Laura'r Portfolio-2022

PORTFOLIO

Laura Ruonan Huang

Master of Science in Interior Architecture

Boston Architectural College

INTRODUCTION

Gender equity is one of the most urgent social issues, and it is also being represented in a built environment. If you have ever used a public restroom, you probably would recognize the accessible family restroom which is designed for everyone who has the need. In recent years, the LGBTQ community has become more socially and politically accepted by society. As a result of the empowerment of women and the LGBTQ community, the unisex restroom and lactation room have become important topics for designers of commercial and public spaces.

Research shows that breast milk is more beneficial for both infants and mother than formula. The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages breastfeeding in the first six months after birth to achieve some of the global nutrition targets.1 In 2008, AIA published design requirements for lactation rooms to specify design considerations that should be taken for nursing mothers in the workplace.² The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed by President Obama to require employers to provide reasonable break time, and spaces other than a bathroom for employees to express breast milk for infants.³ In October 2018, the Friendly Airports for Mothers Act was signed by President Trump, which requires all medium and large

1 “Global nutrition targets 2025: policy brief series”, World Health Organization, December 20, 2014. Accessed on January 31, 2022, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHONMH-NHD-14.2.

2 Design for the modern working mom, The American Institute of Architects, Feb 2008, accessed on January 31, 2022. https://www.aia.org/articles/24341-designing-for-themodern-working-mom

3 Federal Health Reform and Nursing Mothers, National Conference of State Legislatures, Aug 2021, accessed on Mar 5, 2022. https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeedingstate-laws.aspx

airports in the country to have dedicated lactation areas,4 and a series of basic accommodations for breastfeeding mothers was determined in 2019.

Women’s rights are being protected and emphasized since they play a more significant role in the social structure nowadays. Based on the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, women’s labor force participation was 57.4 percent, and the rate of mothers with children under 18 was 72.4 percent.5 There is no doubt that women’s social characteristics and responsibilities are supposed to be thought through within design considerations.

However, the labor force participation rate for men with children under 18 years old was as great as 93.5 percent,6 which shows the increase of working dad. Analyzing data from 2012, it obviously shows that the number of stay-home dads has nearly doubled than 1989.7 Since the family obligation and workforce structure have been changed, it’s necessary to renovate the existing lactation room into a family lounge to meet the demands of people who take care of the children. They could be parents with children of the same sex or the opposite sex, nonbinary with children, transgenders with children and so on.

4 Caroline Praderio, “Breastfeeding rooms are now required in all major US airports, thanks to a new law,” Insider, October 16, 2018. Accessed January 31, 2022, https://www.insider. com/breastfeeding-rooms-required-major-usairports-law-2018-10.

5 Women in the labor force: a databook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 2021, accessed on Mar 5, 2022. https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/womens-databook/2020/home. htm#:~:text=Women’s%20labor%20force%20participation%20was%2057.4%20percent%20in%202019%2C%20up,previous%20year%20(69.1%20percent). ⁶ Ibid.

7 Gretchen Livingston, Growing Number of Dads Home with the Kids, Pew Research Center, Jun 5, 2014, accessed on Feb 21, 2022. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2014/06/05/growing-number-of-dads-home-with-the-kids/

Moreover, the existing lactation rooms are no longer satisfactory for current needs for privacy and hygiene. During the pandemic, people became more aware and concerned about how their health was affected by public spaces. In order to improve human health and wellbeing in a built environment, the WELL Building Standard8 well documents requirements, strategies and policies for design and business operation through elements of air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind, community, and innovation.

“Every concrete human being is always a singular, separate individual”.9 A family lounge respects and recognizes positive contributions of all types of caregivers in young childhood. This project seeks to the best solution for human beings with children in a commercial space to promote social equity, human health, and wellness

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Existing literature and research in the fields of gender equity, social structure, and built environment highlights the development and importance of inclusivity in interior design. The change of social structure and responsibilities inform the background of ideological progress. From queer space to public environment, the humanistic theories support the tendency of inclusive design. The study within these three areas enlightens the significance of human well-being in a built environment. However, there is still a gap to expand the inclusivity and improve user experience from a specific space to a broadly environment.

Gender, Race, and Design of Public Restroom

Beneficial from the Second Industrial Revolution, workshops were short of manpower and females had the opportunity to take part in social workforce activities. To protect women and children, the first state law that mandated sex-separation in public toilet facilities was published.10 Employers are required to provide a sufficient number of private waterclosets separated from males for women. Since then, public restroom is divided into two genders. However, it was not divided in a reasonable way.

In The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir states that “In actuality the relation of the two sexes is not quite like that of two electrical poles, for man represents both the positive and the neutral, as is indicated by the common use of man to designate human beings in general; whereas

8 The WELL Building Standard, International WELL Building Institute, v2, Q4 2021, accessed on Feb 21, 2022.

https://v2.wellcertified.com/en/wellv2/concepts

9 Simone de Beauvoir. The Second Sex, 1949, translated by H M Parshley, Penguin 1972. https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/ethics/de-beauvoir/2nd-sex/index.htm

10 Terry S. Kogan, Sex-Separation in Public Restrooms: Law, Architecture, and Gender, Michigan Journal of Gender & Law, Volume 14 Issue 1, 2007. https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjgl/vol14/iss1/1/?utm_source=repository. law.umich.edu%2Fmjgl%2Fvol14%2Fiss1%2F1&utm_medium=PDF&utm_ campaign=PDFCoverPages

woman represents only the negative, defined by limiting criteria, without reciprocity. In the midst of an abstract discussion it is vexing to hear a man say: ‘You think thus and so because you are a woman’; but I know that my only defense is to reply: ‘I think thus and so because it is true,’ thereby removing my subjective self from the argument.”11 Females are treated differently not only physiological, but also psychological and economic forces. Western colonialism spread genderism, which led to there is gender hierarchies, and clear binaries had been created. People are judged by body shapes, and it is always mothers’ task to balance family and career. Since women are considered as the other, it is hard to have their voices heard and have their situations concerned.

Gender inequality in public restroom was demonstrated in 1992. In Becky Goldsmith’s article on women’s toilet facilities, the Queue Starts Here: A Raw Deal for Woman, pointed out that a larger number of male than female appliances is inspected in 32 of the 38 buildings; in two the numbers were equal; and in the remaining four, there were more female than male appliances in all department stores.12 Professor Alexander Kira who is from Cornell University conducted a research and confirmed that “women take twice as long as men to use toilet facilities for the purpose of urination”13. Less appliances and longer duration resulted in more women waiting in line, compared to men. Meanwhile, oversimplified sex into male and female will results in the variation in sexual anatomy is neglected.

11 Simone de Beauvoir. The Second Sex, 1949, translated by H M Parshley, Penguin 1972. https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/ethics/de-beauvoir/2nd-sex/index.htm

12 Goldsmith, R. (1992) ‘The queue starts here: a raw deal for women’ in Access by Design, Issue 57, pp. 10–11, January/April. Goldsmith, Selwyn (1997) Designing for the Disabled: the New Paradigm. Architectural Press, London.

13 Jean Hewitt. 2017. “Toilets for All? Here We Explore a Variety of User Needs.” Access by Design, no. 148 (June): 19–22. https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.the-bac.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=aft&AN=124293120&site=ehost-live.

Following with the feminist movements, sexual revolution focusing on LGBTQ+ community were risen.14 The privilege of white males in different aspects was reevaluated, and the demands for various people, like the disabled and the transgender, were concerned. It is a constraint for gender-diverse people to express themselves as male or female. Based on Foucault’s theory, the space identified by genders is a disciplinary environment. “It individualizes bodies by a location that does not give them a fixed position but distributes them and circulates them in a network of relations.”15 The two genders public restroom forced people to pick either one and fit into it, instead of offering a chance to let them express who they are. As Foucault said, “The historical moment of the disciplines was the moment when an art of the human body was born, which was directed not only at the growth of its skills, nor at the intensification of its subjection, but at the formation of a relation that I the mechanism itself makes it more obedient as it becomes more useful, and conversely.”16 We got educated from parents and schools at a young age. In order to involved to the little society, we have to obey the rules and act well. We know that if we follow our parents’ direction at home, they will admire us; if we perform well at school, the teacher will praise us. People are shaped through repeated training to achieve certain standards. In the process, awards and honors make people consciously learn and train, and abide the rules and regulations. Standardized education, unified healthcare and industrial production are all the results of social norms. Then can gender still be simply categories either male or female? Alice

14 LGBTQ Rights Timeline in American History, Fair Education Act Implementation Coalition, accessed April 2, 2022. https://www.lgbtqhistory.org/lgbt-rights-timeline-in-americanhistory/

15 Michel Foucault. Discipline and Punish, Docile Bodies. Vintage Books. P146 16 Ibid. P137.

Dreger tells us that “not everybody arrives in this world ready to be squeezed into one or the other generally accepted anatomic patterns of what we usually think of as male and female”.17 With the development of medical science, it has been recognized that it is a confusing setting for hermaphrodites. They are and they are not belonging to either gender. Within three decades since the AIDS crisis hit, the interiors have been considered as a way to shelter, butch-up, and gentrify their lives for gay men.18 People who are identified themselves as LGBTQ+ cannot show their preferences and own characteristics unless they are home, because this group was not accepted by the society.

The segregation is not only in gender, but also in race. “In the southwest United States, restroom signs in the 1950s often read ‘Mexicans and Dogs not allowed’ ”19, and there were more “Whites only” signs in common spaces. As Baldwin described in his book, the restroom for white women is located on the second floor, the one for white men is on the first floor, while the one for blacks in the basement. People of color have to travel longer distance than the white people do to find a restroom. Until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Congress banned the racial segregation in public accommodations.20

17 Alice Dreger, Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex Prologue. Harvard University Press, 1998. P6.

18 John Potvin. “Guilty by Design/Guilty by Desire: Queering Bourgeois Domesticity.” In The Handbook of Interior Architecture and Design, edited by Graeme Brooker and Lois Weinthal 291–303. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2013. Accessed April 2, 2022. http://dx.doi. org/10.5040/9781474294096.ch-021.

19 Ruth Colker, Public Restrooms: Flipping the Default Rules. (March 20, 2017). Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 388, P2. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2937718 or http://dx.doi. org/10.2139/ssrn.2937718

20 Title II of The Civil Rights Act (Public Accommodations), 42 U.S.C. § 2000a(a) (2012). The U.S. Department of Justice, accessed in Nov. https://www.justice.gov/crt/title-ii-civil-rightsact-public-accommodations#:~:text=42%20U.S.C.,42%20U.S.C.

ADA and Universal Design

To protect civil rights of people with disabilities, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990.21 Accessible restroom was given high priority to ensure anyone can use it. Nevertheless, the caregiver may be opposite sex for people who need assistant to use toilet, and they cannot enter the one sex restroom together. Hence, public accommodations started offering family restrooms that are not limited to people of a single sex.22 Architects explored a variety of user needs for an accessible water closet, from physical ability to gender equity, from race identity to religion.

With the continuous development of accessible construction, people gradually discovered that general population also faces various obstacles in life. For example, it is inconvenient for people holding things both hands to open the door, it is difficult for people dragging suitcases to get on and off, and healthy people also need to rest on public transport seats when they are sick. Meanwhile, accessible design solves many physical barriers, but it also creates psychological boundaries. Most of the barrier-free facilities are designed for the disabled, the elderly, pregnant women, and other groups with regular disabilities. Although they are not intended to be special, they actually distinguish the disabled from other groups, highlighting the “abnormal” of the disabled group, bringing great psychological pressure to the disabled, which has a counterproductive effect and become a barrier that challenging the disabled to return and integrate into society.23 Thus, the concept of one-size-fits-all design, intended to break down “particularity”, has begun to evolve. “Universal

21 Introduction to the ADA, the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Accessed in Nov, https://www.ada.gov/ada_intro.htm

22 Ruth Colker, Public Restrooms: Flipping the Default Rules. (March 20, 2017). Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 388, P4. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2937718 or http://dx.doi. org/10.2139/ssrn.2937718

23 Ibid.

Design” was first proposed by American architect, Ronald L. Mace, who defined it in his paper that published in 1985: “Simple a way of designing a building or facility at little or no extra cost so it is both attractive and functional for all people disabled or not.”24 In 1997, the Center for Universal Design, led by Mace, further put forward the seven principles of universal design that are still the most popular so far, based on practical research: equitable use; flexibility in use; simple and intuitive use; perceptible information; tolerance for error; low physical effort; size and space for approach and use.25 The center for Universal Design emphasizes that its goal is not to establish all standards for good design, but to come up with some common, usable design principles. These principles are not the solution to all designs, other factors, such as aesthetics, cost, safety, gender, and cultural appropriateness are also significant and must be taken into account when designing.26 Since the end of the 20th century, universal design has had a variety of definitions and principles in the international community. In 2015, Joel Sanders, architect and Professor at Yale School of Architecture, Susan Stryker, Professor Emerita of Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Arizona, and Terry Kogan, Professor of Law at the University of Utah formed project “Stalled!”, directly respond to the moral panic due to the Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Gavin Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board.27 A transgender boy was forced to used girls’ restroom, based on the gender he was assigned by the school board’s

24 Mace R. Universal design: Barrier free environments for everyone[J]. Designers West, 1985, 33(1): 147.

25 The Principles of Universal Design. The Center for Universal Design. 1997.

26 Ibid.

27 Stalled! Accessed in Feb 2022. https://www.stalled.online/

policy.28 “Stalled!” aims to create practical and affordable restroom that can be adopted widely in the United States. It tries to solve the problem by alternative design solutions, instead of accepting sex segregation as default.29

Universal design principles have improved public toilets, but there is still concern over the family restroom. Suggested by its name, it is designed for multiple users, like parents with children of the opposite sex, and disabled people with caregivers. However, there are drawbacks to the current design of lactation rooms that are designed within restrooms. For example, women do not want to feed their children in a restroom. The location of the lactation room within the women’s restroom excludes fathers from entering. Comparing data from 1989 to 2012, the number of house husband has nearly doubled.30 Humans are considered and treated more equally as each individual rather than being categorized by gender. Typical characteristics of different sex do not work for everyone.

Wellness Room

Further development of inclusivity of family lounge in commercial space will make it easier for males to take care young children, and will make females more comfortable to breastfed infants. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed six targets to improve global nutrition condition by 2025. The fifth target is to increase the rate of exclusive

28 Gavin Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, American Civil Liberties Union. Accessed in Feb 2022. https://www.aclu.org/cases/grimm-v-gloucester-county-schoolboard

29 Stalled! Accessed in Feb 2022. https://www.stalled.online/

30 Gretchen Livingston, Growing Number of Dads Home with the Kids, Pew Research Center, Jun 5, 2014, accessed on Feb 21, 2022. https://www.pewresearch.org/socialtrends/2014/06/05/growing-number-of-dads-home-with-the-kids/

breastfeeding in the first six months up to at least 50%.³1 There are various reasons for female to decide not to continue a six-month breastfeeding. Discovered from research by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), early termination was positively related to mother’s concerns pertaining difficulties with lactation; infant nutrition and weight; illness or need to take medicine; the effort associated with pumping milk;32 unsupportive work policies and lack of parental leave; cultural norms and lack of family support33, and unsupportive hospital practices and policies34. Lactation room was an afterthought that with a sense of shame or unimportance.35 Even though breastfeeding could be tough for the mother, it is greatly beneficial for infants. Studies find that breast milk provides essential, irreplaceable nutrition for a child’s growth and development which serves as a child’s first immunization to provide protection from respiratory infections.³6 Analyses indicate that suboptimal breastfeeding practices, including non-exclusive breastfeeding, contribute to 11.6% of mortality in children under 5 years of age. Meanwhile, only

31 “Global nutrition targets 2025: policy brief series”, World Health Organization, December 20, 2014. Accessed January 31, 2022, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHONMH-NHD-14.2.

32 Facts, CDC, accessed January 31, 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/facts. html

33 Sriraman NK, Kellams A. Breastfeeding: What are the barriers? Why women struggle to achieve their goalsexternal. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2016;25(7):714–722. Accessed January 31, 2022.

34 Feltner C, Weber RP, Stuebe A, Grodensky CA, Orr C, Viswanathan M. Breastfeeding Programs and Policies, Breastfeeding Uptake, and Maternal Health Outcomes in Developed Countries. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); July 2018. Accessed on January 31, 2022.

35 James Bailey, Kiana Taie, Designing a Mother’s Room Reentry Roadmap for All Scales of Workplace, Gensler, May 07, 2021, accessed on January 31, 2022. https://www.gensler.com/ blog/designing-a-mothers-room-reentry-roadmap-for-all-scales-of?q=nursing%20room

36 Horta BL, Victora CG. Long-term effects of breastfeeding: a systematic review. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013. Accessed on April 2, 2022. http://apps.who.int/iris/ bitstream/10665/79198/1/9789241505307_eng.pdf

38% of infants aged 0 to 6 months are exclusively breastfed globally.37 Narrow the gender gap by ameliorating inclusive design of the built environment can support working mothers after giving birth.

The published research and literature imply the necessity of inclusivity in commercial environment and the tight connection among gender equity, social structure, built environment and human wellbeing. The change of social structure and awakening of ideology encourage humans’ eagerness for gender equity in various aspects, and the built environment influencing human wellnesses reflects individuals’ experience.

37 “Global nutrition targets 2025: breastfeeding policy brief”, World Health Organization, December 30, 2014. Accessed January 31, 2022, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/ WHO-NMH-NHD-14.7

DESIGN STRATEGIES

This thesis explores the importance, necessity, and design considerations of developing inclusive family lounge in commercial spaces to promote gender equity, human health, and wellbeing through evidence-based analysis. Research is gathered and analyzed to determine possible solutions which are then turned into comprehensive design strategies.

The change of humans’ ideology and the rise of social movements improve the design of public restrooms. “Stalled” project has strong research as footstone to approach the inclusive principles. It prioritizes safety to reduce the risk of violence and nonbinary to be friendly for LGBTQ and transgender groups. West Lafayette Wellness Center also adopts the concept of inclusive restroom to consider it as a privacy issue rather than gender issue.

Through site visiting to the lactation rooms in South Shore Plaza, it revealed the problems of wellness room design and supervision. The space is limited to one group, and not always accessible for everyone. Insufficient lighting and dark material palette make visitors feel uncomfortable and depressed. Frosted door does not provide enough privacy to the user, and it does not offer enough essential hygienic supplies for nursing mother. When AIA published design guidelines and sample layouts for wellness room in 2019, more and more new constructions and renovations begin to include this type of space for women. Japan, as one of the best countries practicing the care for humanity through the creation of a comfortable environment, has the most baby rooms in public accommodations. Most Japanese women become housewives from the beginning of pregnancy, and they have a lot of time to spend, but only if they can take good care of the baby. As a result, baby rooms have become almost one of the standards in Tokyo shopping malls, which also makes it easier for mothers with baby to shop for daily consumption. However, males also need access to changing tables, hot water and fridge to take care of their kids. Japanese baby room

also welcome fathers with baby, while the nursing room will be “women only”.

Potential problems are identified by interviewing users and design experts, and site visiting. Design is a process to improve user experience, and fully understanding the struggles could help develop a user-friendly design. Compared to restroom, lactation room is still a less-developed hidden place. Research-design project of public restroom, Stalled! which was founded by Joel Sanders, Susan Stryker, and Terry Kogan, provides an direction of this research to begin with a strong historical context of social structure change and ideology progress. Based on this information, it won’t be hard to predict the increasing impact of inclusivity in design. Research was continued utilizing a variety of search terms related to inclusive design and analyzing outstanding design projects, and guided by the WELL building standards considering elements of air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind, community, and innovation to develop design strategies.

The sources of documents used in this paper include books, journals, and publications from online database, official webpages, design guides and standards. These were reviewed for relevant data, findings, theories, etc.

Based on the literature review, case studies, and interviews with experts, it is an essential change to renovate public bathroom to a family lounge. First of all, a better public environment for infancy stage can be offered to accommodate diverse caregivers regardless of gender, religion, age, race, and health situation. Secondly, it can support nursing mothers to extend breastfeed duration by providing a private and respective space. As part of design consideration, privacy, safety, and gender-neutral should be prioritized. Last but not least, color and material palette could be more vivid that is friendly for children. Therefore, there are four design strategies to achieve the goals.

Ventilation

Based on CDC building recommendations³8 and the study of air quality to lung function growth in children³9, improve indoor ventilation is essential. Especially in a moist space, the germs will be spread through air easily. Outdoor air pollutants may through ventilation and infiltration into the room, a variety of air microorganisms from the outdoor, and poor ventilation in a closed building that cut off the direct contact between people and natural air will result in the indoor air turn into a big waste tank and breed various bacteria. In addition, the dark and humid environment of dead corners and equipment pipes will also reproduce bacteria, thereby causing pollution. Since people have experienced COVID-19 in the past two years, people pay more attention to the indoor ventilation, especially for a space that infants who cannot get vaccinated and have to stay for a while. From the other perspective, young kids are usually hypoimmunity and get sick easily. Good ventilation can prevent cross-infection.

Lighting

Children’s eyes are more sensitive than adults and they are developed through different stages. It’s important to consider the baby’s comfort when designing lightings. As the major light source, low luminous intensity with decorative shade and anti-glare performance lighting is a good choice. Direct lights and focal lights should be avoided. Use indirect ambient ceiling light and adjustable tasks light could help infants get used to the environment little by little while parents still have enough light to do things, like changing diapers. Dimmable lights could provide more flexibility for parents to make adjustment according to babies’ situations.

38 Ventilation in Buildings, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States, updated on June 2, 2021. Accessed on Sep 19, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/ventilation.html

39 Gauderman, W James et al. “Association of improved air quality with lung development in children.” The New England journal of medicine vol. 372,10 (2015): 905-13. doi:10.1056/ NEJMoa1414123. Accessed on Sep 19, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC4430551/

Wayfinding and Finishes

The better program it is, the easier the process will be. Compare a typical bathroom layout with the redesigned space, the traditional bathrooms are usually divided by genders, but the proposed family lounge will program space by activities. It will include four lactation rooms, gender neutral bathrooms, two ADA bathrooms, six changing stations, and one play area. In existing lactation room, the seating fabric is usually leather which is durable and easy to clean, but people may feel cold when they just sit on it. In the redesigned space, polyester will be used for seating fabric, which has the same advantages but more color choices. The floor covering and countertop are both dark so that it won’t be easy to see the dirty. However, it also makes the space depressing. Therefore, oak wood flooring and white countertop will be used in the lactation room to make it feel cozier. In typical bathroom, the floor materials are the same throughout the space, but using different materials in pathway could create a sign of zone change. Last but not least, the changing station is usually located on ladies’ room. In the redesigned space, whoever with kids can use the changing tables.

Sound

Music can express love and joy, make children calm down, and help them to engage and interact with other people. Infants recognize the melody of a song long before they understand the lyrics. Quiet background music can soothe their mood, especially during sleep, while loud background music may raise the noise level in the room, which may overstimulate the baby. On the other hand, some mothers may need to use electric machine that has some noise to help pump milk. White noise can reduce the noise level of the machine to cause less attention, and make mothers feel more comfortable.

TYPICAL LAYOUT

Multi-User Restroom Scale: 1/4” = 1’ - 0”

Surface-Mounted

Single -User Restroom Scale: 1/2” = 1’ - 0”

Surface-Mounted Multi Roll Toilet Tissue Dispenser Sanitary Napkin/Tampon Vendor

Surface-Mounted

Wall-Mounted Baby Changing Station

Cry Room ( Church ) Scale: 1/4” = 1’ - 0”

Surface-Mounted Multi Roll Toilet Tissue Dispenser

Sanitary Napkin/Tampon Vendor

Wellness Room Scale: 1/2” = 1’ - 0”

Surface-Mounted Multi Roll Toilet Tissue Dispenser Sanitary Napkin/Tampon Vendor

Surface-Mounted Multi Roll Toilet Tissue Dispenser Sanitary Napkin/Tampon Vendor

Wall-Mounted Baby Changing Station

Wall-Mounted Baby Changing Station Paper Towel Dispenser and Waste Receptacle Half-Length Mirror

Towel Dispenser and Waste Receptacle Half-Length Mirror

Wall-Mounted Baby Changing Station Paper Towel Dispenser and Waste Receptacle Half-Length Mirror

Surface-Mounted Multi Roll Toilet Tissue Dispenser Sanitary Napkin/Tampon Vendor

Wall-Mounted Baby Changing Station Paper Towel Dispenser and Waste Receptacle Half-Length Mirror

Children’s Waiting Room ( Hospital ) Scale: 1/4” = 1’ - 0”

20' - 0"

Color Palette Selection

Grab Bar

Surface-Mounted Multi Roll Toilet Tissue Dispenser

Sanitary Napkin/Tampon Vendor

Wall-Mounted Baby Changing Station

Paper Towel Dispenser and Waste Receptacle

Half-Length Mirror

Soap Dispenser

Full-Length Mirror

Soft Seating

Educational Toys

Side Table

Shower Head

Restroom Floor

General Floor Contertop

Cry Room Floor

Surface-Mounted Multi Roll Toilet Tissue Dispenser

Mirror

Fabric Fabric Fabric

Wellness Room Floor

Third Place for Seniors in Chinatown

INTRODUCTION

Premise

Aging population is likely to be one of the most important social trends of the 21st century, affecting almost all sectors of society, including labors and finance, demand for goods and services such as housing, transportation and social security, family structure and intergenerational relationships.

The world-wide population is moving into the aging stage. According to data from World Population Prospects: the 2019 Revision. By 2050, one in six people in the world will be over age 65. The number and proportion of elderly people is increasing in almost every country all around the world.

As people grow older, depression and loneliness are regarded as the major problems that they face. This is a result of either living alone or lack of close family ties and reduced connection with their culture of origin. This leads to making them unable to participate in community activities. Space with advancing age, people inevitably lose connection with their friendship networks. It also becomes more difficult to initiate new friendships and thus belong to new networks.

Since the first Chinese residents settled in Boston in the 1870s, Massachusetts’s Chinese population has grown tremendously. According to the U.S. census, between 2000-2010, the Chinese population in Massachusetts increased by 46%.

As sleek skyscrapers, luxury condos, and new dormitories from Emerson College and Suffolk University have begun encroaching on the neighborhood’s borders, Chinatown residents are being forced to expand into Quincy, Braintree, and Malden in search of affordable housing. Financial stress on both residents and commercial businesses caused by loss of business and job loss during the COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened the situation for Chinatown.

Chinatown is just as much a continuingly lived place as it is a historic part of the city. With increased documentation, recognition, and renewed appreciation, Chinatown’s character can be preserved over time, as can its residents’ quality of life.

Aging Population

Loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, researchers warned in a recent webcast, and the problem is particularly acute among seniors, especially during holidays.

Two in five Americans report that they sometimes or always feel their social relationships are not meaningful, and one in five say they feel lonely or socially isolated. Space the lack of connection can have life threatening consequences, said Brigham Young University professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who testified before the U.S. Senate in April, 2017 that the problem is structural as well as psychological.

More than 14% of Boston’s population, represented as 88,000 residents, were over 60 years old in 2010. By 2030, there will be 130,000 seniors living in Boston. In addition, 45% of seniors were people of color in 2020. Non-white people take up a much greater part of the increasing amount of senior population.

Site Location

The Third Place

Definition: An informal public gathering place other than living and working places

Emphasizes the social function of place

Attributes:

• Space is neutral, and everyone is welcome.

• People from different social strata can participate in.

• Its main activities are conversation and information sharing.

• It has high accessibility, with little physical, policy or monetary barriers.

Program:

• Meal and nutrition programs

• Information and assistance

• Health, fitness, and wellness programs

• Transportation services

• Public benefits counseling

• Employment assistance

• Volunteer and civic engagement opportunities

Location: 6th Floor, 2 Boylston St, Boston

Architect: Carl Fehmer

Project type: Innovation

Building type: Commercial Building

Lot size: 15,390 sf

Year built: 1887

Construction type: Steel-frame

• Social and recreational activities

• Educational and ar ts programs

• Intergenerational programs

Design Strategies

SCHEMATIC DESIGN

Analysis - Site Opportunities

Analysis - Neighborhoods of Downtown Boston

Analysis - Light/Shadow Study

Bubble Diagram & Program

FINAL DESIGN

A RECEPTION

B HEALING GRADEN

C WORKING GARDEN

D KITCHEN CLASSROOM

E DINING ROOM

F EXERCISE ROOM

G CONFERENCE ROOM

H OFFICE

I STAFF BREAK ROOM

J SEATING AREA

K CHILDREN’S PLAY AREA

L LOUNGE

M COMPUTER ROOM

N TOTURING ROOM

Elevation 1 - Reception

Elevation 2 - Green House

Elevation 3 - Conference Room

Elevation 4 - Kitchen

Elevation 5 - Exercise Room

Elevation 6 - Children’s Area

Elevation 7 - Dining Room

Elevation 8 - Lounge

Elevation 9 - Seating Area

Elevation 10 - Tutoring Room

Perspective 1 - Reception

Perspective 2 - Kitchen

Perspective 3 - Dining Room

Perspective 4 - Exercise Room

IMAGE CREDITS

Page 4-5: Adobe Stock

Page 32-33: Adobe Stock

Page 36: Brandon Bartoszek, Boylston Building, Buidling of New England. https://buildingsofnewengland.com/tag/boylston-street/

Page 39 (Top): Google Map

Page 39 (Bottom): Boston Planning & Development Agency

Perspective 6 - Seating Area

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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