Nick Chism | The Neighborhood Building: A New Means for Connection

The Neighborhood Building: A New Means for Connection Thesis Presentation by Nicholas Chism

Disconnected Togetherness The lack of social connectedness and community in all types of neighborhood environments has proven to have detrimental effects on its residents. Both the urban and suburban neighborhood models show a general disregard to the social connectedness that we require. The creation of a neighborhood building typology can be the solution.

The intent of this new typology is to foster social connection at the building level, as well as foster connection of the building with its surroundings. The initial method behind the design is to extract the social elements that make for a healthy neighborhood and the development principles behind these neighborhoods and incorporate them into a singular proposal.

Binck Blocks | Levs Architecten

Human Scale Building Blocks Looking at a number of neighborhood building precedents one common thread is breaking down the building into smaller blocks. This brings the scale of the building down as well as creates smaller neighborhoods within the building that are easier to create interactions between.

Leeza Soho Tower | Zaha Hadid Architects

Interior Atriums as a Means of Connection Looking through different precedents and the use of interior atriums and interior balconies to function as ways to connect people back into the public space. Finding ways to avoid blank hallways of existing typical single and double loaded apartment buildings.

Hyatt Regency Atlanta | John Portman

Atlanta Marriott Marquis | John Portman

The Rookery | Burnham & Root

The Interior Courtyard As skyscrapers began to develop the architecture evolved to attempt to create interior worlds with the core of the building. Utilizing the courtyard typology to develop different light courts that allowed air and light into the buildings.

The Bradbury Building | George Wyman

Site Location Focusing on developing the area at 3rd Street to utilize a number of empty lots and parking garages, as well as taking over some existing buildings. This location has a prominent affect on the city skyline and functions as a connector between the Banks development to the south and the downtown core to the north.

Site Front Elevation The site is located along the prominent Cincinnati Skyline and will be a key feature in the skyline going forward.

Site Views to South The major views to the south are of the Ohio River and once above the GE building to the south of the site there will be unencumbered views directly to the river. This will always remain the case as there are height restrictions in place to the South.

City Wide Services Diagram Within the site and the walkable area of the site there are a number of existing programs that can support the site. The aim is to determine what is necessary to benefit the community around the building as well as service the needs of the building. One essential piece of programming missing from the walkable area of the site is a grocery store or larger market space.

Initial Site Services Diagram Within the area there are a number of different cultural attractions to bring people down towards the site and for the building users. There are a number of hotels in the area, but there still is a need to fufill the demand of the area as events occur consistently throughout the year along the riverfront.

Sun Path Diagram Site faces almost entirely South. Building orientation and massing should accomodate to limit solar exposure and heat gain.

Site Building Height Viewsheds and Site Section The view of the Ohio River to the south is shaped greatly by the buildings to the south of the site. Once above 650 feet above sea level the view is and shall remain open. The site section shows the current zoning height restrictions in respect to the site.

Third Street Elevation The main elevation from the riverfront is this Third Street elevation. Within the facades there is a large degree of height variations as you look between the different layers of buildings within the city. On the site the height restriction that applies is the 1050 feet above sea level which most buildings on the street do not reach except for a few special cases.

Site Plan

Vertical Circulation

Horizontal Circulation