breakingbreaddraft by gbbcoleman

gabby coleman - 2019 master thesis the HOK sponsored studio in building design + craft fall 2018 - spring 2019 kansas state university

Promoting Multicultura ect that seeks to create climate of diversity a er education by expl of spaces intending to alism. By taking a clo cultural center â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the a cross-cultural exchang ideas that can help tran tity centers into comm ebrate difference thro â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the execution of the

alism is a research proje a dialogue about the at institutions of highloring the production o promote multiculturose look at the multiarchitectural space of ge, this thesis offers nsform collegiate idenmunity centers that celough breaking bread e ritual of food prepa-

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Promoting Multiculturalism is a research project that seeks to create a dialogue about the climate of diversity at institutions of higher education by exploring the production of spaces intending to promote multiculturalism. pg. 00 Multiculturalism is the co-existence of diverse cultures, where culture includes racial, religious, or cultural groups and is manifested in customary behaviors, cultural assumptions and values, patterns of thinking, and communicative styles. pg. 00

PROJECT TYPE + PROJECT HSTORY

The history of diversity centers in the United States stems from the emergence of students of color at predominantly white institutions demanding a space where they can build a community amongst those that share the same identity. pg. 00 Higher education institututions must decide whether it will continue to merely reflect our society or whether it should try to consciously shape the society as active changemakers. pg. 00

BACKGROUND + ART INSTILLATION

The significance of this center transcends the building envelop as the structure itself is intended to personify K-Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dedication to advance student success while upholding our values of diversity and inclusion. pg. 00 A series of rendered graphic sprojects the social dynamic of skin color through a sign-like panel. pg. 00

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT + DEFINITIONS

breaking bread â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the execution of the ritual of food preparation and an intentional conversation

This thesis project proposes reorienting multicultural centers towards the production of food and eating together to become sites of social connection where multicultural students and community members can find opportunities to interact in informal conversation. It lays out a serious of programmatic and spatial opportunities that can be taken to activate diversity centers as civic assets. It also aims to illustrate how these opportunities can expand through campus to form a network of educational, recreational, meeting, and green spaces to support an intersectional community. In order to understand what a food-oriented multicultural student center can do and be at Kansas State, this thesis undertook a significant engagement process, beginning with one-on-one interviews with student leaders and faculty administrators. These leaders and the issues they raised led to connections between the concept of ‘social justice’ and ‘skin color’ rooted in their personal experiences, each with a unique perspective on spaces of multiculturalism. These interviews led to an art installation od twenty-two colored panels created to investigate of the social dynamic of skin color. As Promoting Multiculturalism progressed, it became clear that realizing a physical intervention was key to establishing proof of concept. After analyzing two sites, the existing, 7,000 square foot Holtz Hall was chosen. Here, a strong desire to enjoy its status as one of the oldest building on campus site, reimagining it as a host to student development emerged from analyzing existing site geometries and the future campus plan. Seizing this aspiration, this project proposes a new site diagram with existing building holding teaching kitchens and large gathering spaces while the new building reveals staff and student spaces. The newly framed exterior spaces emerge as microclimates in service of food and shared conversation.

ABSTRACT

Promoting Multiculturalism is a research project that seeks to create a dialogue about the climate of diversity at institutions of higher education by exploring the production of spaces intending to promote multiculturalism. By taking a close look at the multicultural center – the architectural space of cross-cultural exchange, this thesis offers ideas that can help transform collegiate identity centers into community centers that celebrate difference through breaking bread – the execution of the ritual of food preparation and an intentional conversation.

Terms such as “multicultural,” “diversity,” and “inclusion”mean different things to different individuals and groups, and thus coming to consensus about absolute definitions of such terms is difficult. For the purpose of this thesis, please reference the following definitions:

Inclusion is involvement and empowerment, where the inherent worth and dignity of all people are recognized. An inclusive university promotes and sustains a sense of belonging; it values and practices respect for the talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of living of its members.1 Intersectionality is the theory that the overlap of various social identities, as race, gender, sexuality, and class, contributes to the specific type of systemic oppression and discrimination experienced by an individual.2 Marginalization is the process of pushing a particular group or groups of people to the edge of society by not allowing them an active voice, identity, or place in it. Through both direct and indirect processes, marginalized groups may be relegated to a secondary position or made to feel as if they are less important than those who hold more power or privilege in society.3 Culture is the way of life of a particular people, esp. as shown in their ordinary behavior and habits, their attitudes toward each other, and their moral and religious beliefs. The term culture originates from cultivation, implying that one has grown through an experience. Multiculturalism is the co-existence of diverse cultures, where culture includes racial, religious, or cultural groups and is manifested in customary behaviors, cultural assumptions and values, patterns of thinking, and communicative styles.4 Social justice is the equal access to wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.5 https://ferris.edu/HTMLS/administration/president/DiversityOffice/Definitions.htm. Accessed December 10, 2018. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/intersectionality. Accessed December 10, 2018. 3 http://counselingcenter.syr.edu/social-justice/impact-of-marginalization.html. Accessed December 10, 2018 4 https://www.ifla.org/publications/defining-multiculturalism. Accessed December 10, 2018 5 https://www.pachamama.org/social-justice/what-is-social-justice. Accessed December 10, 2018 1 2

ABSTRACT

Diversity is the range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs.1

The history of culture States stems from the e of color at predomina demanding a space w a community amongs same identity. Origina cial movements in the 6 tity centers on college c arise from a lack of cu learning spaces we in ture itself has become institutional mainstay

centers in the United emergence of students antly white institutions where they can build st those that share the ally stemming from so60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and the 70â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, idencampuses consistently ultural humility in the nhabit. The infrastruce [the background] an that provides services

Introduction Promoting Multiculturalism lives within the boundary of reality and fantasy. There are students at K-State who do not feel welcome, comfortable, or that they belong. The multicultural student center is a result of the lack of emphasis in addressing multiculturalism as it realized through the actions of our student body and the slow advancement in the promotion of social justice by our administration. Although the multicultural student center is a project that will emerge from the strategic planning of focus groups, financial support of campus partners, and diligent design from architecture firms like Hollis + Miller projected to be finished by the end of the summer 2020 term, it is my assessment that an evaluation of the way bodies exists in space is critical allowing this building to exist as a ‘third place’.2 Coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, third places are spaces where people spend time between home – ‘first’ place – and work ‘second’ place. Third places effectively strengthen community because they refuse to rely on constructed identities like social class and background to divide spaces, allowing people to feel socially equal.2 I am interested in what it feels like to have a space that supports identity and the role architecture can play in establishing this standard of care. The history of diveristy centers The history of diversity centers in the United States stems from the emergence of students of color at predominantly white institutions demanding a space where they can build a community amongst those that share the same identity. Originally stemming from social movements in the 60’s and the 70’s, identity centers on college campuses consistently arise from a lack of cultural humility in the learning spaces we inhabit.3 The infrastructure itself has become an institutional mainstay that provides services and programs to the entire campus community, personifying the increased support for diversity initiatives, programming, and the academic triumph of multicultural students. The absolute standard for diversity centers should remain as spaces of nurture and mutual respect. Unfortunately, the demand for adequate space is not always addressed with care. Minoritized students request spaces of their own at predominantly white institutions and administrators, in an effort to appease their demands and to seem welcoming in a world of quickly increasing diversity, continue to designate various campus spaces to these students. The precedent has become churches and houses purchased and quickly reformed as identity specific spaces. These tiny appeasements were positive steps rather than solutions.3

College and universities have the influence to become agents in re-socialization. The historical vestiges of higher institutions continue to affect the modern climate for racial diversity on college campuses. Our campuses sustain long-standing, often unrecognized, benefits for particular student groups embedded in the culture of a historically segregated environment. The maintenance of outdated campus policies at predominantly white institutions that best serve a homogeneous population and attitudes that prevent interaction across race and ethnicity instill a spatial divide.3 Higher education institututions must decide whether it will continue to merely reflect our society or whether it should try to consciously shape the society as active changemakers. Butler, Stuart and Carmen Diaz. “‘Third places’ as community builders.” https://www.brookings. edu/blog/up-front/2016/09/14/third-places-as-community-builders/ . 3 Weed, Jessica. “The Culture of a (Multi)Culture Center: A Quantitative Analysis of the Use of a Multicultural Center at a PWI.” https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article= 1267&context=cehsedaddiss. Accessed December 10, 2018.

College and universities have the influence to become agents in re-socialization.

BACKGROUND

This project emerged from an observed need and an art instillation.

An Observed Need at K-State 1 figures 2.3.2-6 and all other surveys: http://www.k-state.edu/ president/initiatives/multicultural-center/group-survey/. Accessed December 10, 2018. 2 Butler, Stuart and Carmen Diaz. “‘Third places’ as community builders.” https://www.brookings. edu/blog/upfront/2016/09/14/third-places-as-community-builders/ .

As the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs continues to spearhead the curation of specific programming intended to identify, recruit, retain, and graduate multicultural and first-generation students2, there is a growing concern among current students, faculty and administrative leaders that prospective students will continue to pass on the opportunity to join the K-State community as our institution remains the only school in the Big 12 conference that does not have any iteration of a space dedicated specifically to multicultural students.2 The significance of this center transcends the building envelop as the structure itself is intended to personify K-State’s dedication to advance student success while upholding our values of diversity and inclusion. Student Surveys The thoughts and feelings that populate our reality are constantly forming patterns of interactions from our continual engagement with the environment. As K-State makes strides to illustrate a space that is welcoming, comfortable, and provides a sense of belonging to students who have been historically underrepresented, it is critical that we acknowledge and analyze the feelings of students and the campus community to define potential outcomes for spaces.

These group surveys1 were specifically designed for student groups, faculty and staff groups, and departments that would want to actively participate in center programming and activities. Over fifty percent of students feel a center that advances student success, diversity, inclusion, and social justice will at significantly contribute to their personal growth and community engagement.

Over thirty percent of students feel while K-State adequately supports reflection on issues of diversity, inclusion, and social justice somewhat well in coursework, reflection is poorly.

Over thirty percent of students feel while K-State adequately supports education on issues of diversity, inclusion, and social justice somewhat well in coursework, education is poorly addressed with appropriate space. Over thirty-five percent of students feel while K-State adequately supports action on issues of diversity, inclusion, and social justice somewhat well in coursework, action is poorly addressed with appropriate space. Over forty-five percent of students feel that services and programs for student success, cultural competency development programs and events for students, faculty, and staff, community outreach activities that advance social justice, diversity, and inclusion, and services to support recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff are very important. Over thirty percent of students feel that meeting and conference spaces for faculty, staff and visitors and informal gathering spaces are important.

BACKGROUND

Over sixty percent of students feel a center advances student success, diversity, inclusion, and social justice should serve race/ethnicity, international, gender, sexual orientation/gender identity/expression, and socio-economic status affinity/identity groups.

MORE THAN

A COLOR

MORE THAN A COLOR a public art installation

This collection of panels aims to host a conversation about skin color by choreographing chance encounters between people and art. The term â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;social justiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is realized headshots and personal testimonies. A rendered graphic projects the social dynamic of skin color through a signlike panel.

Original Photography: Desmund Weathers Videography: Savannah Thaemert Models: Laken Horton, Tyler Burns, Francisco Cardoza, Bailey Porter, Michael Leverett, Xavier Deguzman, Paloma Roman, Darrell Reese, Tayyeba Muhammad Khan, Tristan Davis, Ayanna Phillips, Mario Garcia, Trihn Tran, Adam Carr, Evelyn Lucio, Grant Thompson, Jordan Kiehl, and Ryan Kelly Creative director: Gabby Coleman Artist & site designer: Gabby Coleman

ART INSTALLATION

THE CONCEPT

My first iterations focused on finding the "appropriate" way to display a face. My first model, Alexa, stands next to a few of my final pieces. Early mockups are protrayed above.

the beginning As a female person of color in a predomintely white + male field of study, I've struggled to feel like my voice carried the same weight as my peers since my first year of architecture school. It wasn't until the end of my third year and the beginning of my fourth year, during a time of racial tension, that I noticed that my peers weren't involved and speaking out the issues that affected me daily - topics like diversity, inclusion, and identity just weren't being talked about, and there was little support for these converstion within my college. It was then that I vowed I would use the rest of my time in architecture school to be a voice for my fellow students of color and other marginalized identities with the hope that people would simply pay attention.

ART INSTALLATION

(below) cognitive mapping: My final design studio began with an art instillation rather than a traditional architecuture project. We were instructed to find a site and disclose something about it. I created this collage to communicate the spaces that have impacted my identity during my time at K-State in order to reveal an intersection that could allow me to face my fear of sharing my story and make space for others to do the same.

(right) Site plan and diagramming: Bosco Plaza has a unique pattern of pedestrian traffic during peak class changes. It is most appropriate to passively disrupt people by placing the art at the intersections of paths. (below) Site photography: Bosco Plaza is seen through a variety of views. It's a large, rectangular hardscape with multicolored concrete pavers framed by trees.

site analysis

ART INSTALLATION

I found I was interested in disclosing something about social justice in the most signfigant intersection on campus, Bosco Plaza. It's the host to overlapping actions like student and community group events and major pedestrian flows in and out of the Student Union. Bosco Plaza is an edge for adminastrative change (Anderson Hall) and student opinion (Student Union).

public art + vision Through preliminary research, I concluded that public art is a disruption with a point of view. Public art allows us to capitalize on the socially-unaware. It is a means to reach people in their everyday enviroments and confront them with social justice. Social justice is a structure that acknowledges the inequalities present in a community based on perceived & factual identities, adocating for equality. Physical appearance is used as a basis to seperate people through assessed differences. This project emerges as a means to disclose something about social justice on the K-State campus via the interpretation of phyiscal appearance. "more than a color" arose from this idea. (below) preliminary rendering The rendering below describes my inclination that students will engage in conversation about social justice if provoked by a an exibition of art work portraying their peers.

ART INSTALLATION

a concept

more than

image story panel

a color

ART INSTALLATION

THE METHOD

vision meets panel Precedents that harnessed emotion and revealed a story were investigated to inspire the creative direction and painting style of this project. A series of students' stories were shared in reference to their physical appearance. Using no more than 16 colors, these faces are rendered using a variety of intersecting layers that reveal their perceived differences while unifying their respective experiences. The stories of campus leaders were provoked by the following questions: What does social justice mean to you? How does your physical appearance impact your K-State story? How are you more than your skin color? (below) digital rendering The rendering below describes my understanding of the atmosphere of the plaza with the addition of my panels.

ART INSTALLATION

process instagram story highlights - @_gabbykirsten

breaking down the image Once I discovered my platform, my next move was to establish a consistent narrative. The image begins with a photograph taken by my friend Desmund. The initial photographs were shot outside with the intention to capture the way shadows cast across the models faces'. Each photograph was manipulated in Illustrator and rendered using 16 colors image tracing in order to reduce the color story to a consistent palette. The color stories were edited to benefit the overall composition before painting. Each rendering was projected onto the yellow panels and handpainted, and the colors were individually-mixed for each face and applied from lights to darks. Each face and its color swatches were adjusted as the composition developed. The words were carefully lettered, sharing two to three sentences of the models' story. Each painting took approxiamately 10 - 15 hours to complete.

ART INSTALLATION

(left) final panel The panels are hosted by a steel frame. The steel frames have four steel plates that wrap the frame, like fingers holding a protest sign, to hide the bolted connections.

ART INSTALLATION

THE STORIES

"I always try to go into situations knowing the color of my skin dictates how people see me, but I try to let my personality outshine the color of my skin. My skin color doesn’t necessarily determine what I am and what I’m not. MY PERSONALITY AND SPIRIT ARE WHO I AM, AND MY SKIN COLOR IS A BONUS." - Laken Horton

THE STORIES

"Being mixed, in a lot of ways, it made things easier than that of a darker-skinned black person. SOMETIMES, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WHOLE BLACK RACE. In my head, I must make sure I’m being better than the stereotype. I’m always thinking about that." - Tyler Burns

"Skin color - that’s like the first thing you see right? There’s so much more to me. That’s like judging a book by its cover. It’s a cliché, but it’s the truth. THERE’S SO MUCH MORE TO PEOPLE THAT WHAT’S ON THE OUTSIDE. You shouldn’t worry about it – the outside. We should worry about character and value." - Francisco Cardoza

"I have very light skin, so a lot of people didn’t realize it or think that I was Asian. I never really confronted them about that either, I just kind of lived my life. I’M STILL NOT SOMEBODY WHO IDENTIFIES A LOT WITH THEIR SKIN COLOR as much, but I’m more receptive to how people perceive me and also the privilege that I have being more light-skinned than other people of color." - Bailey Porter

ART INSTALLATION

"Even though my skin color affects how I move around the world, I AM MORE THAN WHAT OTHERS MAY SEE IN ME. People automatically have assumptions based on what we look like and it may not be my skin color - it could be the shape of my head, how I walk or how I talk – it’s but especially my skin tone." - Michael Leverett

"I’m half Filipino and half Mexican, so WHEN I DO SIT IN THE CLASSROOM AND LOOK LEFT AND RIGHT, THERE ARE NOT MANY PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME. That’s made me have to adapt and get comfortable with the uncomfortable. It’s made me who I am." - Xavier 'X' Deguzman

"I THINK THE UNIVERSITY CAN USE YOU AS THE TOKEN IMAGE OF A CERTAIN REPRESENTATION. I get to be one of the individuals that paves a path for my community. Although I try to use my platform for the better, it can be tiring. " - Paloma Roman

"I DIDN’T REALLY START COMING INTO MYSELF, MY SKIN COLOR, AND MY BLACKNESS UNTIL I GOT TO K-STATE – THE FIRST PLACE WHERE I FELT MARGINALIZED AND THE REAL EFFECTS OF RACISM, harsh remarks and microaggressions. I saw it face-to-face. It happened to me." - Darrell Reese

"When I was in Pakistan, my physical appearance was normal – the way I look and the way I speak. When I came here, I felt like a single piece. I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT I AM STILL A NORMAL PERSON." - Tayyeba Muhammad Khan

"I REPRESENT THE MISCONSTRUED IMAGE OF A BLACK MAN, AND I’M OFTEN PERCEIVED AS A THREAT. That’s just surface level - you must get to know me to understand who I am.

THE STORIES

"YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR COLOR WHEN YOU USE YOUR COLOR TO DEFY STEREOTYPES, STEP OUT OF YOUR OWN BOUNDARIES AND CREATE EXPERIENCES FOR YOURSELF AND FOR OTHER PEOPLE. It’s being an example for other people." - Ayanna Phillips

"Great leadership opportunities have come my way during my five years at K-State, but BEING A PERSON OF A MULTICULTURAL BACKGROUND, I FELT AN OBLIGATION TO BE, IF ANYTHING, A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR FUTURE STUDENTS." - Mario Garcia

ART INSTALLATION

- Tristan Davis

"Being a minority, I UNDERSTAND THAT I SHOULDN’T COMPARE MYSELF WITH OTHER GROUPS. MY SUCCESSES ARE MY OWN STORIES, and whatever work I put in are my responsibilities. " - Trinh Tran

"It’s something that has been defined for you, when people see your color, they have created the definition of who you are from it. I am more than that in every sense. I CREATE THE STORIES THAT MY IDENTITIES HOLD, AND I GIVE THEM MEANING AND I GIVE THEM POWER, I CAN’T ALLOW OTHERS TO DO THAT, and so I think that, in that moment, I am more than my color."

THE STORIES

- Adam Carr

"People throw around stereotypes like 'you're not brown enough or you're the light-skinned Mexican'. WHEN PEOPLE SEE ME SPEAKING SPANISH, THEY ASSUME THAT I AM MIXED. AT FIRST, I WAS EMBARRESSED TO SPEAK SPANISH BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THOSE COMMENTS. Now, I'm just like, hey, I'm Mexican - we all come in different shapes and colors. People have an idea of what Mexicans should look like, and I'm glad I can represent a different side of that." - Evelyn Lucio

"Being a white man on K-State's campus has probably helped me in ways I don't even realize. BEYOND SKIN COLOR, BEING A GAY MAN ON THIS CAMPUS PLAYS INTO MY APPEARANCE AS WELL - the way I dress, the way I act, and the way I move. I've definitely had to adjust how I see myself becuase of how people see me." - Grant Thompson

ART INSTALLATION

"I have a lot of privilege in this world. For me, SOCIAL JUSTICE IS USING MY PRIVILEGE TO ADVOCATE FOR OTHERS. When we talk about skin color or race, that’s not enough to understand where they come from and how that’s shaped their experience at K-State." - Jordan Kiehl

"Am I being too white for the black people? Am I being too black for the white people? I FIND MYSELF IN THIS CONSTANT TUG OF WAR, AND IT HAS PRESENTED CHALLENGES NOT ONLY IN THE WAY I VIEW MY IDENTITY BUT ALSO IN THE WAY I APPROACH LEADERSHIP." - Ryan Kelly

What is social justice? "Social justice, to me, if you just use the two words “social” and “justice”, social justice is about being equitable for all. It’s really simple. What does that look like? It could look like physical protests and it may even come off as violence, but that’s how some people express themselves. It may be through violence, it may be through art , protesting, or even being quiet. We cannot dictate how people express themselves, and though we may deem some qualities as bad because we don’t understand, that’s their means for social justice – that’s how they speak what’s equitable and what’s fair." How does your physical appearance affect your K-State story? "People automatically have assumptions based on what we look like. It may not be my skin color - it could be the shape of my head, how I walk or how I talk, but it’s specially my skin tone, they may. For example, I went to an interview [recently] along with another applicant. While we were waiting for our interview, he asked me what I was there for and if I was another applicant. [He said he] wasn’t sure if I was just there helping out or if I was there because you were applying for that position. This was a formal interview, and we were both dressed accordingly. There are still those type of assumptions – [the idea that] people with my color of skin do not apply for these types of positions and do not reach higher. Even though my skin color affects how I move around the world, I am more than what others may see in me."

ART INSTALLATION

spotlight: michael leverett

ART INSTALLATION

press social media collaboration - @manhappeninmagazine

ART INSTALLATION

press online newspaper feature - www.kstatecollegian.com via Rebecca Vrbas, 05/09/19

Identity centers remain a modern building type.

BACKGROUND

Identity centers remain a modern building type. The absolute standard for diversity centers should remain as spaces of nurture and mutual respect, but unfortunately, many diversity centers are crammed into spaces created without intention for their specific use. In order to create a successful multicultural center at K-State, the programmatic lenses of the project should be considered. A multicultural student center should reflect culture, support education, and ultimately celebrate dining. By reviewing the programmatic elements and design factors that construct these precedents, this multicultural center can embody the needs of its campus community.

MANTUA, ITALY LEONE BATTISTA ALBERTI 1492

01 / church of s. andrea

culture DESIGN

PERFORMANCE

The primary function of the S. Andrea church was to house a vessel of blood. The interior was sculped using a building type of an ancient temple, a precedent familiar to the people inhabiting these spaces that personifies a triumphant move towards the future. The church was intended to emerge from the site as a piece of the city rather than an independent entity. Natural light was built into the firm due to the close proximity of adjacent form, and the main light source is light sweeping the floor from above.

TAKEAWAY

The Church of S. Andrea addresses the physical and mental body as it unifies proportions to form a harmonious sense of space that transcends time.

BACKGROUND

Leone Battista Alberto’s Andrea church reflects the human perception of the natural world, the function of the icon of religion (the church in society and need to acknowledge the past into built form. During the Renaissance period, the simple use of proportions referenced an ordered universe, and architecture existed as the “consecration of the cosmic order”. Simple, platonic forms and hierarchy were preferred as they achieved a built independence so that “nothing might be added, taken away, or altered, but for the worse.”

MANTUA, ITALY LEONE BATTISTA ALBERTI 1492

02 / arcus center for social justice

education DESIGN

PERFORMANCE

The interior spaces encourage ‘convening’ in multiple configurations that begin to deconstruct social and cultural barriers through a visually open central space and daylighting. The presence of a hearth in the core of the building emphasizes the cross-cultural celebration of food. The building is likewise designed to respond sensitively to its distinct yet adjacent physical contexts: a residential neighborhood, the college campus, and a native woodland grove. Its tri-axial plan addresses and unites all three contexts with large transparent facades connected by concavely inflected arcing walls that embrace the interior space. The exterior, a stark contrast to its built edge conditions, honors craft and challenges the college’s earlier structures and, more subconsciously, its mindsets.

TAKEAWAY

Studio Gang’s Arcus Center capitalizes on the community’s cache of collective knowledge and values to challenge the status quo and the cultural habits of bodies.

BACKGROUND

The Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership addresses the historical context of social justice conventions by elevating these discussions, inviting public awareness. The center’s design prides visual openness and activation through daylight. The significance of sharing food is celebrating in the center radiates through each arm of the building, encouraging informal meetings and chance encounters.

MANTUA, ITALY LEONE BATTISTA ALBERTI 1492

03 / harald herlin learning centre

education A lesson in refurbishment, JKMM refurbished Alvar Aalto’s library to incorporate new media spaces which enable solitary and collaborative workspaces, celebrate research, and encourage social interaction. Light plays a key role in this Scandinavian-inspiredredesign. A top-lit atrium space cuts through to the basement floor enabling daylight to filter in and around the main staircase uniting the three levels. The Nordic influences on JKMM’s work in this part of the building are part of a wide tradition that gently introduces a new chapter to the timelessness of Alvar Aalto’s interior above.

TAKEAWAY

JKMM’s Harald Herlin Learning Centre values making everyday space special for everyone and promotes continual engagement with the environment.

BACKGROUND

DESIGN

MANTUA, ITALY LEONE BATTISTA ALBERTI 1492

01 / church of s. andrea

culture DESIGN

PERFORMANCE

TAKEAWAY

The Church of S. Andrea addresses the physical and mental body as it unifies proportions to form a harmonious sense of space that transcends time.

BACKGROUND

MANTUA, ITALY LEONE BATTISTA ALBERTI 1492

01 / church of s. andrea

culture DESIGN

PERFORMANCE

TAKEAWAY

The Church of S. Andrea addresses the physical and mental body as it unifies proportions to form a harmonious sense of space that transcends time.

BACKGROUND

Program components

Welcome area

The following characteristics share an explicit expectation of the main spatial types and identity group. Descriptions consider the absolute standards of spatial types, client needs, committee suggestions, and personal experience.

Shared lounge space within the building - the entryway. This space should be designed to operate as a welcome area providing space for both comfort and interaction and be highly flexible. May also be for concentrated study space and group work Furnishings: Casual soft seating, moveable lounge

furniture, natural daylighting, fluorescent, task, and recessed lighting, mix of soft flooring and tile, access to data, telephone, audio/visual equipment Design considerations: Contains reception desk staffed by student worker, visibility from building entry. Daylight highly desirable

The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;great roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Non-reservable, flexible and informal space for study relaxation, encourage collaborative work, and dining Furnishings: Different types of furniture that can rearranged for the task at hand and to regulate privacy and openness. Consider providing electronic displays and other technologies for group MSO The Multicultural Student Office is used by over 30 student organizations. There are four core organizations that have their own workspaces: Black Student Union (BSU), Hispanic American Leadership Organization (HALO), Native American Student Association (NASA), and Asian American Student Union (AASU).

and individual work Design considerations: Variety of different meeting spaces on the first floor. Lounge space should be able to be broken up into smaller spaces with individual and unique character

Informal lounge flooring and tile, access to data, telephone, audio /visual equipment Design considerations: Acoustical separation from study area is desired

Flex offices / meeting spaces Private office space requiring space to engage in confidential conversations as well as long periods of focused work. Private office for one person including desk, chair, with two or three visitors chairs Furnishings: Desk and task chair, visitors chairs, soft flooring for comfort/acoustics, convenience outlets, Diveristy + multicultural student affairs staff The Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs office provides leadership in building an inclusive campus climate that fosters mutual understanding among diverse groups.

fluorescent and ask lighting. Telephone, data connection, white boards Design considerations: Provide acoustical privacy with a lockable door

BACKGROUND

Designed to operate as a welcoming area, providing space for both comfort and interaction, and be highly flexible. May also be for concentrated study space and group work Furnishings: Casual soft seating, moveable lounge furniture, natural daylighting, fluorescent, task, and recessed lighting, mix of soft

Reception Serves as the primary hub of information, security, and communication within the DMSA as well as provides general information for the rest of the building. Should be located The Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs office provides leadership in building an inclusive campus climate that fosters mutual understanding among diverse

groups. Near door on the first level and accessible 24 hours a day Furnishings: ADA accessible reception desk with two workstations at desk, access to natural daylight, convenience outlets, telephone/ data access. Design considerations: Adjacent to DMSA; visibility to and from main building entry

Conference room General meeting space for up to 25 occupants, to accommodate formal/informal meetings, presentations, teleconferencing, and other student organization-related activities Furnishings: Natural daylighting desirable, ability to control views into space, access to data, telephone, power, and presentation technology. Dimmable lighting, white boards / writable surfaces,

projection screens, acoustical separation from surrounding spaces, convenience outlets Design considerations: Located for convenient access to newcomers. Visibility of active meetings via transparent walls or windows will convey the sense of activity. Transparency will make it easier to allow informal individual or group activities when formal meetings are not scheduled

Group work area Flexible group work area for expansive task and collaborative projects Furnishings: Work surfaces and cabinets for supply storage. Photocopier, telephone, computer workstation, fax machine, power outlets. Design considerations:

Lockable door. Consider a service counter with rolling shutter. Adjacent to general storage.

Practice rooms

Kitchen Flexible enviroment to host teaching and catering kitchen spaces Furnishings: Fluorescent lighting, humidity control, odor control, washable finishes, hot and cold water, sounds isolation from adjacent/adjacent surrounding spaces, convenience outlets, food production equipment Design considerations: Convenient access to and from building loading dock. Storage Space dedicated to shared general storage of departmental supplies and equipment Furnishings: Builtâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in shelves to accommodate a variety of storage options Design considerations: Lockable door

Natural daylighting is not necessary. Contains prep, receiving, dishwashing, walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer, and dry storage spaces

BACKGROUND

Space dedicated to practice and performance. Used by multicultural student organizations and multicultural Greek life. Furnishings: Builtâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in shelves to accommodate a variety of storage options, acoustic system, large mirrors Design considerations: Acoustic barrier, preferably on first floor with adjacent outdoor area

space list welcome multiuse lobby...............................................................................500sf. shared lobby space - the entryway designed for comfort and interaction highly flexible community the “great room” .......................................................................1,250sf. flexible, space can transition from informal to formal accomodate eating, interaction, and relaxation encourages collaborative work should convert to lounge/study space multicultural student organizations informal lounge..........................................................................1,250sf. learning center that promotes academic success designed for comfort and interaction concentrated study space and group work flex office/meeting spaces x 10 (85sf. each)............................850sf. private to semi-private office spaces public/confidential conversations/study space secure storage space...................................................................500sf. space dedicated to general storage of equipement diversity + multicultural student affairs staff reception........................................................................................150sf. primary hub of information and security dmsa faculty x3 (150sf each).....................................................450sf. adminastrative functions accomodates long periods of work private office for one person dmsa grad assistant........................................................................50sf. adminastrative functions accomodates long periods of work private office for one person near dmsa faculty conference room (shared)............................................................270sf. general meeting space for up to 25 persons accomodate formal and informal meetings group work area ...........................................................................120sf. group work area for expansive tasks and collaborative projects storage space ...............................................................................150sf. space dedicated to general storage of equipement rentable practice spaces x2 (725 sf. each)............................................1,450sf. space dedicated to practice and performance for mso and multicultural greek life students equipped with audio/visual media, mirrors ability to convert to active meeting spaces storage space ..............................................................................500sf. space dedicated to general storage of equipement

teaching kitchen kitchen..............................................................................................800sf. flexible character visually connected to community space prep..................................................................................................200sf. can be connected to kitchen used for supplement catering receiving ..........................................................................................150sf. accomodates ease of receiving shipments on east side of site adjacent to Mid-Campus Dr. accessible yet hidden from site on exterior dishwashing .....................................................................................150sf. walk-in cooler ..................................................................................150sf. walk-in freezer .................................................................................150sf. dry storage ......................................................................................150sf. space dedicated to general storage of goods and supplies service toilet rooms (gender neutral to accomodate kitchen)...................336sf. toilet rooms (to accomodate 200 persons)................................1,000sf. lactation room....................................................................................85sf. data closets x2 (50 sf. each)..........................................................100sf. janitor closets x2 (50 sf. each).......................................................100sf. exterior performance space..................................................................as needed flexible space dedicated to practice and performance gathering/dining space..........................................................as needed extension of the ‘great room’

welcome..........................................................................................500sf. community.....................................................................................1,250sf. multicultural student organizations.............................................2,600sf. diversity + multicultural student affairs.........................................1,190sf. rentable.........................................................................................1,950sf. catering kitchen ...........................................................................1,550sf. service...........................................................................................1, 621sf.

assignable sf...............................................................................10,661sf. building support at 75% circ......................................................3,554sf. basic building size with gross sf.................................................14,215sf.

“I would be surprised in general didn’t have that had to do with food mas eve, we would get ma’s house and make food for dinner. We w the afternoon, cook un around dinner time, a were raised. There w in my childhood where get together, and we w would all bring food, a of the time, it was all M

if multicultural people e at least one memory d. For me, every Christt together at my grande traditional Mexican would get there around ntil the evening, and eat and that was how we were multiple Sundays e all my family would would have lunch. We and [the concept] most Mexican food. [Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s]

BREAKING BREAD: A CONCEPT

Food is the physical manifestation of our relationship with the natural world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where culture and ecology intersect.

Culture manifested through eating If architecture is a manifestation and expression of culture, it must acknowledge and respond to the cultural needs and values of the society it interacts with. The term “culture” originates from “cultivation”, implying that one has grown through an experience.1 The Encyclopedia of Philosophy shares that culture is “the whole way of life, material, intellectual, and spiritual or a given society.1Culture should be understood as an involvement of the entire way of life of a society. As a cultural system, isolated quantitative relationships between different aspects of culture become less important than the qualitative relationships within the overall system.1 Like the body, cultures are a matrix of aspects, and cohesion is necessary to achieve comfort. This system cannot be understood out of context. The culture of the individual is dependent upon the culture of a group or class, and the culture of the group or class is dependent upon the culture of the whole society to which that group or class belongs. Therefore, it is the culture of the society that is fundamental, and it is the meaning of the term “culture” in relation to the whole society that should be examined first.” With many factors intersecting within one system, it can be difficult to make an informed decision on which system or culture holds precedent. Questions like the few below emerged: Where is equity present? How do we design a diversity center which celebrates multiculturalism without discouraging the integration of students who identify as the dominant white majority? How do we design a diversity center that serves as a vessel of knowledge for the community without placing students of color on a stage? The solution may lie in ‘culture’ itself. Philosopher Alva Noe to explain our bodies ties to our culture. He discloses “just as we will not draw such a boundary around the individual organism itself, the environment of the organism will include not only the physical environment but also the cultural habitat of the organism”.2 In the study of architectural form, understanding our society should include a review of those aspects of culture which have influence over form. If architecture is an expression of culture, it must acknowledge and respond to the needs and values of the society it interacts with. We embody culture, so understanding culture begins with the human organism. Hurtado, Sylvia, Jeffrey F. Milem, Alma R. Clayton-Pedersen, and Walter R. Allen (bio). “ Enhancing Campus Climates for Racial/Ethnic Diversity”. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/30049. Accessed December 10, 2018. 2 Robinson, Sarah. “Nested Bodies.” Mind in Architecture: Neuroscience, Embodiment, and the Future of Design (2015), edited by Sarah Robinson and Juhani Pallasma. The MIT Press (2015): 137-159. 1

How do we design a diversity center which celebrates multiculturalism without discouraging the integration of majority groups?

BREAKING BREAD: A CONCEPT

Where is equity present?

How do we design a diversity center that serves as a vessel of knowledge for the community without placing students of color on a stage?

Multiculturalism manifested through food performance Food is the physical manifestation of our relationship with the natural world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where culture and ecology intersect. We have a history of gathering around the preparation and consumption of food, and the celebratory nature of food is universal. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve discovered that multiculturalism, as a design concept, has an opportunity to be manifested through eating, tying student need and my observations together. Building a space that nurtures diverse social contact should be centered around the celebration of food because eating affords us a social experience. We have a history of gathering around the preparation and consumption of food. Our first human interaction as is a human is about food, and every culture and religion use food as a part of their celebration. Food is no longer reduced to power or survival, it confers the status and identity with which we distinguish ourselves from others at the same time gives us the sense of community we seek. Cooking affords a performance. The human is the only animal species that surrounds its food with rituals and takes account of hunger among others who are not direct relatives - the table makes us human. The dining table is a place of memory â&#x20AC;&#x201C; of who we are and

This discovery led to a refined inquiry: How does examining the intersection of the preparation of meals and the production of space inform designing spaces that promote multiculturalism? Through interviews with both students and faculty and personal observation, I discovered the greatest needs are a space to gather with a really good kitchen and a space to practice performance. My understanding of promoting multiculturalism through breaking bread adds an additional layer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; spaces in support of food and the conversation.

BREAKING BREAD: A CONCEPT

with whom we are â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an endless succession of memories and associations. Like the table is a symbol of gathering, this building has an opportunity to emerge as a means to cultivate relationships manifested through the choreography of food celebration and performance. In this way, food functions symbiotically as a communicative practice by which we create, manage and share meanings with others.