, in direct comparison to a series of modern day framed shots, in color.19 The second method, filming, provides a powerful tool, capturing a critical relationship between 18 Lefebvre, Henri. Writings on cities. Cambridge, Mass, USA: Blackwell, 1996. Print.

19 Lunsford, Brandon. Charlotte – Then and Now. San Diego: Thunder Bay Press, 2008.

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movement and time, which both play significant roles in understanding the use of space. For example, in the 1980s study, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, William Whyte employs the techniques of timelapse photography to create a film depicting the occupation of the city.20 Moreover, the resulting recording becomes a representation as a film, or it may be utilized as raw data from which to glean snapshots of information.

A third method, material culture analysis seeks to understand place through the collection of artifacts. An interesting and valuable approach to the examination of existing built conditions, an artifact may be defined as a piece of evidence that narrates a history or story of a specific people or culture. This method of material culture analysis is well utilized in Kingstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural investigation of the New England three-decker building type. The author conducted collected and examined everyday objects, neighborhood photographs, oral histories, and building adjacency conditions as material evidence to understanding the historical, cultural, economic, and architectural formation of the selected site.21 This method lends itself particularly well to the investigation of the site in a past life.

Narration Another substantial portion of the sub-surface qualities of a place may be discovered through spatial story-telling. The study of how people inhabit space inevitably incorporates aspects of environmental behavior studies in sociology and ethnographic research in cultural anthropology.

The first method, the characteristic ethnographic practice of participant-observation, involves the full engagement of the researcher with the site as an occupant. Becoming an active participant through the act of occupying the site, the researcher steps into the shoes of the actual occupants. As a result, he or she gains the irreplaceable insights of the realities of occupying the space under study.22 The second method of writing field notes on the other hand, may be described as observations of a non-participant. Field notes consist of quick notes as well as sketches, diagrams, and maps that begin to describe the experience of occupying the site of study through the eyes of an observer.

The third method involves the everyday, the patterns of use and rituals observed on site. This particular aspect of the study catalogs the repetition of everyday events within the selected sites to provide the necessary data to begin deriving truths about the site, the inhabitation of the site, and the evidence of inhabitation left behind. The methodology of incorporating everyday habits and rituals allows for a more 20 Whyte, William Hollingsworth. Social life of small urban spaces. Washington, D.C: Conservation Foundation, 1980. Print.

21 Heath, Kingston Wm. The Patina of Place The Cultural Weathering of a New England Industrial Landscape. New York: University of Tennessee, 2001. Print.

22 Crane, Julia G. Field projects in anthropology a student handbook. Morristown, N.J: General Learning, 1974. Print.

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clear understanding of how the site is occupied on a daily basis.

Representation The first method, one of the most basic forms of visual representation, diagrams provide an invaluable tool with which to summarize a concept(s). Moreover, similar to the earlier discussion of using photography, representation through diagramming may be conducted in a series format, allowing the viewer to understand the concept of human occupation of a space over time. For example, the mealtime diagram in the introduction of Eating Architecture portrays a three-part series. The first diagram depicts the structure of architectural order; the second diagram depicts human occupation and the disorder of actual use; the third diagram depicts the traces of human occupation that are left behind.23 The second method, strategies of mapping and drawing may be combined to produce a more telling visual illustration. Mapping techniques address the urban focus of the overall study, and drawing techniques address the architectural spaces of each light rail stop. One example, Jan Rothuizen’s work, Last Tourist Cairo utilizes an interesting technique of mapping with both the traditional sense of geographical placement and the unique experience of the site through photographs incorporated into the drawing.24 The third method, collage-making, a technique of layered assemblage serves particularly useful in depicting the sensual and experiential qualities of space. As a medium, collage provides a means to depict specific experiences of architecture, whether through sight, scent, sound, taste, or touch. Moreover, qualities of assemblage as a method have the powerful potential to depict the passage of time. Such experiential qualities of the human senses and awareness of the passage of time may be more accurately illustrated and explained through the collage form. For example, Frank Dresme’s sections of “Mapping Rotterdam’s City Center” display collage techniques within an architectural drawing to document the experiential qualities of the space displayed.25

V. [An Architectural Intervention] Once the appropriate techniques of analysis have been applied, there comes a question of the possible solutions offered to address the findings of the study through an intervention and or critique.

With the specific constructs of the site established and layers of information gleaned from the physical forms, should the site condition be altered or transformed? If so, in what way? Iain Borden’s explorations 23 Horwitz, Jamie, and Paulette Singley, eds. Eating Architecture. New York: The MIT, 2004. Print.

24 Rothuizen, Jan. “Last Tourist Cairo.” Submarinechannel, 2006. Web. 2 Dec. 2009. <http://roadtrip.submarinechannel.com/content/view.jsp?itemid=4029&mapsize=mega>.

25 Dresme, Frank. Mapping Rotterdam’s City Center. Web. 2 Dec. 2009. <http://www.21bis.nl/www/project/22/3>.

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of the architectural elements of the skateboarder present a new, unique way of perceiving space. However, this study presents a theoretical viewpoint rather than a fully articulated type of intervention of the existing built form.

On the other hand, the work of the Chicago artist Theaster Gates encompasses specific forms of sensitive intervention; Gates describes the purpose of his interventions with the goal to â&#x20AC;&#x153;grow the number of small acts of beauty and contemplation with the hope that the moments began to suggest that the place where I live is, in fact A PLACE.â&#x20AC;?26 Similar to the installation work of Theaster Gates, the final goal for this thesis investigation will serve to draw attention to and embody the qualities of place that already exist within the physical realm of the everyday.

Prior to the representational installation however, the study and the investigation of how spaces are understood, influenced, and imprinted by the inhabitants over time will allow architects to recognize and identify the narrative of the built landscape through the eyes of those who live within them everyday. This study addresses the state of the built form through a social filter, with the intent of understanding layers of the built landscape after the architect has left the scene, when the occupant creates the experiential qualities of an occupied space through various forms of occupation. In this way, rather than viewing architecture solely as a dictation of ordered form, designers may more fully realize the complex realities of inhabiting space and the meanings that ensue.

26 Theaster Gates. Web. 3 Sept. 2009. <http://theastergates.com/home.html>.

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VI. [Bibliography] Bachelard, Gaston. The Poetics of Space. Boston: Beacon, 1994. Print.

Blauvelt, Andrew, ed. Strangely Familar: Design and Everyday Life. 1st ed. Walker Art Center, 2008.

Print.

Borden, Iain. Skateboarding, Space and the City: Architecture and the Body. New York: Berg, 2001. Print.

Borden, Iain. Strangely Familiar Narratives of Architecture in the City. New York: Routledge, 1996.

Print.

Brand, Stewart. How buildings learn what happens after they’re built. New York, NY: Viking, 1994.

Print.

Certeau, Michel De. Practice of everyday life. Berkeley: University of California, 1984. Print.

Crane, Julia G. Field projects in anthropology a student handbook. Morristown, N.J: General Learning, 1974. Print.

Digital Sanborn Maps. University of Michigan. Web. 9 Sept. 2009. <http://sanborn.umi.com/>.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. <http://www.dillerscofidio.com/>.

Debord, Guy. Society of the spectacle. New York: Zone Books, 1994. Print.

Emerson, Robert M. Writing ethnographic fieldnotes. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1995. Print.

Gehl, Jan. Life between buildings using public space. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1987. Print.

Hayden, Dolores. “Placemaking, Preservation, and Urban History.” Journal of Architectural Education 41.3 (1988): 45-51. Http://www.jstor.org/stable/1424895. Blackwell Publishing. Web. 18 July 2009.

Hayden, Dolores. Power of place urban landscapes as public history. Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 1995.

Print.

Heath, Kingston Wm. The Patina of Place The Cultural Weathering of a New England Industrial Landscape. New York: University of Tennessee, 2001. Print.

Hill, Jonathan, ed. Occupying Architecture Between the Architect and the User. New York: Routledge, 1998. Print.

Holl, Steven, Juhani Pallasmaa, and Alberto Perez-Gomez. Questions of Perception Phenomenology of Architecture. Grand Rapids: William K Stout Pub, 2007. Print.

Horwitz, Jamie, and Paulette Singley, eds. Eating Architecture. New York: The MIT, 2004. Print.

Jackson, John Brinckerhoff. Sense of place, a sense of time. New Haven: Yale UP, 1994. Print.

Kertesz, Andre. On Reading. New York: Penguin Books, 1971. Print.

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Koolhaas, Rem. Delirious New York a retroactive manifesto for Manhattan. New York: Oxford UP, 1978. Print.

Lamphere, Louise, ed. Structuring diversity ethnographic perspectives on the new immigration.

Chicago: University of Chicago, 1992. Print.

Lefebvre, Henri. Production of space. Oxford: Blackwell, 1991. Print.

Lefebvre, Henri. Writings on cities. Cambridge, Mass, USA: Blackwell, 1996. Print.

Leatherbarrow, David. Architecture oriented otherwise. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural, 2009. Print.

Lunsford, Brandon. Charlotte – Then and Now. San Diego: Thunder Bay Press, 2008.

Lynch, Kevin. What time is this place? Cambridge: MIT, 1972. Print.

McCreery, Sandy. Ed. Iain Borden. Architectural Design 71.3 (2001). Print.

Meinig, D. Wm, ed. Interpretation of ordinary landscapes geographical essays. New York: Oxford UP, 1979. Print.

Mostafavi, Mohsen, and David Leatherbarrow. On weathering the life of buildings in time.

Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 1993. Print.

Relph, E. C. Place and placelessness. London: Pion, 1976. Print.

Rendell, Jane, Joe Kerr, and Alicia Pivaro. Unknown city contesting architecture and social space : a Strangely Familiar project. Ed. Iain Borden. Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 2001. Print.

Rossi, Aldo. The Architecture of the City. New York: MIT P, 1982.

Sabate, Joaquim, Dennis Frenchman, and J. Mark Schuster, eds. Llocs Amb Esdeveniments Event Places. Barcelona, 2004. Print.

Situacionistas arte, política, urbanismo = Situationists : art, politics, urbanism. Barcelona: Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, 1996. Print.

Theaster Gates. Web. 3 Sept. 2009. <http://theastergates.com/home.html>.

The Rear Window. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Perf. James Stewart and Grace Kelly. DVD. The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces: A film by William H. Whyte. Dir. William Hollingsworth Whyte. Municipal Art Society of New York, 1988. DVD. Whyte, William Hollingsworth. Social life of small urban spaces. Washington, D.C: Conservation Foundation, 1980. Print.

Zeisel, John. Inquiry by design tools for environment-behavior research. Monterey, Calif: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co., 1981. Print.

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Iain Borden

William Whyte

Monograph The monograph serves as an extended case study of projects or methodologies that seek to address questions similar to those of the thesis investigation. In this case, the monograph acted as a extensive compare and contrast exercise between two different methods of understanding and analyzing urban space.

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compare & contrast This monograph delves into two different methodologies of understanding the human occupation of urban space.

At first glance, the two methodologies being compared appear unrelated based on the primary subject matter of each study. However, upon closer examination, the two projects actually display significant similarities and provide a telling and informative comparison.

The first study, conducted by architect and urban planner William Whyte is titled “The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces”. The research was performed by the Street Life Project in the 1970s and sought to answer questions about the success of particular urban spaces over other less successful urban spaces. The investigation of Whyte’s study is presented on the right-hand pages of the monograph document.

The second study, conducted by architect Iain Borden in 2001 is titled “Skateboarding, Space, and the City”. Rather than the quantitative focus of Whyte’s research, Iain Borden draws from a theoretical base while investigating the spatial constructs created by the skateboarder through the act of skateboarding. The investigation of Borden’s study will be presented on the left-hand pages of the monograph document.

Both methodologies provide valuable insight regarding the study of the use of urban spaces. This in-depth comparison seeks to interpret and further articulate the similarities and differences between the two research projects with the hope of fully understanding the strengths and weaknesses of both.

Eventually, the goal for the development of a final methodology will draw from the established strengths and avoid the discovered weaknesses of each project.

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This study introduces skateboarding as a means to present,

“architecture, not as a thing, but as a production of space, time, and social being” 1

introduction & premise Borden establishes his study of space as a direct reference to the ideas of Henri Lefebvre. Thus, Borden re-defines space as a product, produced by social being rather than as a singular entity. “Space-production cannot then be reduced to theories of it, but must be seen as a process involving not only theories but also practices, objects, ideas, imagination and experience”.1 Borden describes the purpose and goals of establishing skateboarding as a form of architecture; the “[primary object of study is not about a specific place, specific moment, or specific person but is a practice, a particular patterning of space-time produced from a specific body-centered origin]”.1 Borden critiques the traditional methods utilized by architectural historians as a preface to addressing the less conventional historical base of his own study. He confronts the limitations of the traditional concepts of space to the designed building-object, ignoring the larger context of social relations and wider meaning.1 The author critiques the fact that “notions of social change, urban conditions, and social struggles of all kinds have been lost to view”. The study deliberately seeks to remove architecture from the privileged sphere of the professional and the academic realm and integrate the “substance” of architecture into the sphere of everyday life.1 Borden describes the five-fold purpose of his research: “to make explicit the methodological procedures that I am following; to help identify new objects of study (skateboarding); to provide interpretive tolls by which to crack open this object of study, placing skateboarding into the realm of critical thought; to help reinterpret and reconfigure these Lefebvrian theories through their intersection with a particular historical ground; and so ultimately to provide an arena in which to retheorize architecture and architectural history”.1

Skateboarding, Space, and the City 30

Iain Borden

introduction & premise Project Introduction & Premise The Social Life of Urban Spaces grew out of the Street Life Project research group started by William Whyte in the 1970s. Unlike Borden’s investigations of space, Whyte’s project grew from the need to address specific questions about public spaces. The group originated as a means to answer specific questions for the city planning department regarding the realities of the actual use of urban areas, particularly urban plazas.

At the time, the New York City zoning ordinances allowed high-rise buildings to construct additional stories to their buildings if a public plaza space was provided on the ground floor. As a result, over time, there grew to be a number of badly designed open spaces within the city; therefore, Whyte’s study addresses the issue by striving to characterize the specific elements that differentiate a successful urban plaza from an unsuccessful urban plaza.

Primary Question:

Why do some city spaces work for people and some do not?

Secondary Questions:

What is the definition of a desirable plaza?

Why do children play in the street?

Is there a direct need for additional playground space?

How should a plaza be designed to prevent over-crowding?

How should the ‘undesirables’ of urban areas be handled?

Social Life of Small Urban Spaces William Whyte

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sources of information 32

segregated methodologies The information collected for both methodologies may be categorized into two different forms: segregated and integrated. The segregated methodology observes the form of occupation from a distance and/or collects information from an indirect source.

For example, Borden collects the majority of the information on the history of skateboarding from an archive of skateboard magazines over the span of 50 years, such as the examples shown above. While Borden considered conducting interviews or giving questionnaires with skateboarders, he argues that sources such as Thrasher, Transworld, and Skateboarder magazine provide a relatively accurate documentation of skateboarding history.

Borden attests to the relevance of the magazine contents to the study and contends that the magazines qualify as a primary source; they “speak a certain truth about skateboarding”.1 Whyte also utilizes a predominantly ‘segregated’ methodology through techniques of time lapse filming, allowing the researcher to “store time, retrieve it for later study, and replay it to others in a dramatic and compelling form”.2 For significant portions of the investigation, a video camera is set up in an unobtrusive location, generally on the second or third story of an adjacent building, with ideal views towards the plaza under study, as seen in the image above.

In order to gather accurate data within this study of human behavior, inconspicuous equipment becomes critical and thus provides an additional incentive to segregate the data collection process (the time lapse camera) from the subject under study (the general public).

Overall, since the segregated methodology collects information without the direct influence of the researcher, the methodology provides a relatively consistent set of data regardless of who performs the study.

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The integrated methodology emphasizes the importance of proximity between the subject and the researcher. As a result, unlike the segregated methodology, the personal views and experiences of the researcher carry a substantial amount of weight and influence on the results from this method of information collection. Both Borden and Whyte utilize integrative methods.

In terms of skateboarding, Borden expresses the importance of proximity in image capture, thus characterizing this form of photography as an integrative method. He specifically conveys the significance of employing the wideangle rather than the telephoto lens, which is the predominant lens in other forms of sport photography. The wideangle lens not only emphasizes locational context but also allows the photographer to become a close participant in the scene.1

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integrated methodologies Furthermore, Borden emphasizes that “the optical characteristics of the wide-angle lens forces the photographer and the subject into a proximate spatial relationship, such that the photographer often leans over and projects the camera underneath or even within the orbit of the skater’s body”.1 The image of the skateboarder on the left clearly depicts “immediacy” and proximity; As noted by the photographer’s foot in the lower right-hand corner of the image, “At times this immediacy even becomes directly evidenced in the photograph itself”.1 In addition, although a portion of Whyte’s study utilized techniques of time lapse filming, the study also includes a substantial collection of photographs captured from eye level.

The close-up shots captured by the individual researchers/observers are not emphasized within the study, however the strength of the study surfaces from the conglomeration of both proximal and distant photographs. Interestingly, although Whyte articulates the importance of unobtrusive camera placement for the time lapse films, the study does not specifically address the possible discrepancies of the final results from of the photographer within the public realm.

As seen in Borden’s study of skateboarding and Whyte’s study of plazas, both research methodologies clearly portray the necessity of duality: integrated and segregated methods of collection.

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image collection

mapping strategies 36

image collection When mapping a space, rather than relying on the singularity of one method, Whyte utilizes a variety of methods through the collection of a suite of images. For example, the collection of images above illustrates the occupation of New York Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Seagram Plaza through three different representation strategies. The space is captured, explained, and represented through several methods: a selected shot from the time-lapse camera, through a mapping exercise in plan view, and from a more proximate photograph.

Unlike Whyteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical representations of space, Bordenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study relies primarily on photography and written argument. In order to better understand the skateboarder within an urban context, the diagram on the left superimposes an imaginary path of an imaginary skateboarder riding through Seagram Plaza. The premise of such an exercise borrows from each of the two methodologies in order to further explore and eventually create a third improved methodology.

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alternative use

vertical Surface 38

traditional use One interesting parallel between the two studies involves surface, particularly the occupation of vertical surface.

Through the act of skateboarding, the “verticals, curves, symmetries, projections, transitions and so forth are brought to life, no longer static objects or formal qualities but now propulsive elements”.1 For the use of the more conventional occupant, the vertical surface provides a useful back or head rest.

Borden addresses an addition significant point regarding the disclosure of human occupation through “marks, scratches and other material manifestations” left behind as physical evidence on the surface itself.1

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texture [the physicality of the modern city dissolves into an imaginative reenaction of another space, the micro-experience of the found terrain causing a new space-production to occur]â&#x20AC;? - Iain Borden

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sun/shade The diagram on the left highlights the variety of textures experienced by the skateboarder through the wheels of the skateboard, whether through the rough quality of the brickwork or the smooth rhythm of the concrete. Borden emphasizes the importance of understanding spatial production through engagement with the terrain rather than solely through historical and traditional notions of â&#x20AC;&#x153;design, construction authorship, intention, and evolutionâ&#x20AC;?. 1 The diagram above illustrates the occupation of objects amidst the larger context of the urban room. The pleasure of occupying this particular space may be derived from the surfaces heated by the sun.

Both types of occupation may be described as sensory experiences for the individuals engaged with the physical surfaces of the urban setting.

surface 41

“street skateboarding appropriates any element in the urban landscape, seeking to use the meaningless, zero degree modernism of the new town” – Iain Borden

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misused spaces

Whereas Whyteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study strives to answer the question of why certain urban corners and urban open spaces remain abandoned by the public, Borden seeks to redefine the method of appropriate occupation of seemingly abandoned spaces by a lesser known subculture, such as skateboarding. Interestingly, both authors agree on the existence of a number of meaningless spaces within the city created from the modernist age. However, unlike Whyte, who handles more traditional methods of human inhabitation, Borden celebrates the abandoned corners of the city as an open canvas for another â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;alternateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; form of occupation.

abandoned spaces 43

misused spaces

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misused spaces Both Whyte and Borden discuss banned spaces that prohibit various forms of occupation through implemented physical adjustments of the built environment, as depicted in the images above. Borden addresses the history of skateboarding bans throughout various cities whereas Whyte addresses spaces intentionally or unintentionally designed to prevent the occupation of ledges as seats. Both projects also address the people Whyte names the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;undesirablesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of society. Whyte discusses the homeless occupying public space, and interestingly, Borden discusses a similar issue due to the negative image of the skateboarder in the city.

social engineering 45

the creation of super-architectural space

motion 46

time lapse film Both Borden and Whyte seek to capture human occupation of space; thus, the projects incorporate techniques such as photography (for Borden) and film (for Whyte) specifically to capture movement and motion.

Borden utilizes powerful imagery to define occupation through the concept of super-architectural space: “space that lies beyond the space of subject, tool or terrain, and which is compositionally quite distinct from the ordered hierarchies of architecture-as-object, architecture-as-drawing or architecture-as-idea; it is a rhythmical procedure, continually repeated yet forever new, like the waves of the sea, the playing of music or declamation of poetry”.1 On the other hand, William Whyte utilizes film, specifically techniques of time lapse film, in order to capture and understand human occupation of urban space. Whyte describes the goals for the inconspicuous use of time lapse film techniques: “the camera would cover any desired angle of view from wide angle to telephoto close-up; automatically take a picture at any set interval from a half second to 10 minutes; run unattended for up to 48 hours; automatically adjust to any change in light from dawn to dusk and beyond; record to the hundredth of a second the exact time each picture was taken”.2

motion 47

“production not as the production of things but of play, desires and actions; the purpose of space as use rather than exchange; richness as social wealth rather than ownership; place as composed of time and speed as well as a quantity of space; and the city as interrogator rather than determinant of the self” - Iain Borden

closure & aperture The monograph serves as analytical tool to interrogate two specific methodologies of understanding the occupation of urban space. The side-by-side comparison of the two projects provides a direct format with which to understand the inherent and unique qualities of both research endeavors.

The author of the first project, with a primarily theoretical approach, writes a discourse that describes the act of skateboarding as a spatial production within the city. While this particular project focuses on a unique demographic, the arguments utilized by Iain Borden easily apply to a variety of ‘alternative’ occupations of space.

On the other hand, the author of the second project focuses specifically on assessing the general occupation of urban space utilizing concepts of human behavior science. Both projects seek to better understand elements of the occupation of the urban condition. However, while Borden’s research focuses more on the individual’s production of space within a larger subculture, Whyte’s research focuses primarily on the collective, the social interaction between individuals or groups of people.

Interestingly, as a modern day investigation, Borden’s perceptions of the individual within an internationally vibrant subculture, resonates with the global condition of today. Linked through various forms of media and technology, a modern day research project must account for the inescapable duality of the regional versus the global condition. Skateboarding, one of many examples of spatial occupation, is “primarily concerned with the micro-spaces of streets” while also existing as a global phenomenon.

As established, both projects seek to address the human experience of occupying the urban landscape. However, while Borden celebrates the creative, unique interpretations of spatial occupation, Whyte’s research strives to generalize the idea of a well-designed and well-planned public gathering space in the city.

Skateboarding, Space, and the City 48

Iain Borden

Open-Space Zoning Provisions for NYC Seating Planting and Trees Retail Frontage Lighting Circulation and Access Access for the Physically Disabled Food Facilities; Permitted Obstructions Maintenance Performance Bond Plaque Location and Orientation Proportional Restrictions Chart 1: Plaza Use – the number of people sitting Chart 2: Amount of Plaza Space (sq. ft.)

Chart 3: Amount of Sittable Space Chart 4: Density of Use (# of people/1000 sq. ft. of open space)

open-space provisions The results of Whyte’s research were adopted as amendments to the Open-Space Zoning Provisions for New York City in 1975. In order to address the growing number of poorly designed plazas, William Whyte’s Street Life Project sought to create a set of specific guidelines for the design of a successful plaza space. The research demonstrates and highlights specific features and considerations, as listed, to create a successful, well-utilized public plaza.

Whereas Iain Borden’s discourse specifically states the position that the subject matter cannot consider changes to existing material conditions but changes in the experience of the material condition. In complete contrast, Whyte’s study specifically strives to influence and implement changes in the existing zoning ordinances of the time.

Based on a scientific methodology, Whyte’s study includes a set of charts that serve the primary purpose of comparing types of public plazas across the country. In addition, a time/occupation chart was created for Seagram Plaza in New York City based on the data collected from the installation of a time lapse film camera with views of the plaza.

Overall, the comparison of the two methodologies illustrates two valuable approaches to addressing a specific subject, in this case, the occupation of urban space. The singularity of following one method tends to ignore substantial portions of the urban demographic and substantial numbers of alternate uses for the same space.

In addition, the comparison between the research of Whyte and Borden demonstrates the inherent and healthy flexibility of urban spaces capable of accommodating a variety of occupants engaged in a variety of forms of occupation.

For the purpose of conducting a thesis investigation, the monograph - extended case study of the two methodologies will provide a basis for the development of a third methodology. In an attempt answer similar questions regarding the occupation of a public urban space, the third methodology will borrow strategies from both projects with the hopes of formulating a more holistic and accurate understanding of how a particular space is occupied.

Social Life of Small Urban Spaces William Whyte

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books 1

Borden, Iain. Skateboarding, Space and the City Architecture and the Body.

New York: Berg, 2001. Print.

2

Whyte, William Hollingsworth. Social life of small urban spaces. Washington, D.C: Conservation Foundation, 1980. Print

dvd 3

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Dir. William Hollingsworth Whyte.

Municipal Art Society of New York, 1988. DVD.

bibliography

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Esquisse

The esquisse acts as a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;testâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for the design process to be conducted in the spring semester. For this thesis investigation, the selected space was studied based on the level of occupation and the types of inhabitation that took place over a series of 24 hour periods.

The analyzation of the space was categorized and studied based on three different methods: the intended use of the space with relation to the rest of the building, the evidence of use within the space, and occupation of the space over longer periods of time. The architecture building on the UNCC campus, Storrs, served as the setting for the esquisse. More specifically, the central space, the salon, was studied over a period of three days.

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Intended Use

The first part of the esquisse, the study of the intended use, serves the purpose of understanding the building as a whole. The series of diagrams to follow demonstrate the versatility and the flexibility of the salon space which serves as space for teaching, displaying, gathering, creating, as well as circulation.

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personalization of space

evidence of use storrs building: uncc

public message

unofficial public message

identification

personalization

missing traces

leftovers

leftovers

missing traces

missing traces

adaptat ons for use

props

props

intentional aesthetic adaptation

intentional aesthetic adaptation

Evidence of Use

The second part of the esquisse, the study of the evidence of use, serves the purpose of documenting the physical marks of human occupation on the selected space of study. The evidence of use has been documented through photographs and categorized as either personalization of space, missing traces, or alterations of use.

Personalization of space may be characterized as small additions made to a space by the user in order to re-articulate the space as their own. Missing traces may be best characterized as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;leftoversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, particularly as related to time.

Alterations of use may be characterized as adjustments made to the space as a result of a specific user need, often times for a temporary purpose.

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personalization of space

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missing traces

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adaptations of use

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Time Lapse Film

The third part of the esquisse, the study of the occupation of the space over a period of time, allows the researcher to answer a number of significant questions such as: what are people doing in the space, how long are they occupying the space, what type of interaction occurs in the space?

This portion of the study was based from William H. Whyteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. The techniques of time lapse filming were utilized in order to record and collect a series of images of the salon space in the Storrs building. The images were then layered as a single image in order to visually depict the use of the space over specific periods of time of day.

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wednesday am

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wednesday pm

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thursday am

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thursday pm

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friday pm

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Charlotte Light Rail_the Blue Line

Public Space

As a significant mode of transportation within the city of Charlotte, the light rail line provides an excellent focus on the urban life of the city as a public space for both the passengers on the train and the pedestrians walking along the urban corridor created by the line.

Spatial Dimension

The light rail provides an interesting site of study as a linear form rather than the most traditional form of understanding urban space such as square or plaza.

Fourth Dimension The line also provides a literal translation of the fourth dimension through the use of a regimented time schedule with the routine, repetitive arrival of the trains.

Social Dimension Occupation along the train line unifies with the generalized forms of inhabitation such as waiting, walking, sitting, standing, leaning. At the same time, the line varies with a multitude of different user groups that occupy the line in different ways.

Methodology For the purposes of this thesis investigation, the light rail line was selected as a site in Charlotte, North Carolina. The first half of the study incorporates an analysis of the context and the occupation of the Blue Line. The second half of the study involves the design of an architectural intervention which highlights the current everyday use of the site as well as demonstrates variations of use.

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Syllabus

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Occupation as Spatial Performance

[explorations of engaging the physical environment through the occupation of the urban realm] SYLLABUS

“Architecture is an occupied territory, occupied by architecture. However, long after the building has been made, the non-architects continuously do architecture”(Hill, 232). [premise] This thesis focuses on the human occupation of architecture and the built environment within the urban landscape. Rather than viewing the architect as the sole dictator of the occupation of intentionally designed spaces, this study seeks to articulate the spatial performance of the occupant through the act of occupying space. The investigation is built on the Lefebvre’s concepts of space as a social product rather than as a neutral container. Throughout the investigation, the study will emphasize the ordinary, the everyday rituals, and the patterns of use. The thesis seeks to support and further articulate the idea that the life within architecture gives the built forms within the urban landscape greater significance and deeper meaning. [objective] This project seeks to dissect a role reversal between the physical environment and the occupant(s) of that environment. Traditionally, architects take an interest in exploring the methods with which their designs have the power to impact and influence the occupant(s); instead this thesis project seeks to explore the impact and influences of the occupant(s) on their physical environment. [context]

The selected site of study will be along the Charlotte Area Transit System, specifically the Blue light rail line that runs along the north/south city axis of Charlotte, North Carolina. Since a significant portion of the data collection for this thesis investigation will take place in the winter months (January and February), regardless of the weather, the light rail provides a regular space of gathering within the public arena of the city.

Also, the various stops along the line provide a common theme of occupation: waiting, sitting, standing, and boarding the light rail. At the same time, since each individual stop integrates a different context within a slightly different setting, there exists a promising level of diversity regarding forms of occupation. The site will also provide somewhat of a cross section of the city. Since significant portions of the line have yet to be completed, the study offers ample opportunity to begin studying possibilities for the future life of the line. [content]

The thesis investigation will be divided into two portions: analysis and design. The analysis portion, the first half of the semester, will incorporate various forms of collection with the purpose of developing an in-depth understanding of the spatial occupation of the existing stops along the light rail line. The information and experiences gleaned from the first half of the semester will then inform the second half of the semester. Then, the design portion will emphasize the composition and creation of urban interventions with the purpose of influencing the formation of public space within the selected sites.

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(pre)Assignment One_Preparation Firstly, the preparation for the spring semester will incorporate a precedent study of a series of urban interventions, installations, and performance pieces by a variety of artists and architects. Secondly, logistical preparation will incorporate establishing contact with CATS, the Charlotte Area Transit System.

Assignment One_Collection For the first assignment, the student should become familiar with the light rail as a spine of occupation through the Charlotte metropolitan. Utilizing collage, diagramming, drawing, and mapping techniques, the goal of assignment one will be to present the light rail Blue Line as a collection of the personal experiences of occupying each of the stops.

Assignment Two_Spatial Occupation For the second assignment, the student will select three stops along the light rail: one within the center city, one in South End, and one in the southern suburbs. The purpose of studying the use of three different light rail stops with three different sites will be to reveal a unique spatial narrative for each context through various scales, levels, and layers of occupation. Furthermore, an analysis of the specific relationships between individual stops and their sites will present a deeper understanding of the fabric of the city and the occupation of the city as a whole.

Assignment Three_Intervention For the third assignment, the student will design a didactic intervention for each of the three selected light rail stops. The interventions will serve to address the unique spatial qualities of each site, highlight the current occupation of the site, and serve as a physical representation of an experience of each site.

Assignment Four_ Translation The final assignment will incorporate two parts. First, the student will continue design development for the interventions from assignment three. Second, the student will perform a more conclusive analysis of the work from the fall and spring semester as a whole.

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[evaluation] • • • •

Did the student gain a deeper understanding of the way in which people engage with their physical surroundings?

Were the various methods of occupation and interaction thoroughly explored and organized?

Was the final production and collection of work clear and precise? Did it enhance the topics addressed in the originally established discourse?

Were the selected forms of representation appropriate in clear articulation of the ideas supporting the thesis investigation?

A (Excellent / Commendable): The student meets or exceeds the previously stated requirements by exhibiting a thorough understanding of spatial occupation and displaying intellectual growth through both the verbal and visual presentation. In addition, the student demonstrates an exploratory nature throughout the semester and takes some aesthetic risks through the design intervention. Finally, the representation techniques utilized throughout the thesis investigation should portray a clearly articulated and aesthetically engaging presentation. Also, the work should be professionally presented in a timely fashion.

B (Good / Satisfactory): The student falls short of meeting the previously stated requirements of the course. The student exhibits an average understanding of the subject and displays a level of improvement and intellectual growth during the semester. However, the student does not engage in an appropriate level of aesthetic risk-taking and remains constrained by comfort zone. All work is turned in on time and well presented.

C (Marginal): The student fails to meet and complete a substantial portion of the course requirements.

Also, the student exhibits little improvement, development, and/or intellectual growth the semester. No risks are taken with the urban intervention. The final presentation remains incomplete and disengaged with the thesis topic.

U (Unsatisfactory): The student fails to meet the requirements of the course and the work presented is of an unacceptable caliber for a graduate level. The final intervention is incomplete and completely disengaged from the thesis topic.

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[seminal readings] Blauvelt, Andrew, ed. Strangely Familar: Design and Everyday Life. 1st ed. Walker Art Center, 2008.

Print.

Borden, Iain. Skateboarding, Space and the City: Architecture and the Body. New York: Berg, 2001. Print.

Certeau, Michel De. Practice of everyday life. Berkeley: University of California, 1984. Print.

Debord, Guy. Society of the spectacle. New York: Zone Books, 1994. Print.

Hill, Jonathan, ed. Occupying Architecture Between the Architect and the User. New York: Routledge, 1998. Print.

Jackson, John Brinckerhoff. Sense of place, a sense of time. New Haven: Yale UP, 1994. Print.

Lefebvre, Henri. Production of space. Oxford: Blackwell, 1991. Print.

McCreery, Sandy. Ed. Iain Borden. Architectural Design 71.3 (2001). Print.

Situacionistas arte, política, urbanismo = Situationists : art, politics, urbanism. Barcelona: Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, 1996. Print.

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces: A film by William H. Whyte. Dir. William Hollingsworth Whyte. Municipal Art Society of New York, 1988. DVD. Zeisel, John. Inquiry by design tools for environment-behavior research. Monterey, Calif: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co., 1981. Print.

[bibliography] Bachelard, Gaston. The Poetics of Space. Boston: Beacon, 1994. Print.

Blauvelt, Andrew, ed. Strangely Familar: Design and Everyday Life. 1st ed. Walker Art Center, 2008.

Print.

Borden, Iain. Skateboarding, Space and the City: Architecture and the Body. New York: Berg, 2001. Print.

Borden, Iain. Strangely Familiar Narratives of Architecture in the City. New York: Routledge, 1996.

Print.

Brand, Stewart. How buildings learn what happens after they’re built. New York, NY: Viking, 1994.

Print.

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Certeau, Michel De. Practice of everyday life. Berkeley: University of California, 1984. Print.

Crane, Julia G. Field projects in anthropology a student handbook. Morristown, N.J: General Learning, 1974. Print.

Digital Sanborn Maps. University of Michigan. Web. 9 Sept. 2009. <http://sanborn.umi.com/>.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. <http://www.dillerscofidio.com/>.

Debord, Guy. Society of the spectacle. New York: Zone Books, 1994. Print.

Emerson, Robert M. Writing ethnographic fieldnotes. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1995. Print.

Gehl, Jan. Life between buildings using public space. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1987. Print.

Hayden, Dolores. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Placemaking, Preservation, and Urban History.â&#x20AC;? Journal of Architectural Education 41.3 (1988): 45-51. Http://www.jstor.org/stable/1424895. Blackwell Publishing. Web. 18 July 2009.

Hayden, Dolores. Power of place urban landscapes as public history. Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 1995.

Print.

Heath, Kingston Wm. The Patina of Place The Cultural Weathering of a New England Industrial Landscape. New York: University of Tennessee, 2001. Print.

Hill, Jonathan, ed. Occupying Architecture Between the Architect and the User. New York: Routledge, 1998. Print.

Holl, Steven, Juhani Pallasmaa, and Alberto Perez-Gomez. Questions of Perception Phenomenology of Architecture. Grand Rapids: William K Stout Pub, 2007. Print.

Horwitz, Jamie, and Paulette Singley, eds. Eating Architecture. New York: The MIT, 2004. Print.

Jackson, John Brinckerhoff. Sense of place, a sense of time. New Haven: Yale UP, 1994. Print.

Kertesz, Andre. On Reading. New York: Penguin Books, 1971. Print.

Koolhaas, Rem. Delirious New York a retroactive manifesto for Manhattan. New York: Oxford UP, 1978. Print.

Lamphere, Louise, ed. Structuring diversity ethnographic perspectives on the new immigration.

Chicago: University of Chicago, 1992. Print.

Lefebvre, Henri. Production of space. Oxford: Blackwell, 1991. Print.

Lefebvre, Henri. Writings on cities. Cambridge, Mass, USA: Blackwell, 1996. Print.

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Leatherbarrow, David. Architecture oriented otherwise. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural, 2009. Print.

Lunsford, Brandon. Charlotte – Then and Now. San Diego: Thunder Bay Press, 2008.

Lynch, Kevin. What time is this place? Cambridge: MIT, 1972. Print.

McCreery, Sandy. Ed. Iain Borden. Architectural Design 71.3 (2001). Print.

Meinig, D. Wm, ed. Interpretation of ordinary landscapes geographical essays. New York: Oxford UP, 1979. Print.

Mostafavi, Mohsen, and David Leatherbarrow. On weathering the life of buildings in time.

Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 1993. Print.

Relph, E. C. Place and placelessness. London: Pion, 1976. Print.

Rendell, Jane, Joe Kerr, and Alicia Pivaro. Unknown city contesting architecture and social space : a Strangely Familiar project. Ed. Iain Borden. Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 2001. Print.

Rossi, Aldo. The Architecture of the City. New York: MIT P, 1982.

Sabate, Joaquim, Dennis Frenchman, and J. Mark Schuster, eds. Llocs Amb Esdeveniments Event Places. Barcelona, 2004. Print.

Situacionistas arte, política, urbanismo = Situationists : art, politics, urbanism. Barcelona: Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, 1996. Print.

Theaster Gates. Web. 3 Sept. 2009. <http://theastergates.com/home.html>.

The Rear Window. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Perf. James Stewart and Grace Kelly. DVD. The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces: A film by William H. Whyte. Dir. William Hollingsworth Whyte. Municipal Art Society of New York, 1988. DVD. Whyte, William Hollingsworth. Social life of small urban spaces. Washington, D.C: Conservation Foundation, 1980. Print.

Zeisel, John. Inquiry by design tools for environment-behavior research. Monterey, Calif: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co., 1981. Print.

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precedent study

[a precedent study of urban installations, interventions, and performance pieces] (pre)ASSIGNMENT ONE

[objective] In preparation for the spring, a precedent study has been incorporated into the semester’s syllabus, which focuses on a diverse collection of urban installation artists and architects. The primary purpose of the precedent study will be to assess a body of work, including installations, interventions, and performance pieces, that seek to physically articulate similar ideas of urban spatial occupation as the overall thesis investigation.

In terms of additional logistical preparation, contacts should be established with CATS (Charlotte Area Transit System) in order to potentially gain access to information about the use of both the existing and future light rail line. The statistical information to be collected may include frequencies of use for each stop, the demographics of use for each stop, the hours of use for each stop, plus the requirements for the public art installed on each stop. [methods]

As shown on the following page, the precedents to be investigated have been listed by the names of the artist responsible or by the name of the overall art piece. Images of various installations, interventions, and performance pieces will be collected for each of the featured works. A majority of the precedent study will be conducted via online research.

Most importantly, each of the pieces will be assessed based on the strategies and techniques employed to create the featured installation(s). Each body of work studied will be considered in terms of representation technique, context, success of installation, and overall meaning gleaned from the installation. [representation] From the list on the following page, the precedents considered relevant to the study will each be formatted on an 8 ½ x 11 sheet. Each sheet will include an image or series of images, citations, a bulleted list summarizing the body of work, and a paragraph explaining the relevance of the featured artist or piece to the study of urban spatial occupation. Some of the precedents may not be relevant to the study and thus will not be included in the final format. [analysis]

Can the precedents be categorized based on the different forms of analyzing public space?

What constitutes a successful versus and unsuccessful intervention?

How does context alter the meaning of each intervention?

[evaluation] • • •

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Understanding: Did the precedent study propel the overall study of urban spatial occupation?

Method: Did the individual precedents studied present a diverse collection of works?

Representation: Were each of the featured precedents well summarized and organized in the final format?

[precedents]

The Gates – Christo and Jeanne-Claude Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Web. 1 Dec. 2009. <http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/tg.shtml>.

Mapping Rotterdam’s City Center – Frank Dresme Dresme, Frank. Mapping Rotterdam’s City Center. Web. 2 Dec. 2009. <http://www.21bis.nl/www/ project/22/3>.

Last Tourist Cairo – Jan Rothuizen Rothuizen, Jan. “Last Tourist Cairo.” Submarinechannel, 2006. Web. 2 Dec. 2009. <http:// roadtrip.submarinechannel.com/content/view.jsp?itemid=4029&mapsize=mega>.

Robert Irwin “About Robert Irwin.” Http://www.pacewildenstein.com/Default.aspx. Pace Wildenstein. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. <http://www.pacewildenstein.com/Artists/ViewArtist.aspx?artist=RobertIrwin&typ e=Artist&guid=f924c6fa-a6c4-486e-979d-b3bdd1bbdae6>.

Lucy Orta “Lucy + Jorge Orta.” Web. 15 Dec. 2009. <http://www.studio-orta.com/lucy_jorge.php>.

James Turrell Finkel, Jori. “Roden Crater - Jamse Turrell.” Art & Design - New York Times. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/arts/design/25fink.html>.

“James Turrell.” James Turrell. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Turrell>.

“Light Reign, James Turrell Skyscraper.” Light Reign, James Turrell Skyscraper. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. <http://www.henryart.org/exhibitions/current/14>.

Rachel Whiteread “The Collection / Rachel Whiteread.” MoMA. Museum of Modern Art. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. <http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=6910>.

Andrea Zittel “Andrea Zittel’s A-Z.” Andrea Zittel’s A-Z. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. <http://www.zittel.org/>.

New Babylonians, AD McCreery, Sandy. Ed. Iain Borden. Architectural Design 71.3 (2001). Print.

Strangely Familiar: Design and Everyday Life Blauvelt, Andrew, ed. Strangely Familar: Design and Everyday Life. 1st ed. Walker Art Center, 2008.

Print. list to be continued…..

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collection

[collecting the various forms of engagement and interaction between the occupant and the occupied site] ASSIGNMENT ONE

[objective] The main goal for assignment one will be to collect various forms of spatial occupation as they are experienced along the light rail line. The collection should incorporate the variety of ways that people engage and interact with their physical surroundings, specifically within the urban realm; the collection will be articulated in the form of drawings, collages, diagrams, maps, video recordings, and narration.

For the initial portion of this thesis investigation, the primary goal will be to develop an in-depth understanding of the specific types of spatial occupation that occur on the selected site, to create a collection of on-site experiences, and to become familiar with the Charlotte light rail system as the site for the overall thesis investigation. [methods]

The methods of occupation will be collected along the selected site of study – the LYNX Blue Line, running on the Charlotte north-south axis. The information will be gathered at sites along the light rail in an effort to understand the particularities of occupation for individual stops as well as to understand the common forms of occupation on a public transportation line (waiting, boarding, etc.). Also, since the assignment to follow requires the selection of specific stops, the primary purpose of this assignment will be to become familiar with how the Blue Line functions holistically.

The student will document the ‘life’ along the light rail line utilizing primarily photographs, short film clips, and narratives. In addition, notes, sketches, and diagrams will provide a variety of methods with which to record additional on-site observations. It is also important to note that the images and the information collected should be gathered with the additional purpose of informing the selection of the three final sites for the remainder of the investigation.

After a series of site visitations, selected elements within the collection will be analyzed, categorized, and eventually utilized to display the experiences, activities, and patterns of use that occupied the site under observation. Thus, for the first thesis review, the student will create and present a visual collection of the occupation along the site of the Charlotte light rail line. [representation] While some of the diagrams will be created anew, a majority will be manipulated from photographs taken on-site. For the review, the collection of images, diagrams, and narratives should be assessed to the point that they may begin to be categorized as ‘types’ of interaction with the built environment.

In terms of representation, it is also important to remember that each piece within the collection represents the spatial experience of the people who occupied the spaces being studied. Thus, it is important to portray the collected information in a meaningful way that reminds the viewer of this multi-faceted dimension. A variety of mediums and techniques will need to be utilized in order to re-present and accurately portray the original experiences that occurred on-site.

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[analysis]

The following list of questions will aid in the analysis of the overall collection as well as the individual elements analysis accumulated from the site visits. The following list of questions and considerations should be addressed and added to once the collection and the representation of the collection have been completed for the review of assignment one: • • •

Are there any noticeable trends and patterns within the collection?

How is the occupation of the public transportation stops different than the occupation of the adjacent public spaces?

Do certain methods of representation or collection prove to be more successful when considering the public realm and the public train stops?

[seminal readings/precedents] Hill, Jonathan, ed. Occupying Architecture Between the Architect and the User. New York: Routledge, 1998. Print.

Situacionistas arte, política, urbanismo = Situationists : art, politics, urbanism. Barcelona: Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, 1996. Print.

Zeisel, John. Inquiry by design tools for environment-behavior research. Monterey, Calif: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co., 1981. Print. [evaluation – review on February 1/2/3] • • • •

Understanding: Did the student exhibit an understanding of various forms of spatial occupation through both the verbal and the visual presentation?

Method: Did the student showcase an interesting, useful, and extensive collection of occupation?

Method: Did the student develop an insightful method of organizing the collected information?

Representation: Did the student utilize an appropriate form of representation for the assignment?

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occupation as spatial performance

[documenting the spatial occupation of three selected sites along the light rail line] ASSIGNMENT TWO

[objective] The purpose of assignment two will be to uncover the hidden layers of occupation from the selected stops along the line by exploring, pulling apart, and articulating various uses and forms of inhabiting the selected spaces. Thus, the student will gain a multi-faceted understanding of the site through a series of spatial, social, and architectural lens. The images collected for assignment one should both influence as well as provide a base point for the development of this assignment.

For this portion of the study, the student will select three stops along the light rail, which will be explored more thoroughly and for longer periods of time. The primary goal for this portion of the study will be to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the three selected sites, their nuances, particularities, and unique qualities among the light rail line as a whole. [methods]

Assignment two incorporates a similar methodology to assignment one for collecting site experiences through a wide variety of mediums: images, diagrams, maps, narratives, and recordings. A majority of this information may be acquired through inconspicuous means of gathering and collecting.

This is a significant point to address due to the fact that unobtrusive acts of documentation and recording may in fact alter the information being collected by the researcher.

The researcher may obtain the photographs, sketches, and notes through casual site visitations as an apparent participant of the activities taking place on site. On the other hand, the video recordings may be somewhat obvious to collect. For the purposes of this project, the small camera or recording device will not be intentionally concealed but will simply be placed clear of circulation paths near the researcher.

Once a sufficient amount of information has been collected at each of the three sites, the second portion of the study will highlighted specific elements of the collected information through diagram and collage format. [representation] The criteria for the representation techniques for the second assignment should follow the requirements for assignment one. Similar to assignment one, the information being presented incorporates unique space and time-conscious qualities. Photographs of worn surfaces or images depicting movement should be represented in such a way as to reveal, to the viewer, the essence of the type of occupation taking place.

While the methodologies utilized for understanding the occupation of each site will be similar for each selected light rail stop, the documentation for each site should portray unique qualities of that particular space. Thus, a majority of the information will be represented as a series, utilizing diagrams and collages to differentiate the individual stops. The representation should seek to expose and reveal the deeper meanings within the layers of information collected for each site.

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[analysis] The analysis for assignment two directly informs the design decisions relevant to assignment three in the next portion of the investigation. Information discovered during assignment two regarding the current use of the site will project onto the design of the intervention pieces in assignment three. The following series of questions will aid in the translation of collection and analysis phases from assignments one and two into the design phase of assignments three and four.

What different ways are the spaces studied being occupied?

How are the three sites occupied differently from one another?

Was anything uncovered regarding the patterns of use for each site?

What can be learned about the overall forms of occupation on each of the sites based on the evidence gleaned from the study?

How can the information collected from assignment two begin to inform the design of an architectural intervention?

Did the study reveal any unmet user needs on any or all of the sites?

Are there any excessive or lacking qualities on any or all of the sites? [seminal readings/precedents] Blauvelt, Andrew, ed. Strangely Familar: Design and Everyday Life. 1st ed. Walker Art Center, 2008.

Print.

McCreery, Sandy. Ed. Iain Borden. Architectural Design 71.3 (2001). Print.

Rendell, Jane, Joe Kerr, and Alicia Pivaro. Unknown city contesting architecture and social space : a Strangely Familiar project. Ed. Iain Borden. Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 2001. Print. [evaluation – review on March 1/2/3] • • • •

Understanding: Did the student exhibit an understanding of spatial occupation through both the verbal and visual presentation?

Method: Did the student employ a variety of appropriate methodologies in order to gain a greater understanding of the spatial occupation of the selected site?

Representation: Did the student display each form of analysis with an appropriate method of representation?

Representation: Did the student display the various methodologies in a clear, precise, and engaging visual format overall?

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architectural intervention

[design a series of didactic interventions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; highlight the occupation of each of the selected sites] ASSIGNMENT THREE

[objective] Assignment three will consist of designing an architectural intervention for each of the three light rail stops analyzed in assignment two. The goal for the interventions will be to respond to the information collected during the first half of the thesis investigation as a designer. In terms of the site, the purpose of the architectural intervention will be to highlight the various forms and levels of occupied space on each of the sites.

Thus, the interventions designed for assignment three will be directly derived and informed by the analysis of assignment two, which is based on the occupation of the three selected stops along the light rail line. [method] For assignment three, the three light rail stops selected for assignment two will provide individual sites for the design of three different interventions. Each intervention will be designed based on the information learned from the analysis of that particular site.

Also, the precedent study of urban installation works, conducted prior to assignment one, will facilitate in the design decision-making of each architectural intervention while providing sources, multiple methods for addressing the urban context as a designer.

In terms of the three interventions, they should function on multiple levels. First of all, they should incorporate elements of surprise, irony, visual and/or physical engagement for the viewer. Second of all, the interventions should incorporate layers of meaning that incite and encourage new questions. Third of all, the interventions should strive to engage the occupant through multiple senses. Thus, the goal for the interventions will be to strike a balance between a solely didactic intervention and a solely functional intervention. [representation]

Each intervention should be displayed as a complete design project. The design for each of the three interventions should be portrayed with the necessary diagrams, perspectives, plan, section, and elevation drawings.

Since one of the three intervention designs will be constructed for the next assignment, the representations should begin to address the realities of construction as well as the realities of placement within the studied context.

The design of each intervention strives to highlight the occupation of each site; thus there will be a significant experiential element to each of the designs. This element of each intervention should be addressed utilizing mixed media, including collage. The representation techniques and the assemblage of each intervention should clearly illustrate the possibilities and the purpose of each design.

Finally, there should also be evidence for the consideration for material acquisition, cost, and vendors needed for the three interventions, particularly for the selected intervention being considered for construction during assignment four.

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[analysis]

The analysis for assignment three will require a design-relevant question base regarding the initial design concept and how the design process was carried through. Then, another set of questions should address how the intervention would/should/and could be ‘occupied’.

Does the design respond to the initial concept?

Does the design address the occupant in the ways intended? Does it have the flexibility required to allow the occupant to use in non-intended ways?

What would the intervention have to do for it to work?

Did the intervention “work”?

How do you see people interacting with the intervention? [seminal readings/precedents] Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. <http://www.dillerscofidio.com/>.

Theaster Gates. Web. 3 Sept. 2009. <http://theastergates.com/home.html>.

Christo and Jean-Claude. Web. 1 Dec. 2009. <http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/tg.shtml>. [evaluation - review on march 29/30/31] • • • • •

Understanding: Did the student exhibit an understanding of the methods of altering occupation through physical intervention within a specific spatial condition through both the verbal and visual presentation?

Method: Did the student utilize insight and display decision-making skills during the design process?

Method: Were the theoretical interventions thoughtful, strategic, and well-articulated?

Representation: Did the student present a series of dynamic drawings displaying the possibilities within the intervention?

Representation: Did the drawings display qualities of being both imaginative and site-derived?

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translation

[translating a selected intervention into a designed space along the existing line] ASSIGNMENT FOUR

[objective] Assignment four incorporates two different exercises. Both the first and second portions of the final assignment begin to test the ideas of spatial occupation established throughout the fall and spring semesters.

The first portion of the final thesis assignment will involve the design development of the interventions created for assignment three. The design should be directly derived from a single intervention, selected from the three designs in the previous assignment. The application and incorporation of the studies conducted in the first half of the spring semester will allow the student to gain additional insight on the methods of occupation being explored. This final design assignment begins to address issues of designing for the purposes of occupation and spatial experience unique to the site and context.

The second portion of the final assignment will involve an in-depth analysis and conclusion of not only the final design but also the thesis investigation as a totality. The thesis will require a strong closing in order for the ideas developed throughout the fall and spring semester to become holistic and useful.

For the final analysis portion of the thesis, the work collected and crafted throughout the semester will be presented as a study of the occupation of space, highlighting specifically the exploration of the relationships between the occupant and the occupied environment. [method]

Essentially, assignment four becomes a translation of the didactic intervention based on the existing spatial occupation of the light rail line into a projection of the spatial occupation based on occupants of the line. Thus, the types of occupation explored through the existing stops along the line will assist in the translation from one physical form, the architectural intervention, into a more independent design for a future light rail stop on the existing line. The design should be accompanied with a narrative and diagrams that address the initial research that informed the design, the influences on the design, and the overall purpose of the design.

This documentation will begin to inform the analysis portion of this assignment. The analysis will incorporate the work collected and created throughout the semester and compose the information into a summary format. [representation] The presentation will include the architectural drawings for this exercise as well as a series of experiential drawings. For example, the representation will incorporate a spatial narrative of the designed space. A spatial narrative may be described as a storyboard and serves the purpose of depicting the experiential qualities of the space beyond basic architectural drawings. A narrative may be created through the integration of various methods and mediums.

The analysis portion will be formed through the compilation of the various images, diagrams, maps, and photographs collected and created by the student throughout the semester. The analysis portion of this assignment will be utilized to draw conclusions from this thesis investigation as a whole.

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[analysis]

The final portion of the thesis investigation will address the outcome of the final design as a derivation of one of the interventions in assignment three. In addition, the final analysis will call for a series of questions that encompasses the study from the research at the beginning through each of the design processes at the end.

In what ways does the design begin to further articulate the intervention from assignment three?

In what ways does the design address the occupants of the site and the occupation of the site?

In what ways may this study begin to address the construction of the future light rail stops?

What does the new design achieve that the existing conditions do not achieve?

[evaluation – thesis defense on May 4] • • •

Understanding: Did the student exhibit an understanding of the purpose of the overall process of the investigation from the analysis of occupation though the final design and the overall analysis of the thesis project?

Method: Did the student exhibit a thorough understanding of the process through both the verbal and visual presentation?

Representation: Did the student present the information in a clear, precise manner?

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SCHEDULE

week ONE

[january 11 – 15] …………………………..…….. Site Visits + Documentation

week TWO

[january 18 – 22] …………………………..…….. Site Visits + Documentation mlk day: january 18

week THREE

[january 25 – 29] …………………………..…….. Production

week FOUR

[february 1 – 5] ………………………………….. Findings / Analysis review: february 1/2/3

week FIVE

[february 8 – 12] …………………………..…….. Site Analysis

week SIX

[february 15 – 19] ……………………………….. Site Analysis

week SEVEN

[february 22 – 26] ……………………………….. Production

week EIGHT

[march 1 – 5] …………………………………….. Findings / Analysis review: march 1/2/3

week NINE

[march 8 – 12] ……………………………..…….. Interventions Schematic Design

week TEN

[march 15 – 19] ………………………………….. Interventions Schematic Design

week ELEVEN

[march 22 – 26] …………………………...…….. Production

week TWELVE

[march 29 - april 2] …………………….....…….. Findings / Analysis review: march 29/30/31 spring recess: april 2 - 3

week THIRTEEN

[april 5 – 9] …………………………………….. Intervention Design Development

week FOURTEEN

[april 12 – 16] ………………………………….. Intervention Design Development

week FIFTEEN

[april 19 – 23] ………………………………….. Production

week SIXTEEN

[april 26 – 30] ………………………………….. Findings / Analysis thesis defense: may 5

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92

Site Analysis

93

Relation to Context Paths Human Scale Sensuousness The Everyday Transformation

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Collection The site analysis began with a collection of photograph diagrams portraying six specific elements contained within the experience of the light rail line. The elements were as follows: relation to context, paths, human scale, sensuousness, the everyday, and transformation. The elements were selected as sucessful characteristics from a series of urban intervention precedents. The elements became a significant influence on the creation of the final design for the architectural intervention.

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96

I-485

Narrative

isolated urban room through a balcony condition on the Westin Hotel,

The northern-most platform, as the light rail line currently exists, the 7th Street station situates itself into a dense urban condition in downtown Charlotte. Unlike the semi-bridge conditions of the adjacent stations, this platform feels inherently integrated into the existing pedestrian pathways of the city. Moreover, the elements of the adjacent uses deliberately address the light rail line with tables and chairs facing the tracks at Reidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Foods and the landscaping in front of ImaginOn.

Seventh St

Two blocks from the heart of the city, the CTC Station remains one of the most activated platforms due to the proximity of the Trade/Tryon intersection, the Charlotte Transportation Center, and pedestrian access to the EpiCentre. Sheltered by a glass curvilinear structure, the station emphasizes transparency through the form as well as the multi-directionality of the views (to the street below and the pedestrian paths alongside the tracks.

CTC

of this station.

direct covered access from the adjacent buildings. In addition, with the most dynamic and colorful sculptural art forms of any of the stops, the red and green translucent forms begin to address the unique open and closed spatial condition

Half covered and half bridged over the heavily trafficked Third Street, this noisy station presents a complex condition with

Third Street

this platform presents a dead zone as a result of the severe lack of pathways and destinations connecting and mingling train travelers with city pedestrians. The station leaves the occupant with a sense of bewilderment and abandonment due to the uncanny contrast between the extreme release of open views towards the interstate and the limitations of the largescale, stark, heavy wall of the hotel.

Adjacent to Interstate 277 and situated as an

Stonewall

Located in a semi-urban condition but experientially disconnected from Tryon Road, this station has the potential for integrative pathways that remain currently isolated. Interestingly, this station is situated immediately adjacent to a variety of landscaped conditions that may present opportunities to re-connect the traffic along the line with city pedestrian traffic.

Carson St

Although the backsides of the adjacent collection of restaurants and bars has not been completely addressed and remain somewhat separated, the Bland Street station presents an opportunity to create a dynamic space between the transportation corridor and the series of destinations alongside the light rail line.

Bland St

flowing pedestrian traffic perpendicular to the tracks. Easily accessed by car or by foot, the station feels well settled into the existing urban fabric. Moreover, the light rail shelters resonate well with the smaller scale of the commercial buildings in this area.

A vibrant station due to access to the highly activated SouthEnd district of Charlotte, this station experiences free-

East/West Blvd

Located in a semi-urban condition, the New Bern light rail platform is deliberately situated separately from the heavily trafficked South Boulevard. At the same time, the station retains access to the adjacent stops with simple pathways alongside the tracks. As a ground level platform, the station at New Bern provides a moment of relief after the noise and chaos of South Boulevard.

New Bern

A bold contrast to adjacent stations, Scaleybark is squeezed between two directions of traffic of South Boulevard. Interestingly, in a sense, the station feels claustrophobic in its immediate adjacency to vehicular traffic. In addition, although unoccupied due to the design of pedestrian paths, the success of the public art alongside the tracks, the large ceramic disks, begin to respond to the dual directionality of this station condition and give a sense of visual tactility to both vehicular and train traffic along South Boulevard.

Scaleybark

Elevated alongside Old Pineville Road, this station provides a transition from the integration of street traffic with the light rail station at Scaleybark with the substantial elevation increase of the majority of the southern-most stops.

Woodlawn

One of a string of stations situated across from a South Boulevard strip mall, Tyvola Station is located across from Tyvola Mall. Inhabited both on the elevated line and the sheltered area underneath, this station is characterized by the immensity of the support structure. The shelter of the tracks overhead acts as a waiting area with two distinct sides divided by Grove Road.

Tyvola

An elevated station across from Starmount Shopping Center on the other side of South Boulevard, the design for this station attempts to address human scale through the integration of a colorful confetti theme. Although the need for human scale on an elevated platform is relieved through ornamentation rather than formal design moves, this station remains one of the few suburban stations that does actually begin to address human scale.

Archdale

textual grounding.

Primarily a park and ride light rail stop, the station becomes over - exposed with an open parking lot and lack of con-

Arrowood

Road West, this suburban station makes a physical attempt to literally bridge the light rail into the existing city fabric.

Strongly characterized by a blue colored pedestrian bridge connecting this platform to South Boulevard and Sharon

Sharon Rd West

Located across from a large-scale shopping center and as the Southern-most stop, this station receives a large amount of both commuter and recreational travelers.

monumentality as viewed from South Boulevard.

With an elevated platform, two identical pedestrian bridges, and a 4-story parking deck, this station exudes a feeling on

Experiential

Spatial

Infrastructure Density

Destination

Park & Ride

Shelter

Human Scale

Path

Views

Integration

Duration of Occupation

Weekend

Weekday

Public Art

Light & Shadow

Tactility

Auditory

Relation to Ground

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Graphic Analysis This method of graphic analysis presented a collective means to display information about each station, about the light rail line as a whole, and about the transitions between each of the stations. The more highly saturated colors represent a stronger application of the specified category. The three colors: yellow, orange, and red represent three different aspects of the context.

97

98

underneath, this station is characterized by the

im-

and closed spatial condition

. Moreover, the elements of the adjacent uses delibertracks at Reidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Foods and the landscaping in front of

s, the 7th Street station situates itself into a dense urban itions of the adjacent stations, this platform feels inherently

ency through the form as well as the multi-directionality side the tracks.

ne of the most activated platforms due to the proximity of er, and pedestrian access to the EpiCentre. Sheltered by a

dress the unique open

Street, this noisy station presents a complex condition with ith the most dynamic and colorful sculptural art forms of

Light & Shadow

room through a balcony condition on the Westin Hotel, of pathways and destinations connecting and mingling pant with a sense of bewilderment and abandonment due ws towards the interstate and the limitations of the large-

ed from Tryon Road, this station has the potential for in, this station is situated immediately adjacent to a variety o re-connect the traffic along the line with city pedestrian

and bars has not been completely addressed and remain pportunity to create a dynamic space between the transght rail line.

hEnd district of Charlotte, this station experiences freecessed by car or by foot, the station feels well settled into ate well with the smaller scale of the commercial buildings

orm is deliberately situated separately from the heavily s access to the adjacent stops with simple pathways alongern provides a moment of relief after the noise and

between two directions of traffic of South Boulevard. Inediate adjacency to vehicular traffic. In addition, although f the public art alongside the tracks, the large ceramic condition and give a sense of visual tactility to both vehicu-

ransition from the integration of street traffic with the rease of the majority of the southern-most stops.

verhead acts as a waiting area with two distinct sides

Tactility

rd strip mall, Tyvola Station is located across from Tyvola

the other side of South Boulevard, the design for this of a colorful confetti theme. Although the need for entation rather than formal design moves, this station reto address human scale.

er - exposed with an open parking lot and lack of con-

nnecting this platform to South Boulevard and Sharon terally bridge the light rail into the existing city fabric.

d a 4-story parking deck, this station exudes a feeling on ted across from a large-scale shopping center and as the commuter and recreational travelers.

Experiential

Spatial

Infrastructure Density

Destination

Park & Ride

Shelter

Human Scale

Path

Views

Integration

Duration of Occupation

Weekend

Weekday

Public Art

Infrastructure Context

The yellow based coloration presents the existing infrastructure along the line.

Auditory

Relation to Ground

a s t

t

7

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auditory

Narrative

The shelter of the tracks overhead acts as a waiting area with two distinct sides

The orange based coloration presents the spatial conditions along the line.

Seventh St

glass curvilinear structure, the station emphasizes transparency through the form as well as the multi-directionality of the views (to the street below and the pedestrian paths alongside the tracks.

Two blocks from the heart of the city, the CTC Station remains one of the most activated platforms due to the proximity of the Trade/Tryon intersection, the Charlotte Transportation Center, and pedestrian access to the EpiCentre. Sheltered by a

CTC

of this station.

ficked Third Street, thiscovered noisy station presents a complex with Half and half bridged over the condition heavily trafficked Third Street, this noisy station presents a complex condition with In addition, with the most dynamic andfrom colorful sculptural art forms In of addition, any direct covered access the adjacent buildings. with the most dynamic and colorful sculptural art forms of gin to address theany unique open condition of begin this to address the unique open and closed spatial condition of the stops, and the redclosed and greenspatial translucent forms

The northern-most platform, as the light rail line currently exists, the 7th Street station situates itself into a dense urban condition in downtown Charlotte. Unlike the semi-bridge conditions of the adjacent stations, this platform feels inherently

99

Moreover, the elements of the adjacent uses deliberately address the light rail line with tables and chairs facing the tracks at Reidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Foods and the landscaping in front of ImaginOn.

integrated into the existing pedestrian pathways of the city.

night & day

Third Street

Relation light & Shadow to Ground

scale, stark, heavy wall of the hotel.

ere lack of pathways destinations connecting andasmingling train thisand platform presents a dead zone a result of the travelsevere lack of pathways and destinations connecting and mingling upant with a sense of bewilderment duestation to the uncanny train travelers with and city abandonment pedestrians. The leaves the occupant with a sense of bewilderment and abandonment due towards the interstate the limitations of the large-scale, stark, heavy to theand uncanny contrast between the extreme release of open views towards the interstate and the limitations of the large-

ted urban roomAdjacent throughto a balcony condition the Westin this urban room through a balcony condition on the Westin Hotel, Interstate 277 and on situated as an Hotel, isolated

Stonewall

traffic.

es to re-connect the along the line with citythat pedestrian traffic. landscaped conditions may present opportunities to re-connect the traffic along the line with city pedestrian of traffic

y disconnected from TryoninRoad, this station has thebut potential for integraLocated a semi-urban condition experientially disconnected from Tryon Road, this station has the potential for inestingly, this station is situated immediately adjacent to a variety of landtegrative pathways that remain currently isolated.

Interestingly, this station is situated immediately adjacent to a variety

Carson St

portation corridor and the series of destinations alongside the light rail line.

Although the backsides of the adjacent collection of restaurants and bars has not been completely addressed and remain somewhat separated, the Bland Street station presents an opportunity to create a dynamic space between the trans-

Bland St

flowing pedestrian traffic perpendicular to the tracks. Easily accessed by car or by foot, the station feels well settled into the existing urban fabric. Moreover, the light rail shelters resonate well with the smaller scale of the commercial buildings in this area.

A vibrant station due to access to the highly activated SouthEnd district of Charlotte, this station experiences free-

vd East/West Blvd

Located in a semi-urban condition, the New Bern light rail platform is deliberately situated separately from the heavily trafficked South Boulevard. At the same time, the station retains access to the adjacent stops with simple pathways alongside the tracks. As a ground level platform, the station at New Bern provides a moment of relief after the noise and chaos of South Boulevard.

New Bern

A bold contrast to adjacent stations, Scaleybark is squeezed between two directions of traffic of South Boulevard. Interestingly, in a sense, the station feels claustrophobic in its immediate adjacency to vehicular traffic. In addition, although unoccupied due to the design of pedestrian paths, the success of the public art alongside the tracks, the large ceramic disks, begin to respond to the dual directionality of this station condition and give a sense of visual tactility to both vehicular and train traffic along South Boulevard.

Scaleybark

light rail station at Scaleybark with the substantial elevation increase of the majority of the southern-most stops.

Elevated alongside Old Pineville Road, this station provides a transition from the integration of street traffic with the

Woodlawn

divided by Grove Road.

mensity of the support structure.

One of a string of stations situated across from a South Boulevard strip mall, Tyvola Station is located across from Tyvola Mall. Inhabited both on the elevated line and the sheltered area underneath, this station is characterized by the im-

Tyvola

An elevated station across from Starmount Shopping Center on the other side of South Boulevard, the design for this station attempts to address human scale through the integration of a colorful confetti theme. Although the need for human scale on an elevated platform is relieved through ornamentation rather than formal design moves, this station remains one of the few suburban stations that does actually begin to address human scale.

Archdale

Primarily a park and ride light rail stop, the station becomes over - exposed with an open parking lot and lack of contextual grounding.

Arrowood

Road West, this suburban station makes a physical attempt to literally bridge the light rail into the existing city fabric.

Strongly characterized by a blue colored pedestrian bridge connecting this platform to South Boulevard and Sharon

Contextural/SoCial Spatial

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est Sharon Rd West

Spatial Path park &

I-485

Experiential Park & Ride

With an elevated platform, two identical pedestrian bridges, and a 4-story parking deck, this station exudes a feeling on monumentality as viewed from South Boulevard. Located across from a large-scale shopping center and as the Southern-most stop, this station receives a large amount of both commuter and recreational travelers.

experiential Density

Shelter denSity

Human deStinationS Scale

ride

Views Shelter

Integration human SCale

Duration of path Occupation

Weekend ViewS

Weekday BoundarieS

duration of Public Art

oCCupation

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Spatial Context

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100

ere lack of pathways and destinations connecting and mingling train travel-

In addition, with the most dynamic and colorful sculptural art forms of any gin to address the unique open and closed spatial condition of this

ficked Third Street, this noisy station presents a complex condition with

taCtility

cupant with a sense of bewilderment and abandonment due to the uncanny towards the interstate and the limitations of the large-scale, stark, heavy

puBliC art

ated urban room through a balcony condition on the Westin Hotel, this

weekday

ly disconnected from Tryon Road, this station has the potential for integraestingly, this station is situated immediately adjacent to a variety of landies to re-connect the traffic along the line with city pedestrian traffic.

weekend

Stonewall

auditory

The northern-most platform, as the light rail line currently exists, the 7th Street station situates itself into a dense urban condition in downtown Charlotte. Unlike the semi-bridge conditions of the adjacent stations, this platform feels inherently integrated into the existing pedestrian pathways of the city. Moreover, the elements of the adjacent uses deliberately address the light rail line with tables and chairs facing the tracks at Reidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Foods and the landscaping in front of ImaginOn.

Seventh St

Two blocks from the heart of the city, the CTC Station remains one of the most activated platforms due to the proximity of the Trade/Tryon intersection, the Charlotte Transportation Center, and pedestrian access to the EpiCentre. Sheltered by a glass curvilinear structure, the station emphasizes transparency through the form as well as the multi-directionality of the views (to the street below and the pedestrian paths alongside the tracks.

CTC

of this station.

direct covered access from the adjacent buildings. In addition, with the most dynamic and colorful sculptural art forms of any of the stops, the red and green translucent forms begin to address the unique open and closed spatial condition

Half covered and half bridged over the heavily trafficked Third Street, this noisy station presents a complex condition with

Third Street

train travelers with city pedestrians. The station leaves the occupant with a sense of bewilderment and abandonment due to the uncanny contrast between the extreme release of open views towards the interstate and the limitations of the largescale, stark, heavy wall of the hotel.

this platform presents a dead zone as a result of the severe lack of pathways and destinations connecting and mingling

Experiential Context

Adjacent to Interstate 277 and situated as an

isolated urban room through a balcony condition on the Westin Hotel,

Located in a semi-urban condition but experientially disconnected from Tryon Road, this station has the potential for integrative pathways that remain currently isolated. Interestingly, this station is situated immediately adjacent to a variety of landscaped conditions that may present opportunities to re-connect the traffic along the line with city pedestrian traffic.

Carson St

Although the backsides of the adjacent collection of restaurants and bars has not been completely addressed and remain somewhat separated, the Bland Street station presents an opportunity to create a dynamic space between the transportation corridor and the series of destinations alongside the light rail line.

Bland St

the existing urban fabric. Moreover, the light rail shelters resonate well with the smaller scale of the commercial buildings in this area.

flowing pedestrian traffic perpendicular to the tracks. Easily accessed by car or by foot, the station feels well settled into

A vibrant station due to access to the highly activated SouthEnd district of Charlotte, this station experiences free-

East/West Blvd

Located in a semi-urban condition, the New Bern light rail platform is deliberately situated separately from the heavily trafficked South Boulevard. At the same time, the station retains access to the adjacent stops with simple pathways alongside the tracks. As a ground level platform, the station at New Bern provides a moment of relief after the noise and chaos of South Boulevard.

New Bern

unoccupied due to the design of pedestrian paths, the success of the public art alongside the tracks, the large ceramic disks, begin to respond to the dual directionality of this station condition and give a sense of visual tactility to both vehicular and train traffic along South Boulevard.

A bold contrast to adjacent stations, Scaleybark is squeezed between two directions of traffic of South Boulevard. Interestingly, in a sense, the station feels claustrophobic in its immediate adjacency to vehicular traffic. In addition, although

Scaleybark

Elevated alongside Old Pineville Road, this station provides a transition from the integration of street traffic with the light rail station at Scaleybark with the substantial elevation increase of the majority of the southern-most stops.

Woodlawn

One of a string of stations situated across from a South Boulevard strip mall, Tyvola Station is located across from Tyvola Mall. Inhabited both on the elevated line and the sheltered area underneath, this station is characterized by the immensity of the support structure. The shelter of the tracks overhead acts as a waiting area with two distinct sides divided by Grove Road.

Tyvola

An elevated station across from Starmount Shopping Center on the other side of South Boulevard, the design for this station attempts to address human scale through the integration of a colorful confetti theme. Although the need for human scale on an elevated platform is relieved through ornamentation rather than formal design moves, this station remains one of the few suburban stations that does actually begin to address human scale.

Archdale

textual grounding.

Primarily a park and ride light rail stop, the station becomes over - exposed with an open parking lot and lack of con-

Arrowood

Road West, this suburban station makes a physical attempt to literally bridge the light rail into the existing city fabric.

Strongly characterized by a blue colored pedestrian bridge connecting this platform to South Boulevard and Sharon

Sharon Rd West

ExperientialContextural/SoCial

c

t

7

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t

C

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k

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Spatial Views

vd

l ight & Shadow Narrative night & day

I-485

duration of oCCupation

With an elevated platform, two identical pedestrian bridges, and a 4-story parking deck, this station exudes a feeling on monumentality as viewed from South Boulevard. Located across from a large-scale shopping center and as the Southern-most stop, this station receives a large amount of both commuter and recreational travelers.

Spatial Integration

est

experiential

Infrastruc Destination

Park & Ride

Shelter

Human Scale

Path

Duration of denSity Occupation

Weekend deStinationS

Weekday park & ride

Public Shelter Art

Light & human SCale Shadow

path Tactility

ViewS Auditory

Relation BoundarieS to Ground

The red based coloration presents the experiential conditions along the line.

ne of the most activated platforms due to the proximity of er, and pedestrian access to the EpiCentre. Sheltered by a ncy through the form as well as the multi-directionality ide the tracks.

Street, this noisy station presents a complex condition with ith the most dynamic and colorful sculptural art forms of dress the unique open and closed spatial condition

room through a balcony condition on the Westin Hotel, f pathways and destinations connecting and mingling pant with a sense of bewilderment and abandonment due ws towards the interstate and the limitations of the large-

101

. Moreover, the elements of the adjacent uses delibertracks at Reidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Foods and the landscaping in front of

, the 7th Street station situates itself into a dense urban itions of the adjacent stations, this platform feels inherently

Light & Shadow

ed from Tryon Road, this station has the potential for inthis station is situated immediately adjacent to a variety re-connect the traffic along the line with city pedestrian

and bars has not been completely addressed and remain pportunity to create a dynamic space between the transht rail line.

hEnd district of Charlotte, this station experiences freeessed by car or by foot, the station feels well settled into te well with the smaller scale of the commercial buildings

rm is deliberately situated separately from the heavily access to the adjacent stops with simple pathways alongern provides a moment of relief after the noise and

between two directions of traffic of South Boulevard. Inediate adjacency to vehicular traffic. In addition, although the public art alongside the tracks, the large ceramic ondition and give a sense of visual tactility to both vehicu-

ansition from the integration of street traffic with the ease of the majority of the southern-most stops.

Human Scale

d strip mall, Tyvola Station is located across from Tyvola underneath, this station is characterized by the imverhead acts as a waiting area with two distinct sides

Shelter

the other side of South Boulevard, the design for this of a colorful confetti theme. Although the need for ntation rather than formal design moves, this station reto address human scale.

Park & Ride

ImaginOn.

The northern-most platform, as the light rail line currently exists, the 7th Street station situates itself into a dense urban condition in downtown Charlotte. Unlike the semi-bridge conditions of the adjacent stations, this platform feels inherently

integrated into the existing pedestrian pathways of the city. Moreover, the elements of the adjacent uses deliberately address the light rail line with tables and chairs facing the tracks at Reidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Foods and the landscaping in front of

Seventh St

of the views (to the street below and the pedestrian paths alongside the tracks.

and closed spatial condition

Two blocks from the heart of the city, the CTC Station remains one of the most activated platforms due to the proximity of the Trade/Tryon intersection, the Charlotte Transportation Center, and pedestrian access to the EpiCentre. Sheltered by a glass curvilinear structure, the station emphasizes transparency through the form as well as the multi-directionality

CTC

of this station.

any of the stops, the red and green translucent forms begin to address the unique open

Half covered and half bridged over the heavily trafficked Third Street, this noisy station presents a complex condition with direct covered access from the adjacent buildings. In addition, with the most dynamic and colorful sculptural art forms of

Third Street

Adjacent to Interstate 277 and situated as an isolated urban room through a balcony condition on the Westin Hotel, this platform presents a dead zone as a result of the severe lack of pathways and destinations connecting and mingling train travelers with city pedestrians. The station leaves the occupant with a sense of bewilderment and abandonment due to the uncanny contrast between the extreme release of open views towards the interstate and the limitations of the largescale, stark, heavy wall of the hotel.

Stonewall

Located in a semi-urban condition but experientially disconnected from Tryon Road, this station has the potential for integrative pathways that remain currently isolated. Interestingly, this station is situated immediately adjacent to a variety of landscaped conditions that may present opportunities to re-connect the traffic along the line with city pedestrian traffic.

Carson St

Although the backsides of the adjacent collection of restaurants and bars has not been completely addressed and remain somewhat separated, the Bland Street station presents an opportunity to create a dynamic space between the transportation corridor and the series of destinations alongside the light rail line.

Bland St

flowing pedestrian traffic perpendicular to the tracks. Easily accessed by car or by foot, the station feels well settled into the existing urban fabric. Moreover, the light rail shelters resonate well with the smaller scale of the commercial buildings in this area.

A vibrant station due to access to the highly activated SouthEnd district of Charlotte, this station experiences free-

East/West Blvd

Located in a semi-urban condition, the New Bern light rail platform is deliberately situated separately from the heavily trafficked South Boulevard. At the same time, the station retains access to the adjacent stops with simple pathways alongside the tracks. As a ground level platform, the station at New Bern provides a moment of relief after the noise and chaos of South Boulevard.

New Bern

A bold contrast to adjacent stations, Scaleybark is squeezed between two directions of traffic of South Boulevard. Interestingly, in a sense, the station feels claustrophobic in its immediate adjacency to vehicular traffic. In addition, although unoccupied due to the design of pedestrian paths, the success of the public art alongside the tracks, the large ceramic disks, begin to respond to the dual directionality of this station condition and give a sense of visual tactility to both vehicular and train traffic along South Boulevard.

Scaleybark

light rail station at Scaleybark with the substantial elevation increase of the majority of the southern-most stops.

Elevated alongside Old Pineville Road, this station provides a transition from the integration of street traffic with the

Woodlawn

mensity of the support structure. The shelter of the tracks overhead acts as a waiting area with two distinct sides divided by Grove Road.

One of a string of stations situated across from a South Boulevard strip mall, Tyvola Station is located across from Tyvola Mall. Inhabited both on the elevated line and the sheltered area underneath, this station is characterized by the im-

Tyvola

An elevated station across from Starmount Shopping Center on the other side of South Boulevard, the design for this station attempts to address human scale through the integration of a colorful confetti theme. Although the need for human scale on an elevated platform is relieved through ornamentation rather than formal design moves, this station remains one of the few suburban stations that does actually begin to address human scale.

Archdale

Primarily a park and ride light rail stop, the station becomes over - exposed with an open parking lot and lack of contextual grounding.

Arrowood

Road West, this suburban station makes a physical attempt to literally bridge the light rail into the existing city fabric.

Strongly characterized by a blue colored pedestrian bridge connecting this platform to South Boulevard and Sharon

Sharon Rd West

With an elevated platform, two identical pedestrian bridges, and a 4-story parking deck, this station exudes a feeling on monumentality as viewed from South Boulevard. Located across from a large-scale shopping center and as the Southern-most stop, this station receives a large amount of both commuter and recreational travelers.

Destination

r - exposed with an open parking lot and lack of con-

Path Narrative I-485

Infrastructure

o

a

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C

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S t

B

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B

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Tactility

nnecting this platform to South Boulevard and Sharon erally bridge the light rail into the existing city fabric.

Spatial Auditory

a 4-story parking deck, this station exudes a feeling on ed across from a large-scale shopping center and as the commuter and recreational travelers.

Experiential Experiential

Duration of Occupation

Weekend

Weekday

Public Art

Light & Shadow

Relation Density to Ground

Views

Integration

Duration of Occupation

Weekend

Weekday

Public Art

Narrative Summary

Tactility

The narrative portion of the analysis presents a summation of the overall experience of the line: the social, spatial, and the experiential. The isotypes utilize a supplementary graphic method of presenting unique elements of each station through the use of symbols. These isotypes depict the ground condition of each of the stations.

Auditory

Relation to Ground

narratiVe

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Seventh St

CTC

station.

Half covered and half bridged over the heavily trafficked Third Street, this noisy station presents a complex condition with direct covered access from the adjacent buildings. In addition, with the most dynamic and colorful sculptural art forms of any of the stops, the red and green translucent forms begin to address the unique open and closed spatial condition of this

Third Street

platform presents a dead zone as a result of the severe lack of pathways and destinations connecting and mingling train travelers with city pedestrians. The station leaves the occupant with a sense of bewilderment and abandonment due to the uncanny contrast between the extreme release of open views towards the interstate and the limitations of the large-scale, stark, heavy wall of the hotel.

Adjacent to Interstate 277 and situated as an isolated urban room through a balcony condition on the Westin Hotel, this

Stonewall

scaped conditions that may present opportunities to re-connect the traffic along the line with city pedestrian traffic.

Located in a semi-urban condition but experientially disconnected from Tryon Road, this station has the potential for integrative pathways that remain currently isolated. Interestingly, this station is situated immediately adjacent to a variety of land-

Carson St

Bland St

East/West Blvd

New Bern

Scaleybark

Woodlawn

Tyvola

Archdale

Arrowood

Sharon Rd West

I-485

experiential

Spatial

Contextural/SoCial denSity

deStinationS

park & ride

Shelter

human SCale

path

ViewS

BoundarieS

duration of oCCupation

weekend

weekday

puBliC art

light & Shadow night & day

taCtility

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W o o d l a w n S c a l e y b a N r k e w B e r n E a s t /W e s t B B l a l n v d d S t C a r s o n S t S t o n e w a l 3 l r d S t

r W r e o s w t o o d A r c h d a l e T y v o l a

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3rd St

Stonewall

Interstate 277

Carson St

Density Destinations Park & Ride Shelter Human Scale Path Views Integration Duration of Occupation Weekend Weekday Public Art Light & Shadow Tactility Auditory Transport Relation to Ground Views

Selected Stations After studying the entire twelve mile line from uptown Charlotte to I-485, a smaller portion of the line waa selected for the purposes of a more focused investigation. Three consecutive stations: Carson Station, Stonewall Station, and Third Street Station were specified for a continuation of the study of occupation along the light rail line.

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Carson Station

Stonewall Station

Third Street Station

Selected Stations

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Human Scale

Path

Stonewall Cross Section

Stonewall Station_Human Scale

Views

Stonewall Cross Section 106

Human Scale

Path Stonewall Cross Section

Views Stonewall Cross Section

Stonewall Station_Path

Integration Stonewall Cross Section 107

Path Stonewall Cross Section

Views Stonewall Cross Section

Integration Stonewall Cross Section

Stonewall Station_Views

Stonewall 108

Cross Section

Views Stonewall Cross Section

Integration Stonewall Cross Section

Stonewall

Cross Section

Stonewall Station_Integration

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designing an architectural

Intervention

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The Gates Christo & Jeanne Claude

Intersection II Richard Serra

Precedents A precedent study was incorporated throughout the analysis and design processes. Eight urban architectural interventions were selected and analyzed beginning with comparisons. Each intervention was diagrammed based on the selected categories of relation to context, paths, human scale, sensuousness, the everyday, and transformation.

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Urban Room Urban Room Urban Room Urban Room

Sketch_ Urban Room

Interventions Interventions

Measured Path

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Measured Path d

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Sketch_ Measured Path

Interventions Interventions

Measured Path Measured Path

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Auditory Connection Auditory Connection

Sketch_ Auditory Connection

Intervention Initial Sketches

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1

INTERVENTION

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Intervention _ 1 The first intervention more specifically addresses the passengers on the light rail train. A series of markers placed along th tracks would begin to denote the variations of speed while on the train. The spacing between each marker would highlight and elevate the passengersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perception of the trainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movement through the city.

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INTERVENTION

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2

Intervention _ 2 The second intervention addresses the pedestrian occupants of the light rail line and of the city. The intervention is built on the language of the folded plane. While, the initial sketches, depicted above, focused on the folded plane as a series of viewing platforms, the second and third iterations began to supplement the purpose of the intervention as a series of way-finding devices, street furniture, and occupation platforms.

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Interventions _ 1 & 2 Interventions one and two address different occupants. While intervention one has the potential to address pedestrians by becoming spatial elements within the city, this iteration addresses primarily the passengers on the train. Intervention two addresses the platform stations themselves. A series of studies was done to begin to develop a relationship between the markers and the folded planes. Interestingly, the relationship became that of independent systems. The folded planes became a self-supporting system that would being to weave its way inbetween the markers.

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Carson Station

Stonewall Station

Third Street Station 123

1” =25’

Carson Station

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Carson Station In comparsion with the two other stations, Carson Station is characterized with the the incorporation of a greater degree of natural elements along the station platforms. Also, the station has a slightly more suburban feel due to the low-lying buildings in SouthEnd. The folded planes primarily serves the purpose of a visual barrier or a screen for the surface parking to the southeast of the site and the parking deck to the northwest of the site. In addition, the intervention begins to direct views to various paths from Carson Station into the city.

The marker intervention terminates south of Carson Station. They gradually decrease in height until they disappear into the ground along the perspectival view down the tracks.

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1” =25’

Stonewall Station

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Stonewall Station Stonewall may be characterized as an exceptionally unique site. Between Carson Station and Third Street Station, this station is literally on the edge of the city center. Adjacent to highway 277, the station exudes an impersonal, surreal, separated atmosphere. Spatially, the station is bounded by think 30â&#x20AC;&#x2122; block wall on the west side and a 30â&#x20AC;&#x2122; drop from the balcony-like condition on the east side.

The folded planes designed for Stonewall serve as way-finding devices for the lack of direction to the two egress and exit points on the platform. In addition, they povide a heightened sense of protection as a buffer against the lack of scale associated with this station.

This particular station, selected from three stations, provides the site conditions for the next phase of the thesis investigation.

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1” =25’

Third Street Station

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Third Street Station This station, characterized as the most urban of the three stations, takes on the interventions in a slightly different manner. Since the station has a tunnel condition, the folded planes inhabits the blank block walls of the tunnel rather than as street furniture along the train platform.

Also, the second intervention has been designed to terminate through a transformation from the markers into the existing columns within the station. As seen in the plan diagram and the models, the existing structural columns for the tunnel have been painted red.

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talking typing texting reading writing talking typing texting reading writing talking typing texting reading writing typing texting

flipping falling skidding turning sliding twisting rolling pushing kicking flipping falling skidding turning twisting rolling pushing kicking

Banker

Skateboarder

Texting Typing Reading Writing Talking

Flipping Falling Kicking Skidding Turning Sliding Twisting Sliding Pushing Rolling

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climbing peeking touching playing running jumping hiding touching grabbing skipping climbing peeking touching playing running jumping hiding Child Running Peeking Jumping Hiding Touching Grabbing Playing Skipping Climbing

sitting standing waiting leaning looking sitting standing waiting leaning looking sitting standing waiting leaning looking sitting standing User Groups Once the schematics of the two interventions had been designed, the investigation began to focus on the idea of designing for a variation of uses. Spaces are generally designed for the average occupants or users. Occupants within the train platform usually wait, stand, sit, lean, look. Instead, the this study, three diverse user groups were selected as a means to direct the design towards addresseing their specific spatial needs: the banker, the skateboarder, and the child.

Verbs were collected to describe the spatial occupation of each user. These verbs began to influence the design of the second intervention, the folded plane, based on the user types.

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Materials Steel was selected as the primary material for both interventions. The material displays a natural wear over both extended as well as momentary periods of time. The models created to exhibit each of Stonewall Stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s site conditions were textured and marked to represent the use or the occupation of particular surfaces.

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Wall Condition

Edge Condition

Entry Condition

Site Conditions In order to test the user groups within a specific site condition, Stonewall Station was selected as the focus. The station was selected in particular for its unique conditions. The selected areas have been highlighted in red: the entry condition, the wall condition, and the edge condition.

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Stonewall Station_Entry Condtion The entry presented a extreme contract/release condition. The design seeks to ease the occupants from the narrow path to the expansive open space of Stonewall Station. Also, as seen in the perspective above and the spread to follow, the folds were designed allow all three types of inhabitants to occupy the entry space in different ways.

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Stonewall Station_Entry Condtion

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Stonewall Station_Entry Condtion

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Stonewall Station_Wall Condtion

Wall Condition

The wall condition presents an opportunity to reactivate a relationship between the station platform and the circulation area which feels segregated from one another in its current state. As seen in the perspective above, the intervention begins to fold from the platform area to the wall and along the wall. The language of the folded plane has the ability to create an interaction between the plateform and the circulation path.

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Stonewall Station_Wall Condtion

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Stonewall Station_Wall Condtion

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Stonewall Station_Edge Condtion The edge condition, as opposed to the wall condition, opens on all sides. Rather than turning away from the view of the horizon, the viewing platform opens towards both the edge condition on the east as well as the parallel running tracks on the west.

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Stonewall Station_Edge Condtion

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Stonewall Station_Edge Condtion

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Conclusions

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The methodology utilized for this thesis struck an interesting balance between the work of Iain Borden and William Whyte. A substantial portion of the analysis related to Whyteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scientific methods of understanding. In contrast, the development of user groups and the development of form based on those user groups relied heavily on Bordenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s methods of understanding the space and the city.

This study sought to activate the additional dimension of spatial occupation. This often hidden dimenstion exists regardless of th existance or absence of built form. This study demonstrated a design process configured to specifically address the everyday occurance of occupation. The forms created emphasized the inherent variations of use for a single format.

Thus, the thesis framed the opportunity to investigate how how different spaces influence how people act, behave, or practice occupation in diverse yet specific ways. The research also brought forth a series of interesting questions regarding spatial occupation.

Occupation fluxuates consistently. This presents an interesting challenge for the designer with the issue of how to address specific users without prescribing or dictating how the forms should be utilized.

How do you design for a constantly changing user?

In addition, with a implementation of specified user groups rather than generalized users, the challenge becomes the sheer number of users addressed by a single design. Designers may begin with the intent of crating flexible forms; however, certain user groups will inevitably be ignored whether for legal, social, or safety reasons.

Thus, Can

a design intended for a wide variety of occupants ever be resolved?

Findings & Concluding Questions

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