Little Boxes-Pete Seeger Crd Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky-tacky Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same There’s a green one, and a pink one, and a blue one, and a yellow one And they’re all made out of ticky-tacky, and they all look just the same And the people in the houses, all went to the uni-versity Where they all were put in boxes, and they came out all the same And there’s doctors, and there’s lawyers, and business ex-ecutives And they’re all made out of ticky-tacky, and they all look just the same And they all play on the golf course, and drink their mar-tinis dry And they all have pretty children, and the children go to school And the children go to summer camp, and then to the uni-versity Where they all are put in boxes, and they come out all the same And the boys go into business,and marry and raise a family In boxes made of ticky-tacky, and they all look just the same There’s a green one, and a pink one, and a blue one, and a yellow one And they’re all made out of ticky-tacky, and they all look just the same
AN ARCHITECTURE OF
SPATIAL IDENTITIES ARCH 491 Thesis Studio / Kiriana Jobson
ABSTRACT
A response to the traditional home, optimizing strategies of mobility, disassembly, and adaptability through a series of modular systems that would provide the potential to transform the identity of a built environment for a range of spatial opportunities.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 Research Introduction 05 Zoning Issues 07 Housing Issues 09 Thesis Statement 10 Architectural Theory 11 Architectural Precedent Studies 13 Design Proposal 15 Shell 17 Structure 19 Services 21 Spaces 23 Design Principles 27 Studio Visualization 29 Small Business Visualization 31 Co-Working Visualization 33 Co-Living Visualization 35 Application and Conclusion 37 Works Cited and Acknowledgments
1973
1,525 square feet
1994 Median price: $130,000
Vinyl siding
1,940 square feet
2013 last available data point
Median price: $268,900 A half bath is added
2,384 square feet
RESEARCH INTRODUCTION
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Initial research focused on understanding the relationship between identity and the built world and, more specifically, how different users occupy space and adapt its functions and meanings. The home sits at the core of identity, values, and function. The notion of the traditional home for a nuclear family has become obsolete and unattainable was investigated. The traditional home continues to grow in size and price without offering any additional flexibility or spatial opportunities.
Work-Family Living Arrangements of Children, 1960 & 2012 Ages 0-14
Neither parent nor grandparents With grandparents only Single father Formerly-married mother Never-married mother Cohabitating parent Married parents, neither employed Married parents, mother only employed Married parents, both employed Married parents, father only employed
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ZONING ISSUES The spatial limitations of the traditional home create a lack of flexibility and adaptability, while single-family zoning and commercial/residential divisions cause a similar legal obstacle when it comes to adaptive land uses and living arrangements. According to the New York Times, “Today the effect of singlefamily zoning is far-reaching: It is illegal on 75 percent of the residential land in many American cities to build anything other than a detached single-family home.� This leaves little room for exploration in and around the home due to lifestyle, political, and social changes. Zoning maps courtesy of The Upshot conducted with Urban Footprint.
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HOUSING ISSUES Extensive zoning of land and rigid programming of the home have resulted in a housing crisis. Entire communities have been left abandoned with mass numbers of vacant homes that failed to adapt at the necessary rates of change and accommodate the shifting needs of users. A map has laid bare the shocking number of homes that sit empty in London, while many in the capital struggle to find somewhere they can afford to live. According to research, some 19,845 homes sat idle for over six months in the capital in 2016 and were collectively worth ÂŁ9.4 billion at the average market price.
Number of empty homes in 2016 1,200+ 1,000-1,199 700-999 600-699 500-599 Less than 499
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THESIS STATEMENT The central thesis maintains that typical singlefamily developments have merit in traditional suburban design, yet are eroding the qualities of individuality and flexibility in our built world. Therefore, by utilizing strategies of mobility, disassembly, and adaptability to occupy the home through a series of modular systems, the identity of a home can be transformed and reimagined to optimize a range of spatial opportunities.
ARCHITECTURAL THEORY
SHEARING LAYERS OF CHANGE According to Steward Brand in How Buildings Learn, “Because of the different rates of change of its components, a building is always tearing itself apart.”
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ARCHITECTURAL PRECEDENT STUDIES The Collectors Exhibition designed by Elmgreen and Dragset is a unique example of an adaptable environment specialized for the unique identity of the current occupants. The exhibition tells the story of the person living in the space along with the history of the space that is used. Hunt Library by Snohetta is another relevant example of how a system can be imposed in an unprogrammed shell to provide unique, specialized, and functional opportunities which are completely adaptable to the needs of the users.
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DESIGN PROPOSAL Traditional home typologies were examined, strategies to optimize mobility, disassembly, and adaptability were proposed to encourage a new range of spatial opportunities within the home. The method explored involves positioning utilities/ essentials in a consolidated core within the home. The shell was viewed as a common housing typology with a structural framework or inserted core that provides the necessities of utilities, storage, circulation, water collection, and solar energy. The primary paradigms informing the design include: uncoupling the shell and program; removing specialized and limiting divisions; mixing programs and uses in a neutral, unprogrammed space; and ultimately optimizing the home for a variety of living, working, and community arrangements.
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1. SHELL 2. STRUCTURE 3. SERVICES 4. SPACES
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ARCHITECTURAL SYSTEM
1.
shell Traditional housing typologies were examined to provide the primary enclosures supported by the encapsulated modular system. Housing envelopes will be used to demonstrate scenarios optimized by mobile modular elements personalized for the desired functions.
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DETACHED
ATTACHED
Single-Family Shell
Duplex Shell 2-Unit Residence
Single-Family Shell + Detached Annex
Rowhouse Shell 3-Unit Residence
Mixed-Use Shell
Apartment Shell 4 Unit Residence
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ARCHITECTURAL SYSTEM
2.
structure The secondary structural core retrofitted into an existing building provides the framework for consolidated essentials positioned within the home. A raised plenum floor and mobile paneling allow for maximum flexibility. This can be used to plug in modular elements creating a capsule or home-within-a-home that can open or expand for any intended activity.
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Centralized Core
Shared-Parti Core
Single-Parti Core
Repeated-Parti Core
Centralized Core
Perimeter Core
Inverted Quad-Core
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ARCHITECTURAL SYSTEM
3.
services Tertiary functional services are centrally-located with mobile and personalized pluggable elements. They provide the necessities of utilities, storage, circulation, water collection, and solar energy. This includes the modules necessary to serve spaces such as the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, desk, storage, and stairs that can open or expand for the intended activities.
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Single-Family Shell + Centralized Core
Duplex Shell + Shared-Parti Core
Subsidiary Housing Shell + Single-Parti Core
Rowhouse Shell Repeated-Parti Core
Mixed-Use Shell + Perimeter Core
Apartment Shell + Inverted Quad-Core
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ARCHITECTURAL SYSTEM
4.
spaces A comprehensive range of spatial arrangements highlights the potential of the shell, structure, and services functioning as one with the needs and possessions of the users. Uncoupling the exterior shell from interior functions creates a more fluid range of spatial opportunities while optimizing mobility, disassembly, and adaptability and creating a liberated interpretation of traditional housing.
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Living Arrangement
Subsidiary Living Arrangement
Small Business Arrangement
Studio Arrangement
Co-working Arrangement
Co-living Arrangement
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DESIGN PRINCIPLES
DISASSEMBLY The organization of the modular system was optimized with adaptability, customization, reuse, and resiliency in mind. By dividing the layers of the system based on their specified rates of change, each module can be adjusted as needed or disassembled and moved to a new location. This prevents the need to opt for new construction with every life transition.
24 MOBILITY Because the modules are designed for disassembly, the pieces are a kit of parts that can be organized as a flat pack. This format is optimal for transporting and shipping selected pieces for a project, as well as maintaining and storing a warehouse of new and used modules for future needs.
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DESIGN PRINCIPLES FLEXIBILITY The system is both flexible and adaptable with paneling and functional elements that can be moved, replaced, and reconfigured. While the shell and structure remain fixed, the walls and furnishings in the core are designed for mobility to dynamically redefine any space with ease. These elements can be shifted, moved, and rotated to create open floor plans or private spaces depending on the desired use of the space at that time. The structure and services can also be swapped or combined with additional modules as needs change. This produces a capsule that functions to serve the ever-shifting home as defined by the user.
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AFFORDABILITY With a system optimized for customization, it is up to the user to determine their needs and how elements of the module can meet them. With the scale of the project also defined by the user, there are options for every budget with the ability to add additional units at a later time. The materials are economical, durable, sustainable, prefabricated and installed by the user. Additionally, sustainable systems, such as solar and rainwater collection, can be shared with neighboring units to further reduce the cost of utilities. This compact and flexible system creates unlimited spatial opportunities within a confined space, preventing the need to provide a room in the home for every activity in a user’s life.
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DESIGN VISUALIZATION
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COMMUNITY STUDIO Duplex homes can be reconfigured by arranging furniture and partition walls to promote communal studio space for art and fitness. Panels are fitted with ballet bars, mirrors, and desks which activate the open floor plan and define a culture of creativity and activity in a community.
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DESIGN VISUALIZATION
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SMALL BUSINESS A mixed-use development is shown with additional storage, shelving, and furnishing configuration. The arrangement is optimized for a small business or retail space located on the ground floor, while traditional living arrangements can simultaneously exist on the upper floors, or even in the same space outside of regular business operating hours.
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DESIGN VISUALIZATION
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CO-WORKING Arranging furniture and dividing walls can reconfigure rowhouses to promote individual, small group, and communal working. This engages the space, occupants, and entrepreneurs within the direct community and in turn, fosters a culture of networking, mentorship, and collaboration.
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DESIGN VISUALIZATION
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CO-LIVING Similarly, apartment units can be configured by arranging furniture and dividing walls to promote communal activities and interaction while maintaining optimal privacy.
C S c d a m
APPLICATION AND CONCLUSION
Imagine the potential of an event space, temporary dwelling, or a disaster relief center in a structure as extravagant as the Pantheon. It is among the most grand and resilient shells to envision the backdrop of limitless opportunities that could be provided. This ideology is now more timely than ever, modern problems require innovative solutions. Unpredictable events call for the human race and our built environment to adapt in rapid and unprecedented ways for incredibly varied functions and demographics.
By blurring divisions between public and private, commercial and residential, new and old, and actively expanding our definition of the home and those who occupy it, we will have the power to respond to the needs of the future in incredible and exciting ways.
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WORKS CITED “40 Years of the American Home.” CNNMoney, Cable News Network, money. cnn.com/interactive/pf/40-years-american-home/?sr=twmoney091315 americanhome4oyears4pINT. Ahrentzen, Sherry. “The Space between the Studs: Feminism and Architecture.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, vol. 29, no. 1, 2003, pp. 179–206., doi:10.1086/375675. Badger, Emily, and Quoctrung Bui. “Cities Start to Question an American Ideal: A House With a Yard on Every Lot.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 June 2019, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/18/ upshot/cities-across-america-question-single-family-zoning.html. Brand, Stewart. How Buildings Learn: What Happens after They’re Built. Penguin Books, 2012. Corbusier, Le, and Frederick Etchells. Towards a New Architecture. Martino Publishing, 2014. Criado-Perez, Caroline. Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. Vintage, 2020. Dolores, Hayden. Redesigning the American Dream: the Future of Housing, Work and Family Life. WW Norton, 2002. “Family Diversity Is the New Normal for America’s Children.” Council on Contemporary Families, 4 Sept. 2014, contemporaryfamilies. org/the-new-normal/. “Fondation Le Corbusier. Maison Dom-Ino.” Fondation Le Corbusier, www.fondationlecorbusier.fr/corbuweb/morpheus.aspx?sysId=13&amp ;IrisObjectId=5972&sysLanguage=en-en&sysParentId=65. “Future of Construction 2015 Archives.” Raconteur, www.raconteur.net/ future-of-construction-2015. “Guerrilla Architecture:” Critical Concrete, 10 May 2016, criticalconcrete.com/guerrilla-architecture/. Heynen, Hilde, and Gülsüm Baydar. Negotiating Domesticity: Spatial Productions of Gender in Modern Architecture. Routledge, 2005. Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Random House, 1961. Jager, Frank Peter. Old & New: Design Manual for Revitalizing Existing Buildings. Birkhäuser, 2010. “James B. Hunt Jr. Library.” Snøhetta, snohetta.com/project/10-james b-hunt-jr-library. “Recycled Buildings: How to Design for Disassembly.” Archinect, archinect.com/features/article/150067785/recycled-buildings how-to-design-for-disassembly. Rendell, Jane, et al. Gender Space Architecture. Routledge, 2000. Shaoqianq, Wang. Transformer: Reuse, Renewal and Renovation in Contemporary Architecture. Gingko Press, 2010. Vallerand, Olivier. “Home Is the Place We All Share.” Journal of Architectural Education, vol. 67, no. 1, 2013, pp. 64–75., doi: 10.1080/10464883.2013.767125.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My completion of both this project and my degree could not be achieved without the help of a small army of close family, friends, and advisors; To whom I cannot express enough thanks. The friendships I have made with my classmates along the way are priceless and have provided unlimited memories, motivation, and mutual support. To my Mother, Father, and brother, Sam, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement, picking up the phone at any hour, and consistent willingness to lend an open ear or extra set of eyes for anything on my mind. To all of my academic, professional, and personal mentors, especially my research advisor, Darla, your influence has inspired me to view the world with curiosity and a desire to create. For all of those who have helped shape me along the way in this milestone,
thank you.
Kiriana H Jobson
kjobson15@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/kirianajobson +1 (717) 228 9321 www.kirianajobson.myportfolio.com
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Imagine-John Lennon Imagine there’s no heaven It’s easy if you try No hell below us Above us, only sky Imagine all the people Livin’ for today Imagine there’s no countries It isn’t hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion, too Imagine all the people Livin’ life in peace You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will live as one