Suburban Inversion

John Lucas II

Thesis Prep 2011

Ludwig | Mac Namara

SUBURBAN INVERSION

CONTENTS

Introduction

4

Contention

8

Limitless Lifestyle

10

St. Louis: A City in Need 28 New Awareness 48 Site 56 Program 68 Precedents 82 Glossar y 102 Appendix 106 Bibliography 108

INTRODUCTION

Suburban developments of the American landscape once emphasized the inclusion of community; however ever-increasing emphasis on solitude and the welfare of the single individual threatens the well-being of a developing neighborhood. Historically, developments were extensions of industrious urban fabrics; however contemporar y practices have suburban living sprawled large distances from the cities that sustain their livelihood.

Without industr y to support the city, suburban occupancy has begun to create an edge city. The social influence of these new establishments sometimes rivals that of the urban center. However recent residents have become increasingly aware of the consequences of the sprawled

suburban lifestyle. Longer commutes, pressures on water usage and class segregations continue to promote a monotonous and unsustainable milieu. To overcome this homogenized construction, post-industrial cities must accommodate an alternative lifestyle beneficial for both the single residents and the larger cooperative.

With no apparent solution to its economic downturn, the post-industrial city must facilitate sustainability of resources and society, and promote the historical identity of the neighborhood. Otherwise the entire urban structure will become unstable and unable to support a safe and healthy lifestyle. Regrowth not only ensures community among residents, but allows the city

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Migrating populations causing suburban sprawl.

With no remaining residents the urban core deteriorates.

Sustainability requires neighborhood regrowth.

to reinvest in itself. The better the pieces of the city the better it is as a whole. Utilizing underdeveloped sites on the urban edge, the neighborhood strategy can offer a compromise between needs of a consumer and prosperity of its commerce. A compact and flexible program of residences, businesses and open space ensures social stability over longer periods of time.

For example, Soho in New York was once a decaying neighborhood of industr y. Upon the investment of residents and approval of the city, it was able to draw more residents and provide similar benefitsas that of

suburban development. Alternatives to the suburban lifestyle must account for density requirements placed upon sites with proximity to the urban fabric. Although a design may be primarily residential, its ability to incorporate other aspects of social living, like commerce and culture, is crucial for neighborhood stability. As a hub of activity, a neighborhood should not only promote the community of its inhabitants, but also allow an influx for outside visitations. After all, the health of a city is based on the abilities of residents to secure safe and stable neighborhoods.

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CONTENTION

9 In order to establish familiarity and a sense of security, middle class Americans are forcing city developers to accommodate their solitar y lifestyles despite the ever-growing distance they move from the urban center.

The unsustainable expansion and lack of maintenance found in contemporar y suburban growth requires post-industrial cities to reevaluate the compact neighborhood in order to entice those on the suburban edge to seek security in an alternative development closer to the urban core.

LIMITLESS LIFESTYLE

Historical Origins Historically, suburban developments were generated as extensions of the urban fabric. Based upon the need for housing and the ease of transporting residents to and from the city, early suburban developments were built relatively compact. In order to achieve a familiar lifestyle, the suburbs needed to be walkable. Thus development strategies utilized existing city grids. The street grid of large cities promoted the use of street cars and other public transit systems. However, this began the segregation of land uses. Older residences in Philadelphia and Boston which incorporated shops and stores located beneath housing became obsolete to the middle class family not concerned with efficiency.

Having the home away from business prompted a new lifestyle offering residents the opportunity to separate themselves from activities that would hinder the lifestyle of their choice. Suburban housing, which maintained single use, became the new desire for families hoping to secure familiarity. A lifestyle built around the single use condition required developments to accommodate areas of leisure and commerce elsewhere. The city segregated itself in order to establish the needs of the individual simultaneously compromising its own health. Needing to seek asylum from the activity of the urban center, single family housing was pushed to the edge of the city.

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Correlated Consequences The health of a city, especially one in decline, is based on its parts. These two regions are linked, proving that cities in a post-industrial era can’t sur vive in segregation. For now, urban centers are tr ying to revive their populations by introducing amenities. However as funds are transferred to the surrounding suburbs, the city loses focus about the importance of maintaining itself. Loss of maintenance leads to demolition projects and an unending cycle of construction. The suburban edge isn’t much better, growing populations cause need for new development. Without looking for alternative approaches, developers follow a familiar practice.

Building further from the city and neglecting reuse opportunities that have become available at the center, suburbs hinder the strength of the urban core. Neither the urban center nor the suburbs have found an efficient way to develop community. Intertwined in dealing with population changes, both regions waste precious resources and lose sight that the appeal of the city is not based on its buildings, but rather its people. In order to satisfy the greatest amount of benefit for each person, designs should incorporate flexibility. Thus an alternative project offers opportunity for both current and future residents.

URBAN NEOSUBURBAN URBAN

URBAN

SUBURBAN

SUBURBAN SUBURBAN RURAL

RURAL RURAL NATURAL

Basic layering of city developments in concentric circles from the origin.

NATURAL Suburban sprawl puts pressure on urban and rural regions.

NATURAL

Relieving pressure on rural areas, suburbs can reinvest in urban areas.

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Rust Belt cities were once full of industrial activity, but in times of decline thay have been unable to cope because of their segregated zoning.

Post-industrial cities have fallen into decline due to their segregated approach to urban design. Events like “white flight’ and suburban sprawl have left the urban core void of precious inhabitants. Lasting city residents have only been influenced more to leave the urban center for newer developments because of deteriorating conditions. Areas that were once full of activity have lost their identity due to segregation of zones. With crumbling structures and no tenants, the existing

buildings of the urban center are generally slated for demolition (Friedman 26). However this consequence of segregation has new potential. With no existing buildings hindering design, sites in the urban center are open to new design. However it is the responsibility of the city to make sure that new development increases the overall health of the city rather than wasting resources on another design that hasn’t taken flexibility into account.

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City Origins

Pre-War Suburbs as Extension of City

Post-War Suburbs separate from the City

Exurbia forms an “Edge City” in competition for city ser vices.

Third Zone Complete separation of suburban housing into a “third” zone became extremely apparent in times of demand like the white flight movement and the return of American veterans. As the single family house became more appealing, developments of suburbia progressed further into the rural landscape. Intended to provide some mediation between urban and rural conditions, suburbia was envisioned as a hybrid zone. Instead, suburbia became a separate urban form altogether (Friedman 25). Not really a synthesis between rural and urban living, suburban developments were more

akin to urban houses built in the vast rural landscape.

Thus development turned suburbia into a “third” zone.

With urbanism on one side and rural farming on the other, suburban development needed to mediate polar extremes of the city. Creating the “third” zone, single family housing on large properties formed the transitional zone of density. However, unlike farms which include fields and the city which promotes business, the suburban house has no real value other than as housing.

With no additional purpose, the suburban house became a refuge for residents.

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The American Dream The rapid growth of suburban developments provided people with a safety net of familiarity and segregation that was sometimes difficult to achieve in urban living. Seeking to promote a prosperous lifestyle filled with happiness, wealthy individuals during the Great Depression removed themselves from the poorer urban centers. Originally coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931, the “American Dream� became this

desire to better one’s life and the lives of their children.

It reasons that no matter the rank of a person the attainment of the American dream will offer subsequent generations a better, fuller, and happier life for those venturing to be diligent (Zakaria 1). After the Great Depression, Americans with opportunity capitalized on their successful investments and continued the migration of wealth from the urban center.

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Suburban living was once a part of the American Dream usually achieved by the white middle class.

People persuing the American Dream have created a new diverse suburban community.

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Sprawling Cycle As more people began to move, the influx of residents fostered larger demand for amenities once provided by urbanity. Thus the migration of residents towards a socalled better lifestyle influenced commercial businesses to find new market availability. More residents meant more consumers. With the availability of cheap land, commercial capitalists seeing opportunities to increase profitability moved towards suburban residents. However this only complicated the issue by reintroducing the urbanity that suburban development was tr ying to escape. Reacting against this infringement, suburban housing developments began to move further from the city center. Thus generating a cycle of development that has compounded on itself for generations.

In the hopes of providing the most appealing property despite the lack of commerce and open space, developers have perpetuated the cycle into current practice. Having optimum location and density, suburbs are able to seek municipal support. Thus as more people migrate, the city becomes more obligated to provide

additional ser vices like life safety and waste removal on the peripher y of urban development. Seeking similar accommodations, more residents have moved out of the city as well. As soon as one development becomes too crowded another is forced to build further on the peripher y if it hopes to prosper. This leapfrogging effect continually pushes further into the rural landscape. Land values rise because of these new housing introductions, forcing more farms to sell to competing developers (Burchell 42). Thus the amenity of fresh air and open space once used as a selling point to the suburban resident becomes harder to obtain; once again prompting new development and perpetuating the cycle of suburbia. For post-industrial cities the effects of this are all too real. Dwindling populations strain city municipalities of a strong monetar y support system.

Therefore unlike earlier developments which maintained the interests of both the neighborhood and the city, sprawling developments are creating an edge city that is deteriorating the urban center.

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1950

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2003

Colin Gordon’s sprawl of St. Louis.

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750 sf.

In order to meet demand, developers create generic housing without the consideration of the residents.

3000 sf.

Suburban housing areas have increased 300% in 50 years, as developers seek to appeal to the largest market.

One For All In an attempt to provide the most effective result for the lowest initial cost, developers create a single housing type to replicate for increasing demand.

Sometimes designed with multiple options, the homes are meant to appeal to the largest available market.

Even with five or six designs, a housing development is usually built with a similar style for all of its units.

Thus the entire development becomes a monotonous landscape of similarity. However this doesn’t matter for the developers who only want to set up the units and leave once they turn a profit. Developers build suburbs to attract specific types of people. Generally oriented towards a white middle class family with two children, the resident typology becomes skewed once units are actually filled (Kelbaugh 36). In actuality, residents come from all walks of life. Differing in social class and race is only the

beginning; residents can also be single, married, retired, or single parent. Therefore designing a single housing type is impractical. Times change and so do people. It is necessar y for ever y community to remain flexible when developing. There is no cr ystal ball that can foretell the future. The homes themselves won’t necessarily change; but the occupants and nearby establishments might. Sur viving American neighborhoods have sur vived because they anchor people who reside in one place for an extended period of time. Neighborhoods do not define the people who choose to live in them; instead it is the people who come to define the neighborhood.

In effect the residents of a healthy neighborhood can never really be accounted before they actually occupy the homes.

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Edge City As residents move further away from the city they create a density that rivals that of the originating city and form a city on the fringe. The creation of this “edge city� threatens the existence of the urban fabric by pulling resources away from urban areas that require their assistance. Middle class residents provide a crucial tax base to the city despite the fact that most live in suburban housing. Requiring these funds to keep operating, municipal governments will do anything to maintain the presence of the middle class. Thus sprawling developments generally acquire the newest and best ser vices that a city can offer (Kelbaugh 139).

New schools and increased police patrols are only just a small portion of suburban ser vices. Residents also enjoy the benefit of being a priority in cases of emergency.

However, it comes at a price that existing neighborhoods must accept. To increase their longevity without the help

of municipal resources, an urban neighborhood must become independent. The achievement of independence ensures that a neighborhood can support community without inter vention. Unlike contemporar y suburban developments which only provide a small amount of income compared to its use of city resources, an urban neighborhood must accommodate a variety of activity with little or no support from the city (Kelbaugh 51).

In such case, community groups are formed to provide their own ser vices. Therefore they pool their own resources to create community watch groups and block parties.

Without the help of municipal resources an urban neighborhood must create support within itself. Only by maintaining the lifestyles of its residents can a neighborhood exist for more than one generation.

Sprawl is expected to grow by

22% in rural areas 25

54% in suburban areas

by 2025.

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Corrective Action Recent awareness of the “edge city� growth has fostered multiple correction strategies in order to limit further impact of sprawl.Though the character of suburbia is rapidly changing, little alteration has been made in the way of the built form (Friedman 37). Programs like New Urbanism and urban infill projects aim to establish better perceptions of a sustainable city. Under the New Urbanism principles, designs need to reflect compact behavior and diversity of both program and residents.

Thus a variety of housing types such as apartments and townhomes would offer a variety of design types to an otherwise monotonous scheme. Building variety

ensures that the community can accommodate change as well as the diversity of the city at a smaller scale.

Walkable neighborhoods allow residents to take a more active approach to minor tasks like grocer y shopping and going to the park. Where sprawled developments would force additional connection to the larger context, the walkable community can sustain the behavior of its occupants without external involvement (Friedman 36).

Compact developments promote better use of resources and offer residents the ability to regain the identity of a community that has been slowly lost due to constant expansion.

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Howard’s Garden City promotes rings of development that are stitched together by infrastructure. (http://www.librar y.cornell.edu/Reps/DOCS/howard.htm)

Tr ying to limit sprawl, New Urbanists design communities based on walkability and density.

ST. LOUIS

A CITY IN NEED

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The post-industrial city of St. Louis is currently undergoing development to regrow and strengthen its urban core.

Residential Residential

Commercial Commercial

Education Education

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Recreation Recreation

Transportation Transportation

Cultural Cultural

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St. LouisProgram Program St. Louis Choice Site Choice Sites

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Model of Urbanism St. Louis is a model city for the successes and failures of American urbanism and neighborhood production.

Upon its settlement by American frontiersmen, St. Louis was a hub city for pioneers traveling west. Unlike other American cities at the time, St. Louis was a transitional urban structure. On one side was the prosperity and growth of settlements fully involved in the economics of a developing nation. On the other side was a “blank slate” ready for occupation. Much like today, the city is populated with both successful and empty communities.

A few neighborhoods dating back to the turn of the twentieth centur y have lasted because of the cooperative effort of the city and the residents. Lafayette Square, for example, was once a neighborhood of St. Louis’s wealthest individuals that underwent decline after a natural disaster, but it eventually recovered with the help of new tenants. Evolving with the lifestyle of the residents, the neighborhood has found success where others have faltered. Building up rather than building new, the residents used existing buildings as a framework to develop their own styles. Each home has become a image of those residing inside of them.

Unfortunately, the majority of St. Louis has become lost

to the development of its exterior edge. Trading urban stability for suburban growth, the city has become torn between maintaining itself and starting over.

Developments like that of 14th street are tr ying to entice residents to a more urban lifestyle. However rather than becoming flexible to its inhabitants, the area has tried to shape people into a specific way of living.

The current construction of this area is concerned with density and building. Designing a standard home for multiple residents, it becomes a monotonous landscape of building; not unlike that of suburbia. Modeled like an urban suburbia, this development tries to secure property by enclosing it with gates. Excluding visitation and neglecting the need for walkability the development hinders its own occupation. It is single use and requires personal transportation to remain the only option for habitation. Like the neighborhood before it, this neighborhood is destined to fail unless there is more support involvement designed nearby. The inflexible character of the development shows that neighborhood production can’t just be an accumulation of buildings, it needs to relate to residents on a personal level.

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Above: New neghborhood developments are built monotonously.

Below: The Lafayette Square neighborhood offers a variety of design.

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Fault of Utopia Striving for health, cities like St. Louis, have tried to present utopian options of construction. In the plans of Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier, a community is built upon the complete efficiency of the buildings (Fishman 266). They remain highly functional at the risk of the residents. Utopian developments overlook the fact that not all residents are the same person. Each individual has their own personality and activity pattern.

Thus a plan must be flexible in order to truly be the most efficient model for development.

St. Louis’s utopian ideal is embodied by the construction of the Pruitt Igoe development. The quick urban growth of the city forced planners to find a solution to house a significant amount of the population. It started like many utopian projects tr ying to seek the best result for a large population. However, things quickly turned sour as value-engineering took ahold of the project (Pruitt Igoe Now). Elevators that were meant to travel to ever y floor were alternatively set to stop only at selected floors. This sounds like an architectural solution to promote community bonding among the residents, however it became an issue of safety. Residents not living on the floors reached by elevator were required to walk up stairs to reach their

homes. This became a problem as thieves and muggers used the stairwells to corner victims and steal the belongings of residents. Further issues arose from the property becoming unsure of ownership. Residents unable to determine what area outside their unit was also considered theirs created problems for who was to maintain certain areas. Hallways connecting more than two residences quickly deteriorated due to lack of maintenance whereas smaller hallways were able to delegate cleanliness between residents (Pruitt Igoe Now). Therefore it is essential to maintain the area of ownership among residences. Once a boundar y becomes unclear it becomes an issue of not only who owns it, but who also maintains it. Learning from this example is valuable to neighborhood construction. Healthy lifestyles are built on the security and ownership of residents. A solution cannot be diluted by efficiency. A building design can hope to create an efficient outcome, but in the end it is the residents that determine the success of its development. Adapting to the needs of a resident are essential and creating situations that risk this will undoubtedly hinder a project from being able to maintain occupancy.

Mostly residential, the design of Pruitt Igoe offered other land uses, but without distinguishing an area of ownership.

Pruitt Igoe failed as a design because it uses a utopian strategy without concern for the residents it houses.

The building compromised safety by not offering residents the ability to reach all the floors by elevator.

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Lack of Maintenance Contemporar y suburban practices force cities to neglect older developments and constantly build new.

The need of people for safety ser vices, infrastructure, and schools requires city governments to burden themselves with establishing more ser vices structures rather than maintaining the ones they already have.

“Fragmented control causes loss of access to taxable resources outside city boundaries even though residents still utilize the ser vices” (Burchell 119). Lack of necessar y funds forces the city to neglect existing systems in order to maintain a social structure that can’t support itself. “The reality is they [residents] want walkable environments. They want urbanism. They want

the car and they want walking and transit. They want all of the above” (Fishman 57). The only problem is that not ever ything can be given equal importance in constructing a new milieu. Sur vival of cities is dependent upon the choices made for the residents. Therefore most modern cities have given up on the walkable neighborhood for more vehicular oriented designs. Accommodating the desires of the most taxble population, new highways and aesthetically pleasing building elevations have become the concern of municipal authority. Unfortunately the choice to neglect older established resources and developments has created a negative impact on both the city and its residents.

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St. Louis, like many cities, is overlooking established communities in order to build larger roadways.

The spread of St. Louis’s highway system connects suburbs at the cost of the inner city.

Contemporar y Practice

Redefined Neighborhood

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Without the constant use of personal vehicles, communites must use proximity to develop the lifestyle of residents.

Introduction of the Car The limitless expansion of sprawl has only influenced a greater need for vehicular traffic. The extreme distances between work, home, and commerce pressures more people to give in to suburban habitation. Public transportation can ease some of the burden, but regardless of how regular it operates, the individual must act on someone else’s schedule. This becomes difficult once climatic and timely pressures are introduced.

Therefore the personal vehicle becomes the only solution to a suburban lifestyle.

Unlike the neighborhood strategy which is an inclusion of all the cities amenities in a compact establishment, suburban developments strain residents with distance and time. The sprawled housing and commercial zones make it impossible for anyone to sustain a life without some sort of vehicular transport. Thus to conform to existing privacy measures, the personal vehicle, becomes ideal for the suburban consumer. With selftransportation the individual can operate on their own schedule at any distance they desire. Although this

sense of freedom is uplifting, it also burdens residents as the suburban lifestyle grows in appeal. More vehicles require more space for roads and more roadways require larger distances between destinations. Impacting the city, historic neighborhoods are demolished to make way for large infrastructure projects. Unless the bond between residents is solid, the neighborhood will lose intrinsic value. Eminent domain projects take over to capitalize on broken communities. The city prospers at the loss of some of its most valued estates. However, urban prosperity can also negatively impact the city through its use of resources. Dependency on fossil fuels means that cities must be able to support a lifestyle of waste. Although vehicles have improved their mileage ratings, the pollution and need for consumption hinders the health of city; thereby reinforcing the migration of residents to areas with cleaner air. The unending cycle of sprawl continues until the whole city crumbles under the weight of its own prosperity.

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Redefining Neighborhood Unlike the metropolitan cities of Chicago and Philadelphia which have been able to adapt to the change of an industrial to ser vice culture, post-industrial cities are decaying due to their own prosperity. The programmatic specialization of cities shows how an urban fabric cannot maintain itself in segregation. “Segregating land uses is an old tired and dysfunctional form of community planning and urban design”(Fishman 17). A city that prides itself on industr y will succeed when industr y is needed, but when that need begins to slow the city won’t be able to adapt quick enough to a new identity. Thus the singular segregated zoning becomes abandoned from inactivity. Programmatic identities that are completely separated from one another require too many resources to stitch the city together. Thus they are left to sur vive without the needed maintenance. The best way to proceed with suburban development lies in the strategies utilized by historical neighborhoods.

Successful examples show that integrated land uses foster bonds between programs and eventually the members of the community.

In order to reestablish programmatic diversity and habitation in the post-industrial city, it is important for suburban developments to reintroduce the neighborhood strategy. A neighborhood is not just a place of housing; it is a comingled assemblage of daily activity. At any given time the neighborhood is full of activity. Residents take use of housing during the evening hours. Businesses utilize early commutes and after work hours to generate revenue and ser vice that support the community. Even the open park becomes a place of relaxation and athletics. “The various subdivisions of community should be united by a community shared element. This will help foster and reinforce cohesion and community.”(Friedman 120) The compact nature of the neighborhood creates a network among the programs. Sharing a common mixed-use space between the programs allows them to expand during different occupations. Each part thrives on the existence of the others and prospers under the growth of the people.

As residents evolve, the neighborhood does as well effectively building a stable community.

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Segregation requires a city to stitch itself together with infrastructure.

A diverse network of program lessens commute time and builds community.

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Community Anchors Successful neighborhoods within the urban structure of St. Louis have cultivated a cultural heritage. Built around either parks or religious buildings, lasting neighborhood homes maintain a cultural identity. Rather than just situating themselves in a dense development of homes, lasting neighborhoods have taken on the benefits of their surrounding programs. The homes do not maintain the neighborhood; instead the culture of the neighborhood ensures the longevity of the homes.

This is not a regional phenomenon. Some of the best examples of cultural support arise in cities that are flexible with residents and zoning use. For example in

Soho, New York, the neighborhood is not built around the homes of the area. Instead its existence has been attributed to the thriving art culture that the residents have developed. People all around the city know about this neighborhood because of its uniqueness when compared to other regions of New York City. The success of the neighborhood is not based on occupancy, but rather activity of both residents and visitors. It is imperative that a neighborhood have a hinge identity on which to base its character if it intends to be a stable place of residency.

food lifestyle

clothing activity

density residence social

culture

diversity economic

race

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development identity

perception self

others

growth community

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Familiarity Ever ything that an individual or a group might desire can be generated in a neighborhood: ser vice, security, and acceptance. Residents create a sense of belonging amongst themselves and foster bonds that promote further good in the community. As residents become more accepting of each other they are able to overlook social aspects that would otherwise segregate them.

Accommodating social change requires a design to be flexible. Rather than establishing a singular design to meet the needs of current residents, it is important to take time into consideration. Smaller residences, which usually cost less, will provide for families on a budget while larger homes will attract more diversity

among residents. Providing homes that can expand and contract with time and users offers the benefit of creating stability. Just like suburban housing, the residents are able to occupy a home for a longer period of time, which allows them to acquaint themselves with others. However, there is no need to create additional security by distancing oneself because residents become increasingly more aware of the neighbors they see ever y day (Tonkiss11). The increase of familiarity allows residents to bond through attitudes of belonging.

Thus the security of the individual can be obtained by providing the security of the group.

Community of One

45 Segregation Security

Familiarity by Integration

Security through Community

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Security A secure community that is diversely integrated is able to sustain itself by strategically placing residences and shops within a flexible network of program. The density of the buildings and diversity of the program establishes an awareness of ownership, upon which residents understand what their responsibility is to maintain. No single part can succeed without the help of the others. Of course, integrating certain programs like industr y into a network of activity would be harmful to residential needs. However there is no reason why a business and home cannot share the same footprint.

In fact, they are meant to coexist as a way to efficiently house production and relaxation areas. The proximity of housing and business promotes interaction between

the programs, such as the daily morning greet that two people might share. Recent studies even show that residents are beginning to prefer a more urban style of living (2011 Community Preference Sur vey). Therefore it is essential to understand, that providing zones for commercial and leisure areas isn’t enough. Residences, shops, and green spaces must be within walking distance of each other to be effective in promoting neighborhood health. Housing provides the consumers and businesses provide the product. Both programs succeed and both acquire the necessar y tools to continue existing. The relationship of the parts in a compact strategy not only reinforces the sustainability of the social interaction, but the functional as well.

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Compact neighborhoods offer security by increasing the number and interaction of residents.

Areas of public space offer residents a variety of activity in a secure environment.

NEW AWARENESS

program

occupants diversity

commute time time economics

density social

cultural

sustainability 49

fuel consumption

compaction

distance

technical

wind

solar

photovoltaics trumb wall

turbines

windows

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Breaking the Cycle In order for a potential design to be sustainable it must be able to accommodate a variety of variables like diversity of program, density of uses, and flexibility over time. Additional benefits include using existing infrastructure systems like sewage and water supply as a way to minimize new construction. Under this notion, sprawling suburban developments threaten their own existence because they constantly expand without giving thought to how development might affect the surrounding context. Unlike traditional rural buildings which can be constructed and torn down, a suburban

house destroys the land underneath it (Chow 32).

The removal of top soil to create an even landscape is great for road and housing construction, but it limits the opportunity for water and nutrients to filter under the development and into the earth. Once a suburban project is completed its site cannot be used for anything else but urban construction. Continuing to utilize the site requires a development to become denser. This reinforces the need for a flexible strategy, but doesn’t stop the practice of sprawl until it’s too late.

Urban Center

Contemporary Suburbia

New Suburbia

Current Suburban Growth

porary Subur bia ntem Co

New Suburbia Urban Center

Reinvestment of Suburban Resources

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Initially, sprawl growth costs $986 million.

$ Maintenance expenses cost suburbia more than $69.5 billion.

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$$ $$$$$$$$ $$ $$$$$$$$ $$ $$$$$$$$ $$ $$$$$$$$ $$ $$$$$$$$ $$ $$$$$$$$ $$ $$$$$$$$

Beginning a new suburban development requires stripping the land of its resources and starting with a blank slate.

Sustaining Resources A compact neighborhood promotes sustainability of its utility, structure, and land use by allowing multiple programs to utilize a single source of input. The value of maintaining functional sustainability rests in the ability to limit the amount of resources needed to construct a neighborhood as compared to an entire sprawling region. Constantly new infrastructure is always the best solution for occupants, but it takes away from the maintenance that cities require to develop the larger context. The cost to hook up a sprawling suburban development to an existing line can sometimes increase 40% when compared to a more compact method (Burchell 3). The post-industrial fabric gains a major advantage in recycling resources due to the build-up of

existing infrastructures. Rather than having to place an entirely new system, a neighborhood on the urban edge can tap into resources already in place. This ensures the city can maintain existing expenses while simultaneously promoting new growth in areas that are opportune for advancements.

A compact neighborhood is able to capitalize on the existing infrastructure, helping it gain valuable resources while promoting adequate utilization of systems already in place. Unlike new developments which require new lengths of pipe for water, and electricity, an infill project can tap into existing resources as a way to promote maintenance of older systems over the wastefulness of constant new construction.

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Designing for the Multiple Systems that can be retrofitted to fit into an alternate design are efficient for their reuse of existing resources. Designing for this opportunity is difficult because there is no perfect solution that can operate for a current condition and one that hasn’t happened yet. Therefore it is essential for a new building practice that designs for flexibility. Although cities like St. Louis may be in need of a diverse allotment of residential and commercial programs, future success might require an alternate scenario not realized yet. This unsure future means that designs that are unable to adapt will need to be destroyed and replaced with something

more representative of the times. However it is this constant inefficient demolition and construction that wastes the precious resources of a community. Instead, designing for multiple scenarios offers the possibility of change. Programs that are required by all the designs like circulation, mechanical, and support programs, must be designed for multiple scenarios. Around these stationar y programs, other programs like housing and shops are able to network into a larger context. Thus the flexibility of program comes from a design of ser vice spaces that can remain unaltered and support multiple occupancies throughout time.

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Ser vice Nodes of design are difficult to move.

Nodes can ser ve a variety of designs if flexibly oriented.

With stationar y ser vice compartments, the ser ved area can fluxuate with need.

SITE

St. Louis,Missouri 14th and Lafayette St.

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On the fringes of the urban core, the site has the opportunity to engage with both nearby residents and others transitioning to the city.

Background The proximity of the site to the urban edge of St. Louis allows it to become a gateway into the city.

Historically, the city was known as a “gateway to the West� for pioneers. Its importance was designated by its identity as a last chance hub for supplies before heading west. It is under this same premise that a smaller scale site could act in much the same way. However instead of it being a gateway to colonization, it becomes a gateway

between neighborhoods. The edge condition of the site, 14th and Lafayette Ave., allows it to become a node for development and a hub to ser ve existing construction.

Neighboring developments consist of both a dense single stor y housing block and a large condominium placed directly across the street. These residential strategies may provide an adequate density for the site, but lack other essentials to the potential of a neighborhood.

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Segregated Condition Surrounded on two sides by major interstate interchanges and avenues, the site is forced into a segregated condition. This may seem as an undesirable area, but it actually creates an interesting commentar y of suburban development. The creation of this site condition is exactly due to the sprawled nature of contemporar y developments and the city’s support of them. Therefore an alternative that evokes a new suburban value becomes complicated by conditions valued by municipal decisions. In order for the site to prosper successfully it needs to be flexible enough to generate a self-sustaining community.

Previously designated to house residences, the units fell into disrepair due to construction of the nearby

interstate. Under new zoning principles the site is now meant to contain commercial businesses. Three acres in size, the site must contend with both zoning histories as a way to harmonize an effective and flexible community.

Contemporar y design might separate the two groups from one another to promote security from visitors not affiliated with the residences. However this would create more problems with community and sustainability than it solves. Therefore a flexible alternative must be able to foster growth and allow efficient usability through time. Designing a single structure for the site, the units within are able to be repurposed without complete demolition of the project.

RE ST th 14

ETTE A VE.

ET

AN P ARKW AY T RU M

L A FAY

63

44 4

55 5

Site- 14th Street and Lafayette Ave.

A

B

C

A

D

B

E

C

64

D

E

Site sections showing program adjacency

OLDER Neighborhood Walkability Neighborhood Walkability

Property PropertyOwnership Ownership

Residential/ Commercial Residential/ Commercial Connection Connection

Leisure Community Leisure Community Expansion Expansion

Neighborhood Walkability Neighborhood Walkability

NEWER

65

Residential/Commercial Commercial Residential/ Connection Connection

Property Ownership Property Ownership

Leisure Community Leisure Community Expansion Expansion

66

Shaded Historic Housing (1898) Newer Homes (1998)

Interstate Boundar y Condition vs.

Neighborhood Blending on site

67

Circulations of vehicles and pedestrians

Programmatic Land Uses of Site

Residential Commercial Leisure Cultural Industrial

68

Solar Orientations

Wind Directions of Site

69

Wind Temperatures of Site

Precipitation Amounts of Site

Ecotect Diagrams

PROGRAM

71

Zoning

Land Use Residential Commercial Leisure Mixed Use Cultural Industrial

72

Blank Slate The size of the site provides a variety of programmatic densities. Interestingly, the three acre area allows for the entirety of the program to be spread out as a single floor design. However other approaches of program density and proximity allow a more cohesive design and compact strategy altogether promoting a better neighborhood identity. In order to achieve a continuous site occupation necessar y for neighborhood development, it is necessar y to promote three areas of daily life: housing, commerce, and leisure activity (Jacobs

201).The synthesis of these three activities generates hybrid programs that can bridge design opportunities and allow for interaction of the community. However, the three main programmatic elements gain hierarchy in design as the neighborhood focuses largely on the amount of residents and a combination of businesses and open space. The program then breaks down into the individual pieces that are the homes, stores, and stationar y ser vice spaces.

HOME WORK LEISURE 0:00 AM

3:00 AM

6:00 AM

9:00 AM

12:00 PM

3:00 PM

6:00 PM

9:00 PM

12:00 AM

student employed retiree student employed retiree student employed retiree

Program Break Down (time) 55% residence 20% commercial 24% leisure

73

Histor y of the site shows zones for both commerce and housing

Program lines boundaries to create efficient spacing

Commercial space splits

74

Open space draws neighboring resident densities

Programs at hinge expand into the city fabric

Project remains visible from 360 degrees of rotation

A successful alternative of suburban design understands that program segregation only hinders opportunities for neighborhood advancement. As a way to overcome this, the larger programs must integrate themselves together. Thus the housing units should not be distanced so far that they can’t mingle with businesses and promote efficiency of the infrastructure.

Leisure spaces should mingle with housing to offer social activity on both the neighborhood and city scale.

Thus, the entirety of the program becomes intertwined into a single functioning design. This helps to ensure that residents have the most optimum proximity both horizontally and vertically to the ser vices they desire.

Ease of access becomes the mechanism for generating more healthy “active� lifestyles. Otherwise the program separations just create unnecessar y boundaries that compromise the objectives of a flexible neighborhood.

Trapping residents to operate on the site however is still unwanted. The ability for people to venture outside

of the site and allow visitors in is essential for site integration into the larger urban context.

The use of the neighborhood strategy is a benefit to both the larger urban context and the residents of a smaller site. The success of the community lies in its ability to promote better living conditions through proximity and ease of access to daily life activities. Reinforcement of the walkable city reflects active and sustainable behavior.

After all, residents are more likely to walk to destinations when commercial and leisure areas are situated closer to their place of residence. This provides an alternative means of acquiring ser vice without the added expense of transportation or infrastructure. Additionally, as a design becomes a hub for the larger community it is more likely to attract attention. This is the goal of any design that ser ves to alter the conditions that contemporar y design has imposed. The more people are aware of different opportunities the more they can ask from a potential design.

75

76

A New Density A primarily residential program must accommodate a variety of leisure and work activity if it is to establish the characteristics of a neighborhood. Compactness is only one piece of the puzzle. In order to move a suburban development into the urban context it is essential to operate on a variety of densities. Thus taking into account the size of the homes and amount of private yard space a typical suburban home has, the best density for a site in St. Louis is between 20-30 homes per acre. Any more units would require a large communal green space that neglects privacy and any less wouldn’t provide the necessar y open space needed for an “active� neighborhood.

An autonomous design should also incorporate existing amenities in the city. Thus the program must be able to expand and contract depending on varied occupation levels. Shared spaces will promote constant activity, but the architecture must make this apparent

through a specific arrangement that allows both public and private realms to coexist. Utilizing the basis of timed occupations, a breakdown of activities at home, work, and leisure helps generate percentages of program hierarchy.

Based upon the time allotted for each of the user groups, a program needs to operate separately and as a whole. Time spent at a residence is the most crucial, thus it must take the largest percentage of the overall building program. Leisure and commercial ventures will also be included as a way to create the compact neighborhood necessar y for community growth. Facilitating a cohesive neighborhood strategy it is important to combine the three major programs. From this combination a series of hybrid programs are created that will help fill the transition void between program adjacencies. Thus the entire program becomes a network occupation that can flux throughout time.

Rural

Urban

2 units

5 units 2500

2500 2500

2500 2500

10 units

18 units

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500 2500

2500 2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

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2500

2500 2500

Yard Yardrequirement requirement can can no longer longer be be met met no

Due occupation,yards Due totooccupation, yards 1/3 density for 1/3for of of density

2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500

2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500

Suburban

20 units

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500

2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500

30 units

40 units

80 units

1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875

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930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930

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930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930

1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875

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930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930

1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875

Density toogreat, great, Density is istoo requiredcommunal communalspace space requires

1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875 1875

930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930 930930 930

77

Program (tentative)

78

Residence Single Resident @ 1, 000 sf Loggia Family Housing @ 1, 500 sf Yard/ Garage Retired Couple @ 1, 000 sf Yard/ Porch Commercial Office Space @ 1, 000 sf Cafe Newsstand Restaurant Bus Stop Parking Lot Loading Dock Leisure Gymnasium (2) Basketball Courts Pool Outdoor Theatre

18, 000 sf 10, 000 sf 12, 000 sf 6, 000 sf 1, 300 sf 500 sf 2, 500 sf 1, 700 sf

9, 000 sf 5, 000 sf 2, 200 sf

Circulation/ Mechanical

12, 000 sf

Total

120,000 sf

Segregated Programs

Combination/ Hybrid Program

Split of Programs

Program Reallotment

Parts of Program Reassembly

New Configuration

Program Densities

79

80

The Suburban Alternative Logistically for infrastructure and construction, a compact design is much easier to maintain and build. However, it is sometimes overlooked for the contemporar y suburban lifestyle which people are able to achieve a stronger sense of security and potential.

As economic trends continue, 59% of people are choosing to live in a smaller house in order to lessen commute times of their daily routines (2011 Community Preference Sur vey). Alternatives to the suburban single family house must be aware that smaller housing is usually combined with density. Therefore in order to

accommodate change, a design must utilize both the urban milieu and neighborhood strategy to promote community (Jacobs 152).

Understanding that population preferences may change requies projects to display some thought towards flexibility. Designing for an occupant that doesn’t exist or might change is difficult. No one solution can solve ever ything. However, a basic form that can adjust its program and density would be beneficial to not only the residents, but also the city as times change.

Eliminate Commute Commute Elimination

SingleUse Use Single (NO GOOD) (NO GOOD)

Program Program DensityDiversity

Flexible Program Flexible Program

ConsistantStructure Structure Consistant

81

SUBURBAN FLEXIBILITY

Program Segregation Program Segregation

Residential Residential

Commercial

Commercial

Open Space Open Space

PRECEDENTS

83

84

Queen Village, Philadelphia Queen Village is a historical neighborhood in the center of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Owing its success to the business of the shipping industr y, the neighborhood enjoyed a prosperous period that expanded its population. However as the neighborhood acquired more immigrants its conditions began to diminish. In the mid-19th centur y the region became overcrowded, fostering increasingly unhealthy conditions and a spike in criminal activity. Similar to post-industrial trends, the neighborhood deteriorated. Residents began moving away, compounding the weakening of the community.

Persistent residents, however, didn’t abandon their homes in the worst of scenarios. Instead, they

revitalized their community. Seen as a blight to the city by developers, the community was unable to receive any help from outside inter vention. However that didn’t stop the progression of revitalizing the neighborhood.

Blending small commercial ventures into the residential fabric allowed people the opportunity to regain the bond between community members. Building up the bonds that form familiarity among residents, the community rebuilt itself with a bottom up approach. What once seemed like an unsuitable area for safe habitation then became one of the most significant neighborhoods in the city of Philadelphia.

85

Queen Village, Philadelphia

86

Queen Village Queen Village Program Adjacency Adjacency Program

Queen Queen Village Village Program Basics Basics Program

Queen QueenVillage Village Property Property Influence Influence

Queen QueenVillage Village Sectional SectionalProgramming Programming

Housing Density Housing Density

Property Ownership Property Ownership

Residential/ Commercial Residential / Commercial Connection Connection

Leisure Community Leisure Community Expansion Expansion

87

< http://www.rowhouse-magazine.com/neighborhoods/queenVillage.html>.

88

Soho-New York City, NY Having a hip and youthful identity, the neighborhood of Soho was once a place of manufacturing and industr y.

As the need for industrial goods diminished, buildings were left vacant. Seeing potential in the large open spaces, a small number of artists began living in the abandoned structures illegally. As the rest of the city became more aware of the developing artistic community, more artists began migrating to the neighborhood. City officials wanting to destroy the buildings were met with harsh criticism. Eventually giving in to the residents and larger community, Soho was made available as a residential neighborhood.

The increased growth has generated a mall-ification of the neighborhood. Although the new commercial

ventures have filtered into the community, they have taken on the historical approach to layering business and residence. Maintaining homes above stores, offers residents the ability to create a private space for themselves without constant interference of the public that tours the neighborhood. Activity of residents and visitors ranges from trendy shopping to galler y displays.

Offering opportunities for the resident artists to show their work, the neighborhood becomes a place of bonding and familiarity. Creating destinations at ever y street corner, the neighborhood promotes walkability.

As a prime example for any rehabilitation project, the returning occupancy of the community has restored the neighborhood as a unique destination of culture.

89

Soho, New York City

SoHo SoHo Program Adjacency Program Adjacency

90

SoHo SoHo Program Basics Basics Program Density requires Hybrid

SoHo SoHo Property Property Influence Influence

SoHo SoHo Sectional Programming Sectional Programming

Housing Density Housing Density

Property Ownership Property Ownership

Residential/ Commercial Residential / Commercial Connection Connection

Leisure Community Leisure Community Expansion Expansion

http://theevolutionstore.com/

91

92

Br yghusgrunden-Copnhagen, Denmark (OMA) The Br yghusgrunden design by OMA is a mixeduse facility that contains residential, office, parking, and exhibition space. Despite the typical separation of these programs when organized elsewhere, OMA uses the collective program to create a community amenity that engages both the permanent residents of the structure and temporar y occupants utilizing the site for social function. In order to generate the spontaneous interaction of occupants, the building programs are heaped together in a large mass rather than zoned according to the optimum position of program and building. This offers people the ability to discover and be discovered without compromising the security of each program from one another.

With proximity to the historical edge of Copenhagen, the Br yghusgrunden must mediate contemporar y vehicular travel and the need for residents to reach the waterfront. In order to overcome the boundar y placed from the large avenue, the design tunnels under the roadway and transforms park into exhibition space. Circulating vertically, visitors are then able to reach the waterfront and continue leisure park activity.

Other exhibition spaces rise over the roadway while continuously allowing vehicles and building occupants to be made aware of one another. The compromise of site and building allows both the historical city narrative and contemporar y urban structure to coexist.

93

Archdaily.com

Archdaily.com Lower floor extends under roadway in order to connect historic city with the canal.

Archdaily.com Major programs are split to allow existing street through mass.

Archdaily.com Upper Floors of Diverse Program

94

Archdaily.com

Archdaily.com

Single Residence

Community production from residence proximities

Private circulation around programs while roadway travels through the building

95

Archdaily.com

Archdaily.com

http://www.archdaily.com/207/br yghusgrunden-mixed-use-copenhagen-denmar-oma/

96

Carabanchel Housing-Madrid, Spain (Morphosis) A more residential precedent provided by Morphosis shows how a community can exist in a single use form.

Located in the suburban region of Carabanchel in Madrid, Spain, the social housing project utilizes residential programing at a variety of scales. In order generate an acceptable density of units, the project integrates both landscape and village typologies rather than treating them as separate entities. Some residences are forced to be grouped vertically while others are spread in a horizontal fashion. Building from suburban housing strategies, each residence is given the opportunity to contain a series of open spaces. Horizontal residences are connected with their green space to promote activity whereas vertical residences look down upon the landscape as an attitude towards leisure solidarity.

Thus the unit becomes a piece of the larger context through physical connection and visual interest.

In order to present a functioning community effort, the project must operate through loggias, green space,

and housing mass. Community inter-activity is promoted as loggias and green spaces exist in the same realm.

Required densities force the urban milieu to accept green space as a joined amenity. Just as a space is provided for the individual it is also shared among other residents living in the same vicinity. Scalar qualities are taken into account as the green space expands from domestic patios to courtyards and eventually leading to large communal parks. Thus the community becomes another tool to bring individual residents into a larger collective.

However the one default of the Carabanchel housing is its attitude towards the larger context. While it may promote community interaction on its interior, it also barricades itself from any outside visitation. The project is completely internal. Once again engaging suburban attitudes, the project takes security to an extreme by wrapping the site with metal gates. Thus the community is only a site amenity and hoarded by residents.

97

Archdaily.com

Single Residence

Community Production from Residence Proximities

98

Single Residence

Private circulation around residences

Community Production from Residence Proximities

Sight lines of residences

Private circulation around residences

Sight lines of leisure space

99

Archdaily.com

Archdaily.com http://en.urbarama.com/project/madrid-housing

100

Cruise Ship-Segregated Community One of the best examples of compactness and the need for community is that of a cruise ship. Similar to Corbusier’s mentality, the cruise ship is a “machine for living.” Ever y aspect of daily and leisure activity is taken into account of a cruise ship’s design. Residences are the primar y entities that take up the majority of the space. In some cases they surround the nightly activities so that natural light can reach each residential unit without hindering more secluded social activities on the ship’s interior. For activities that require daylight, the decks of the designs are utilized. This promotes further activity and a healthier lifestyle aboard an object that is generally separated from the rest of society. The separation of the ship from civilized ports means that the design must be self-sufficient.

Due to the nature of ser vice programs, the ship design must compartmentalize areas that the public cannot access. This allows the people maintaining the ship to provide for the residents without hindering their

ability to complete the necessar y work. However the ser vice areas are able to branch more effectively when delivering resources. Compact sustainability ensures that the ser vice requirements are not doubled when a single supply route is just as effective.

Communal efforts are also essential for ship sustainability. Although a couple may board a ship alone, they are forced into interaction with neighboring residents due to the extreme density of the design.

Therefore even for the short amount of time that residents are aboard, the people create a community around themselves. With no strict boundaries except for the containment of the ship, multiple communities can build around a single individual, despite being mutually exclusive. As people engage in more interaction they create a wider variety of bonds. This allows ship residents to create both a residential and leisure community fostering the neighborhood mentality.

Circulation of Ser ved and Ser vice Spaces

101

Residences utilize Exterior Face to take advantage of sunlight, while more work related activities are pushed below.

The bulk of the interior is made for leisure activities of the guests, however there is also a large amount a space devoted to ser ving those activities.

http://www.largestcruiseshipworld.net/tag/carnival-cruise-ship-pictures/

THESIS PROJECT

Object/ Field

103

Geted/ Flow

104

105

14th St reet

106

Barrie

Private

Private Public

In

Public Interior

Site Barriers

te

rs

ta

te

Ba

rrie

r

r

School High End Retail

Commercial Center

Rec. Center

107

Church

Community Anchor

Neighborhood Connection

STANDARD STRATEGY

109

Development Strategy

Community Units

Vehicular Orientation

Open Space ???

110

BENEFITS

COUNTER-ARGUMENTS

Home Ownership Yard Pool Garage Healthy Environment Privacy Security Land Buffer Ease of Travel

Current economic situation makes this not a solution.

Proximity Better Schools â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Big Boxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Stores

Constant development alters the healthy effects and limits achievement.

The interior of any home provides privacy.

Security can be achieved through camaraderie.

Ease of travel means that destination distances increase.

Better schools are made by people, not location.

Box stores allow a variety, but limit interactions.

111

INVERTED STRATEGY

Private

Public

Private

Pu Public Pu ubli blic blliiicc

Public

113

Public

114

Field

Public Interior

Program Alignment

Program Shift

Context Angling

Neighborhood Flow

Solar Terracing

115

116

Ground Plan

First Plan

Third Plan

117

Second Plan

fourth Plan

118

119

The Real Resident Not all suburban homes are inhabited by the proposed middle-class family with children. In actuality, the majority of residents are single.

As a single resident, a 2500 sf home is too large.

Trimming the residence into its bare essentials offers better efficiency in the design. Rooms like laundr y and lounges are removed to more shared locations among multiple residences.

Standard Unit

Extra Removal

Unit Group

120 Occupants Males Female

912 811

Median Age Male Female

37.2 yrs 35.6 yrs

Percentages Married Couples Married w/ Children Single- Parent Never Married Male Female

Community

Shared Connection

31.6 % 10.0 % 8.5 % 26.3 % 20.8 %

600 SF Unit

121

1200 SF Unit

North-South Section

124

125

60 ft 60 ft

60 ft

140 ft

190 ft

140 ft

126

Shared Space Approach Neighborhood Flow Walkable Scale

127 Community Shifts Shared Space Orientation Interior Balconies

Building Design Strategies In order to maintain the similar benefits that are found in contemporar y suburban developments, the design must accomodate a higher density of individuals. However,

128

Circulation In order to separate the occupants of the design into a more secure environment, the public and private circulations are separated by orientation. Public circulation takes place along a mobius-like strip within the interior. Private residences are fed by vertical circulation.

Structure Similar to circulation, structure is separated by load requirements. Lower levels are constructed with trussing to limit interior columns. Residential and Office programs are constructed with beam and column grids due to its compartmental approach.

Shared Space Sized by differing occupations, the shared spaces of the program are provided a level of ownership. Either visually or spatially, the shared spaces are created through the removal of underutilized programs into larger areas of interaction.

129

130

131

East-West Section

136

137

138

139

STUDY MODELS

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

SITE MODEL

149

150

151

GLOSSARY

Amenity- A beneficial element used to establish comfort and pleasure.

Community- The assembly of a large population that shares similar goals in order to achieve personal bonds between the members. Generally consisting of persons with a familiar background or similar social standing the cohesion of the group rests with shared interest and familiarity.

Culture- A typological construction of a groupsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; familiarity with its members. The prosperity of the group allows an evolution and perception of members not associated by definition of the group.

Density- A state of compactness, generally used as a rate to determine the number of units per some area of space.

Development- The constructed milieu built around a specific personnel type. Generally consisting of multiple programmatic types, the combinations of designs often neglect efficiency in order to produce the most profitable gains from a single venture. Once the most amount of profit has been obtained, established groups are left to sur vive through their own devices.

Diversity- The ability for an object to contain a variety of concepts. Thus a single issue can have multiple strategies in order to obtain the largest spread of influence.

Identity- A state of being. The description of an object or individual through its relation to community and culture.

Milieu- The surroundings of a design. Generally used as a word replacement for environment in order to escape the negative connotations related to nature and society.

153

154

Neighborhood- The networked assemblage of the city on a smaller scale. Cohesiveness of residents rests with the feeling of belonging between residents and visitors thereby fostering community through locality.

Sprawl- The uncontrolled expansion of development.

Sustainability- The ability for a form to support its own existence. Usually meant as a prolonging of condition, the ability can be both self-related or contextually maintained. For example, a neighborhood can sustain its own activity as well as support the regrowth of a city.

155 Urbanism- The dense construction of individuals involved in commerce and residence. An efficient means of social activity usually classed as a city.

Suburbanism- The development of a tertiar y zone neither urban nor rural. Generally consisting of single family housing, suburbs maintain a lifestyle built on distance.

Rural Development- The lack of a dense population allowing an open and vast amount of space, often becoming a region that is used to support agriculture or wilderness. As a support structure, this region produces goods for the other residential zones to consume.

APPENDIX

2011 Community Preference Sur vey

Strandgard Housing Density Per Acre Low Density

2 units 2-5 units 5-10 units 10-20 units 20-30 units 30-45 units 45+ units

Medium Density High Density

(Rural) (Suburban) (Sub/ Urban)

Renter (Urban) (High Rise)

Rural Suburban Urban

High Density Urban

Owner/ Renter

47 % Public 19 % City, 28 % Mixed-Suburb 40 % Public 22 % Rural, 18 % Small Town 12 % Public (suburban housing alone) 59 % would choose smaller housing to lessen daily commute to less than 20 minutes

Gillham Unit Densities Per Acre Land Use

Owner

Type

Acre

Units/ Acre

Single Family House Townhouse 3-Storey Apt. 6-Storey Apt. 12-Storey Apt. Townhouse 3 Storey Apt. 6 Storey Apt. 12 Storey Apt.

100 25 1 0.5 0.25 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

0.01 .04 1 2 4 24 50 75 125 36 75 110 220

80 % of residents would prefer to live in single- family detached housing over other types such as: townhouses, condos, apartments Privacy Importance of Population 45 % Ver y Important 42 % Somewhat Important 7 % Not Important

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Burchell, Robert, Anthony Downs, Barbara McCann, and Sahan Mukherji. Sprawl Costs: Economic Impacts of Unchecked Development. Washington: Island Press, 2005.

There are several aspects to maintaining the suburban condition. This text not only points out the faults, but sees benefits in the growth of the urban scene. Clearly argued, the contemporar y suburbia cannot sustain its growth for much longer. However, the specific quality of life that is attainable is not something that can be overlooked.

Chang, Aaron. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beyond Foreclosure: The Future of Suburban Housing.â&#x20AC;? The Design Obser ver Group. 14 Sept.

2011. 12 Oct. 2011. <http://places.designobser ver.com/feature/beyond-foreclosure-the-future-of-suburbanhousing/29438/>.

Chang describes the suburban landscape as a landscape of commodity. Home owners buy land, build homes, invest, sell homes for a profit, and move elsewhere. This behavior has left the housing market in a bind that must be resolved in innovation rather than design. Sustainable ventures must take into account existing structures rather than always starting new.

Chow, Renee Y. Suburban Space: The Fabric of Dwelling. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2002.

The suburban house has begun to remodel the community in which it has growth; thus Chow believes that each house is becoming an object in the landscape. Due to this condition, the ability for the entire development to retain a contextual fabric is lost. The entire community is reoriented in order to maintain a lifestyle of costefficiency.

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Dreitlein, Suzanne. “Queen Village, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-The Pleasant Place.” Row House Magazine. 2011. 5 Dec. 2011. < http://www.rowhouse-magazine.com/neighborhoods/queenVillage.html>.

Describing the histor y of Queen Village, this article chronicles the neighborhood and its growth. Much like communities in the post-industrial era, the neighborhood was plagued by crime, but was able to revive its image through the efforts of persistent residents.

Frey, William H. “Melting of Suburbs: A Census 2000 Study of Suburban Diversity.” Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy. 2001. 5 Dec. 2011. < http://www.frey-demographer.org/reports/R-2001-3_ MeltingPotSuburbs.pdf>.

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This text documents the change of race within suburbs from the census years of 1990 and 2000. It argues that suburbs have become more diverse and accepting of differing racial identities.

Fishman, Robert. Urban Utopias in the Twentieth Centur y. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1977.

This text is simply about the backgrounds of architects Wright, Le Corbusier, and Howard. In it Fishman explains the histor y and analyzes the ideal nature that each architect thought would be best for the suburban landscape.

Fishman, Robert, ed. New Urbanism: Peter Calthorpe vs. Lars Lerop. New York: Distributed Arts Press, 2005.

New Urbanism is a text transcribed from a symposium held at the University of Michigan. The discussion inside, mostly pertaining to suburbs of Detroit, emphasizes the culture in which modern suburbia has been allowed to grow. The isolation of the suburbs has larger motivations than just political jurisdictions and end user occupation.

Frey, Katherine. “The new American Neighorhood.” The Washington Post. 2011. 7 Dec. 2011. < http://www. washingtonpost.com/local/the-new-american-neighborhood/2011/10/27/gIQAuxj5SM_galler y.html#photo=14>.

Describing a new trend in American urbanism, this article argues that diversity has found its way into the American suburb. Thus what was once a segregated region of society has been opened up to a new era of integration. Its only a matter of time until this trend spreads from the Washington D.C. area.

Friedman, Avi. Planning the New Suburbia: Flexibility by Design. Toronto: UBC Press, 2002.

Friedman writes about the histor y of suburbia from its original conception to what it has become today. In it he argues that the suburban community has increased so much that it has actually begun to compete with its urban centers for control over the region.

161 Geography Department. 2010 Census Population Profile Maps. U. S. Census Bureau. 18 July 2011. 2 Nov. 2011. < http://www.census.gov/geo/www/maps/2010_census_profile_maps/census_profile_2010_main.html>.

Coming from a recent census, the bureau provides detailed information about the residents of St. Louis. As a post-industrial context it is important to realize that the population change of the city is quite large however, some of the loss can be attributed to the movement into St. Louis County.

Gillham, Oliver. The Limitless City: A Primer on the Urban Sprawl Debate. Washington D.C.: Island Press, 2002.

This text defines the suburban sprawling condition as a need for individual ownership and lack of political control. The trending of developments is based on market demand. However, the contemporar y strategies taking place now can’t last much longer without permanently damaging the American landscape.

Gordon, Colin. St. Louis and the American City. The University of Iowa. 2008. 2 Nov. 2011. < http:// mappingdecline.lib.uiowa.edu/map/>.

This site is full of information about the historical zoning practices of St. Louis. Although there is a combination of maps and documentation, most of the information doesn’t go back much further than the period of the Great Depression.

Hanlon, Bernadette. Once the American Dream: Inner-Ring Suburbs of the Metropolitan United States.

Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2010.

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Focusing on the American dream of home ownership, Hanlon describes the population loss that had begun to affect suburbs closer to the American core. While most research focuses on tr ying to control expansion many political structures are now concerning themselves with loss of the existing suburban fabric.

Jacobs, Jane. “The Death and Life of Great American Cities.” New York: Vintage/ Random House Publishers Inc. 1961.

A huge activist for the revival of urban living, Jacobs discusses the various aspects of community life. Down to the last detail Jacobs remarks about how the culture of the city has changed for the worse and in order to regain its prestige it must generate a communal bond among its inhabitants.

Keay, Thomas. “A Walk Around the Square.” Lafayette Square. 2007. 7 Dec. 2011. < http://lafayettesqr.com/ neighorhood/Shared%20Documents/Histor y.aspx>.

This website describes the histor y of Lafayette Square as one of St. Louis’s wealthest neighborhoods. The community hit a rough patch when the area was struck by a tornado which destroyed most of the homes.

Meyers, Tony. Geo St. Louis. Planning and Urban Design Agency. Oct. 2011. 12 Oct. 2011. < http://dynamic.stlouis-mo.gov/citydata/newdesign/data.cfm>.

This site marks land use and zoning regulations for land parcels within St. Louis City and St. Louis County. Each parcel is also labeled with a site histor y and a documentation of ever ything related to land ownership.

Pruitt Igoe Now. “The Unmentioned Modern Landscape.” Pruitt Igoe Now. 2011. 5 Dec. 2011. < http://www. pruittigoenow.org/the-unmentioned-modern-landscape-2/>.

This site describes the worst urban project of St. Louis. Designing for the masses with value-engineering the project was doomed from the start to fail. Succumbing to crime and violence, the urban project sur vived about 16 years before having to be torn down due to lack of maintenance.

Regional and County Profiles. St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association. 2011. 12 Oct. 2011. <http:// www.stlrcga.org/x285.xml>.

According to county profiles there is a large difference between the residents of St. Louis and its surrounding counties. The majority of white middle class residents that live on the edge of St. Louis city limits create a segregated border around the lower middle class residents that occupy the decaying city core.

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SoHo-Lofts.com. “Histor y of Soho-New York, NY.” Soho Lofts: New York City, NY. 2010. 5 Dec. 2011. < http:// www.soho-lofts.com/soho-histor y.html>.

This website is oriented towards people looking for apartments in the neighborhood of Soho, however it also includes a detailed histor y of one of New York’s most culturally relevant communities. Chronicling Soho from its conception, the histor y describes the highs and lows that the neighborhood went through.

Sternbergh, Adam. “What’s Wrong with Gentrification.” New York. 11 Dec. 2009. 12 Oct. 2011. <http://nymag. com/news/intelligencer/62675/>.

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Gentrification is political issue that results in poorer residents having to leave their homes because of rising property values. Sternbergh argues that this is actually not that bad, instead it reunites economic and racial classes together. Under strict political guidance a new plan can open area to new residents without pushing current residents from their homes.

Strandgaard, Torben. Residential Site Planning Guide. Washington D.C.: National Association of Home Builders, 1975.

This guide is a criticism about the way suburbia has been evolving throughout its design process. Although it does clearly point out occupancy and density levels, the real text is related to the overarching community of suburbia. Not to be held as fact, the guide lays out specifics for how suburbia should be designed to overcome its criticisms.

Tachieva, Galina. Sprawl Repair Manual. Washington: Island Press, 2010.

The Sprawl Repair Manual describes the many ways that suburbia has begun to fall apart. Tachieva has a highly persuasive attitude when tr ying to provide alterations to existing conditions. He advocates for more density and sustainability when converting suburban developments into their own town centers.

Urban Mapping Inc. Neighborhood Boundar y Data. City-Data.com. 2011. 2 Nov. 2011. < http://www.city-data. com/neighborhood/Lafayette-Square-Saint-Louis-MO.html>.

This site provides all the crucial data needed to create the demographics of St. Louis and its smaller neighborhoods. Packed with information, the site offers a variety of subjects like commute hours, racial diversities, educational rankings, and personal data about incomes.

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