GROWING COMMUNITY A FOOD FOCUSED COMMUNITY CENTER IN PITTSBURGH, PA
Maria Ross Bachelor of Architecture, Thesis 2018 Drexel University, Westphal College of Media Arts & Design Rachel S. Schade, Advisor
CLIENTS & USERS
Growing Community is a food focused community center for immigrants and refugees from various countries and for
S IT IMPORTANT? existing localPOLITICAL residents located in a residential neighborhoodWHO in Pittsburgh PA.FOR? This project overall is meant to last through IS IT GROWTH AND CLIMATE
/ STATISTICS manyIScrises, but PROJECT? right now, the immediate one is for Syria.PROJECT There areUSERS over 11 million on the run at the moment and alWHAT THE
PROJECT BACKGROUND
most 14 million still seeking assistance.
YEAR: LOCATION: CLIENT:
1
Mercy Corps / 2017
2025 Pittsburgh, PA Mercy Corps
Existing Neighborhood Residents
2
New Settling Immigrant Families
3
Worker
WHO IS IT FOR?
PROJECT USERS / STATISTICS
Sproutfung.org / 2016
Rescue.org / 2017
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Twitter / 2017
NEW REFUGEES 1 Existing Neighborhood Residents
2
Sproutfung.org / 2016
Rescue.org / 2017
New Set
Mercy Corps / 2017
Mercy Corps / 2017 THE CITY’S GROWTH AND POLITICAL CLIMATE THE CITY’S GROWTH AND POLITICAL CLIMATE
MERCY CORP
WHO IS IT FOR?
PROJECT USERS / STATISTICS
1
Existing Neighborhood Residents
2
New Settling Immigrant Families Mercy Corps / 2017
EXISTING RESIDENTS
3
Workers and Volunteers
Mercy Corps / 2017
Pittsburgh Tribune Times,
Sproutfung.org / 2016
THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH
Rescue.org / 2017
Sources: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune Times,
Twitter / 2017
Mercy Corps / 2017
LOCAL VOLUNTEERS
THE REFUGEE PROCESS
BEFORE AMERICA WHOAMERICA IS IT FOR? BEFORE PROJECT USERS / STATISTICS DAY 1 YEAR 3 YEAR 3.75 Apply for refuge through regisRound one of three interviews Prepare for Travel tering with1 the United Nations. begin, each a3 month apart DAY YEAR YEAR 3.75 Existing Neighborhood Residents New Settling Immigrant Families
1
Apply for refuge through regisrefers for resettlement tering with the UN United Nations. UN refers for resettlement Interview with the UN
Processes Applications
Interview with the UN
Processes Applications
LIVING IN AMERICA LIVING IN AMERICA
2
Round one of three interviews Cultural Orientation Prepare for Travel Fingerprint begin, each a month apart screenings Classes Fingerprint Cultural Orientation screenings Classes Matched with a resettlement Refugee vetting & Medical security screenings Screenings agency Matched with a resettlement Refugee vetting & Medical security screenings Screenings agency
DAY 1 Resettlement agency welcomes the new family1 as new client DAY Resettlement agency/ welcomes the Sproutfung.org 2016 new family as new client
This topic is very relevant in the city of Pittsburgh right now and these promises are not made up. There has been a huge shift in the political climate in the city in the past decade or so, becoming much more liberal with Mayor Peduto making a pledge of taking on 500 refugees per year, and many politicians fighting to become a sanctuary city. Also, the overall economy has been growing based on things like jobs, affordability, and overall livability.
Rescue.org / 2017
Sources: Rescue.org, CARR Sources: Rescue.org, CARR
Mercy Corps / 2017
YEAR 4 Arrive in America YEARWorkers 4 and
3
Arrive in America
DAY 90 DAY 90
Resettlement agency says good bye to the family Resettlement agency Twitter / says 2017 good bye to the family
SITE SITE INFORMATION INFORMATION
THE THE CITY CITY OFOF PITTSBURGH: PITTSBURGH: SIZE SIZE COMPARISON COMPARISON
SITE INFORMATION
SITE INFORMATION
PITTSBURGH, PITTSBURGH, PA PA
THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH: BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PHILADELPHIA, PHILADELPHIA, PA PA
SITE LOCATION
THE NORTH SHORE (SPORTS ARENAS) THE STRIP DISTRICT
MAIN DOWNTOWN
SITE INFORMATION
SITE INFORMATION
THE NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD: SIZE COMPARISON OAKLAND (THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH)
THE NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD: SIZE COMPARISON
CITY COMPARISON: PITTSBURGH & PHILADELPHIA
POWELTON VILLAGE & MANTUA BOUNDARIES
CENTRAL NORTHSIDE & FINEVIEW BOUNDARIES
MANTUA
POWELTON VILLAGE & MANTUA BOUNDARIES
MANTUA
FINEVIEW
EAST CARSON STREET, SOUTHSIDE
CENTRAL NORTHSIDE & F
POWELTON
POWELTON NORTHSIDE
SITE INFORMATION
SCALE:
PHOTOGRAPHS THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH
0 300 600
0 300 600
NEIGHBORHOOD COMPARISON: PITTSBURGH & PHILADELPHIA SCALE:
SCALE:
0 300 600
SCALE:
Pittsburgh is known as the City of Bridges, which are highlighted in yellow. The downtown area is in the center, which is surrounded by the three rivers Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny. To compare in scale, Pittsburgh is on the left and Philadelphia is on the right, at the same scale. Also highlighted are the neighborhoods which my project will mainly be serving and their relationship to downtown, along with Mantua and Powelton neighborhoods highlighted in relation to Philadelphia. You can get another sense of the neighborhoods of my site versus Mantua and Powelton. The neighborhoods have a somewhat similar nature, being bound communities, both by natural landscape and by infrastructure. In the past, these aspects have kept the areas from being favorable to be developed, but now has become more desirable with the large boom SITE INFORMATION SITE in people moving back into the city. There is INFORMATION an existing 3 story factory building from 1920 that used to manufacture dyes. PHOTOGRAPHS PHOTOGRAPHS SITE APPROACH FROM WEST ON FOUNTAIN
CLOSEUP OF EXISTING BUILDING ON SITE
SITE APPROACH FROM ON FOUNTAIN FROM WEST ONWEST FOUNTAIN PANORAMAVIEW FROM GRAIB (REAR OFLOTS SITE) PANORAMIC OF THE SITE,STREET INCLUDING VACANT TO THE NORTH SITE AND APPROACH WEST
VIEW FROM EAST ON FOUNTAIN
CLOSEUP OF EXISTING BUILDING ON SITE (FRONT CLOSEUPPHOTOS OF EXISTING BUILDING ON SITESTREET FROM FOUNTAIN
VIEW FROM EAST ON FOUNTAIN FROM EAST ON FOUNTAIN OF VIEW SITE)
0 300 600
PHILADELPHIA PROGRAM STUDIES
CITY KITCHEN AT READING TERMINAL MARKET COMMUNITY KITCHEN, TEACHING KITCHEN
EAT CAFE NON PROFIT NEIGHBORHOOD CAFE
GREENSGROW WEST COMMUNITY FARM AND MARKET
In order to figure out what types of program elements to incorporate, I got hands on experience with food focused community efforts in Philadelphia. City Kitchen is located in Reading Terminal Market. Typically, it is a teaching kitchen that holds events that you can buy tickets to and have a night out learning how to make a new meal. They also lend out their kitchen to volunteers during the day, like the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia. Philly students after school learn how to make different recipes, partnering with different vendors from the market to get the ingredients donated. EAT Cafe in West Philly, which stands for Everyone At the Table, is a nonprofit, pay-what-you-can cafe. It collaborates with different organizations in Philly, including Drexel, and employs people only living in the neighborhood. Their goal is to provide nutritious meals and build their business model is one that hopes when someone can’t pay the suggested price, someone can pay above that and it ultimately evens out. Greensgrow West would not exist without the effort of community. It was entirely built from the few people that created it, partnering with Drexel students and other students to design it and build it. It is the second Greensgrow farm, with the main being in Kensington where they do most of the actual farming. The main farm is part of a program called Growing Home Garden where refugees in Philly plant and farm their own food, native to their homes and sell it at a farmer’s stand for their own profit.
DESIGN PROCESS During the design process, I created collages. The first, representing site and topography.The topography of the site is what makes it so interesting. Like you saw from the very first photo of the presentation, the site has amazing views of the city. You can see one of the Three Sister bridges and the iconic Pittsburgh yellow steel. The second collage is the ode to the city’s history of being literally built by immigrants coming from other countries, which created the culture and beauty of the city. I also created a photograph collage depicting hands acting out words from my original narrative.
INSPIRATION COLLAGES
BUILDING FORM & PLACEMENT DIAGRAMS ACCESS, DEVELOPMENT, & APPROACH DRIVERS OF FORM & PLACEMENT: neighboring buildings + access from trails
DRIVERS OF FORM & PLACEMENT: future development + funding RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR AT A RAPID PACE. IN ORDER TO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS BUILDING, THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE TEETH IN SURROUNDING ROWS.
SITE BOUNDARIES
INFILLING
THE MISSING
EXISTING BUILDING FOOTPRINT
EXISTING FINEVIEW FITNESS TRAILS - PROVIDES PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN.
AREAS OF NEW EXCAVATION
DRIVERS OF FORM & PLACEMENT: approach + views
DRIVERS OF FORM & PLACEMENT: approach + views EXISTING CORNER OF FACADE IS ALREADY POINT OF INTEREST ON THE STREET.
SOCIAL STAIR BECOMES ILLUMINATED POINT OF ENTRY.
STREET IS ONE WAY ARRIVING FROM WEST.
STREET IS ONE WAY ARRIVING FROM WEST. PEDESTRIANS ARRIVING FROM FITNESS TRAILS HERE.
PEDESTRIANS ARRIVING FROM FITNESS TRAILS HERE.
FALL QUARTER REVIEW PROGRESS
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
ITE PLAN AND AXON 䘀䤀一䔀嘀䤀䔀圀 䘀䤀吀一䔀匀匀 吀刀䄀䤀䰀匀
SCHEMATIC DESIGN SECTION CUT THROUGH CITY SITE PLAN AND AXON 䘀䤀一䔀嘀䤀䔀圀 䘀䤀吀一䔀匀匀 吀刀䄀䤀䰀匀
SCALE: N.T.S.
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䜀刀䄀䤀䈀 匀吀刀䔀䔀吀
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PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN SCALE: N.T.S.
BUILDING ACCESS AXON SCALE: N.T.S.
PRIVATE GREEN PUBLIC GREEN
PRIVATE PROGRAM (LABS, OFFICES, CLASSROOMS)
PUBLIC PROGRAM FOOD BASED (COMMUNITY KITCHENS, DINING)
RETAIL (PHARMACY/CLINIC)
GROUND
+1
PUBLIC PROGRAM RECREATION BASED (GYM, LOCKER ROOM, EXERCISE ROOM)
+2
MULTIPURPOSE SPACE
PUBLIC GREEN
+3
PRIVATE GREEN
+4
PRELIMINARY FLOOR PLANS SCALE: N.T.S.
STUDY MODEL - FORM & SCALE SCALE: 1:50 - Staples, copper wire, metal mesh
STUDY MODEL - SITE & TOPOGRAPHY SCALE: 1:50 - Terracotta, modeling clay
SUN STUDIES & M ATERIALITY SPRING EQUINOX 9AM
12PM
5PM
SHADOW STUDIES SCALE: N.T.S.
SUMMER SOLSTICE
FALL EQUINOX
WINTER SOLSTICE
In order to provide openness and brightness while paying mind to natural sunlight, I had to find materials that would make this work. My building uses the baguette sunscreen system. It come in many different custom shapes and profiles. I am using these four selected colors in a pattern ascending up the slope. The earthy, terra cotta tones are to represent not only the cores of the earth and alude to the steep topography on the site, but are also inspired from the colors of the former factory building building on the site as a reminder of where the building came from; symbolism to the mission of the project of where users came from. I also needed a material to achieve the glow of the beacon portion of the model that regular glass wouldn’t accomplish. I decided on a channel glass system. Insulation is available for this system. For example, you would be able to see a person walking past, but you wouldn’t be able to see the person exactly. MATERIAL BOARD (PHOTOGRAPH)
BUILDING SYSTEMS
EXPLODED AXON DIAGRAM SCALE: N.T.S.
Another material that plays a large role in the site that seems simple would be the farm terraces. They will be built as cast in place concrete, using aggregate from salvaged stone, brick and concrete from what was demolished on the site. They have two simple reveals for some added dimension and a simple recess for a strip LED light to go along the entire length of the wall. The dimensions vary from plant to plant, but the 3’ in the back stays consistent for the pathway of permeable paving, which all sloeps back leading to a drain. The top of the wall is sloped as well, so water all goes to the drain, ultimately leading to the pond on the site which also collects water from the various green roofs on the site. The building will be steel construction, which is fitting being in Pittsburgh. It will be exposed in select areas around the main stair and painted to match to Pittsburgh yellow of the three sister bridges seen from views across the neighborhood. In other areas of the building, the steel will be concealed. Stormwater management is an issue the city of Pittsburgh requires you to handle, and a site this large with so much land and drastic change in topography needs to have a strategy to deal with it. The best way to take advantage of the great downhill slope would be to collect the water at the lowest point on my site. The terraced farming has a 20 foot setback which allows for the opportunity for a water collection pond along the street level, which can provide fantastic landscaping and public space.
CHANNEL GLASS BEYOND
7' - 0"
3' - 6"
GREEN ROOF ABOVE
ROOF TERRACE CANOPY CONSTRUCTED OF BAGUETTES
ENTRY DOOR
GUARD RAIL
15' - 0"
SLOPE TOP OF WALL- AWAY FROM PLANTER 1" CHAMFER
8' - 0"
12" REINFORCED CONCRETE WALL W/ RECYCLED AGGREGATE
3' - 6"
REVEAL IN CONCRETE RECESSED LED STRIP LIGHTING
3' - 0"
3'-0"
PLANTING MEDIUM DRAIN SLOPED TO WATER COLLECTION AREA
8' - 0"
PERMEABLE PAVING
5'-0"
3'-0" 8'-0" 58' - 6"
20' - 0"
2X6 METAL STUD WALL W/ FIBER CEMENT PANELS; COLOR TO MATCH BAUGETTES
SET BACK BALCONY 42" GUARDRAIL
3' - 6"
7' - 0"
10'-0"
2' - 0"
MECHANICAL SPACE ABOVE BALCONY
1" GAP FOR DRAINAGE FLASHING CONCRETE FLOOR METAL DECKING STEEL BEAM
7' - 0"
CEILING
3' - 0"
7'-0"
FLOOR SLOPED AT BALCONY
3' - 0"
20' - 0"
SHILDAN BAUGETTE SUNSCREEN SYSTEM
ENTRY OVERHANG
4" STOREFRONT ENTRY
ENCLOSED STEEL COLUMN 6" FLOOR BASE 7' - 0"
6' - 0"
4" SLAB ON GRADE
SLOPED SIDEWALK WATERPROOFING
SUBSOIL DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOOTING
PLANTER WALL DETAIL SCALE: N.T.S.
SOUTH FACING WALL SECTION SCALE: N.T.S.
FINAL PLANS
PARKING
TRASH & COMPOST
TRASH
MECHANICAL
GREEN ROOF
SERVICE STAIR
STORAGE / PREP OUTDOOR MARKET
OUTDOOR LOUNGE
KITCHEN
INDOOR LOUNGE PERFORMANCE AREA
GREEN ROOF
CAFE DINING STORAGE MAIN STAIR
TEACHING KITCHEN
MULTIPURPOSE ROOM
GREEN ROOF
MAIN STAIR GREEN ROOF
DINING AREA
CAFE BAR
MARKET ENTRY RECIPE LIBRARY
FIRST FLOOR PLAN SCALE: N.T.S.
SECOND FLOOR PLAN SCALE: N.T.S.
OUTDOOR TERRACE BALCONY
THIRD FLOOR PLAN SCALE: N.T.S.
ROOF FLOOR PLAN SCALE: N.T.S.
AERIAL VIEW
FINAL
IMAGES
APPROACH FROM FITNESS TRAIL As farm and community are the main goals of the building, the main approach shows these first. The terraced farm lines the street and the now relocated fitness trail, with the corner of the building acts as a glowing beacon of hope that can be seen from all over the neighborhood.
SECTION PERSPECTIVE EAST The spaces of the building work with the 50’ change in grade from front to back of the building. An open communicating stair connects the floors, which flows into large seating steps to look upon the performance area that can be opened to the cafe dining room. All the of the service spaces are in the rear basement area.
FINAL INTERIOR IMAGES These images show the major program elements occuring. In the cafe, people are eating while watching the student performance that is going on. People in the upstairs lounge are listening in on the excitement while enjoying the breeze from the outside, using the glass sliding doors. Families are sharing a recipe in the kitchen. Many spaces can be active simultaneously. In order the optimize the views from the building, the roof terrace provides shade and a space to go enjoy free time. The outdoor market is most popular during the summer which is the best for shade, and this is the perfect shady spot behind the tall rear retaining wall.
ROOF TERRACE
SEASONAL MARKET
SECTION PERSPECTIVE NORTH
G A R D E N BPERSIAN A S CUCUMBERS KET
GRAPES CUCUMBERS PERSIAN
“When so much is unfamiliar, when the3 language is new, the urban enviYIELD: lbs SPACING: Plants 8”-12” ronment is so different, The people surrounding you are not your family and apart, Rows 36” apart friends but strangers, To be ableSYRIAN to cook a familiar dish you haven’t cooked RECIPE: in so long, Not only do memoriesLaban come flooding back, but your new home bikhyar salad) begins to feel a bit more like that(cucumber - h o yogurt m e.” Again, Growing Community is meant to last through many crises, but right now, the immediate one is for Syria. Here, I have one pound of nine (creeping vine) different native plants to Syrian culture as examples of what will be grown in the farm. Each has a tag with information on growing the plant.
YIELD: 315-20 lbs lbs (varies) Vines 6’-10’ SPACING: Plants 8”-12”apart SYRIANRows RECIPE: apart, 36” apart Yebrat RECIPE: SYRIAN (stuffedbikhyar grape leaves) Laban (cucumber yogurt salad) (tree)vine) (creeping
FAVA BEANS
POMEGRANATE FAVA BEANS
YIELD: ~3/4 lb SPACING: Plants 4”-5” apart, Rows 18”-30” apart SYRIAN RECIPE: Arabic bean salad (Warm beans with garlic, tomatoes and lemon dressing)
YIELD: 22-66 ~3/4 lblbs SPACING: Trees Plants 10’-15’ 4”-5” apart, apart, Rows 15’-20’ Rows 18”-30” apart apart SYRIAN RECIPE: Kebab Arabic karaz bean salad (lamb w/ garlic, cher- to(Warmmeatballs beans with ries, pineandnuts, sugar, matoes lemon dressing) pomegranates, molasses) (stiffly(tree) erect plant)
(stiffly erect plant) GARBANZO BEANS
TOMATOES GARBANZO BEANS
YIELD: 3-6 lbs SPACING: Plants 3”-6” APART, Rows 24”-30” apart SYRIAN RECIPE: Falafel (fried ball of spiced garbanzo beans)
YIELD: 8-20 3-6 lbslbs SPACING: Plants 42” 3”-6”apart, Rows apart APART,40”-50” Rows 24”-30” apart SYRIAN RECIPE: Siniyah Falafel kebab (minced w/ chiligarbanzo pep(fried balllamb of spiced per, onion, and tomato beans) (bush-type plant)
(vine or bush) (bush-type plant)
FINAL CRIT
REFLECTION Growing Community was a fantastic experience. The lectures I attended and the volunteer opportunities I participated in are moments I will always remember and gave me motivation throughout this project. If I were to do it again, I would try to integrate those moments more clearly throughout the design process, but I am very pleased with the outcome overall.