Drexel University | Architectural Studies Capstone Projects 2023-2024

Architectural research is essential to the future design of resilient structures and communities. Future designs must support architecture that can withstand various stressors and disruptions. Studying the past, present, and future systems that contribute to “resilience” can yield new knowledge for future design thinking. The research in this book engages with the topic of resiliece through one of the following themes:

CLIMATE: Climate change, energy, and natural resource resilience

CITIES: City, community, and social resilience.

HEALTH: Healthy spaces and cities, spaces for human resilience

Each of these themes is broad and can be interpreted in various ways. The included projects were completed during a research-based Undergraduate Capstone Project in Architectural Studies. Students establish a solid foundation of the research topic and write a literature review in their ÿrst term. During the second term, the focus shifts to developing and implementing a speciÿc inquiry method to further investigate their research question.

The topic of resilience yielded a productive range of inquiry across our group this year. With many topical overlaps in their work, this class was incredibly supportive of one another, engaging in critical dialogue around these important questions. This year, the Architectural Studies graduating cohort investigated the impact of buildings on the resilience of communities and cities, the systemic effect of architecture and the built environment on health, and how cities are made more resilient over time, through architecture. Their projects are only the beginning of lifelong inquiry and change-making.

-Jacklynn Niemiec, Assistant Professor + Capstone Advisor

CLIMATE

Kelly Owens: Adaptive Facades

I. The Reduction of Building Energy Consumption through Adaptive Facades

II. Dynamic Skins: A Study of Adaptive Facade Design

Alex Puerto: Regenerative Architecture

I. Rethinking Place and Material Use in the Regenerative Architecture Paradigm

II. Creating Contexts

CITIES

Jaquelin M. Lara: Community and Cultural Resilience

I. Community Resilience to Changing Environments in South Philadelphia Mexican Neighborhoods

II. Portraits of South Philadelphia’s Mexican Roots and Identity

Janet-Nicole Riddick: The Ethics of Architecture

I. The Rise of Ethical Architecture

II. Studying Concious Architecture

HEALTH

Hannah Souba: Urban Green Space and Well-Being

I. The Future of Urban Green Spaces in the Age of Density Resilience

II. The Future of Urban Green Spaces in the Age of Density Resilience

Lydia Janik: School Design and Health

I. The In˜uence of School Architecture and Design Choices on Student Health Practices

II. The In˜uence of School Architecture and Design Choices on Student Health Practices

Image Sources: Jaquelin M. Lara (left) American Society of Highway Engineer (right)

CITIES

This research area explores how buildings and urban spaces foster community cohesion and social resilience over time or in times of crisis. Layering zoning, policy, and other infrastructural systems can support a deeper investigation into these questions. The research may include economic change, displacement and community impact, population growth, and other environmental challenges. This research will likely delve into the physical and systemic social constructs that impact the growth and change of communities and their physical surroundings.

Community and Cultural Resilience

JAQUELIN M. LARA

Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies

Interdisciplinary Focus in Community-Based Research

PART I: Community Resilience to Changing Environments in South Philadelphia Mexican Neighborhoods

JAQUELIN M. LARA

Keywords: Mexico, Latin America, Culture

Ethnic communities are often threatened by rapid development and are ultimately the victim to dissipation based on environmental factors out of their control. By investigating the history of Mexican migrations. And demonstrating some case studies on ethnic communities around the country that have encountered issues such as gentrification, rapid development, and racial tensions. Can help lay a set of standards and practices Philadelphia’s Mexican community can take to protect its heritage. Ultimately assisting in finding resolves and trends in finding how exactly Mexicans make South Philadelphia their home.

Immigrants throughout history have had to challenge political, planning, and social changes within their communities through distinctive ways. The United States of America, the American Dream, and freedom are a few of the words that come to mind whenever we talk about what it is to be an American. However, it is difficult to be an immigrant in this country. Originally meant to be a haven for Quakers and allow for freedom for religious exercise, it is now a country with a much bigger appetite for income-driven projects that end up bringing in more harm than intended. Whenever it comes to topics that have been a blight on American history such as slavery and segregation there is always a much larger perpetrator at hand: money. The country has had massive waves in immigration, from the Gold Rush which attracted mainly Asian immigrants in the 1870s, the early 1900s attracted European immigrants to now, New York, and the most recent migration which started in the 1950s consisted of mainly Mexican and Latin American immigrants ( Callaghan 2005). These large waves had years that followed villainizing the respective groups until a new wave came over, the process which occurred in a century has now settled all over the country recreating and bringing in parts of their home to the new land. However as any American would know, money runs the world and many of these immigrants are now low-income and live within sections in underserved communities, with urban planning segregating people, institutions creating racial divides, and

gentrification displacing people - losing much of the identities that took more than a century to establish. This paper will study and look into the country at large some main issues that have divided communities, including urban planning, legislation, and social changes within these communities. It can also introduce some case studies of communities that have encountered these or similar issues in hopes of showing some insight into ways that worked and how it can be applied to South Philadelphia’s Mexican communities. Ultimately leading to the beginning of my research, introducing South Philadelphia’s Mexican community and the issues that are starting to affect the people there.

Developmental plans and political involvement throughout the country have divided underserved communities in ways that have negatively impacted underserved communities. It is not a new trend or a surprise to see that a culturally rich country is often plagued by scandal and overall ignoring minority communities. In said cases, issues that are now becoming large contributors to displacement have repeatedly happened throughout American history. In one such case, three barrios in Los Angeles have been experiencing a wave of gentrification and separation amidst the rapidly developing Bay Area (Sandoval 2021, 411). A similar issue also occurred in Chester, where the city is already a product of unintentionally poor planning choices. The city is a hub for soccer games, gambling, and mass recreational events. However, this may seem like the perfect recipe for financial success but it lacks the necessary resources to be a self-sustaining and healthy city. It currently has a well-funded recreational center or student achievement center (Mele 2017, 4-6). Even though these are two varying levels of neglect in urban planning they have been hurtful for the people who live there. In the case of Cali, mostly low-income Chicanos (Americans of Mexican descent) were separated by the new freeways and created segregated neighborhoods (Sandoval 2021), Chester on the opposite side received similar treatment with the establishment of large complexes in hopes of bringing economic success (Mele 2017). This ended up hurting a predominantly Black neighborhood driving racial tensions to a high. Both of these interventions have been hurtful for each respective community, some in a way that

blocks off communications and alienates communities while the other pits the communities against each other. The same can be said for not only urban planning but also institutional legislation ends up causing more harm than good. In New York parents are allowed to have a set of options when it comes to enrollment from grades K-12, unlike other suburban places a sprawling city provides a plethora of choices. However this implementation of choice has created a new way to racially segregate a diverse city, there begin to be areas where people are starting to favor white majority or black majority schools ( Ready and Reid 2022, 1040 - 1048). Whatever the case is; political, planning, or design it is imperative to realize the implications a simple legislation can cause for a racial group. With the development of new areas large groups of people are suffering the consequences of poorly evaluated and calculated decisions (Ready and Reid 2022 ).

Methods that other ethnic communities have been resilient through issues affecting their way of living. Chinatown, when reading and imagining the place associated with you probably imagine a bright and colorful gate at the entrance of the area. This image and in a way caricature of Chinese culture is unique because it is not authentic (Ward 2013). Some Chinese migrants have started to adjust the way they are seen to begin attracting attention from tourists to their businesses and it forced a st yle of Architecture that appeals to tourists, giving them the full ‘oriental’ experience. The lack of real estate and redlining caused the buildings in Chinatown to begin to form in a way that is grand and colorful - something that is not seen in China ( Ward 2013). Chicago is currently going through rapid development however in the town of Pilsen, gentrification is starting to displace longtime Mexican residents. The once-industrial area which was accessible through highways and located not far from large institutions became a hot amenity and from that it is safe to assume that it will attract much younger and wealthier crowds (Curran 2019). Their town has an identity of its own with some iconic storefronts and special storm drains with influenced art on them, the town has some embedded forms that relate to the

existing culture (Curran 2019). Regardless of the embedded art and unique facades, this community was in the midst of a crisis in which their heritage which previously was a way to defer gentrification was now becoming a selling point for developers - they began to introduce ways to battle and have a much bigger say in the way that they are represented through their community. Through years of legal battles, they were able to reclaim power from the beginning of the design processes, the developers were now required to communicate and have a plan that would highlight the neighborhood’s essence and Latino origins ( Curran 2019). So in a way, Chinese Immigrants ‘fought’ back against the displacement of their people and cultural identity by appealing to tourists that would ensure a financial trust strong enough that a city would suffer without its presence while Mexican immigrants were more assertive in keeping what was already there and creating a system that was sure to enforce cultural ties to the towns Identity. Mexican immigrants have been facing several issues including legislation to racial tensions. It has been rocky for Mexicans since they have been the straw man to diplomatic relations along the border but have been able to keep their culture vivid even in cities thousands of miles away from the motherland (Gelletly 2004). So many people are stuck in their ways of believing in a uniquely American way of living that a lot of ethnic customs and traditions are lost going after the whitepicked fence and going for the nuclear family dynamic - and it becomes a uniquely American thing to abandon that which distinguishes each person from their roots and continues to be the model for people migrating to the United States ( Shrank 2008).

Mexican Immigrants’ adaptive nature to a neighborhood that is forever changing has helped to maintain their unique heritage. Philadelphia is currently an ongoing changing scene. Many locals are beginning to change the ways that they run their lives or businesses. In one situation a restaurant located in South Philly is starting to change its menu based on the type of clientele they are now serving due to a shifting neighborhood (Gottlieb 2015). This sort of change isn’t something as simple as an increase in

Figure 1. Latin-owned restaurant. Photo by Jaquelin Lara

price or adding staple American dishes to Mexican restaurants, rather it is a change in the nature that they are found in a neighborhood, where most people seek “authentic” experiences and the restaurants have to follow a similar “Dirty, Authentic..” way of presenting (Gottlieb 2015, 43). Similarly, Mexican construction workers are beginning to adopt many of the techniques they know when it comes to construction (Iskander 2010). South Philadelphia workers are now unable to show their skills and the new methods due to decreased renovations. Skills that are not explicitly written are disappearing as their services are no longer used whether it be because of the economy or there is just not as much home renovation needed, without any demand, there are no workers and without any workers, there is no learning (Iskander 2010, 2). Ultimately, with the recent changes in the neighborhood, Mexican business owners and workers alike have had the opportunity to apply their newly adapted skills. But more recently, Mexican construction workers have not been able to use their skills due to a lack of home improvements - which can not currently be explained. Gentrifying neighborhoods and an ever-changing economy are beginning to compromise their ways of living and their livelihood. Much like the other cities mentioned earlier, Philadelphia is not new to the concept of rapid development and aggressive tactics utilized by developers to bank off of the authenticity of a culture.

Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods, with many cultures pocketed within areas of the city, with demographics being concentrated in certain parts of the city, and with this communities begin to flourish and establish. With Mexican immigrants

moving to Philadelphia in the 1970s (Callaghan 2005) they went to a neighborhood known for its famous Philly staple The Cheesesteak in none other than the Italian Market, including it’s similarity in religion has made it a familiar meeting place, something similar to what Latin immigrants have back home attracted many Mexican Immigrants to the area (Takenaka 2010). There was a huge increase in immigrants arriving in the city due to the already existing (but young) communities around the city, but in part due to the Sanctuary City policy which was a huge umbrella for immigrants ( Singer 2015, Winkler 2021 ). After the 1990s, 60 percent of the population included native-born people, and then to make the contributions to the workforce greater, 70 percent of the workforce was made up of immigrants (Singer 2015). Philadelphia was impacted by the influx of immigrants from both Latin America and the Caribbean however their settlement greatly varied depending on where each ethnicity stayed (Takenaka 2010).

When it comes to the most recent developments of policies and racial tensions, Philadelphia has been a city deemed safe as far as politics goes. The city of Philadelphia protects immigrants’ rights, in the sense that ICE can not deport you unless there is a pending deportation order. Many people are using this as a way to continue to work and live, without the fear of being deported (Winker 2021). The law also allows for people to stay in the city under the pretense of asylum and ICE or any enforcement of the sort are then not allowed to enter a home without prior paperwork (Winkler 2021). This set of laws has been crucial to the growth of immigrant communities all around Philadelphia, more importantly, the Mexican community which continues to grow (Takenaka 2010). With these protective laws in place, there is a much bigger force that has begun to reckon with immigrant communities within Philadelphia which is gentrification (Mikati 2023). In the case of Chinatown located a few city clocks from City Hall in Philadelphia, their neighborhood is once again threatened by another large-scale infrastructure project. The neighborhood consisting of mainly Chinese immigrants and their families has already gone through a destructive urban planning move with the establishment of the highway which tore down a few of the city homes in the mid-1900s (Mikati 2023). And now has to protest and is currently trying to stop the building of the new 76ers sports arena in the middle of their neighborhood (Mikati 2023). Only making the struggle of increasing property taxes and inflation, this trend is not new and does not seem like it will go away anytime soon within immigrant communities (Mikati 2023).

Ultimately it has been a long and rocky history when it comes to the policymaking concerning immigrants (Sandoval 2013). Restaurants and workforces attempting new ways to adapt the way they function and the methods that they pass down in workplaces. Even if it’s something as technical as construction techniques or the way a restaurant looks to cater to a much newer and weather audience ( Gottlieb 2015 ). When it comes to things as minimal as the way that buildings look and how they

Figure 2. Symbols of Mexican culture. Collage by Jaquelin Lara

can reveal the nature of how the people that live in certain communities can be distinct from the intended use (Andrew 2013). The way that policymaking can be harmful to the people who live in these areas is affected and the repercussion that things such as gentrification can be destructive to the community (Curran 2018). Federal legislation has allowed for the protection of individuals who are vulnerable to enforcement and continue to fear deportation are at times threatened easily but much larger players (Wrinkler 2021). These types of moves are the reason why people have had to fight back against developers who are choosing to put down much more expensive housing and projects that can slowly displace residents. But it can also be the reason that policy and legislation are made to combat the changes ( Curran 2018).

Gentrification continues to affect other places not just large cities, but the communities who have been there for years who have suffered and continue to fight back large urban projects (Mikati 2023). Even places with an explicit identity unique to other areas in a city can still be victims of displacement from gentrification (Curran 2018). Possibly with the example set by the people of Pilsen Chicago, can we take some inspiration to apply their practices and legislations to other cities with an ongoing crisis? With continued investigation and testimonies, it is expected to receive some first-hand experience with how these changes

have affected people who have lived in South Philadelphia, with possible ways to maintain its identity.

Figure 3. Latin-owned shop. Photo by Jaquelin Lara

Figure 5.Latin-owned laundromat. Photo by Jaquelin Lara.

Figure 4. Figures from Mexican culture. Jaquelin Lara.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Andrew K. Sandoval-Strausz. “Viewpoint: Latino Vernaculars and the Emerging National

Landscape.” Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture

Forum 20, no. 1 (2013): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.5749/ buildland.20.1.0001.

Callaghan, Anne O’. Immigrant Philadelphia : from Cobblestone Streets to Korean

Soap-Operas. Philadelphia, PA: Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, 2004.

Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2000. GREG HISE and WILLIAM DEVERELL, Eden by Design: The 1930 Olmsted-Bartholomew Plan for the Los Angeles Region.

Berkeley and L.” Journal of Planning History 7, no. 3 (2008): 239–251.

Curran, Winifred. “‘Mexicans Love Red’ and Other Gentrification Myths: Displacements and Contestations in the Gentrification of Pilsen, Chicago, USA.” Urban Studies (Edinburgh, Scotland) 55, no. 8 (2018): 1711–1728.

Gelletly, LeeAnne. Mexican Immigration. Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers, 2004

Gottlieb, Dylan. “Dirty, Authentic…Delicious: Yelp, Mexican Restaurants, and the

Appetites of Philadelphia’s New Middle Class.” Gastronomica 15, no. 2 (2015): 39–48.

Iskander, Natasha, Nichola Lowe, and Christine Riordan. “The Rise and Fall of a Micro-Learning Region: Mexican Immigrants and Construction in Center-South Philadelphia.” Environment and planning. A 42, no. 7 (2010): 1595–1612.

Mele, Christopher. Race and the Politics of Deception : the Making of an American City. New York: New York University Press, 2017.

Mikati, Massarah. “Chinatown Activists Press Squilla to Block the Sixers Arena: The Council Member Said He’s Talking to all Surrounding Communities, Not just _______Chinatown, about the Arena’s Impact.” Philadelphia Inquirer, Jul 22, 2023.

Ready, Douglas D., and Jeanne L. Reid. “Segregating Gotham’s Youngest: Racial/Ethnic Sorting and the Choice Architecture of New York City’s Pre-K for All.” American Educational Research Journal 60, no. 5 (2023): 1023–1052.

Sandoval, Gerardo Francisco. “Planning the Barrio: Ethnic Identity and Struggles over Transit-Oriented, DevelopmentInduced Gentrification.” Journal of Planning Education and Research 41, no. 4 (2021): 410–424.

Schrank, Sarah. “Review Essay: Modern Urban Planning and the Civic Imagination: Historiographical Perspectives on Los Angeles, 1997.

Singer, Audrey, Domenic Vitiello, Michael Katz, and David Park. “Recent Immigration to Philadelphia: Regional Change in.”

Takenaka, Ayumi., and Mary Johnson. Osirim. Global Philadelphia : Immigrant Communities Old and New. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2010.

Ward, Josi. “‘Dreams of Oriental Romance’: Reinventing Chinatown in 1930s Los Angeles.” Buildings & landscapes 20, no. 1 (2013): 19–42.

Winkler, Benjamin. Philadelphia’s Sanctuary City Policy: Local Action in a Neglected Field. Drexel University, 2021.

PART II: Portraits of South Philadelphia’s Mexican Roots and Identity

Ethnic communities are often threatened by rapid development and are ultimately the victim to dissipation based on environmental factors out of their control. By investigating the history of Mexican migrations. And demonstrating some case studies on ethnic communities around the country that have encountered issues such as gentrification, rapid development, and racial tensions. Can help lay a set of standards and practices Philadelphia’s Mexican community can take to protect its heritage. Ultimately assisting in finding resolves and trends in finding how exactly Mexicans make South Philadelphia their home.

RESEARCH QUESTION

How Has the Mexican Community’s Resilience Affected the Built Environment in South Philadelphia?

PHILADELPHIA INTRODUCTION

The city has been a sanctuary to many ethnic communities when it comes to the Italian,Korean or present bustling Vietnamese community. When it comes to Philadelphia’s Mexican community, it is a fairly recent and newly established community compared to other ethnic communities in Philadelphia. The majority of South Philadelphia residents seem to have migrated around the late 1900’s to early 2000’s. Present day Italian Market has not always been there as solely Italian, it has been a place of much change through decades. Currently a large portion of 9th Street’s Italian Market is now occupied by a majority of Mexican owned businesses including: supermarkets, restaurants, botanical stores and ice cream shops.

The issue now looming around South Philadelphia’s Mexican community is displacement. Much like other cities, South Philadelphia is rapidly developing, which can be a great asset for economists but poses a threat to ethnic communities. The

JAQUELIN M. LARA

Interview collage. Jaquelin Lara

increasing rents and conveniences becoming expensive is starting to affect South Philadelphia. To the point that careers which thrived off construction in South Philadelphia are becoming obsolete due to a lack of renovations.

PROCESS AND TRANSCRIPTION

Investigating and conducting interviews in a controlled manner will help to construct a much clearer picture of how South Philadelphia’s community came to be. These interviews are either face to face or through online means such as Zoom. This method allowed for people to open up and become more comfortable tying in their own experiences without having to meet the criteria of a question.

As well as Photographic comparison, featuring Mexico’s and South Philadelphia’s facades gives an illustrative view of how it is similar to each other, This is shown by callouts and also a color

palette which is visible through the collage. Finally, a visual map to keep track of trends and areas that are relevant to establishing a community. These were either qualitative or quantitative depending on the source which I used in order to get the trends and find an area to focus on.

FINDINGS CUISINE

Restaurants in Philadelphia have started to change their menu to fit into a different palette. This includes things such as: changing the spice level, introducing things such as burritos (a TEX-MEX food) into their menu. Having things such as Flan or tres leches cakes as a way to call attention to ‘Mexican’ desserts even if they aren’t necessarily authentic. The facades and interiors of the restaurant at times had a caricatured feeling to them. These things are seen such as : sombreros, wild west decor (doors and wall decor), having papel cortado (colorful festive banners with

Interview collage. Jaquelin Lara

Final presentation mapping and collage. Jaquelin Lara

Final presentation mapping and collage. Jaquelin Lara

Final presentation mapping and collage. Jaquelin Lara

cutouts) and at time imagery of saints plastered through the store even if it isn’t customary to do so.

When it came to vendors who did not have a brick and mortar restaurant, Mobility was important when it came to finding and establishing a fixed clientele. Due to the difficult nature of obtaining a permit many people have resorted to less official stands or carts when it came to selling Mexican street food. Due to this, its hard to maintain clientele when usually people hide in order to avoid any prosecution.

ART EXPRESSION

With a new neighborhood, many cultural aspects such as colors and typefaces are distinct. South Philadelphia’s shops have adapted a much raw style when it comes to signage and the way they present themselves to the general public. Bright color and complementary color schemes in murals and facades which are used whenever possible are a staple sign of the way Mexican businesses show their personal touch for it rather than a sterile look and font. Expression in the form of Danza, murals, and sculptures happened in places such as Parks, which was already a way for people of different cultures to cross pollinate. Holding festivals in public parks Having Mexican-style events that feature street food

ACTS OF SERVICE

Advocating for the community can be something only a few can truly do whether it is for their background or the privileges they held. Two of the people I interviewed have actively had a hand in things such as; Health Access outreach and opportunities in the legal field. It’s important to note that a majority of these students are American born and first generation. It begins to then reveal the nature in which first generation Mexicans become both curious and proud of their heritage enough to want to help people in ways they can help.

FACADE ARCHETYPES

Vibrant colors which are mainly ‘Mexican Pink”, Green and Bright Reds - This is a common trend seen in Mexico. This is a way for people to call attention to potential customers and it overall is a display of the colorful culture in which they are engulfed in. South Philly seems to start doing this by painting their business’s colors that are as vibrant and with things on the sides such as the hand painted signage. Making an extra personal tough to connect with customers. This also included things such as murals on the sides of businesses which depict Mexican folk tales in a larger colorful manner. Some stores are already built to welcome clients but something which can help make people feel closer to their culture is their storewide entrance which is larger than the typical 3-6 ft

Latin-owned shop. Photo by Jaquelin Lara.

entrances. With these Overhangs are an important way to shield people so it’s no wonder 9th and Washington is a hot spot for Mexican businesses.

CONCLUSION : GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CONNECTIONS

The stories and testimonies had similar trends which included things such as adapting and dealing with adversity including racial tensions for people that were unfamiliar with both the new country and language. It’s especially important to note that even with the lack of brick and mortar community centers. Businesses, people were able to develop much slower but were also able to find places that they were able to congregate together without having to feel like they were bound to one place. Adaptability. The community in South Philly has grown regardless of their adversity. To this day, many of these people are continuing to overcome these adversities. And we’ll find ways in order to keep their and their families lives afloat. There was currently a changing Mexican American culture in color, form, and the method in which people live to fit Mexico. While also making nods to their adaptability in order to ensure their survivability within a new environment.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to all those willing to help me on this journey.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Andrew K. Sandoval-Strausz. “Viewpoint: Latino Vernaculars and the Emerging National Landscape.” Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum 20, no. 1 (2013): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.5749/ buildland.20.1.0001.

Curran, Winifred. “‘Mexicans Love Red’ and Other Gentrification Myths: Displacements and Contestations in the Gentrification of Pilsen, Chicago, USA.” Urban Studies (Edinburgh, Scotland) 55, no. 8 (2018): 1711–1728

Gottlieb, Dylan. “Dirty, Authentic…Delicious: Yelp, Mexican Restaurants, and the Appetites of Philadelphia’s New Middle Class.” Gastronomica 15, no. 2 (2015): 39–48.

Sandoval, Gerardo Francisco. “Planning the Barrio: Ethnic Identity and Struggles over Transit-Oriented, Development-Induced Gentrification.” Journal of Planning Education and Research 41, no. 4 (2021): 410–424.

Ward, Josi. “‘Dreams of Oriental Romance’: Reinventing Chinatown in 1930s Los Angeles.” Buildings & landscapes 20, no. 1 (2013): 19–42.

Jacqueline “Jackie” Lara is a first-generation college student born and raised in Philadelphia. Her passion for design comes from a place of community, her design and process work in the Capstone project is influenced from her own Mexican roots which are constantly influencing her work. Noting a newly established Mexican Community as a huge contributor to the changing facades and palette that can be seen within South Philadelphia. As a community-oriented student designer, she has tapped into two communities in hopes of helping other underserved and progressive communities in design choices and participating in charrettes. One of her most important contributions to Philadelphia is establishing a small playful learning playground at Jay Cooke, an elementary school in the Logan section of Philadelphia. As Jackie continues her pursuit of becoming an Architect, she hopes to bring more awareness and contributions to context-relevant design. Her scope of concentration within Architectural Studies is Photography, and she continues it as a newfound passion in recording and categorizing facades within Philadelphia as well as taking Architectural inspired photography collections.

BIO

Ethics in Architecture

JANET-NICOLE RIDDICK

Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies

Interdisciplinary Focus in Design Research

PART I: The Rise of Ethical Architecture

JANET-NICOLE RIDDICK

Keywords: Ethics, Cycle, Impact, Environment, Community

ARCHITECTURE IS DIRECTLY INFLUENCED BY THREE CORE ELEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ILLUSTRATED INTO A FRAMEWORK. THE 3 ELEMENTS ARE “TIME, POLICY AND POLITICS” AND THE FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING AND APPLYING THEM TO ARCHITECTURE IS CALLED “THE CYCLE OF JUDGEMENT”. USING THE CYCLE OF JUDGEMENT (TCJ) ARCHITECTURE CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS MORE OR LESS “ETHICAL”. IN THIS WAY, IT’S IMPACT ON THE SURROUNDING PEOPLE, LAND AND OTHER STRUCTURES CAN BE MORE OR LESS POSITIVE, AND TCJ FRAMEWORK IS A KEY WAY OF UNDERSTANDING ITS PROCESS AND/OR DIRECTION TOWARDS A MORE OR LESS ETHICAL DESIGN.

INTRODUCTION

The world is not getting worse. They say it must rain before it shines, but humanity has already experienced the worst of the weather and has, ever since, been getting better. Architecture has its own achievements. Sustainability, the changing AIA and its Code of Ethics, equality and diversity amongst workplaces, labor laws and constantly growing building codes.

The city of Philadelphia will be the case-study location. Three projects will be analyzed, two highways and a proposed stadium. The era for all information will range from the late 1800s upwards to the current 2000s. The focus for this analysis is establishing a framework for the historical pattern of architectural decision making, and how that framework of judgement affects the project’s impact.

“The Rise In Ethical Architecture” strongly suggests that architecture (in Philadelphia) has not always been bad, but that the ethics of the city have improved throughout history. This analysis does not suggest all areas of judgement have improved, nor does it suggest that the improvement is drastic or sudden. Just that change is happening and in an upward motion. “Ethics”, would be the amount of preventative, unnecessary harm something is or

is not doing (to something). “Ethical” designs have a positive impact while “unethical” designs have a negative impact. “Impact” being how something (a design) affects its surroundings, enviornmentally, socially, culturally, etc. This can be intentional or unintentional, directly or indirectly.

This conversation is not exhaustive, and more so a condensed background on what this cycle of decision making is to later look more closely on how it impacts architecture specifically. This resource is a great way to quickly inform how architecture is political and historically how they both change.

“If you cannot appeal to mercy, appeal to greed”

—Robert Greene, 48 Laws of Power

HISTORY

The history of Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, is founded on transportation and industrialization. Starting with the 1854 “Act of Consolidation” joining Philadelphia’s clusters of small towns with a general government. Soon after the era of transportation skyrocketed and most early foundations for formal roadways were planned and built (Adams n.d.). Unfortunately, with improving ways to travel, middle and upperclass citizens began migrating to the countryside of Philadelphia (ibid). With the wealth of the city leaving the heart of Philadelphia, the great metropolis fell into dismay (ibid). Following the events of WW2, the leaders of Philadephia came up with a plan to revitalize the city (ibid).

From the mid-20th century onward, the city started destroying poorer communities and filling the town with new real estate, attractions and amenities to bring back the wealthier residents or welcome new ones. Starting in the 1930s a lot of legal changes were made to the US under the lead of Franklin D Roosevelt. Part of which being the “new deal” program and the implementation of new laws that were supposed to change the economic decline that the US was facing post WW1. Part of which being an effort by the Home Owners’ Loan Corportation, refinancing loans to prevent foreclosure while the Federal Housing Admistration

started to insure the mortgage loans. All while new houses were being built for people who could afford them (Gross 2017). However great in theory, the application, especially the FHA’s “Underwriting Manual”, were being applied in segregational ways. Even citing that “highways be a good way to separate African Americans from white neighborhoods. The HOLC was responsible for the “Residential Security Maps”, which were color-coded maps of urban areas that dictated who was a “risk” and who was worthy for credits and investments (Blumgart 2017).

This legalized practice was coined “redlining”. Redlining was the act of denying families that lived in a “bad” area credit/loans while giving people who lived in “good” areas credit/loans (ibid) This empahsized segregation through economics and property by essentially coding African American neighbourhoods, who primarily made up much of the poor, “bad” neighborhoods and all the white, wealthier neighborhoods as “good” Federal Housing Administration 1938). Furthermore, this practice penalized diversity as a single black family would cause all the homes in the “good” neighborhood to drop in market value (Gross 2017). Inevitably this worsened the “white flight” phenomen and prevented African Americans and impoverished communities alike from building any kind of generational wealth or moving out of their environment. By the time the government dialed back with the “Fair Housing Act” of 1968 illegalizing redlining, the damage had already been done. All the spaces these people could not live in were now far too expensive or too socially segragated to move into (ibid). This is the mindset and behavior that has existed well before the 20th century and will persist well after.

Given that transportation was both the problem and the solution, the future was filled with automobiles and people with money driving them. SEPTA, PATCO and and the subway system like the Market Frankford Line were all created and being heavily used and improved (Adams n.d.). The issue is that a lot of these projects needed to pass through marginalized, unfavorable groups with very favorable area. This meant a pattern of destruction and displacement in the name of industrialization and “urban renewal”. New Jersey was also following the lead of Philadelphia by “rewening” Camden and Trenton with their own massive projects, which effectively displaced and destroyed the already struggling communities that lived there (ibid). From this point, the transportation era continued to skyrocket in Philadelphia with several more projects furthering the early damage done back in the early 20th century.

FRAMEWORKS GATHERED

After reviewing Philadelphia’s development it’s very clear that there’s a relationship between the industrialization of America and the destruction of Philadelphia’s citizens and environment. Primarily this relationship of time, policy and politics. There are three major parts to this pattern of judgement, which can faciliate ethical or unethical outcomes (in design). Neutrality does not exist, there is no in-between in ethics. Any decision made at any time moves the bar in one direction or another, no matter how little.

Figure 1. Process Board; Foundational Research. Janet Riddick

Time refers to the relationship between the timeline of a project and its impact on the enviornment/community. Generally speaking, designs that are more thought-out and positively impactful have taken more time to plan or planning time is being used very efficiently. Designs that were forced into a shorter timeline to fufill a specific goal seldom consider anything outside of their singular focus and often leads to more unethical decisions.

Policy refers to active laws and codes or the absence of and how that alters the project’s impact.

Politics refers to how social or economic status impacts a design decision. This can also extend to race, religion, ethnicity, political parties, gender and sexuality, etc, etc. Designs are more or less ethical depending on what politics are involved in the project.

CASE STUDY 1 : BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PARKWAY

Starting with the Benjamin Franklin Parkway (BFP), this highway had a vision to connect Fairmount Park and Broad Street. The “Philadelphia Parkway Association” led construction in Feburary of 1907 with the first rowhouse on North 21st destroyed (Lynn n.d.) . Under the leadership of Republican mayor, John E Reyburn, the campaign for these projects would gain massive support. However, several delays caused this project to be put off for roughly two decades, part of which was because succeeding

mayor, Rudolph Blankenburg, argued for it to be stopped as his own home would be destroyed in the process. Inevitably he was overruled by the City Council5 and by 1918 the parkway was now open for use and at the cost of 1,300 properties and (non-inflated) $35 million dollars. It is safe to say that travel was the way of the future and the parkway was an inevitable creation. However, could the parkway be executed in a more ethical way?

In terms of time, this project was intended to have a short-term timeline with a narrow focus on one goal : A path was needed between Fairmount Park and the broad street line in a linear and clear way. In the 1920s the automobile industry not only facilitated a wide range of jobs for the people, but the efficiency of vehicles themselves for travel was also on the up and up (Automobile History 2010). So between the end of 1800s and 1918 when it was completed, the modern day vehicle was growing in production and popularity. Additionally, having the support of the powerful Republican City Council and ultra wealthy PAB Widener (who primarily funded the Art Muesum) further fueled the need to hastily finish the project. This highway was being built with all these capitalisitc factors at the forefront and neglect all other costs, but the cost of construction.

In terms of policy, this project was largely affected by the lack of zoning and property protection. At this time, zoning in the 20th century was a response to the rapid industrialization

Figure 2. Process Board; Foundational Research. Janet Riddick

beginning to take place. Zoning essentially balanced public and private property rights to regulate “public health and safety conditions” (Jacobs 2020). Initial understanding of zoning at this time was that the government does not interfere with private properties until they need to, and when they do “take” over they are to compensate the affected party (ibid). It wasn’t until 1916 New York invented zoning in a structured way that reflects 21st century practices (ibid). What this meant was that the local government would determine how and where land can be used under “reasonable” authority (ibid). This new way of zoning was officiated nation-wide by 1926 (ibid). This means that, generally speaking, the residences afflicted by the highway were at the personal decision of the City Council. In this way, legal protections over those homes were minimal because the city council valued the parkway over the minority groups that made up the majority of the area by far. The estimation of about 1,300 to 2,000 buildings destroyed included homes, churches, schools, medical faciliates and factories. While some people state the communities destroyed were compensated, the reality is that very few were paid (Chernick 2017). Both Elizabeth Gerche, an owner of six properties, 81st Philadelphia Mayor, Rudolph Blankenburg, Protestant Episcopal Church of the Redemption, the Caledonia Carpet Mills and Knickerbocker Ice Company were recorded to recieve a check for their properties (ibid). Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Harrington Machine Shop, and a “carriage house turned pub” called “Mace’s Crossing” were the three other buildings that were reportedly “saved from the wrecking ball” (ibid). That’s maybe 13 recorded properties out of the thousands. It doesn’t mean more people were compensated somehow, but there’s clearly an unspoken bias surrounding who gets and who doesn’t. This lack of policy protecting properties of oppressed citizens entirely afflicted the architectural choices of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

In terms of politics, looking closer at that, “1,300 properties destroyed”, is largely why this design was an unethical tragedy. This project was occuring during a time when the “Jim Crow Laws” were in full effect. The Jim Crow Laws were a series of racially charged policies that encouraged racism and predjudice, especially in the south, after the abolishion of slavery in June of 1865. These laws were primarily seen in the south and nicknamed “Jim Crow” laws in reference to a specific highly offensive “minstrel” show by the same name (Urofsky 2023). The term “Jim Crow” proceeded to be a derogatory name for coloreds and, as highlighted, became the code for laws and policies that intend to maintain white surpemecy (ibid). While this kind of blatant racism was legally mandated in the south, it still impacted northern states and their own practices (Luxenberg 2019). This racial inequity and malpractice would pave the way for later legalized redlining and other documented oppression that affected Northern cities like Philadelphia.

CASE STUDY 2 : VINE STREET EXPRESSWAY

[Next, the Vine Street Expressway follows a similar path that Benjamin Franklin Parkway did in terms of destroying

communities they felt didn’t matter at the cost of convenience. This was roughly two miles of roadway intended to mainly connect I-95 and I-76 to improve traffic. It is important to remember that vine street already existed prior to the expressway. The difference is that the expressway expanded the 50’ wide street into a multi-lane freeway almost double the width (Yee n.d.). This in mind, the initial african american cemetary demolition is not being cited for this precedent. Instead this will discuss the second round of neighbourhood eradication, but this time it’s Chinatown.

Highly supported by large transportation organizations like Penn Dot, the Federal Highway Admisinistation and others, this new project was greenlit on expansion despite the many justified hurdles pushing the invasion back. Many locals who saw this development argued how destructive it is in several social, cultural and historic ways (ibid). This bought them some time and legally forced the contractors to reflect on how to be less envasive before continuing (ibid). The highway has some speculation around its official start date, but it appears that the widening started in 1949 and the actual paving began in 1957 until the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) put a hold on construction in 1973 (PA Highways n.d.). By the time it was finished in 1991, its hope of dropping 30 minute travel time during peak usage down to a few didn’t exactly work (Yee n.d.). Instead, more traffic from the newly connected roadways like with I-76, I-95 or the Benjamin Franklin Bridge resulted in excessive traffic being funneled through this “efficency” highway and ironically contradicting its original goal (ibid).

In terms of time, this street had a lot of movement and activity running along it (ibid). With the increase in automobiles and

Figure 3. Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Visit Philadelphia

the construction of the BFP, traffic became unbearable, and by 1930 there was a government call to fix the problem ASAP (ibid). The highway was planned to be a pretty minimal, elevated, two-lane that allowed back and forth between vine and race street in the early 1940s (ibid). That changed by 1951 into a proposed ten-lane, lowered highway running between the two rivers completely (ibid). The intervention of the Federal Highway Administration in 1970 following the cries of advocates were the only legal repercussions that forced the expressway to be re-evaluated and then revised due to its environmental impact (ibid). The historical political push alongside constant (financial) incentives for building highways during this time period has absolutely created a false dilemma for a hasty and destructive build (National Archives 1956).

In terms of policy, this project was financially supported strongly on a federal level, as well as a change in zoning laws. In 1956, the “Interstate and Defense Highway Act” changed the “Vine Street Expressway” into an “Interstate Highway”, which changed how it was financially funded (ibid). Now it was getting almost all of its income from the Federal level which made it far less expensive to the state (ibid). This was a huge incentive to continue with the build, but also an incentive with strings. Due to the creation of the Federal Highway Administration, which underwent many names such as the “Bureau of Public Roads”, this government organization monitored construction projects and

had the financial power to approve or deny projects for funding. President Roosevelt is especially responsibile for the push for highways and transportation systems. He specifically pushed the “Federal Aid Highway Act of 1938” which started the investigation into super highways, which evolved into the “Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956” also named the “Interstate and Defense Highway Act” (ibid). In layman’s terms the federal government would pay 90% of the highways being built. However, they nearly encouraged construction through “urban areas”, which inevitably led to the destruction of low-income areas in the name of these highways (Weingroff 1996).

Zoning in Philadelphia has changed a little since the early 1900s. In the 1950s the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) was created to enforce and monitor Philadelphia’s “block-by-block zoning maps”. By 1962 the zoning codes were reformed to be more bureaucratic (Blumgart n.d.). People of political influence and ties would illegally twist and bend zone codes and maps to get their construction approved (ibid). In this way, oppressed communities were still pretty unprotected by any zoning laws. Furthermore, the FHWA was more concerned about how well the project checked off boxes like air and noise pollution rather than its cultural and housing impact (Weingroff 2023).

In terms of politics, this project some of the loudest voices speaking against this change were residents of Chinatown (Yee n.d.).

Figure 3. Vine Street Expressway. American Soceity of Highway Engineers

Since they’re right in the middle of this project and most affected by it, the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corportation (PCDC) spoke out against the expressway in a draft called the “Evnironmental Impact Statment” of 1977 (ibid). They also highlighted other projects, such as the “Gallery at Market East”, the “Commuter Rail Tunnel” and “Indepdence Mall IV” alongside many other listed structures that were also doing some serious damage to their well populated, existing neighbourhoods (ibid). Issue after issue arose and these revolutionary efforts only stalled the project until about 1980 when the FHWA approved its continuation (ibid). This cry for reflection did lead to some sort of call to action. In the 80s the mayor of Philadelphia and secretary of PennDOT began engaging the community more effectively to try and create a more ethical parkway (ibid). By 1983 the project went back down to a 4-lane highway and the FHWA approved the expressway to be completed in the following years (ibid). By its completion in the early 90s it was a six lane-wide build, but not the ten-lane wide venture they initially proposed.

CASE STUDY 3 : 76 PLACE

Lastly is the newly proposed, $1.55 billion, 76ers arena prospectively called the “76 Place” (Moselle and Mosbrucker-Garza 2023). Currently, the 76ers and Flyers play at the Wells Fargo Center, the Lincoln Finacnial Field holds the Eagles, and Citizen’s

Bank Park holds the Phillies. That covers the top four sports in Philadelphia (Basketball, Hockey, American Football and Baseball). They’re all located in South Phialdelphia. Knowing this, the Philadelphia Inquirer states “they would become the only city in North America to have National Basketball Association and National Hockey League franchises that play in separate buildings”. They then elaborate that other professional teams in North America do have separate arenas for their sports, but oftentimes in far locations that prevent them from being in the same “city” (Mullin 2022). This detail is what would make Philadelphia’s new arena special. The project is projected to take nine years, it would be located at 10th and Market, and would be demonstrating (or disproving) the value of separating two teams with near identical arenas (ibid).

In terms of time, the arena is stressfully watching the clock. The co-owner of the 76 Place project has stated “I have no Plan B. We’re gonna make this happen”. The lease with their time at the Wells Fargo Center ends in 2031, and the next move is to Market Street (Moselle and Mosbrucker-Garza 2023). They have less than ten years to start and finish construction of the new site, they’re pressing the mayor to make a choice, pressing the impact studies to come back timely but favorably and fighting off the growing voices from anti-arena advocates. Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment along with all parties supporting the arena are

Figure 4. The Cycle of Judgement. Janet Riddick

pushing for a hasty decision for nothing other than exorbitant profits, and at the cost of the welfare of that area. They’re not taking this extra time to truly look into sustainability and cultural ethics, nor are they discussing any matters regarding the benefit of people, they stated it would just help the economics of the area and moved on (ibid).

In terms of policy, this project has a number of legal and organizational groups against it, including zoning legislation that would need to be altered by City Council, needing approval from the mayoral administration, and winning over the resistant Chinatown community (Moselle and Mosbrucker-Garza 2023). Within the last year, the shopping district has been declining (ibid). Large businesses like Target and Wawa have left the area (ibid). Regardless, this project is at the mercy of Mark Squilla, the city councilmember who’s legislative district is where the project wants to be built (ibid). Squilla is waiting for the impact studies before his next move. There’s a bit of stagnation at the moment, and Squilla suggests no decision will come by the end of 2023 (Moselle and Mosbrucker-Garza 2023). Part of the hesitancy is that the area is still suffering from the financial disaster that is the Fashion District’s creation out of The Gallery (ibid). If the arena is approved, a 3rd of this mall that had about +$200 million dumped into it 5 years ago would be destroyed overnight (ibid).

Continuing on, the creation of a new coalition that is composed of 40-ish nonselected bodies such as the “Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund”, are actively working against this proposal both legally and socially. Then 76ers arena needs to figure out parking accommodations, which have to be approved by PennDot and the city (ibid). Zoning permits are still needed (ibid). It’s speculatively violating a SP-TA “Special Purpose - Sports Stadium” zoning code which requires an “approved Master Plan”

or blueprints approved by the city council. This, again is where Squilla comes into play and Squilla won’t make a decision until the impact study comes back. An impact study is a study that brings new information to an architectural project that potentially invalidates the existing design and forces revision and reapproval. The lobbying firm for the 76ers misfiled a disclosure report and paid a $4,000 fine. According to Philadelphia’s Board of Ethics ‘s “Lobbying FAQ”, Lobbying is when someone/something publicly influences a legislative or adminidstrative body so they vote in favor of the party who’s lobbying. This is, essentially, legal persuasion and/or bribing. It is not bribing nor illegal because it is done transparently to the public and under specific legal rules. In Philadelphia, all bodies engaging in lobbying attempts must go through the Board of Ethics via registering and filing an “expense report” if they spend over $2,500 in lobbying (Board of Ethics n.d.).

In terms of politics, this is the historical downfall of exploitation and oppression. “‘Community is irrelevant’ to developers who have tried to exploit Chinatown” by Debbie Wei is a sadder opinion piece giving testimonial on greed and displacement26. Wei writes about the history of fighting off “behemoth developments” for years. They most notably shot down a baseball stadium and casino in the early 2000s (Wei 2022). Age-old arguments from these corporations stating that tourism is good for the area and it’ll do better once it has more money and traffic, but historically has ruined communities internationally (ibid). If the business venture fails, they abandon the neighbourhood they swore would be fixed; they don’t care about community (ibid). The entirety of the think piece captures how the oppression of the community and maltreatment of minorities is still contested in modern day, in both sneaky and evident ways.

CONCLUSION

Architecture is progressing positively, though in varying amounts and ways. This brief analysis sets up the conversation for how firms can negotiate, design or network in a way that creates positive impact where the client may not see it. The most influential factors are not just time and politics, but policy and education. Through this literature review, policy and education may be the most effective ways to encourage more ethical decision making. While policies have historically been the biggest factor in the positive or negative impact of design, how we learn from them is what paves the future. Teaching not just the history of poor judgement, but about community engagement, and solutions that work with the environment. While policy sets the guiidelines for the least someone can get away with legally, education provides the resources for people to be better and builders to build better. What ways can young drafters be given the tools to think bigger and craft better? Does it start in colleges, does it continue in the workplace? Is it possible that education is truly the key to continuing this rise of ethical architecture?

Figure 5. 76ers Game. Sports Illustrated.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“About FHWA | FHWA.” Accessed November 20, 2023. https:// highways.dot.gov/about/about-fhwa.

Adams, Carolyn T. “Greater Philadelphia Region.” Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/greater-philadelphia-region/.

Blumgart, Jake. “How Redlining Segregated Philadelphia.” WHYY (blog), December 10, 2017. https://whyy.org/segments/ redlining-segregated-philadelphia/.

“Zoning (Philadelphia).” Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://philadelphiaencyclopedia. org/essays/zoning-philadelphia/.

Board of Ethics. “Lobbying-FAQs.Pdf.” Philagov, December 2020. https://www.phila.gov/media/20210607085500/ lobbying-FAQs.pdf.

Chernick, Karen. “An Invisible Walking Tour of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.” Curbed Philly, September 7, 2017. https://philly.curbed.com/2017/9/7/16199676/ benjamin-franklin-parkway-history-demolished-buildings.

Federal Housing Administration. Underwriting Manual. HA Form, No 2019. Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 1938.

Gross, Terry. “A ‘Forgotten History’ Of How The U.S. Government Segregated America.” NPR, May 3, 2017, sec. Race. https:// www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgotten-history-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-america.

HISTORY. “Automobile History,” April 26, 2010. https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/automobiles.

Jacobs, Harvey M. “20th Century Regulation of Private Property in the United States: Disasters, Institutional Evolution, and Social Conflict.” Progress in Disaster Science 5 (January 1, 2020): 100047.

Levy, Jordan. “Chinatown Orgs Form Official Coalition to Oppose Sixers Arena, with High-Powered Legal Support.” Billy Penn at WHYY, January 9, 2023. http://billypenn.newspackstaging. com/2023/01/09/philadelphia-chinatown-anti-arena-coalition-sixers-aaldef-legal-support/.

Luxenberg, Steven. “The Forgotten Northern Origins of Jim Crow.” Time, February 12, 2019. https://time.com/5527029/ jim-crow-plessy-history/.

Lynn, Miller. “Benjamin Franklin Parkway.” Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Accessed November 20, 2023. https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/benjamin-franklin-parkway/.

Moselle, Aaron, and Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza. “‘Slam Dunk’ or Long Shot? New Sixers Arena Faces Uncertain Future.” WHYY (blog), October 4, 2023. https://whyy.org/articles/ sixers-arena-philadelphia-uncertain-future-76-place/.

Mullin, Matt. “If Sixers Leave Wells Fargo Center for New Arena, Philly Will Be an Outlier among Sports Towns.” https://www. inquirer.com, July 22, 2022. https://www.inquirer.com/news/sixers-new-arena-flyers-wells-fargo-center-20220721.html.

National Archives. “National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (1956),” September 29, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/ national-interstate-and-defense-highways-act.

pahighways. “Pennsylvania Highways: Interstate 676.” Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.pahighways.com/interstates/I676.html.

Philadelphia City Planning Commission. “Philadelphia Zoning Code Quick Quide.” Philagov, September 2022. https://www. phila.gov/media/20220909084529/ZONING-QUICK-GUIDE_ PCPC_9_9_22.pdf.

Pubs opengroup. “Architecture Deliverables.” Accessed November 19, 2023. https://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9doc/m/chap32.html.

Urofsky, Melvin. “Jim Crow Law | History, Facts, & Examples | Britannica.” britannica, November 5, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/event/Jim-Crow-law.

Visit Philadelphia. “Explore Philadelphia Sports Events and Attractions.” Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.visitphilly.com/sports/.

Wei, Debbie. “Opinion: ‘Community Is Irrelevant’ to Developers Who Try to Exploit Chinatown.” WHYY (blog), July 31, 2022. https://whyy.org/articles/community-is-irrelevant-to-developers-who-have-tried-to-exploit-chinatown/.

Weingroff, Richard F. Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956: Creating The Interstate System | FHWA. Vol. 60. 1 vols. US Department of Transportation, 1996. https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/summer-1996/ federal-aid-highway-act-1956-creating-interstate-system.

Williams, Stephen. “Firm Lobbying for 76ers Arena Settles Ethic Charges; Pays $4,000 Penalty.” The Philadelphia Tribune, June 8, 2023. https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/firm-lobbying-for-76ers-arena-settles-ethic-charges-pays-4-000-penalty/ article_5347cb6d-d76e-5382-9cbe-d5294ec675a9.html.

Wolfman-Arent, Avi. “How the Construction of the Vine Street Expressway Uncovered Lost Black Burial Grounds.” Billy Penn at WHYY, May 6, 2022. http://billypenn.com/2022/05/06/ i676-vine-street-expressway-black-burial-grounds-history-philadelphia/.

Yee, Mary. “Vine Street Expressway.” Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/vine-street-expressway/.

PART II: Studying Concious Architecture

JANET-NICOLE RIDDICK

How can ethics be measured? How can the ethicality of a structure be understood in a concerete way if it can at all? How is its level of ethicalness understood? These are questions that this research project starting to answer. Through a strong foundation and a new framework, The Cycle of Judgement, the goal of this primary research is to create a solid foundation for exploring how architecture is interpreted and how it can be improved in term of ethics and context engagement.

RESEARCH QUESTION

How might we better understand architecture’s influence and how it influences?

PROCESS AND METHODS

I used six methods to facilitate this project: Historical research, case studies, correlational research, logical argumentation, electronic surveys and affinity mapping and coding. Historical research covered the history of Philadelphia and understanding major industrial and architectural advancements through the city’s development. By doing this, a clear foundation for future research is established (Fig. 2). Three case studies have been gathered to faciliate correlational research and logical argumentation research. The three case studies allowed for pattern finding, and development of “The Cycle of Judgement” which is an outcome of the logical argumentation method. The corrleational method is finding common themes and drawing early conclusions from patterns that are visible in current research. I

Figure 1. Schuylkill River; Janet-Nicole Riddick

then moved toward logical argumentation methodology, which is taking that correlational research and creating functional and thoughtout conclusions or solutions, like frameworks and principles. This is where “The Cycle of Judgement” came from. I developed a framework as a result of my secondary data. I then started primary research through electronic surveys (Fig. 3). I took those responses, mapped, coded and analyzed them before drawing more conclusions. These were the main six methods of research, which were generally qualitative in nature.

DATA AND SYNTHESIS

First, historical research. My foundation was built off of understanding Philadelphia’s industrialization and its social movements. The important and relevants pieces of history included the boom of transportation including automobiles and public transit, migration of minorities, especially freed slaves, into West and Northwest Philadelphia, the “white flight” and growth of suburbs and counties and lastly shifts in zoning laws and property protections. With these strong sections pulled out, I moved into case studies. Case studies allowed me to see, in action, different architectural projects and how they positively nor negatively impacted their context (like people, plants or animals). My first two case studies came directly from my historical research : The Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the Vine Street Expressway. My third case study comes from the buzz surrounding the proposed 76 Place. In conjunction to the newly established case studies, I used correlational research to detect and analyze common patterns I was seeing through these three cases. Elements like the Federal Highway Administration or the Jim Crow Laws, and how they impacted design. Elements like

the automobile era or the white flight era that caused a new problem that needed a timely solution before causing more damage. Elements like advocacy groups banding together into collations and boycotts to force the hand of the oppressors, like when the Vine Street Expressway was being developed. These individual examples of different experiences and events influencing how a built project progressed, or halted, soon enough became grouped into three “core influences” : Time, Policy and Politics. Time being the deadlines and contracts that push or pull a project. Policy being laws and legalities surrounding the project. Politics being the social movements and public relations that are in favor or against the project. These three themes were joined together and processed through my next method : logical argumentation. Logical argumentation is a process that helps create frameworks and principals, which allow for theories and conversations around a focus. Essentially these three core elements became “The Cycle of Judgement” (TCJ). TCJ is a framework for understand the three core elements impact on architectural design. By using it, designers can understand the direction their project moves into and can predict its outcome as well as catch new information surrounding the project and aliviate headaches or use the new information to their advantage. A Venn-diagram of sort, this framework is a kind of “solution” for helping designers be more aware of their influence and the ethicacy of their projects. FInally, after all of this secondary research and primarly solution/conclusion, I dove into more primary research to understand how the people feel about architecture. In doing so I learned that their are kind of two sides two architectural design : “Logical, scientific, analytical” and “Human-centered, pyschology, engaging”. Understanding the strengths and weakness to both viewpoints really helps get a

Figure 2. Early pattern identification across precedents. Janet-Niocle Riddick

feel for how “ethical” a design can or can’t be. Things to consider when trying to be more condiserate to context. Architecture is more than just a building, sure, but it still is a building afterall. It needs to functional, sustainable, aesthetically pleasing to some extent, resuable, etc, etc, but it also needs to be build with the users in mind- not just the people paying but the people who end up using or living with this project. By electronically interviewing 17 people, I was able to gather, code and anaylze their responses to draw those conclusions (Fig. 4).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, architecture is incredibly complex. In Philadelphia, architecture has a very unfortunate background of being very invasive and hostile to its surroundings. Between destruction of historical structures, to the displacement and destruciton of communities, to the rise of ethics and encouragemetn of community engagement- there’s not one single answer on how architecture should or should not be. Common threads in the social success and failure of projects include its timing and timeline, laws of the area and timeline, and how it affects the community its surrounding and/or the projects relationship with the public. If these three factors reflect positively in the process, the outcome is often positive (Fig. 5). In turn, if these three factors are troublesome during the creation of the bulit space, the outcome of it is often a (social) failure. Using “The Cycle of Judgement” framework, architects can better control the positive or negative outcome of the project. Lastly, gathering qualitative data via surveys and interviews on how architecture is percieved can help determine painpoints and advantages within the field. With that information, we can further focus and develop specific points of interest to improve the previously understood research of our project.

FUTURE QUESTIONS

Lastly, I would like to dive into more quantitative data regarding the “profitability” of ethics. I understand it is important and can argue, qualitatively and logically, why a certain creation succeeded or failed in a more social aspect. What I would like to do more of is understand the more measurable numbers of these sucesses and failures. Say the proposed 76 Place can be predicted as a “failure” due to its unethical design an execution. What I would want to delve into is how few tickets it sold, how much traffick it created, how much noise that area makes now, increased car accidents or drunken violence, how that influecnes who lives in that area, etc, etc.. It would be nice to have statistics that prove the quantitative predictions that can be made with this iteration of research.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to all the particpants that assisted me in gathering my primary research via interviews. Thank you to all my classmates in this 2024 cohort of Architectural Studies Majors! Thank you to professor Niemiec who has been SUCH a help keeping me inline with all my thoughts and tangents. Thank you to Professor Ake for the interview suggestion and guidance on architectural ethics. Thank you to Professor Newman and Dee for being such awesome design research and data visualization resources! Thank you to Ulrike and Kate, the academic and emotional support was phenomenal. Thank you to so many other pivtol and inspiring people left unnamed, I did not get here alone! Lastly, thank you to Professor Beker, who so positively responded to that freshman year question on how we can be “better” as architects. The answer’s being sought out as we speak :)

Figure 3. Interview Outline. Janet-Nicole Riddick

Figure 4. Coding Interview Respones. Janet-Nicole Riddick

Figure 5. The Cycle of Judgement Final Board Janet-Nicole Riddick

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“About FHWA | FHWA.” Accessed November 20, 2023. https:// highways.dot.gov/about/about-fhwa.

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BIO

“Where there’s a will there’s a way” and a way I have made. Through resilience and determination, I’ve completed my Bachelor’s of Science in Architectural Studies with an interdisciplinary in Design Research. I’m actively pursuing work in my industry alongside continuing my education for a Masters in Design Research to further my understanding of the broad relationship between ethics and architecture.

In my free time I’m often socializing, cooking and baking, or sketching in my sketchbook. Outspoken, curious, and artistic traits build my character. I love conversations, asking questions and learning from others. I love organizing, drawing, and thinking outside the box.

The support from my instructors, advisors and friends will forever change the way I support others. I’m beyond grateful to be loved so fully and believed in so deeply, especially when I didn’t believe in myself. May I use the torch that lit my way to light another’s.

In the Architectural Studies undergraduate program, the Senior Capstone research project takes a wide-ranging approach to architecture. Students consider architecture’s connections to various disciplines within their interdisciplinary pathway courses. Through this program, students explore architecture’s impact on communities, the environment, and human health and well-being. During their senior year, students undertake a Senior Capstone Research Project, where they delve into a topic that is relevant to the most pressing issues of our time and is in alignment with their academic trajectory. This year, seniors have tackled topics such as urban landscape, climate change, health and well-being, cultural identity, public health, and social justice.

In the Architectural Studies the Senior research takes a to students architecture’s on communities, the students undertake a Senior Research where relevant time and is in with their academic trajector y. This year, seniors have tackled such as urban climate health and cultural health, and social justice.