The Network by Mary Allen

THE NETWORK

Text and Graphics ÂŠ 2017 Alex Bitterman, PhD, Mary Allen, Michael Bowman, Colin Davidson, Ryan DeBree, Matthew Doe, Shannon Fay, Amanda Federico, Daniel Garcia, Nicholas Graziose, Sean Kuerzdoerfer, Brandon Oddo, Paige Pengsen, Christopher Platt. All rights reserved. Book Design ÂŠ 2017 Alex Bitterman, PhD, Mary Allen, and Ryan DeBree. All rights reserved. The Network: Universal Design, Technology, and Sustainability. This is a first and limited edition print run.

The Network . .

Universal Design Technology Sustainability

Contents Introduction 1.1 Forward 1.2 project brief

Research 4 5

2.1 History Suburbia History of malls Retail trends

8 15 25

2.2 precedents Architectural precedents Crocker Park Redevelopment of dead malls

33 35 49 53

2.3 Universal design Accessibility

2.4 Technology Leaders in technology Tech presence in buffalo Technology to consider

83 86 87

2.5 Sustainability Large sites Solar energy daylighting and natural lighting Rain water Grey water reclamation Porous pavement solutions Geothermal heating and cooling Wind energy Urban farming What food can be grown indoors?

89 93 95 96 98 99 100 101 103 106

Analysis

Design

3.1 CLARENCE History of Clarence Eastern hills mall Proximity to buffalo Context of Clarence

107 109 111 112 113

3.2 The Site Eastern hills mall Existing conditions

119 121

3.3 SITE ANALYSIS Regional analysis Climate analysis Immediate site

123 127 129

3.4 stakeholder

133

3.5 program

135

4.1 Executive Summary

140

4.2 Parti Universal Design TECHNOLOGY SUSTAINABILITY The Network

141 143 145 147

4.3 DESIGN FORM CONCEPT SITE DESIGN CIRCULATION PEDESTRIAN SPINE LANDSCAPING STREET FURNITURE STREETSCAPES PROGRAMMING PHASING PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT MODELS

149 151 153 155 157 158 159 161 163 165 169 172 173 175 177

4.4 EXHIBITION

179

4.5 CONCLUSION

181

Acknowledgements A Special Thanks to: The Planning office of Clarence, N.Y. James Callahan, Clarence director of community development Jonathan bleuer, Clarence Assistant Director of Community Development

The Town Board of Clarence, N.Y. Patrick Casilio, Clarence Supervisor Peter DiCostanzo, Clarence Deputy Supervisor

INTRODUCTION

1.1

studio five

The team Alex Bitterman, PhD. Mary Allen Michael Bowman Colin Davidson Ryan DeBree Matthew Doe Shannon Fay Amanda Federico Daniel Garcia Nicholas Graziose Sean Kuerzdoerfer Brandon Oddo Paige Pengsen Christopher Platt

introduction

Forward Over the fall semester, 2017, Alfred State Design Studio 5 engaged in a semester-long research and design project examining the site of the Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence (outside of Buffalo), New York. The mall, built between 1969â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1971 served the Western New York community for nearly 50 years as a premiere shopping center and gathering space. However, as the demand for bricks-and-mortar stores and the manner of shopping has changed, the mall has suffered from a steady decrease in foot traffic, diminished occupancy, and delayed physical maintenance. Rem Koolhaas and his Harvard GSD studio on shopping in America earlier this century predicted this shift, and presaged this radical change to the roadside architecture common to each and every community across America. Nearly a decade and a half have passed since this seminal studio and the timeliness of the issue grows ever more urgent.

After a comprehensive site assessment and precedent study, the Studio 5 students endeavoured to create a live-work-play campus that would adapt the current mall structure and re-use parts of site to accommodate a technology-focused research campus that exceeds the principles of universal design to ensure not only accessibility, but usability by all members of the community, regardless of physical, cognitive, or situational ability. Forthwith, is a summarized version of the Studio 5 studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efforts, an innovative, forward-looking design solution to a problem that will likely become an architectural pandemic over the coming decades. It is our collective hope that this project will begin a conversation specifically about the Eastern Hills Mall site, and more broadly about the adaptive reuse of disused retail spaces in general. We hope you enjoy and find utility in this work.

Dr. Alex Bitterman December 2017 Alfred, New York

1.2

Project brief

This urban design project is based on the idea that the American mall is dying and suburbia as it exists today is unsustainable. Since its birth in the 1950s, suburbia has been referred to as the American dream. It is focused around families owning individual houses surrounded by lush lawns and commuting to work every day via the automobile. For a variety of reasons, including environmental concerns and high costs of living, preferences of lifestyle have shifted from the typical automobile-centered American suburbs toward more pedestrian focused urban environments. This, as well as the rise in accessibility of the internet, has caused malls across America to suffer and enter into a decline as more and more people gravitate toward outward facing stores in walkable environments and online shopping becomes easier and quicker for the consumer. This is creating abandoned or emptying malls that are now being dubbed “dead malls.” The question facing society today is what to do with these spaces now that they are no longer being used.

the region in 1989. The mall was a success for two decades with its peak being in the 1980s. However, in the past two decades it has dwindled to a collection of trinket shops scattered among dying anchor stores. This can be traced back to the development of local competition, an increase in consumer demand for online shopping rather than brick and mortar stores, and the push away from suburbia. Although it is still in operation today, the Eastern Hills Mall is now considered a dead mall.

This project is based on answering that question for the Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence, New York. Clarence is a second ring suburb of the city of Buffalo in Western New York and is located within Erie County. The Eastern Hills Mall was one of the first malls in the county, having opened in 1971, and it was also the largest until another mall was built in

The scope of this project mimics an urban design project on a smaller scale. The students’ task was to turn the mall and its surrounding site into a lifestyle center in an attempt to create a livable community that respects the demographic, economic, and social context of the town of Clarence and the surrounding region.

In addition to the mall, another need of the town of Clarence is an increase in housing density to accommodate the rising demand to move into the town. Clarence could also use more retail as well as more walkable areas. Until now these walkable areas have only been found in the small hamlets that exist within Clarence. All of these factors - the mall and its site, the need for housing, and the lack of walkable areas -made the town of Clarence ideal for the students’ study of urban design.

introduction

buffalo, ny

Eastern Hills mall Clarence, NY 6

Research

2.1 HISTORY SUBURBIA Long before the suburban boom of the 1950s in America, European architects and planners were thinking about smaller communities outside of city centers that functioned in addition to the large city nearby - they called them, “garden cities,” but were in essence suburbs. The book Cities of Tomorrow by Peter Hall is about the development of the suburban sections of large cities. It chronicles urban areas in a timeline starting from the slum cities of Europe to the suburban areas of the world. The basic early principle of the suburban movement, or the “garden city movement” as it is called in this book, is that during the industrialization of major European cities (i.e. London, Paris, Berlin, etc.) a poor population of workers developed near city centers so that they could be close to their jobs in the factories. The housing for this poor population was created in the form of tenement housing. Social activists started to dream of a way to get them out of the city and free up the space to make better cities. Some planners, like Le Corbusier, thought that the best option was to clear the problem portions of the urban centers and allow for new growth. This idea did not take hold because many of Corbusier’s ideologies were not completely thought out and often brought on more problems than they solved.

Meanwhile, the Garden-City movement came with the idea of moving the working population out into the countryside that surrounds the city and to create self-sustaining cities to support their parent city. The Garden City movement was paired with the City Beautiful movement which added large green spaces and open malls to parts of the city in order to create a more beautiful aesthetic. The Garden-City was to be a smaller part of the whole larger city. This meant that the population of the garden city contributed to the greater good of the parent city, but they drew a portion of the working class out to free up space in the inner city. This idea failed for a very long time and failed through many iterations, but what was left behind from the ashes of the failed attempts is the principle creation of the suburb. When a garden city had not reached full potential of being self-sufficient, it would become a solely commuter based residential complex that aided in bringing some of the working population out of the city. The ideas behind the Garden-City and City Beautiful movements were solid in theory, but often they lacked the sufficient funds and the political awareness to make them succeed. Later in the history of the movement the popular outlook was to let the community develop their own needs for the Garden-City. In the years following World War II the mass production mentality that fueled America’s wartime efforts was redirected towards consumers and the result was suburbia as we know it today.

research Manufacturers no longer needed to produce wartime goods so they looked to new goods to produce. They had the capabilities to mass produce products so all they needed was to produce the right ones. One result of this form of manufacturing was the automobile. Utilizing mass production techniques and factories developed during the war, manufacturers were able to develop automobiles that were affordable to the general public. With automobiles becoming more and more affordable and reliable they quickly became popular in America. Cities could no longer handle the mass influx of cars, so people were pushed to the suburbs. New roadways such as interstate highways connected destinations, and massive parking lots and garages developed because of the reliance of traveling everywhere in an automobile. No longer was the pedestrian the focus

like in urban areas. The suburbs became dominated by the automobile. In addition to the growing number of automobiles, following World War II, nearly six million men and women returned from war in Europe (1). This, along with a growing population led to an American housing shortage. Rent in urban areas were increasing and apartments were becoming unaffordable. How were we to combat this? The answer to this question became simple to construction companies like Levitt and Sons. Their solution was to build new places for people to live (2). With rising land costs in urban areas developers looked to farm lands outside of the cities. They began constructing suburban neighborhoods that were both affordable and attractive to people. They utilized the mass production method developed during World War II

Figure 1

Figure 2 to build quick homes that cost a fraction of the price of buying or renting in the city. They standardized the model of a home creating a house that could be replicated row after row after row. Not only were these homes affordable, but at the time they were attractive to people. The suburbs were marketed as the “American Dream.” For less cost, you could own your own home and even have your own little slice of land. People dreamed of having their white picket fence and perfectly manicured lawn, but they did not realize what they were giving up by pursuing this dream. The impact of early suburban neighborhoods has forever shaped the residential architectural vernacular of America. As a society, we have been taught that the suburbs are the ideal place to live, but we are now taking a step back, and analyzing the impact that they have had. Because of zoning restrictions and such low density housing, no longer could pedestrians walk anywhere. They were now required to drive to accomplish nearly any task. The urban sprawl of the American society creates the dynamic between urban centers, suburban housing developments, and the agricultural and industrial

reaches of the cities. In America, there is a strong focus on the automobile focused society. The sprawl of the city is intensified by the lack of an efficient transportation system. One of the main developers of the Garden-City movement was Ebenezer Howard who established how the cities were to be laid out. Cities of Tomorrow showed a summary of Howard’s vision. “In Howard’s plan, there was a city that was growing at its own pace and then as time progressed and the population started to increase the formation of a garden city would form and be connected by railways and automobile travel to both the inner city and the other satellite cities around the city” (3). Howard’s vision was to create a series of societies that could be interconnected to create a greater commonwealth. This however was not achieved in the long run in some cities in America. This lack of public transport lead to our dependency on the automobile, while other European nations tried to keep cities smaller and transport efficient. The popularization of the automobile aided the development of a suburban society. During the 1920s, automobile production skyrocketed and the American population became extremely motorized.

research The topics of sprawl and suburbia have become polarizing topics in recent years, with some people holding on to the Post WWII ideal of the, “American Dream” and others who have studied the greater impact of suburbs on American life. One of those against suburbia as it exists today is Harvard Design Magazine author, Alex Krieger, who wrote that there are five main arguments against sprawl: aesthetic, sociological, environmental, self-protection, and boring lifestyle. The argument against the aesthetics of suburban sprawl are due to monotonous cookiecutter houses and big box stores. The sociological impact of sprawl is social apathy and no community

isn’t enough support to implement these kinds of legislation yet. As consumer living preferences changed, so did the residential architecture that was being created. When the majority of the population lived in the city, the architectural vernacular had a more modern take to fit with the large scale housing buildings. When there was a sociological shift out to the suburbs the styles of the houses started to change and the vernacular shifted into a more neoclassical or neo Georgian style. These different types of styles were better suited to the smaller family homes that were spaced out on their

“Everyone living in these neighborhoods had the same home with identical floor plans” involvement due to a mindset of self-protection, “I came here to be free, if you come here too I won’t be free”(3). Environmental critics of sprawl cite longer commutes, increased air pollution from automobiles, ground and water pollution from lawn care chemicals, and low-density land use in their fight against suburban sprawl (3). Sprawl also leads to “boring” lifestyles since suburbs are not close to the typical social activities of cities like night life. Studies have shown that the benefits of sprawl mostly affect the individual, whereas the costs often fall upon the greater community in forms such as taxes and commuter traffic (3). “Smart Growth” has begun to be implemented in some areas to slow the expansion of suburbia, increase the appeal of more urban living and create some more mixed use living environments that are somewhere in between (4). This can be accomplished through legislation mandating that communities be more mixed use, have housing available to a variety of incomes, and use multiple types of transportation, among other things (5). However, these changes can be difficult to implement unless the local legislation as well as the general population are in support of such changes. As much as people are starting to see the drawbacks of suburbia, in most places there

own land in the suburbs. The development of “cookiecutter” suburbs that had little variation became a common occurance all over the country. During the postwar period, the idea of the American dream was coming to fruition. Overall, suburbanization and sprawl simplified and effectively “bleached” the architectural vernacular of America. Approximately 75% of all new construction in America is suburban architecture (4). Houses as well as retail buildings have increased in typical size within the last few decades; a house for a family of four that used to have two bedrooms and one bathroom has been replaced by a house with four bedrooms and a bathroom for each bedroom (6). This pattern of “architecture” has spread across the country. Most shopping in suburban America has evolved into big box stores with exteriors free from any decoration or embellishment besides the massive sign telling consumers from which company they are about to consume goods and perhaps a stripe of color. From the highway a picture of one exit with its McDonalds, Burger King, Home Depot and Walmart looks exactly like the next. Suburban architecture is lacking in design because everything is market driven; repetitive models that

contractors can put up fast, easy, and cheap so they can move onto the next neighborhood (4). This is the easiest way for contractors to make their money and the fastest way to put homes up because they are in high demand. Because of the demand, suburbanization is contradicting itself. Homes are moving closer and closer to one another to fit more homes in neighborhoods which steps away from why people were moving out of the city in the first place. By having contractors control development without collaboration of what people, planners and society want and need, the landscape is often ignored. This being said, architects and planners are coming back and saying that this urban sprawl crisis is not their concern because it was not their doing (4). With this attitude nothing can be accomplished and we are stuck in a neverending cycle. With the middle and upper class sprawling outwards, little money was left to take care of the city. Many public programs were dropped, and only those unable to afford moving out of the city were left in its remnants. Areas that were once prominent fell to slums in little time. People in New York City used the idea of zoning to keep the homeless out of the

Figure 3

downtown areas to keep their businesses clean and respectable. In Cities of Tomorrow, a commentator of the New York City planning board is quoted saying, “The basic purpose of zoning was to keep Them where They belonged – Out. If They had already gotten in, then its purpose was to confine them to limited areas. The exact identity of them varied a bit around the country. Blacks, Latinos, and poor people qualified. Catholics, Jews, and Orientals were targets in many places. The elderly also qualified, if they were candidates for public housing.” This was the consensus from the majority of the nation especially in the larger cities. Racial segregation was a large factor in the zoning of cities. This, in turn, enforced much of the suburban movement. In some instances, a poorer minority population migrated into the inner city region which eventually gave the inner city a reputation of being a bad neighborhood. This caused shifting population preferences bringing more and more people out of the suburbs back into the city. There was even a difference in the way that people talked about the city. Even in today’s society the words downtown and inner city have very different meanings. On one hand “downtown” can mean hot, new business while on the other hand “inner city”

research means problems and violence. Thus, inevitably, in the coming years there is going to be a change in the way we perceive the city again. In general as a society we have become inefficient at developing new land. There is an overuse of land due to the overuse of the automobile which encourages the further development of suburban sprawl. In Cities of Tomorrow, Hall claims that, “Sprawl is bad aesthetics; it is bad economics. Five acres are being made to do the work of one, and do it very poorly. This is bad for the farmers, it is bad for communities, it is bad for industry, it is bad for utilities, it is bad for the railroads, it is bad for the recreation groups, it is bad even for the developers.” This quote is a accurate definition to describe how we as a society are inefficient at utilizing land to its fullest potential. During the 1960s to 70s both in Europe and America, there was a major transition from manufacturing based economies to service based economies. This left many cities on both continents with abandoned rail yards, factories, and loading docks. As we progress as a society we are going to be faced with the challenges of having a multitude of existing vacant structures. In many of these instances they took pieces of past industries such as loading docks, quarries, and the factories and preserved these by reusing them and turning them into parks, new offices, and apartments that better served the new service based economies. This way they were serving but still holding onto a city’s identity and historical roots. “Suburbia and sprawl are ultimately about our democracy and our survival” (7). Many people say that suburbia is the pinnacle of the American dream. However, there are many factors to suburbia that would make some people argue otherwise. Living in the suburbs citizens are not exposed to high density areas and mixed-use planning and therefore lack a sense of community involvement.

has caused a lack of diversity in many places as many low-income families cannot afford to live in suburban areas and therefore have become concentrated in inner cities. This lack of diversity is not only

“Living in the suburbs citizens are not exposed to high density areas and mixed-use planning and therefore lack a sense of community involvement.“ threatening to the economy but to ourselves as well. Due to decentralization and building new instead of preserving old we are losing our culture and natural resources. Recurring problems in planning are due to citizens and professionals not working together. Like an ecosystem, when individual aspects of society are threatened it affects all parts eventually. But when architecture, planning, politics and environment come together innovation can occur to avoid history from repeating itself. With movements like Smart Growth and New Urbanism we are on the right to path to a better America but still have a long way to go to reverse the effects of decentralization and sprawl.

In the urban environment it is inevitable that people will run into other members of their community like local shop owners while shopping. In the suburbs this is not the case. Suburbanization also catalyzes the separation of people by income and social class. This

history of malls Several factors such as the growing post World War II population, increased access to the automobile, and the development of the “American Dream” due to economic prosperity led to the mass migration of people to the suburbs and the creation of the suburban shopping center. The introduction of the urban shopping center brought a change in the architectural vernacular of retail America, no longer putting the focus on the pedestrian. This transition to a reliance on the automobile reduced pedestrian accessibility in suburbs. This inaccessibility has now caused the pendulum to swing back the other way and the pedestrian is reclaiming access to retail by moving back to city downtown areas. This is contributing to the death of what was once perceived to be the American Dream. Author David J. Smiley describes this movement of people from cities to suburbs and back as well as the resulting history of the American shopping mall in his book Pedestrian Modern. The history of malls in America and be traced all the way back to a shift in storefront design that started in the early twentieth century, pre-WWII. This time period was a test for architects to rethink storefront design. It was a period in which experimental design and art coexisted within one design not only for the sack of aesthetics, but also for passing pedestrians and merchandise display (8). In the 1930s, shopping in American culture was a sharp contrast to that of traditional European

style. In Europe, most of shopping occurs on the streets or in plazas of villages, towns, or cities and their city layouts were based around main town plazas. The American urban layout was not based on plazas but on a rigid gridded street system. There are few plazas in America that offer access to solely pedestrians. Instead, retail was based in stores that lined main streets within American cities. David Smiley, mentions that there needs to be a relationship between the city and the buildings, the street and the sidewalk, and the sidewalk and the street elevation. It is architect’s jobs when designing a facade to respect the relationship between the storefront and the sidewalk (8). For example, if there was six feet of space between a retail store and the street it doesn’t make sense to have glass walls go from the ground floor up to the roof line. Smiley also mentions the ratio of glass in his book; he states that before steel was used, architects made colonnades in designing storefronts with masonry because masonry could not span as long as steel. Therefore, steel and glass changed the design of storefront. Smiley mentions the relationship of storefront to the street stating that too much glass in the twentieth century meant careless design and less appeal. The author claims that passing pedestrians would rather see a glimpse of the merchandise than the whole store’s interior. Architects began to refer to art museums’ display methods for the retail stores on the streets (8). It was a time to apply modern design into the retail world and change the image of the streets. Several architects of this time such as Victor Gruen, Morris Ketchum, or Morris Lapidus tried to find new ways to design merchandise displays in a way that complemented the new, modern storefront designs and construction methods as well as inviting the

research consumer into these retail spaces. Designing store front elevations was difficult because these architects felt that the design should invite in passing pedestrians as well as provide cover from weather. Because it was so tough to design within the minimal amount of space from the street to the doors, architects began to recess storefronts to provide shelter as well as inviting passing pedestrians inside (8). With the redevelopment of main street America, the dynamic between pedestrians and vehicles began to change. With an influx of drivers and vehicles on the road, the idea of the “curb side paradigm” began to breakdown (8). No longer was street parking sufficient enough to accommodate drivers and their shopping needs; architects and planners began to rethink and re-imagine the existing connection between streets, cars, pedestrians, and store entrances. Urban retail stores began to incorporate parking above, below, and behind. Planners such as Kenneth Welch got creative with how to hide and

“In comparison to Europe, there are few plazas in America that offer access to only pedestrians.” incorporate parking within urban blocks. Another challenge arose regarding how to connect the pedestrian with these newly proposed lots and garages for parking. With this shift from pedestrian focused traffic to vehicular focused traffic, urban planners and architects adapted to a new role and responsibility in reconfiguring the urban fabric of downtown shopping. On the contrary, shopping centers reformed shopping by taking advantage of the problems downtown faced. In 1956, the Southdale Shopping Center located in Minneapolis Minnesota, opened and changed the way Americans shopped. Shopping centers provided everything that the downtown retail stores did,

including intricate storefront designs to display merchandise, but without limitation of sidewalk space. Victor Gruen, an architect of shopping centers and modern storefronts, proposed that 34th street in New York City should become an open mall with no automobiles allowed, only pedestrians. Plazas often times solve the problems of the street because pedestrians become the main focus similar to the European style of shopping. Enclosed shopping centers shared the ideology of European plazas; however, malls were enclosed and located away from the cities (8). At the end of, and shortly after, the second world war, there began a war of a different kind at home between urban planners and the “American Dream.” Urban planners and architects began to design and focus on the pedestrian. However, their efforts were overpowered by the ideals of the “American Dream” which pushed ever toward the suburbs and an automobile focused society. There was an attempted movement to remove the car from the urban setting. Planners such as Clarence Perry, envisioned a self-sustaining neighborhood unit where it would be possible to go to work, school, and grocery shop without entering a vehicle. These individual neighborhood units would then make up a much larger urban unit, known as a city (8). This model of living was adapted and implemented within cities all over the country, but that was not enough. There were simply too many cars and nowhere to put them. Other designers such as Victor Gruen began to experiment with pedestrian centered proposals that brought shopping from downtown to a single cohesive shopping center in the suburbs. It quickly became apparent that Gruen’s idea of the shopping mall, despite his intentions, was dependent on automobiles. With increased access to automobiles people began to rely heavily on their personal vehicles and less and less on public transportation. Although citizens became dependent on their vehicles, planners and architects such as Ken Welch, Victor Gruen, Morris Ketchum, and George Nelson still believed pedestrians needed to be at the forefront of design. The well intended ideas of these

Figure 3 designers mixed with the reality of Americans’ dependence on the automobile and their perception of “private” home ownership outside the city caused the architectural vernacular of America to change forever. The economy was growing, people were moving to the suburbs and had access to automobiles, and overcrowding in urban shopping areas became unbearable. It seemed like there was only one option: remove shopping from cities and introduce them to the suburbs. Designers began to introduce shopping centers that were a one-stop-shop. The shopping experience was ideally lead by the pedestrian. Once parked, a pedestrian could do all of their shopping before returning to their car. This was a new way of thinking. Theoretically, no longer did a pedestrian need to hop to and from their car dealing with parking lots and garages multiple times in one shopping trip. Everything was to be centrally located and easily accessible. Early shopping malls tended

to be open air concepts that typically consisted of a green area surrounded on all sides by shopping, offices, and community centers. Although the automobile was the primary mode of transportation to the centers, once on the site these new shopping centers were designed around the pedestrian experience. Designers intended to replicate an urban environment where shoppers could leave their car and do all of their shopping before returning to their car. The shopping centers were not solely designated to retail shopping. Instead, malls were intended to be truly a one-stop-shop with eateries and other amenities as well. Like urban centers, within these suburban shopping centers, shoppers could go to work, get a haircut, go to the movies, and grocery shop all in one place. The intent was to replicate an urban experience, and focus on the pedestrian, creating the “new Main Streets of America” (9). The construction of the suburbs, new highway systems, the automobile, and changing tax

Research laws all helped lead to the mass boom of suburban shopping malls. Victor Gruen, an Austrian architect, took this idea one step further. Gruen was appalled by American sprawl, so he envisioned an enclosed shopping center that would help reduce suburban sprawl. Gruen looked to create a center where you could live, work, and play without entering a vehicle. He envisioned a shopping center anchored by department stores that would promote foot traffic to the smaller retailers between. In the center, he envisioned an enclosed European style court full of monuments and sculptures (8). All of which could have been a success, but little did he know what he had created. Fast forward a few years and only the basic concepts of Gruen’s shopping centers were being incorporated. No longer were apartments, offices, or hospitals incorporated. Instead, retailers and developers took advantage of the suburban malls. Malls became 100% retail. No longer did we see the dense suburban community that Gruen envisioned. Against Gruen’s intentions, his creation began to actually support suburban sprawl. None the less people loved it, and malls continued to boom. At first there was much debate about how shopping centers should be laid out. Many thought that long strips of stores with a pedestrian only corridor down the middle was best since it emulated Main Street America, while others thought a ring of stores with park space or a “green mall” in the center, then parking became an issue and developers didn’t want to pay for space they weren’t making money on, so it was Gruen who triumphed with his idea for the “cluster” model which addressed the issues of parking, long walking distances and maximized leasable space for developers. Atriums, air conditioning, escalators, open food courts, and large volumes of space where people could interact came to symbolize the ideal American life and modern shopping in America. The modernist movement was heavily carried out in shopping malls through site planning and shopping

organization. The movement brought a halt to ornate and detailed façades in urban shopping centers, and promoted modern storefronts in suburban shopping malls. One major example of this movement was the Beverly Shopping Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The Beverly Shopping Center was at the forefront of innovative architecture and site planning during the 1940’s and 50’s. According to Smiley, “the location for the proposed Beverly Center showed the importance of automotive access and the role of the highway in re-organizing social life outside of the city” (8). Located just eighteen miles north of Boston, at the intersection of numerous highways, a new “100% location” had been defined by the automobile. The proposal called for a tunnel that acted as a plugin to the existing highway system. The shopping center would then be surrounded by additional parking. At

“With the introduction of the automobile, people began to rely heavily on their personal vehicles, and less and less on public transportation.” the center of the mall lay an elongated green space that became the central circulation. The green area measured 1000 feet long by 75 feet wide. At one end of the green lay a single saucer shaped department store that was set back from the complex, creating a distinct and iconic form. Opposite the department store lay a two-story office building, theater, exhibition hall, and recreational facility. Lining either side of the green are one-story stores. This new form of organization represented a “piece of the city,” creating a new downtown street in the suburbs (8). Once exiting the vehicle, pedestrians could do all of their shopping before returning

to their car. This layout is the ideal for shopping centers as it utilizes the car but is still focused on the pedestrian experience. In addition to the innovative and reorganized site plan, malls brought about a new architectural vernacular. Gone were downtown streets with detailed and ornate facades. Smiley stated that, “the Beverly Center gave a clear sense of the modernist organizational and formal affiliation” (8). The buildings on either side of the green were housed under a long, sloping roof. The exterior walls consisted of glass panels that were intersected

NUMBER OF NEW MALLS CONSTRUCTED PER YEAR by masonry and wood paneling. The two-story perimeter consisted of recesses, projections, and floating panels. Reflecting the exterior, the singlestory interior façade was also fully glazed and a cantilevered roof projected over the green. In addition to the linear stores, the other buildings surrounding the green demonstrated a modernist vocabulary. All of the architecture helped articulate way finding throughout the shopping experience. Along with the new organization, the use of roof lines, linear elements, and new creative forms of signage helped shoppers easily understand and navigate the shopping center. By introducing a central green, architects

and planners created a pedestrian friendly shopping center amongst a sea of parking. In the years following WWII, architects and urban planners took on a new responsibility: civil defense. The possibility of a nuclear attack created an omnipresent undertone of paranoia. This paranoia can be said to be another factor that may have increased the spread of suburbia and helped fuel the motion for change in how the growth of cities were prioritized. Discussions about “dispersal” and “decentralization” took over urban planning meetings across the country. Heading these conversations were people like Tracy Augur, Morris Ketchum, and Victor Gruen. Augur claimed in 1946 that, “the dense industrial city was obsolete and offered an ‘inviting target’ to enemy bombers, so a dispersed pattern of small efficient cities would improve the nation’s security” (8). Morris Ketchum was the chair for the American Institute of Architecture New York chapter’s Committee for Civil Defense and later the head of the AIA National Defense Committee. And Victor Gruen, as previously mentioned, is the creator of the modern American Shopping Mall. This device allowed America to disperse into vast suburban landscapes. Gruen took advantage of the social and political conditions at the time by connecting his shopping senters to the fear of nuclear attack. In his 1950 address to the National Retail Dry Goods Association (NRDGA) entitled “New Trends in Branch Store Design” he promoted shopping centers as multipurpose complexes, or “satellite downtowns” capable of supporting American consumerism and civil defense demands featuring fireproof construction, underground bomb shelters, emergency refugee sites, meeting places and more. Gruen insisted that such structures would be constructed outside of the current city centers, which would be high probability targets for attack, and that they be built on large sites, away from adjacent residential areas. “As a peacetime community center and a wartime settlement refuge built without government assistance, the shopping center, in Gruen’s hands, became a compelling civic actor” (8). Between the years of 1954 and 1972,

research

Figure 4

IN 1992 THE NEW YORK TIMES COUNTED 48 MALLS WITHIN A 90 MINUTE DRIVE OF TIMES SQUARE

Figure 5 twenty-six of Gruen’s shopping centers were built across twelve states and created a precedent for the rest of America. While more and more malls were being built by developers, citizens started moving away from the city. David Smiley, author of Modern Pedestrian, claims that the shopping malls being located away from the cities created an urban problem. He continues to specify the “suburbanization” of citizens moving away from the cities creating suburbs. At one-point Smiley grabs our attention by stating, “In the past half century, as middle-class whites moved up the real estate ladder into newer, more exuberant residential developments, inner suburban communities often moved down the same ladder. This was not without some benefits, since smaller houses of older communities became more affordable

for less affluent and often marginalized groups aspiring to single-family homes with backyards and barbecues.” Smiley is stating the fact that citizens are flexible in locations of living. Shopping centers were a force or an aspect that drove people away from the city to have an easier, closer and “better” shopping experience than downtowns had to offer. Smiley states that people are flexible, however; the businesses are inflexible. American businesses were trying to find a maximum profit from cheap purchases; land was cheaper the further away from the cities which lead to the development of suburbanization. Merchandisers and developers didn’t account for flexibility (8). If Americans returned to cities it would provide the downtowns an opportunity to survive and rebuild. Suburban shopping malls continued to boom up until about the mid-1990s. In 1992, the New York Times

research counted 48 malls within a 90-minute drive of Times Square. Also at that time, nearly 140 shopping malls were constructed across America annually. However, like all booms, this wouldn’t last (10). The decline of suburban shopping centers would occur slowly over the next decade. A 2001 study revealed that shopping malls were beginning to struggle, and by 2007, just one year before the recession, no new shopping malls were built. In just ten years we went from 140 new shopping malls constructed every year to zero. But not only were no new shopping malls being constructed. Shopping malls were actually beginning to die out. The theory behind the suburban shopping mall may have been good, but the effects have far outlasted its original planners. Pedestrians were once at the forefront of the design, but that has since backfired. Bringing shopping centers to the suburbs has killed pedestrian accessibility. Massive parking lots and garages have made it no longer possible to walk to and from stores. Although this system may have worked and been ideal in the past, we are now seeing a shift. People no longer want to go to a mall or department store. People would rather shop online, or if they are going to shop at a physical store, they would prefer to support local businesses and visit smaller, specialized stores. This has led to the death and decay of many suburban shopping malls all over the United States. Suburban shopping centers have

had a huge impact on the American way of life, and there is no going back. A return to downtown has significantly contributed to the demise of the shopping center, however; the ultimate demise has and will always be due to the automobile. American’s have become too dependent on their cars and there has been simply no good way to deal with them. Architects and planners can create a nearly perfect shopping experience, but until the issue of automobiles is resolved, and American ideals change, the demise of the shopping centers will continue. There are currently 1,100 “surviving” shopping malls in the United States, but according to Credit Suisse nearly one quarter of them are at risk of closing in the next five years (10). Some analysts even predict this number to be higher. The question to ask now is what to do with the abandoned shopping centers? As we enter a new era, architects face this new challenge. It is now called upon of architects and urban planners to reuse these dying suburban shopping centers for something useful and functional for their surrounding communities. Today’s architects and urban planners have a unique opportunity to shape the American architectural vernacular once again, by cutting back on sprawl, learning to adapt and reuse abandoned structures, and create a return to urban lifestyle, in better ways than ever before.

“Shopping centers pulled people away from the city to have an easier, closer, and ‘better’ shopping experience than downtowns had to offer.” 22

1920 Automobile

1947 Rise of Suburbia

History of Malls Timeline 23

1956

Indoor shopping center

research

1986 Peak of shopping centers

2007 Increase of Online shopping

Present Death of suburban Shopping centers

Retail trends The rise of American retail follows a pendulum swing following the preferences and trends set by the American buyer. From retail’s beginnings, as small specialized “mom and pop” shops, to grand department stores, to big box discount retail, and now the rise of internet shopping, retail is a cultural icon that has worked its way into American society.

and storefronts. In addition to these relationships, architects began designing street elevations and storefronts in ways to attract new customers. They began focusing on the pedestrian scale by designing storefronts that respected the human scale. They designed storefronts in such a way that offered a glimpse at what stores had to offer. This trend and advertisement ideology can still be seen today.

Previous to the migration to the suburbs, the majority of the population were living in downtown cities, where life was centered around the pedestrian. There was a design focus to hide the automobile, redesigning main street to accommodate for the car while still focusing on the pedestrian. As the population increased and the automobile became widely popular it was evident that urban shopping centers and urban areas could not accommodate the automobile. This drove shopping centers away from cities.

Following World War II the United States went through a post war economic boom that has been referred to as the Golden age of Capitalism. The cause of this economic boom can be traced back to many different factors. During the war manufacturers streamlined the manufacturing process and became extremely efficient. This transitioned from producing wartime goods, to everyday household goods. Additionally, there was a new focus placed on infrastructure spending. In 1956, Dwight Eisenhower authorized the Interstate Highway System. During this time, cities were looked at as potential targets, so highways were constructed to facilitate evacuation and ease military maneuvers.

In addition to the automobile, high ways became abundant, suburban homes became affordable, and American citizens became sold on the idea of the “American Dream.” These factors, among others, led to the development of the suburbs and the inherently suburban shopping centers.

Along with the automobile, these highways provided accessibility between suburbs and cities, and essentially helped to promote sprawl in American suburbs. Following the war, the retail sector in America went through a huge boom. Americans had money and they wanted to spend it.

Prior to World War II there was a focus on redesigning urban areas. Architects and planners began looking at the relationship between automobiles and pedestrians, roads and sidewalks,

The car gave the consumer greater options for shopping than ever before. Instead of being limited to the traditional downtown department store, they had the ability to hunt for deals in neighboring

research towns (11). With that came the rise of chain stores and malls. One thing that remained constant in this time was the ever growing marketing budget of retail stores. Much like its predecessors, chain stores still had one main target group: Mrs. Consumer. Maker of the home, Mrs. Consumer had the world at her fingertips, money to spend and plenty of places to spend it. More important than suburban life, was family life (11). The era of the baby boom was upon America. Family was everything, and what better place for the family than the shopping mall. Retail began by making a home for itself as an urban realm, a place not only for consuming goods, but a place for socialization, and a home for the community. The great rise of department stores began. Originally “palaces of consumption,” department stores began as luxurious shops that catered to the upper class (11). But they soon became more accessible for the general population, and were huge resources for the community. These early department stores established principles for their buyers. They introduced the one-price system, which responded to the incentives of society for cheap merchandise. They created a rapid stock turn for the economy, and with their success they departmentalized larger organizations of goods for more earnings. From the early nineteen hundreds to the twenty-first century, this period of time was called the retail revolution. For a golden age of about fifty years the department stores ruled as the king of retail. The local department store became the heart of the community, creating large holiday parades, and bringing traditions unique to their own communities. The department store had become a part of the traditional main street of America all across the country. Department stores paved the way for mainstream American consumer culture, and was ingrained in the American experience. With the rise of suburbs, the department stores were driven to expansion. The city’s department stores expanded to become a community name opening “outlet” stores in the suburbs. The companies saw their outlets as

Figure 6 branches of their flagship downtown stores. Stripped of many amenities that remained constant in downtown, the outlets provided competition for the other chain stores. It gave consumers a well-known name they could trust, at just a fraction of operation costs. Before they even knew it was happening, the outlet stores began outselling the flagship stores, and the main street began to suffer. The city shopper was a thing of the past. While many surveys showed consumers preferred the experience of the downtown stores, they were hard to access by car. Creating it’s own competition, the department store played a large part in its own demise (11). The downtown department store was forced to compete with its own outlet store in the suburbs. Often adopting the streamline look of the malls, facades were simplified and covered with metal paneling (11). Frank Bresee’s Oneonta Department store, which had seven departments and six salespeople saw a modern update. Gone was the

Figure 7

ornate architectural detail. The building adopted a new sleek aluminum facade and storefront. Along with the exteriors, interiors were seeing updates as well. In an attempt to increase floor space in stores and simplify the flow of people escalators were becoming widely popular. The first escalator was introduced to the south in downtown Foley’s in Houston. The escalator was essential for the human factor in the architectural design of shopping centers. It took on a new persona within the interior and the floor plan, with it’s geometry and glass panels. By the early 1960s, over three quarters of all stores took consideration of renovation for modernization. One consistency in all of retail history is the retailer following the trends set by consumers. In the early days of retail, consumers preferred being taken care of. Shopping was a luxury activity that took place in “palaces of consumption” in ornate downtown architectural gems (11). As a customer, your every need was catered to. The turn of the century brought

along new preferences. As the rise of ready to wear clothing became popular, the stores began to adapt to reflect this trend. As time went on the retailers adapted to cater to the consumer in shopping malls in the suburbs. The stores that were once on main street were forced to follow this population shift and move to the suburbs in the form of big box stores. Today we see the pendulum swinging back, as the desire for mixed use, community driven centers are desired once again. The suburban shopping malls are a slowly dying phenomenon. Most of the time these spaces are left unused, vacant, and left to decay (11). But this was not the only problem the department stores had to face. The war had also broken down large barriers between the consumer and the retailer relationship. While it used to be standard for a store to only display limited products and require a trained salesperson to assist the buyer and present the items to them, the lack of trained workers during the war began to turn the tables. Racks of accessible items

research were introduced, paving the way to retail as we know it today (11). With this, stores could hire less expensive, inexperienced workers to help cut costs. While department stores did this minimally, there were others that took this to the extreme. The creation of discount chain stores created immense competition for department stores. With discount buyers slashing prices as low as they could, the department could not compete. Retail entered a war of its own. New governmental restrictions were met with aggression from discounters and departments together. The government, attempting to protect manufactures with fair trade deals, restricted the price cuts retailers could place on items. Most of these initial attempts were short lived and incredibly hard to enforce. An act called “ The Miller Tydings Act ” during the late 1930s, failed to contain the price wars (11). It was an act to exempt retail price maintenance agreements and apply higher taxes on the big department stores,

because a department store had all of that. These retail wars began to change the American consumer all together. Through learned behavior, the typical suburban American came to expect extremely low prices and stores price bidding against each other. It gave power to the consumer like never before. This time period gave rise to what would become discount empires such as Walmart, Kmart and many others. Consumers shopped where it was cheapest and loved to watch these stores expand and expand. Smalltown stores such as Marshall Field’s in Chicago and Wanamaker’s in Philadelphia, were either bankrupt or were replaced by bigger companies such as Macy’s, J.C. Penney, and Walmart (11). Even big-town stores such as Foley’s in Houston, Texas and A.T. Stewarts in New York City, which were praised for their architectural features and merchandise, have also been replaced by big-department store chains (11). So why are shopping malls failing? The answer to this question isn’t all that simple. Some people blame the

“Palaces of consumption” including the purchasing of merchandise. However, it failed to offer fair trade advocates a strong method for maintaining low prices, and it wasn’t a federal resale price maintenance law; therefore, the act didn’t directly authorize or require resale price maintenance throughout the U.S. Even though the “mom and pop” shops were complaining about going out of business due to the price wars, huge department store chains became the most dependable resource for consumption. In 1941, dollar sales rose, surpassing the department store industry’s 1929 peak (11). Consumer spending rose by 22% in the United States, despite rationing of resources for the war. Since consumers weren’t able to spend their large paychecks on mechanical goods, like automobiles, because they were so scarce consumers spent money at the movies, entertainment events, and buying clothing or housing appliances, which is very convenient

internet, online retailers, and technology, while others blame a changing shopping demographic. Some people simply believe that American social ideology is changing. American shopping malls are not failing for one reason or the other, but they are dying because they are not keeping up with retail trends. Yes, the internet can be blamed for stealing a large portion of shopping market share and millennials no longer like to wander aimlessly through shopping malls. If shopping malls, retailers, and developers cannot identify that American retail is changing, suburban shopping malls will continue to fail. During the last decade online shopping has become both extremely safe and simple. More people are relying on online shopping than ever before. In a recent study by Big Commerce it was found that 51% of Americans think shopping online is the best way to

shop, with only 49% preferring to shop in store. However, current sales do not match up with this statistic. In that same study, it was found that Americans spend only 36% of their budget online versus 64% in store. The current statistics don’t match up, but it is clear to see where trends are heading. Online retailers have made shopping fun, simple, and easy, however; this does not mean that in store retailers are destined to die out. Retailers simply need to adapt to the digital age and provide a shopping exp-

and preferences retailers can adapt and provide merchandise tailored to what shoppers actually want. Online retailers do this all the time. They constantly track what you look at and buy, so that they can suggest your next purchase. Advertisements use the exact same algorithms, track you and provide something unique and tailored for each individual shopper, maximizing potential profit and probability. Not only can online stores apply this data, but traditional retailers can to. By taking advantage of

“With the forthcoming of the digital age, traditional retailers need to have a strong online and social media presence in order to survive” erience that is both fun and simple just to stay alive. How can retail stores stay competitive with online stores? There are multiple solutions to this question. One way in which retailers have responded to e-commerce and online shopping is through in store pickup. Retailers such as Walmart and Target have not only embraced online shopping, but have taken advantage of it. By selling goods online and offering free in store pick up, these retailers are providing shoppers with the ease of online shopping, while still convincing shoppers to come into their store. By providing in store pickup retailers are tricking shoppers to come into the store where there still may be a potential to do traditional shopping as well. In addition to in store pickups retailers such as Walmart and Target have fully digitized themselves, and are providing a full online shopping experience to those who prefer it, including delivery to your door for a small fee. By incentivizing in store pickup traditional retailers have taken advantage of both e-commerce and traditional retail. Another way in which traditional retailers can stay competitive with online retailers is by tracking and taking advantage of online analytics. Retailers such as Nordstom have been investing heavily in data driven research (12). By understanding trends

this data traditional retailers can understand area demographics and can fully tailor the user experience to a particular area. For example, a Target located near a school might have a larger back-to-school selection and can sell more notebooks and pens, while a Target near an elderly home may have a larger pharmacy, selling more medication. By utilizing online data, retailers can specialize their merchandise to target more specific demographics. With the forthcoming of the digital age, traditional retailers need to have a strong online and social media presence in order to survive. Through social media outlets, retailers can create an online image for themselves. For example, over the past year the fast food chain Wendy’s has created a fun and playful twitter account responding with wit and humor. By doing this Wendy’s has created an image for itself and has gained national attention. Retailers and brands that are more conservative can also take advantage of social media by providing an online presence that is more traditional. Additionally, by having a social media and online presence, retailers can advertise and promote themselves while staying in tune with current market trends. Not only is online shopping become main-stream,

research

Figure 8 but in store technology is also changing. Current shoppers are attached to their smart phones, and retailers are taking advantage of this. Retailers such as Target and Samsung have incorporated technology into their shopping experience. Target has created an app that allows shoppers to scan items while shopping. Their app Cartwheel allows shoppers to

scan items and look for sales, making the shopping experience more enjoyable. Samsung, a tech giant, has begun to incorporate virtual reality to help customers visualize spaces before purchasing TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or other products. Furniture companies including Wayfair, have begun to do a similar thing; augmenting reality that lets its customers visualize full scale 3D models

of furniture and décor in their homes (13). Even make-up companies such as MatchCo have begun to experiment with digital technology. MatchCo has developed an app that allows customers to scan their skin tone to get a perfect match (13).

customers in a way that online stores cannot. By creating experiences, traditional retailers have created a niche that may play a vital role in their survival. In the current retail market, a failure to think digitally may be destructive.

Not only are shopping technologies advancing, but so are the ways consumers buy. Retailers have begun to understand that’s shoppers and customers prefer simplicity and speed. By allowing customers to pay via smartphone when checking out, or using self checkout lines, retailers have minimized waiting in lines and have enhanced in store shore shopping experiences dramatically.

Why are shoppers no longer satisfied with current retail trends? Simply stated “retail moves at the speed of culture, which means players sometimes quickly come and go” (12). Current retail stores and shopping centers were designed around the baby boomers and generation X. Meandering through endless products and strolling through malls were once favorable and preferred. Through the decrease of traditional retail stores and suburban shopping centers we can clearly see that times are changing. Not only is technology advancing, but with millennials, traditional retailers

Retailers are even beginning to experiment with apps that allow shoppers to check out while

“an expe shopping, without ever having to go through a line. It is extremely important for traditional retailers to develop these technologies. Providing an experience that is both engaging, simple, and fast traditional retailers can engage shoppers that may have otherwise relied on online shopping. Retailers have shifted away from promoting just goods, but have found more success in promoting an experience. By embracing technology and e-commerce retailers have been able to create an experience that is specialized and in tune with market trends. Physical experiences are extremely difficult to accomplish online, so traditional retailers have taken the opportunity to create experiences that attract new

are facing a new type of shopper. The millennial generation is the largest in the United States history. As millennials are growing up they are becoming a huge proponent of retail shopping. According to Tom McGee in his article “How Millennial are Changing Retail Patterns” he states, “millennials have come of age during a time of technological change, globalization and economic disruption. These factors have given them a distinctly different set of behaviors and experiences.” Millennials are unlike any generation seen before, they are savvy and more educated. As a generation, they turn to smart phones for their every need. Technology is how they get things done. They are a generation that is so big and so powerful that they are disrupting traditional retail

research patterns. Not only are millennials impacting their own generation, but through technology, millennials are beginning to influence previous generations. They are creating a massive shift in the retail market; creating a new type of shopper, both young and old. Along with technology, how can retailers adapt to this new type of shopper? Like mentioned above shoppers are looking for a new type of experience. Traditional shopping is no longer attractive. Modern shoppers are looking for convenience and flexibility. They look for experience over items, and most importantly they look for personalized experiences. By adapting shopping to become an experience, it will attract a base of new customers.

experience where they feel valued. In the age of the internet, shoppers often do their own research before even entering a store. No longer do shoppers need sales people to give them a general knowledge about a product, but customers are looking for personalized information; how a product can directly affect them. Shoppers more than ever are looking for retailers to meet their needs and demands. Retailers must be able to adapt and create a personal experience for each and every shopper. With the forthcoming of the new shopper, shopping will never be the same. Traditional retail methods no longer work as shoppers are demanding retailers to adapt to changing trends. There are many reasons why shopping is changing, but the bottom line is that it is changing. Retailers need to be able to identify

e rienceâ&#x20AC;? Mobile devices and technology play a massive role in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retail trends, but shoppers still value experiences. To encourage shoppers to spend, retailers have gotten creative. For example, a number of fitness brands realize the importance of experience, including popular athleisure brand Lululemon. This company offers complimentary in-store fitness classes. Retailers are beginning to create hubs where shoppers can share similar interests and become engaged. Not only is creating a shopping experience enough, but according to Tom McGee, modern shoppers are looking for a personalized shopping experience. Shoppers are looking for a customer centric

these changes and adapt to them. Modern shoppers are looking for not only items, but experiences. With todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technological advancements everyday items can be purchased just about anywhere online. Online shopping does not provide the experience that shoppers are looking for. Yes, online shopping is on the rise, and in store shopping is no longer favorable. But as long as traditional retailers can adapt to retail trends, and provide a shopping experience that creates a niche for themselves, they will survive.

2.2

Precedents Architectural precedent studies Precedent studies â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the study of architects, architectural projects, and their outcomes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; can help us to unravel the mysteries of a particular architectural project and can help to make our own projects more responsive to the needs of our clients.

roofs; while other architectural works exalt structure and program, making it an integral part of the architectural vocabulary or language, using it to communicate and respond to client and constituent needs meaningfully and on all levels.

Architecture, structure, client, use, and program are inherently united. Without knowing clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs, organizing program is impossible; without program, structure is meaningless; without structure, architecture cannot become reality; without architecture there are no well designed buildings!

Case studies show architects what design strategies have worked and what ones have fallen short of their objectives. By making a close study of these architectural works we can observe and understand the integration of these fundamental themes.

Some architectural works merely employ structure and program, hiding it within walls, ceilings and

For our project some of these themes include urban context, adaptive reuse, use of technology in buildings, and healthcare related facilities.

Research

Common threads Adaptability

Reuse or retrofit for future needs

Walkability & Connection

Better connection to the community and walkability are key

Outward facing retail

Return of focus on the pedestrian and street oriented retail

Community

Specific needs of the community should be considered

Uniqueness

The most successful projects provide an atmosphere that cannot be found anywhere else in the surrounding area, creating a dramatic pull toward the site

Apple Dubai mall

Architect: Foster + Partners

The Apple store in the Dubai Mall is located in the heart of the city of Dubai. It is located next to the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Fountains and the buisness district, which are three other key features of the city. With this context, the Apple store in the Dubai Mall hopes to break away from the typical image of a mall store being an enclosed environment within a larger structure cut off from the outside world. By incorporating a unique terrace space that looks out to Dubai, consumers are connected to the city while still being within the store. Much like in Apple itself, innovation can be found within the building in features like the opening and closing â&#x20AC;&#x153;solar wingsâ&#x20AC;? that add ambient lighting throughout the day. Attention was paid in the smallest of details to create a desirable customer experience that represents Apple (Figure 1).

Research

de plussenburgh Architect: Arons En Gelauff Architecten

De Plussenburgh is a senior housing facility that combats the social and urban challenges of senior housing. According to the architect, the design was â&#x20AC;&#x153;inspired by the forthcoming retirement of the hippie generation.â&#x20AC;? By introducing a colorful and playful facade, a fun and inviting site, and a flexible interior environment, the project challenges the architectural vernacular of senior and accessible housing. De Plussenburgh is more than just a building; it is an idea. Located in the heart of IJsselmonde, a decaying suburb of Rotterdam, de Plussenburgh represents an emblem of the future, setting an architectural standard for the redevelopment of the suburban neighborhood. Additionally, the project created a back drop for the formation of a new neighborhood center within the suburbs. (Figure 2)

Estonian national museum

Architect: DGT Architects

The Estonian National Museum was completed in 2016. In 1991, after a long history of being occupied by powerful neighboring countries, the Estonians gained their independence. The people of Estonia needed a national museum to celebrate their heritage and acknowledge their hardships. The site for the museum is an old Soviet Union air runway outside of the city of Tartu. The architecture of the museum is modeled after the existing site and mimics the continuation of the runway. The exterior is made of glass and reflects the interior. The interior utilizes every square foot as a design opportunity. It uses innovative technology to create interactive exhibits to bring the history of Estonia to visitors in a engaging and personal way. The museum is not only very technically advanced but also serves as a cultural and community center. (Figure 3)

Research

Housing for the Elderly is a senior living facility completed in 2016. Its design was heavily influenced by the context in which it is located, being between the arid landscape of the agriculture region of the city and the wetlands. The horizontality of the area due to the abundance of agriculture led the building to be a low lying one story. The project utilizes three main materials, glass, concrete block and wood. One of the main goals of the project was to create a sense of community within the building for the residents. Through the use of inward facing units to a central courtyard where the residents can gather; similar to a local tradition of bringing chairs into the streets to gather. The circulation is along the exterior of the building to force all the residents to see the interior space which promotes interactaction in this space. (Figure 4)

Housing For the elderly Architect: รณscar Miguel Ares รกlavarez

HUIS AAN’T LARR Architect: 5In4E Architects

Concealed in the grand forest of Zoersel, Belgium, Huis Aan ’t Laar, or ‘house at the open space in the forest’ was created as a short-term living space for individuals suffering and recovering from mental illnesses. The building is surrounded by dense forest and is seemingly buried in the topography. Inside, the building consists of 16 different living spaces, along with a centralized staircase containing a light well. The layout is two seperate groupings of rooms, eight on each side of the center stair. The interior, which reflects the opposite of what the exterior suggests, is very bright and promotes natural light penetration. The shape of the building and window placement was directly influenced by the parti: Allow each room to have 2 unique views of the natural surroundings. The exterior of the building is clad with charred wood which adds to the eerie aesthetic. Huis Aan ‘t Laar is an amazing example of functional and new healthcare design. (Figure 5)

Research

KODA

Architect: Kodasema KODA, a mobile home unit created by Kodasema, has truly revolutionized the industry of “Tiny Homes”. With a modern and minimalistic design, small floor plan and a smart organization of space, Kodasema created a movable home with off-grid capabilities. The movable home can be assembled in 7 hours and disassembled in roughly 4 hours. One of the only building materials is concrete and the unit has factory made components, selected specifically for strength, integrity and energy efficiency. The strong structure allows the “tiny home” to be built without a foundation and on different types of surfaces. An arrangement of KODA buildings can be connected together to become office buildings, school classrooms or apartments in an urban environment, They can be utilized in many different ways to benefit a community. (Figure 6)

MORPHOLOGY BUILDING KODA Architect: Talia Valdez + Nรณmena

Urban transformation is underway in the city of Lima. More specifically the Miraflores Disctrict, in the Santa Cruz neighborhood, where all the small town shops are being transformed into multipurpose spaces. Since this area is so narrow, the buildngs being developed are using geometry to form the new neighborhood. This particular building, built in 2016, is home to a large botanical garden, as well as commercial space, offices, and a cafeteria. To replace a traditional curtain wall, the front of the building is made up of a giant concrete lattice that also acts as the structure of the building. This also symbolizes the traditional Lima balcony that allows one to see without being seen. The latice design makes it a lightweight, but a strong structure that can support heavy loads. In this main area of the faรงade, two envelopes were developed in order to control temperature and solar exposure. (Figure 7)

Research

Narva College was completed in 2012 for Tartu University of Tartu Estonia and is one of four satellite Colleges for the University. Narva, much like Dresden, Rotterdam and other cities, was nearly completely destroyed during World War II. The Narva Stock Exchange building sat very close to where the College sits today. Kavakava Architects wanted to reference the past, respect the urban fabric of Narva, yet build something new. The result was moving the façade back from where the Stock Exchange was so that it is aligned with the Town Hall to the west. All of the detail on the façade is “embossed” or a negative of what was on the original façade. The roof cantilevers out dramatically to match the old roof pitch. The interior is compact, centered around a courtyard, and features exposed concrete structure throughout. (Figure 8)

NARVA COLLEGE Architect: KavaKava Architects

NEW TONGLING LIBRARY Architect: Yue-Design Co., LTD

The new library houses a Xinhua bookstore, the Tongling College Library, & the Tongling Public Library. Spaces within the library are tailored to people of all abilities and ages. These spaces include lecture halls and galleries for students, a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s zone, listening rooms for audio experiences, and a section for people who are visually impaired. The library is complete with places to eat, to shop, and to be entertained and is meant to be a place where people could spend the day. It is located in the suburban outskirts of Tongling. This may seem like a poor location if malls are used as a precedent. Malls are generally located within suburbs and are inaccessible to many people due to lack of public transportation, one of the reasons most malls have failed. However, the city has has provided three public bus lines from downtown Tongling out to the library to provide transport for those living in the city. These bus lines total over a hundred trips per day to the new facility. (Figure 9)

Research

The Ono-Sake Warehouse is located between the commercial and residential district in Tsukuba. A city located in the Ibaraki prefecture, in Japan. Eureka and G architects wanted to go for a minimalistic approach on the exterior and interior features. The warehouse consists of offices, logistics warehousing, shops, and a large storage for liquor. Its designed with a storefront and wide open spaces that are visible from the street which attracts local visitors and drivers. The spaces are customized to people who have physical disabilities. The interior has very wide halls of comfortable circulation, and an elevator for people who are physical impaired. The structure is made with wood, steel, and plaster work. The Ono-Sake Warehouse not only invites people in from around the neighborhood, but it also gets other people from urban areas to visit the warehouse. (Figure 10)

ONO-SAKE WAREHOUSE Architect: Eureka and G Architects

TARTU NATURE HOUSE Architect: Karisma Architects

The Tartu Nature House is a government funded, open educational center. The building was completed in 2013, and was designed by Karisma Architects in Estonia. The facility incorporates an outdoor park with a main building. The building holds classrooms, workshops, a library and a two story greenhouse. The Tartu Nature House was built as a public example of a sustainable lifestyle. It acts as a center for learning about the natural environment, as well as a prime example of a sustainable building. The shape of the nature center creates a wide â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yâ&#x20AC;? with its branched wings. This forms a courtyard area that opens the building to the rest of the park. The Tartu Nature House is a successful example of government collaboration in sustainable design. Buildings like this are a necessary step to teaching the next generation about the natural environment, even in an urban setting. (Figure 11)

Research

TBRHC

Architect: Farrow Partners The Thunder Bay Regional Health Centre is a great leap forward in the advancement of modern medicine. Creating an environment that tries to give more vitality to a patient’s life while staying at a hospital is the concept behind the TBRHC. Today, we focus so much on the how a building looks that we forget the most important principle: caring for the client. In this case the client isn’t the medical staff or the owners, but it’s the patients that are going to use the space in their critical time of need. The TBRHC provides not only a multitude of healthcare options, but also an academic setting, outstanding research output, a community gathering space, and much more. This building is setting the bar for healthcare innovation, and it will encourage the rest of the world to follow its example. (Figure 12)

TORRE SENIOR Architect: Atelier Lopes Da Costa

Torre Senior is a residential facility in which residents have the option to choose the duration of time to stay. Torre Senior’s design focuses on the health of its elderly residents. This building contains sixty bedrooms with activity areas such as living, dining, and health facilities that are embedded into Lopez da Costa’s design. J. A. Lopes himself had a vision to design a large, simple, functional, and modern building that focuses on the care for the elderly. The interior resembles a hotel rather than a “typical” elderly home. The building takes advantage of its site’s topography and views, as well as its orientation to have a solar passive design. Lopez da Costa envisioned a building for older people that showed more appreciation than that of a typical nursing home. Torre Senior is an example of how retirement and nursing homes can create a better environment for the elderly. (Figure 13)

Research

INSTALLATION 48

Crocker Park Crocker Park is a high-end, mixed-use retail and residential park located in Westlake, Ohio. This site opened in 2004 and was the main study to inspired the design of a lifestyle center for the site in Clarence. Crocker Park is roughly the same size as the Eastern Hills Mall site and the demographics of Westlake, OH are very similar to that of Clarence, NY. Upon visiting Crocker Park, the design team noted many features that were successful and could perhaps be well suited for Clarence as well. They then used these observations as spring boards for their own design process. The website for the architects of the shopping center states, “Bialosky + Partners Architects unified plan and design guidelines to produce buildings of a proportion and mixture that are also reinforced by their siting and size -to create a pedestrian-friendly visiting and living environment. Parking at street level and in structures, carefully planned to maximize accessibility while enhancing traffic flow and safety, encourages pedestrian movement and use. Streets, crossings and intersections were created on a grid while providing pedestrian alleys and walkways to encourage movement. The grid provides for the critical mass of urban interaction necessary to sustain a vital community. Intersections and connections to and with green spaces were created to allow for both random and structured events and active and leisurely use. A linear 60 ft. by 1000 ft. median park is at the heart of the project. It is programmed beyond

just an open space to feature venues and amenities for a variety of events.” (1) The site also features one main street lined for the most part with retail on the first floor, offices above and residential above that, which is a good mix of uses. Crocker Park also has a handful of aspects that were not so desirable for the Eastern Hills Malls reuse. There are four entrances to Crocker Park, all of which are not very prominent and don’t announce to the passerby that there is something exciting within. The complex is also missing need based facilities such as doctor’s offices, day cares or grocery stores. All the retail stores are high-end chains, with no “mom and pop” stores on the site. Most of the retail on site is commercial retail. These are not the types of stores a resident would use on a day to day basis, but rather ones that they may visit once every two or three months like Gucci. Almost all the buildings were the same three story height. This gives a very monotonous feel to the streetscape. A bit of variety was added to the top floor of the buildings but it falls short from actually making the space feel unique. At the south end of the main street is the world headquarters for American Greetings. American Greetings acts as a strong anchor for the complex providing a steady source of users to the site. There is also a small green space in front of American Greetings, however, it is not inviting in any way and creates a dead end in which people don’t know what to do with themselves. Therefore, they either leave in their cars which are parked in the parking garages adjacent to American Greetings or they turn back around and head back the way they came up the main street. At the other end of the main street there are a

E C T O RY

research

detroit road

Crocker Park Management office

1 29

1 31

1 30

LOCATION

1 32

Westlake, OH

residential entry office building entry 1 28 1 27

OFFICE

opologie us Furniture Bath & Beyond ric Mull ry

eMax us Number Surroundings Table on Wireless

LODGING Place Hotel

BEAUTY

ony Vince alon & Body Works y Brands Cuts es Scott & Spas Palmieri pean Wax ers

111

313

main street garage

314

Solutions

323

324

1 31 US Bank

222

223

WHITLOCK

224

233

COST $200 Million

SURFACE AREA

480

333

327 326

332

330

331

GORDON

334

88 Acres = 3,850,000 sq ft

335 336 337 338 339 340 341 34 2 34 3 344 345 346

433

BUILT PERCENTAGE 40%

NON-BUILT PERCENTAGE

ARGUS 421 422 423

Gordon Building The Aldridge Group Compass Bank Highland Consulting

404 403 402 40 1

407 409 410 411 412

406

60%

405

415 416 417

Howley Bread Group

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

316 317 318 319 320 321 322

GRANTLAND B

347 348

31 0 31 1 31 2

1 1 6 Scottrade Financial

Huntington Private Financial Group Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

221

229 230 231 232

308 309

1 08 Huntington Bank

Grantland Building B Key Private Bank

220

main street

307

225

1 30 First National Bank

Grantland Building A Wells Fargo Advisors

Promenade (North Plaza) – 1996 American Greetings – 2004

GRANTLAND A

219

227 228

226

432 American Greetings

Creative Studios

206

209 208 207

WHITLOCK

OFFICES & BANKS

1 32 Fidelity Investments

218

202 203 204 205

433 Market Square

1 2 1 Citizens Bank

YEAR BUILT

1 35

201

North Union Farmer’s Market

Stadium 16 & IMAX

1 24

u n i o n st re et

Lake Ridge Academy Splash Zone

124 Regal Cinemas

1 37

1 34

1 2 1 123

SQUARE

ENTERTAINMENT

Roche Wealth Management of Raymond James Theatre

1 36 1 38

125 11 3 114 115 116 117 119 120

Provence 41 1 LUSH 1 05 Lush Express Nails & Blowdry 2 1 3 MAC Cosmetics 1 0 1 Massage Envy 3 2 6 Massage Heights 4 1 9 Privé Nail Spa 2 2 3 Sephora

1 09 110

11 2

Salon and Spa by Aveda

217 216 215 214 213 212 211 210

sal Cupcakes s Cosmic Subs Watch Guys Burgers es er’s Ice Cream Park Prime house els by Chrissie d Planet hie’s Frozen t y’s Pizza an’s Famous lecat Co-Op y Mountain olate Factory k’s Fruit thie’s & hy Eats ucks ucks ucks ay de Brazil Friday’s ’s Asian Bistro House Fresh Co.

High-end, mixed-use retail and residential park

344 Headquarters

304 L’Occitane en

WHAT

126

1 08

30 1 302 303 304 305 306

ms Pizzeria est Wine Bar din’s Eatery e Anne’s els ot ouie s & Noble fish Grill Tuscan Grille gger’s Bagel y wood Tavern na Laredo Cheesecake ry otle Mexican

Optical 402 General Nutition Center (GNC)

325

1 02 Eye Candy

133

cle

1 39

residential office

c ro c ke r r o a d

market square garage

RETAIL

mulberry garage

41 8 41 9

1.05 Million sq ft

Raymond James Regus

RESIDENTIAL UNITS

The Szarek Team – Howard Hanna Realty Office

650 units (100% rented out)

Whitlock Building MetroHealth Westlake Plastic Surgery & Medical Spa – Dr. Steven Goldman, Plastic Surgeon

S P O N S O R E D BY :

american greeting s garage

OFFICE

4 32

100,000 sq ft N

Figure 14

R PA R K . C O M || 1 89 CROCKER PARK BLVD || 440.871.6880

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

few bars/pubs, restaurants, a movie theater, and a bus stop. The main strip and a small cross road are the only two main public ways of the entire site. Behind and parallel to the main street is a utility street. Although this is good for access into the retail spaces it leaves no room for the complex to expand should it want to in the future. This street has no sidewalks, discouraging pedestrians from walking there. The main street has wide sidewalks with bump outs at intersections so pedestrians can cross safely and cars will slow down. Roundabouts are used to slow cars down in other intersections as well. There is street side parking (metered) as well as eight parking garages (free), which for the site, seemed a bit excessive. A few of the parking garages have obvious attempts to disguise their presence incorporated into their design. A change of ground materials is incorporated in a few spots throughout the site in an attempt to slow pedestrians down and make them slow down through the site. Potted plants and sidewalk furniture are generously used in an attempt to make a more inviting atmosphere. However, the planters and furniture seem temporary and randomly scattered. Although, the plants do fill the main street all year long, even during winter. On a Tuesday afternoon the site is nearly empty and those who were there were mostly workers. However, on weekends the park is full of people and street parking is full to the brim. There is one building on site called the Market Building and we were given the impression that this building is supposed to be a main gathering place for the small community. There is a green park adjacent to the building where there is a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market every Saturday. However, when we were there the building was empty as well as the grass field. The place felt dead. The road shooting off the main street to lead people to this space also missed the mark a bit. The road curves by the building instead of stopping in front of it so that it can continue to the nearby parking garage. However, for a space that was meant to be a main community space, this was not successful by way of announcing the space or drawing people in. Beyond the Market Building there is a complex of low density, multifamily houses that is part of the park.

research Another aspect that made the site feel unwelcoming was that we were asked to cease taking pictures and then asked to leave. After a few words, we were allowed to stay, but it was clear that Crocker Park is first and foremost a high-end, secure residential development, not a public space. There were security cameras on every building corner and lamp post. There was also no casual space, no place to stop and people watch, and no hang out space. The only space that could be said to be casual space is a small park across the street from Barnes & Noble. This park consisted of all hard surfaces, no grass, and had the only water feature on the entire site- a small fountain. There is also a life size chess board, a smattering of chairs and tables and a collection of café-like huts. The original plans for Crocker Park incorporated many more dedicated green spaces, but few of these were developed. This is something the design team kept in mind during the design process of the Clarence site. In regard to scheduling, the third phase of development involving American Greetings was rushed. Due

to this most of the retail space on that end of the site is still boarded up and vacant, even years after its construction. This leads to a dead end corridor where there is little for the visitor to see or do, and forces them to turn around. Our conclusion after a visit to Crocker Park was that the complex was much more of a high end residential community than anything else, which actually fits well with the demographic of Clarence, NY. The proportion of program space, such as living space to office space ratio, was a suitable example for our project. However, the overall feel of the site was a tad off-putting. The lack of casual and park space made it an unfriendly place for both guests and residents. The lack of retail that isn’t “chain” also made the complex feel rather sterile and unlivable. The site funneled guests through it and ushered them out once they had done their shopping, and security was rather tight. Thus, it was deterrmined that the goal for the Clarence site was to model the programming after Crocker Park, for the most part, but make it a more public, enjoyable space for guests as well as residents.

Figure 19

1 5 IN

American Malls are in decline.

Redevelopment of Dead MALLS All across America shopping malls are facing change. The fact that the United States is over retailed is not hard to see. American shopping has developed a cannibalistic pattern and is eating up its competition. First, suburban box stores and outlets took away business from downtown city retail. Then suburban malls took the business of the big outlet stores. Then bigger and newer malls ate up smaller malls. This process has now caused a large portion of malls to lose business and under perform. These malls are either closed or close to death. In fact, a study done by the Congress for New Urbanism showed that â&#x20AC;&#x153;nearly a fifth of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2,000 large scale regional malls are dying or decliningâ&#x20AC;? (2). To deal with the problem of dying retail malls a plethora of reuse projects have popped up around the country to bring life back to these structures and give them a more useful or functional purpose for the

communities around them. One of the methods that has been tested in dealing with under utilized malls is adaptively reusing the existing structure of a mall or its anchor stores and introducing new programs with minimal physical changes to the actual structure of the mall building. Another solution could be to simply add some sort of attractive addition to the mall to start bringing people back to the site. In some drastic cases old malls are simply bulldozed back to the soil and entire new sites and buildings are built in it place with a different program. Many types of programs can be successfully adapted to fit within the existing built space of malls with minimal physical changes to the building. The most common of these retrofitted programs include schools, office spaces, medical centers and large scale churches. These seemingly unlikely clients are often successful in these spaces because they do not rely on passers-by and foot traffic to stay alive (3).

highland mall The Highland Mall was once named one of America’s most endangered malls. Nearly all the retail space was vacant by 2010. Austin Community College (ACC) bordered the lot to the mall and decided to purchase it. Barnes Gromatzy Kosarek Architects reimagined the building as a mixed use community for the college. The mall’s largest space, formerly JC Penney, was transformed into an educational space. This held classroom space, a library and offices. A skylight was added to allow natural light into the big box space since it now houses classrooms. The transformation is still in progress, but the college imagines there will be

Figure 20

student run restaurants and tech spaces throughout the parts of the mall that are still currently waiting to be renovated. Richard Rhodes, the president of ACC claims that “since we’ve started construction, we’ve seen the surrounding community improve. New businesses opened up and vacant businesses have been purchased. It’s turning around the local neighborhood.” This is a perfect example of how a mall site renovation can impact an entire community, not just within its site but also within the greater context of a community.

research

Figure 21

Figure 22

Figure 23

Hundred oaks mall Yet another retrofit use for an existing dead mall is medical facilities. As the demand for healthcare goes up, the medical field built space needs to expand as well. The Hundred Oaks Mall in Nashville Tennessee was adapted to hold a mix use medical office destination. The main failure point of the mall came from its outdated access point due to changing traffic patterns in the area. Although the mall is still partially operational, the new clients took over the entire second story space of the mall (4). The architects, Gresham Smith and Partners, partnered with Vanderbilt University to create the new Vanderbilt

Medical Center. The master plan they developed included 880,000 square feet of programed services, with an additional 300,000 square feet of leased space, and 90,000 square feet of future expansion space. Updated traffic bridges and signals were included to retrofit the inefficiency of the site entrances. The only major changes to the architecture of the mall were updated entrances, and refinished interiors (5). The medical center now brings a large number of people to the site, many of whom will shop there and keep the rest of the mall alive.

Northpark mall Another example of a school successfully reusing abandoned mall space is the Joplin High School that was temporarily placed in the Northpark Mall in Joplin, Missouri. After a devastating tornado took down the town, destroying the existing high school in its path, the Joplin High School found temporary refuge in the old mall. Within a period of fifty-five days the old Venture department store was adapted to fit all the 11th and 12th grade students from the high school (6). Although the space was temporary

Figure 24, 25 (Top), 26 (lower)

and only used for three years, the mall served as a test space for architectural features for the new building that was proposed for the destroyed high school. A couple of these features were wider hallway spaces and lounges (7). Sadly, once the new school building was completed they left the mall vacant once again. However, it left behind the knowledge that these structures are not useless and that malls can in fact serve as temporary disaster relief area.

research

Walmart In Wisconsin, a group of senior citizens have found a new home in an old Walmart Supercenter. Much like malls, big box stores have undergone a cannibalistic process, often moving out of smaller, older stores for bigger, better locations, leaving the old site abandoned. Retrofitting the big box store was not the first choice for the group. The Centralia Senior Resource Center is the compilation of several regional care facilities that were previously located scattered through the downtown area. While looking for a

Figure 27

large site for a new building it became clear they could not afford a new building, and the abandoned Walmart became an attractive option. The largest struggle was getting the community behind this idea. The public was afraid of it looking and feeling like an old Walmart, a challenge faced by any retrofit. The adaptation was complete in 2002 and has since become an anchor for the downtown area, creating a pull once again and has had a positive impact on the surrounding retail districts as well (8).

research

Figure 28

mayfield mall Another attractive option for adapting existing malls is office space. The Mayfield Mall in Mountain View, California is one example. Mountain View underwent many changed plans before its fate today. It was originally a shopping mall for 20 years. It was then purchased by HP who planned for it to become the Hewlett Packard campus, which it did, temporarily. Then, it was planned for the mall to become a large housing complex. Finally, today it is in the hands of

Google. Google renamed the site San Antonio Station and has completely repurposed it into a state of the art office space. The site offers Google a large plot of land that is easily accessible by vehicles. Land the size of a mall is not easy to come by in Silicon Valley and high-tech companies like Google â&#x20AC;&#x153;craveâ&#x20AC;? large tracts of land like this for their expansions (9).

the arcade A common use for disused malls not yet mentioned here is housing. An example of this is The Arcade in Providence, Rhode Island. The Arcade is one of the oldest malls in the country and was modeled after the traditional European arcade mall model, rather than the sprawling ones we recognize today (6). Its downfall was largely due to its lack of elevators in the three story space. Few shoppers made it to the upper floors and the shops became vacant. It closed its doors in 2008, despite its status as a national landmark. It reopened in 2014 as micro-loft apartments, with

Figure 29, 30 (Top), 31 (lower)

shopping returning on the ground floor. The city views the arcade as experimental housing, testing new techniques to help combat rapidly rising housing costs. The apartments, divided among the old shop spaces on the upper floors, are around 220 square feet each. There is also common space, and larger storage space offered to the tenants. This experiment has been successful so far, all of the lofts are rented with over 400 people on the waiting list (10).

research

Villa Italia Mall Another approach to mall sites is the option of complete redevelopment. Bulldozing the mall to the ground can be a more expensive option relative to reusing the existing structure. However, it can lead to an opportunity to develop a potentially more profitable facility on that land. One example of this is Belmar in Lakewood Colorado. This site was previously the Villa Italia

Figure 32

Mall. The one hundred acre site was once a single block but has been redeveloped into â&#x20AC;&#x153;22 blocks of walkable, urban streets that connect up with the neighboring streetsâ&#x20AC;? (11). Since the density has been tripled on that property this means that it quadrupled the tax revenue of the site. It now features shops on the ground level, with housing, or offices above, and is a highly attractive and successful site.

Research

Figure 33

Bay Center Mall The Bay Center Mall in Wayzata, Minnesota undertook a massive project in hopes of utilizing its unused space. The Promenade of Wayzata is a senior housing community that is now on the old mallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s site. It consists of five walkable blocks of mixed use including facilities such as senior housing, assisted living, nursing home units, independent condos, apartments, retail, a hotel, a spa, restaurants, and green space for events (12). The project tore down the Bay Center Mall, an outdated mall with a sea of parking that was largely disliked by the community. The project was at first seen as unfeasible, too large

of a scale, and too expensive. But slowly they gained approval and funds. As of May 2017 the construction was complete. Almost immediately the condos and apartments were all booked up, and the hotel is widely popular. Although the development was expensive -$342 million in fact- the new tax revenue for the city is expected to pay for future public ventures. The development has also provided unique features to the city as well as new residential spaces and amenities they would have never had otherwise. The project is seen as a success (12).

oakridge center An ambitious project in Vancouver Canada should also be noted. Oakridge Center is currently one of the most successful malls in British Columbia, yet it is about to undergo massive redevelopment to account for the future. Currently Oakridge already has over 150 storefronts, office space and some residential space. However, the mall is redeveloping to accommodate a transit hub for Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rail transit system in the future. The unappealing parking space and current subway station provide little interaction with the mall, providing concern for the future. The redevelopment will create a

â&#x20AC;&#x153;culturally and environmentally sustainable model that harnesses the potential of a large urban site situated at a transit hubâ&#x20AC;? (12). The new complex will offer landscaped green space, improved connection to the neighborhood and subway, entertainment, grocery shopping, residential, office and street facing retail. It is completely pedestrian oriented with new pedestrian streets being built but no new vehicular streets and parking being moved largely underground. The project plans to achieve LEED for neighborhood development and encourage walking, biking, car sharing and transit use (13).

Figure 15 (Top), 16 (lower)

Figure 34

research

Redevelopment of Parking Lots Malls and shopping centers of the past and present are not always known for their efficient use of space. With the erection of these large centers, usually comes the typical “sea” of paved space used for automobile parking, especially in suburban areas. While this solves the issue of providing spaces for vehicles, there is little further benefit to this. In the 1980s malls hit their peak in popularity, with most consumers traveling from their homes in the suburbs to these shopping centers to park in these enormous parking lots (14). Some of these lots can have tens of thousands of parking spaces, which at the time, was a sufficient amount, given the popularity. It is also important to note, in reference

to the Eastern Hills Mall, that there is a limited amount of options for public transportation leading to the site, as is common among most malls. There are no railways leading to, or passing by the mall and there is only one bus route currently operating to and from the mall. Personal transportation with the automobile is, and has always been, the primary means of transportation for mall shoppers. In more recent years malls have decreased in popularity, leaving these massive areas of asphalt under utilized and, most of the time, vacant. Therefore, with dying retail comes abandoned parking lots, which have prompted some creative solutions for these spaces as well.

“Parking lots, along with roads, are often the principal source of water pollution in urban areas”

Northgate mall Northgate Mall is located in Seattle, WA. This site took a portion of its unused parking lots once used for overflow parking and RV’s, and redeveloped it into a walkable park. The park has transformed the neighborhood and boasts a storm water runoff system that allows Thornton Creek to flow though the park. Previously diverted through a series of underground pipes, the stream now helps to filter out pollution and boasts the ability to clean runoff from more than 600 acres surrounding the project site (15). The project

Figure 35

was made possible by continued community support and demand, stating that a “do nothing” for the creek was impossible. Today the management of the completed site says a variety of wildlife has returned to the area. “Dragonflies alight and swoop delicately from plant to plant. For biologists and project managers alike, the presence of these insects, which are sensitive to pollution, indicates a healthy ecosystem.”

Research

Figure36

Dallas Parking Lot Lacking in green space in downtown Dallas, Texas, city officials sought out to develop a parking lot into a more usable and efficient space. Solving the problem of more efficient parking, developers originally wanted to construct a parking garage. After a vote by public officials, the idea was scrapped. The space is owned by the city and considered public property and it was important to city officials that the use of the space be for the whole community. Eventually, a different approach was taken for this space, and after careful consideration, it was decided that a park

space would be the best fit for the city. Robert Kent of the Trust for Public Land Organization says that the reasoning for the park is that â&#x20AC;&#x153;we think about future generations that want to live downtown and the type of downtown that they want to have; we need neighborhood parks that are close to home, safe for people to get to and access, particularly for childrenâ&#x20AC;? (16). This space, consisting of mostly green space, is a perfect example of respectful parking lot adaptive reuse, and overall urban design.

Atlanta Center In Atlanta, Georgia a parking lot for the local zoo was to be redesigned due to a rise in popularity of the zoo. The space is to be designed to not only serve as parking spaces for automobiles, but also to be an aesthetically pleasing, green piece of architecture. The proposed design features an above ground parking structure with a green roof. The green roof features park space with large open pieces of grass surrounded by different levels of seating. The roof also features an efficient rainwater collection system, which earns points towards LEED certification. The green roof also mitigates the heat island effect that occurs on most parking structures and lots. The structure not only solves the problem of parking, but also features an aesthetically pleasing layout

Figure 37

which promotes circulation by automobiles, bicycles, and pedestrians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Working with key stakeholders and community leaders, the Department of Parks and Recreation gathered input for a parking solution that would help reduce traffic congestion in the neighborhood, improve safety and eliminate illegal parking on grassed areas. During the two-year planning process, community leaders requested the parking solution to include amenities to enhance the park, the neighborhood and Zoo Atlantaâ&#x20AC;? (17). Parking garages in the past have mostly been large concrete structures with a strict utilitarian design, but with the right considerations and respectful design, parking structures like the one at Zoo Atlanta could be a vital part of a successful project. â&#x20AC;&#x192;

research

ADAPTING Respectfully Parking lots in situations like dying malls have an opportunity to not only be adapted and utilized more efficiently, but to provide space for almost anything that the site requires under a new program. These large, open spaces require extensive research before being adapted into a new use. It is common knowledge that automobiles have a lot of negative impacts on the environment, however the impacts do not just stop at air pollution. Cars often leak fluid from the undercarriage components which can contaminate the ground beneath them, which is especially important to consider in cases where parking lots are located in an area that depends on the groundwater for everyday use. “Parking lots, along with roads, are often the principal source of water pollution in urban areas” (14). In the case of the Eastern Hills Mall, cars have utilized these parking spaces for over forty-five years. That’s forty-five years of gasoline, motor oil, and other contaminants leaking onto the impervious surface. Those contaminants are either whisked away with storm runoff or absorbed into cracks in the pavement, both of which result in contamination of some kind. Along with the impacts from automobiles, the enormous paved spaces can cause an increase in ambient temperature in the space surrounding shopping malls. “Conventional paving materials can reach peak summertime temperatures of 120– 150°F (48–67°C), transferring excess heat to the air above them and heating storm water as it runs off the pavement into local waterways” (18). This is also known as the Heat Island Effect. With all of the important aspects of adapting a parking lot

to consider, it is important to adapt respectfully and efficiently. It is also important to incorporate aesthetics into the design, as parking lots are (usually) the first thing that a visitor to a site will see. A first impression can determine how that individual will interact with the space.

120° - 150° Heat Island Effect Raises pavement temperature releasing heat into the atmosphere

Figure 38

2.3

Universal Design

Accessibility Accessibility is a term that many people are familiar with. This could be because they are one of the many people in this world that battle with accessibility barriers on a daily basis due to some form of disability or because as a general consumer of public spaces we know that there are certain things like handicap parking spots and ramps that are regulated and mandated by the government to create more usable environments for people with disabilities. At the most basic level accessibility is the removing of barriers to make places more usable for people with certain disabilities (1). People most often think of accessibility with regard to how it applies to the built environment and is regulated and mandated by the federal government via certain laws such as the Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (1). Accessibility features are often limited to individual buildings such as ramps to entrances and bathroom toilets being the proper height for more usability. Rarely does accessibility reach the environment that surrounds those buildings. Some adjustments have been made such as ramps at sidewalks for street crossing, sidewalk bumps to let people know when they have reached the edge of the sidewalk and

beeping crosswalk lights for people who are sight impaired to know when it is safe to cross but there are many other considerations to be had regarding the environment and accessibility.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rarely does accessibility reach the environment that surrounds buildingsâ&#x20AC;? Usually when we think of disabilities we think of people who use wheelchairs. However, mobile disabilities are not the only disabilities that can make daily tasks a chore. Disabilities can include cognitive disabilities such as loss of memory when people get older, physical disabilities such as loss of muscle function or loss of limbs, sensory disabilities such as being blind, and communicative disabilities such as being deaf or mute. There are also situational or temporary disabilities such as when someone breaks their leg or if a woman is pregnant. Many types of disabilities are not addressed as thoroughly as they should be in the regulations that govern accessibility. To be able to address all types of disabilities we have what is called universal design. The concept of universal design may not be as wellknown a concept as accessibility but it is arguably

Research more important and is more impactful to a greater number of people when put into action. Universal design goes beyond applying to people with mobile disabilities and does not simply take down barriers. It is focused around ease and comfort of use of all things for all people. It is the design of places, spaces, products, and systems for people of all abilities regardless of physical, cognitive, or situational impairments, to provide usability and functionality to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design (1). This way of designing includes the built environment such as buildings, all types of products like household objects, and furniture, as well as the digital world. Universal design tries to not only make it easy for people to help others who may be disabled, for example pushing someone up a wheelchair ramp, but also tries to create environments that encourage self-reliance and independence for people who have a disability. The outside environment between buildings is another aspect of life that universal design tries to highlight. It is not fair to people with disabilities that they must be cooped up in buildings simply because those are the only spaces for which designers have thought about accessibility. It doesn’t make sense to design our buildings to be usable and functional for everyone but not the spaces between them. Unfortunately, due its broad spectrum, universal design is harder to enforce than accessibility since it applies to a much broader range of aspects in our environment and applies to such a broad range of people. However, this design method is in the best interest for everyone, especially since, as previously mentioned, anyone can become disabled at any time, whether temporarily or permanently. In addition,

when push bars were put on doors it became easier for individuals using wheelchairs to open doors. But so too did it for people “without” disabilities, such as someone carrying a package through that door who doesn’t have enough hands to operate a door knob or handle. This can be seen as a temporary disability. Universal design benefits everyone because its main focus to be as functional as possible for everyone. Because the usability of a space is such an integral part of the design of a space it is not something that can be just thrown in at the end of the design process as accessibility often is. To be a successful universal designer one must think about the usability of a product or space from the beginning. Often a designer must change their perspective of design as a whole to do this effectively since we have to not only think about the basic function of whatever we are designing or it’s aesthetic. A designer needs to think of every angle possible and put themselves in other people’s shoes. Some people may say that a good designer would do this anyway, regardless of trying to achieve universal design but we often forget about those in society that are different from us. As of 2012, the only architecture program in the world that had a formal concentration in universal design was SUNY Buffalo, the Inclusive Design Research Group. There was also a graduate level program at the Nordic School of Public Health in universal design (1). This just goes to show that not nearly enough light is shown on this particular method of design. One facet of universal design that many people forget about is that not only does it apply to the physical world but also to the digital world. Even with the amount of digital technology we have these days there

“To be a successful universal designer one must think about the usability of a product or space from the beginning” 72

are still internet sites that people who are blind cannot access because they cannot see the information the sites hold. There are still technological devices that some people can’t use because they can’t read the buttons or hear the instructions that an automated message says to them. These problems are easily fixed but many people simply fail to think of them. Online websites can be programmed to read off their information so that someone who is blind can hear what is written on them. Buttons on devices can have braille incorporated so that a person who is blind can read them. One thing that has been adapted for elderly people who are hard of hearing in particular is a phone that translates what the person on the other end of the line is saying into closed captioning that is displayed on a screen. Other forms of closed captioning are often used to increase ease of communication for people with hearing impairments. This just proves that we need to change our perspectives and ways of thinking so that universal design can be incorporated into all facets of life. Visitability is a term that may be even less known to the average person than universal design. When it comes to accessibility some regulations are in place in the building code to make sure that certain factors are met for safety purposes. In the case of fire there are regulations to make sure there are always escape routes. Like fire regulations, accessibility regulations are also in place in public areas to make sure people can get around public areas and buildings with relative ease. However, there are little to no regulations that dictate that publicly funded single family homes need to be accessible to everyone. Visitability is a housing initiative that originated in the United Kingdom (UK) and is aimed at creating a more accessible housing stock. It is an approach for making a number of accessibility features that are not covered by the Fair Housing Act standards in new home construction. Some of these include one step entry, low thresholds, doorways with at least 32” of clearance, hallways at least 36” wide, access to at least one ½ bath on ground floor, reinforcement of walls next to toilets for future installation of grab bars, and light switches and electrical outlets within comfortable reach for all (1). This means

that publically funded new construction for singlefamily houses are required to be equipped with these features. That way someday they can be converted into accessible environments if the need arises. Most houses don’t shelter one family for the entirety of their existences. When a house is sold and a new family comes in that new family may need the house to be accessible for a family member with a disability. This is much easier and more affordable to do if the house is already equipped with features that facilitate such modifications. Also many developers and builders believe that it is more expensive to build a house with accessible features. Visitability also takes into account the fact that many people these days are living by the philosophy of “aging in place.” This means to stay in your house

“Many people these days are living by the philosophy of Aging in place” as you age instead of going to a retirement home or nursing home. Which is fine, except when a person grows older they often develop disabilities that a “normal” house does not have the features to accommodate. This is why most people go to some sort of assisted living home once they reach a certain age. However, if that person’s house is already equipped to accommodate such things as space for a wheelchair to turn around or walls next to the toilet with reinforcing so that grab bars can be installed and have a zero step entry, then that person can stay comfortably in their own home without much trouble. This is a good thing also because some research has stated that memory loss in the elderly can be expedited by leaving their homes since all their mementos and memories are often left behind. So if we can age at home then we are more likely to age in a happy and healthy lifestyle.

Research The idea behind the visitability initiative is that 100% of publicly funded housing would receive this treatment. Unfortunately, most municipalities in the U.S. have not adopted it. However, there are some places that have, with success. One example of this is in Austin, Texas in which they have a program called S.M.A.R.T. (Safe, Mixed-income, Accessible, Reasonably-priced, and Transit-oriented). This program requires developers to build using the visitability guidelines and in return they get certain benefits such as reduced permit fees and a density bonus that allows them to build more units on the same land (1). Also many developers and builders believe that it is more expensive to build a house with accessible features. However it is far cheaper to build a house with the accessible features built in than it is to go back and renovate a building later. When building any sort of structure it is easy to make sure that you incorporate features that meet your needs at the time you build it. But what about your needs in the future? An office building for example can be designed to have the exact number of offices you need to get the job done. Bu does your company plan to expand? Will another company buy your building from you and need to tear it down and build new because it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fit their needs? The same thing

can be said for a home that is built to fit a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current needs. What about later in life? Are you single now but going to have kids in a few years? You need room for them and to plan for that. Are you going to move in a few years or do you plan on staying in the house you are in until you pass on? Do you have a second floor? Can you use the second floor once your joints start to give out? To fully understand universal design and all types of people that it affects one must understand how the average human changes throughout their lifetime, how that changes what their needs are and how that affects what their environment should entail. We start life as infants. During this time we are completely dependent on our parents for nearly everything. Our mobile skills are pretty much nonexistent within the first few months of life and therefore we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have that many needs in regard to architecture or universal design. Except perhaps in that our diapers and other accessories should be designed to be used easily by all people and fit all babies. Around the 6th month of life we start to learn to crawl and move on our own. This increases as they move into the toddler years. During this time in our lives we are still pretty dependent on our parents for mobility. However, we are just mobile enough on our

Figure 1

own that safety needs to be taken into consideration when designing a toddler’s environment. This can be an example of how design can make things purposely less accessible. Door knobs are often too high for a toddler to reach but this is ok because usually people want toddlers to be contained or else they will go places they are not supposed to. Same thing goes for baby gates. They are big enough that toddlers can’t get over them but short enough that the average adult can step over them. Child proof cabinets and bottles are other ways to prevent accessibility. In the built environment there are other examples of such purposeful deterrents. One of these can include posts and chains along roadsides that clearly tell people that they are not supposed to be on the other side of them.

between physical distance and functional distance (1). Physical distance meaning for example an apartment that shares a ceiling with the floor of the apartment above. Functional distance referring to an apartment that for instance the residence passes on a daily basis as they exit and enter their own apartment, but that their apartment does not physically touch. Meaning that most likely the residents that are functionally closer will react more with each other than residence that are physically close.

We then reach adolescence and then teenage years and then early 20s. During this time the human body is usually at its most able. Coordination and muscle systems are being built, cognitive function reaches its peak in the third decade of life, and immune systems are at their strongest. People in this age range also tend to heal quickest from injuries. Due to this many people may think in terms of need, barriers don’t need to be diminished for them because they are the most able age group to get around barriers. However, to take away accessibility barriers still makes life easier and allows them to contribute their energy toward other things. One must also remember that anybody can become disabled at any time. Temporary disabilities such as breaking one’s leg or being pregnant are something that many people forget about when thinking about disabilities. Temporary disabilities are common and can affect anyone, especially people in this stage of life.

In the tree layout one would have to double back on the branches or the trunk to get to other parts of the complex. In the ring layout one can get to different parts of the complex without doubling back and has more options for getting in and out. This can promote more socializing because it’s easier to get to all your neighbors. It creates a shallower living environment where everyone lives closer to the surface. In the tree layout some people would live so deep in the system that they wouldn’t meet other occupants (1).

This time is also a very social time in a human’s development so universal design can be used to help facilitate social interactions for everyone. Much of our socializing depends upon the type of environment we are in and is facilitated by the built things around us. For the most part, humans are social creatures and that aspect of our lives plays a big role in our happiness and overall health. Therefore a close, yet not too close, proximity to other humans is important. It is important to realize the difference

A similar notion to remember is that some layouts are more conducive to socializing than others. In figure 2 a ring layout is more conducive to socializing than the tree layout.

Treelike structure

Ringlike structure

Figure 2

Exterior

Research The next stage of life is in the 30s and 40s. In this stage of life humans may begin to see a decline in their health such as arthritis or other wear and tear ailments. For the most part people this age are working. Since work spaces are the places that the

“The average expected retirement age in the year 2020 is 65, in 2050 it will have risen to age 83” majority of people spend most of their time from their twenties until they retire, it is important that places of work are also universally designed to be the most usable, functional and comfortable as possible. Working in a poorly designed work environment can cause major damage to a person’s health since they would be exposed to it for such a long time. Universal design is also important in the workplace so that people of all abilities can work. Everyone regardless of ability or disabilities deserves to live independently if they so choose. To be independent people must make a living for themselves. To do that a person must be able to function independently within the built environment and this is best facilitated by universally designed spaces and buildings that are functional and usable for all people. During ages 50 - late 60 most people are still quiet able, in this stage of life humans usually begin to see a more evident decline in their health. Wear and tear ailments start to set in. Joint pains and the like can cause more difficulty in mobility than in the previous stages. Memory can also start to decline in this stage of life for some people in the form of excessive forgetfulness or loss of trains of thought. This stage is where many people start to see the decline of some of their senses. An example of this is that many people by the age of 60 need reading glasses (2). People also start to retire around the age of 65, although this number can vary greatly. As healthcare options get

better there is an exponential increase in retirement age projected. For example the average expected retirement age in the year 2020 is 65, and in 2050 it will have risen to age 83. Once people reach the 70s and 80s, most health issues start to become a problematic. Some common ailments that cause disabilities in older people can be seen in the Figure 3. Also memory and mobility become a real problem. Often times people at this age may need a walker or cane to help get around places. Stairs can be a burden. Design features such as ramps and elevators become a necessity for accessibility. Sight impairments worsen and some people end up needing glasses to see anything, not just for reading. It is best to design clearly labeled products or signs so that people with sight impairments can understand written words easily. Senior citizens also statistically need three times the amount of light to see than the average human and are sensitive to glare (2). So lighting and materials should be closely looked at when designing a space or object. Hearing also starts to decline and some people eventually need to get hearing aids to be able to hear properly. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease often start to affect people of this age range as well (3). All of these things increase a person’s dependency

TARGET GROUPS FOR UNIVERSAL DESIGN GROUP

PERCENTAGE OF U.S. POPULATION

PEOPLE AGE 65 + PEOPLE WITH SOME TYPE OF DISABILITY AMBULATORY DISABILITY

12.5 A 19.3 B

6.9 C

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

4.8 C

HEARING IMPAIRMENT

3.5 C

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

2.6 C

PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED WITH A DISABILITY

2.9 B

PEOPLE USING WHEELED MOBILITY DEVICES

1.0 C

Please note that some categories may overlap. a U.S. Census Bureau, Current population survey, Annual social and economics supplement (2009) b U.S. Census Bureau (2009) c American Community Survey (2009)

Figure 3

on their environment or, if their environment does not facilitate that, on more able bodied people. All the more reason to design environments that enable independence for all people. Growing old and disabilities go hand in hand. The majority of people with disabilities are over the age of 65 whether it be mobile, hearing or any type of functional impairment, as can be seen in the Figure 3. In more severe cases people in this age group or older may need to use wheelchairs. This can cause major problems when trying to navigate our current built environment. Design features such as 36” wide doors, handicap accessible bathrooms, and zero step entries become necessities for someone who uses a wheelchair. Counters and tables that allow someone to fit their knees under them are also a great help when using a wheelchair. People can also become so severely sight or hearing impaired that they become blind or deaf. Features such as beeping crosswalk symbols and the bumps at the edge of a sidewalk ramp to indicate the edge are good alternative sensory features of the built environment to help with these barriers. Most people over the age of 80 have developed so many disabilities that they rely completely on other people to help them to do everyday activities. If a person reaches this stage in their life they usually move to an assisted living home or nursing home. Over the past 50 years aging has changed immensely.

Life span has expanded drastically in the past few decades. Due to medical advancements people can expect to live into their 70s and 80s and are even now living well into their 90s. Extended lifespan along with low birth rates has caused the majority of the world population to be in the “older” generation. The National Institute of Ageing reported that “The 85 and over population is projected to increase 351% between 2010 and 2050, compared to a 188% increase for the population aged 65 or older and a 22% increase for the population under age 65” (4). This is only expected to increase in the future around the globe, evident in Figure 4. With top heavy aged population comes the assumption that more people are going to be disabled in our society. By 2029 over 20% of the United States’ population will be over the age of 65 years old due to the “baby boomer” generation. Instead of building more new assisted living and nursing home facilities that will not have the same demand in the future after the baby boomers, we should focus on overall universal design for the future. Population patterns change naturally over time. Professional assisted living facilities can be either extremely expensive and/or extremely depressing. Two hundred dollars a day will land you in a comfortable facility with meals, activities and on site medical care. However, it is actually cheaper to remodel a home for accessibility than to move into

“The 85 and over population is projected to increase 351% between 2010 and 2050, compared to a 188% increase for the population aged 65 or older and a 22% increase for the population under age 65”

Research

Figure 4

Figure 5 a nursing home or an assisted living community. Simple architectural steps like installing no step showers, lower cabinets, good grip/ non slip flooring, quality ventilation and excess lighting are all elements that could be appreciated at any age but are essential to an older adult. Designing primary spaces like kitchen and bathrooms as comfortable places (like you would a living or bedroom) would increase accessibility and livability for older adults and prevent some of the challenges that come with aging in place. In some places organizations are forming to help facilitate aging in place. In St. Louis a movement called the village movement enables active seniors to remain in their own homes with the care of physicians and specialized programs. Members of these villages have easy access to help and services such as transportation to the grocery store, medical appointments, and help with household chores (5). Also provided are a variety of social activities with other village members. Many other communities also operate Senior Centers which provide similar services. Another example is in Summerville, SC. Here a team is trying to help senior citizens in their age-in place homes by holding expos and seminars (6). A variety of activities are planned during specific weeks and are setup to give citizens information on products and services that make their lives easier while they remain in their homes (6).

Other aging related facilities are Continuing Care Retirement Communities. CCRCs are facilities that have independent living and a nursing home care in one setting. They can provide apartments or condos that are universally designed and are accessible but do not have on site medical care as well as assisted living accommodations. The setting often provides community activities like bus trips to grocery stores, painting classes, dinners, and low stress outdoor recreation. They are often government funded or subsidized but can also be private. This type of housing helps keep close proximity between the elderly and their relatives as well as access to health care assistants (5). These facilities also have a group dining area and common areas for social interaction and other activities. The drawback is that the cost of buying a unit plus the monthly fees can be very expensive, which is why many elderly people decide to stay at home. Modifications to gerontological environments, meaning the environments of older people, need to be taken into consideration when addressing future environmental and universal design. Materiality, acoustics, lighting, MEP, and technology are all important factors. About 90-100% of and elderly personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time is spent indoors so indoor climate is extremely important in the design of infrastructure. Since older people perceive climate different than

Research younger people due to age and health problems designers must address thermal comfort differently. Although this is a small component of living, the wrong environmental temperature could be detrimental to people physically, and physiologically. Simple interior design elements like color play a huge role in our settings. Visual acuity is the first thing to go with old age so it is essential to design with this in mind (7). As our eyes age a tiny yellow film develops making it hard to differentiate between greens and blues. This being said, the elderly need three times the amount of light to see but are also sensitive to glare. A reduction in the perceived saturation or vividness of colors occurs in the aging eye as well; for example, reds start to look like pinks. Studies have shown that the elderly prefer the colors blue, red and green. Blue is actually a calming color can lower

concerns so our environments must be designed with caution. Way finding becomes an essential part of design for disabled and elderly people. Clear walking paths with clear destinations will reduce confusion and help people recognize a familiar place. Room purpose indicators can improve function and behavior of those using the public space. Limiting the number of common rooms can help with this. Using objective “landmarks” and separate colors and textures as cues can help the user differentiate public space from private space (7). When users know what the room is and what it is used for they are more likely to act accordingly, and when they act accordingly they are more accepted by others socially. Technology is another factor that should be considered in regard to disabilities. Mobile games have been proven to have positive impacts on the

“Over 90 % of an elderly person’s time is spent indoors” blood pressure. Rooms that are green or blue can physically feel cooler to us. Red increases brain wave activity and stimulates production of adrenalin into the bloodstream (7). Designers need to pay attention to tonal contrast rather than color contrast when designing care facilities for the elderly. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease lose the ability to see and judge depth correctly so using contrasting floor materials as a separation of spaces by color can help correct depth challenges. When designing for health care facilities it is always important to keep in mind the finishes we use. Vinyl tiles, fabric with little to no pores, and easy to clean non-absorbent materials are essential for keeping facilities sterile. As we age our immune systems weaken allowing any small threats to our health to turn into serious

elderly and people with some forms of disabilities both mentally and physically but unfortunately these games are only targeted towards children and young adults (8). Other advancements in engineering and technology that can improve the everyday life of anyone include such things like stand up toilets, microwaves, can openers, kettles, lamps etc. Vision problems, arthritis, and diminishing cognitive skills take a toll one someone using these important everyday technologies if they are not universally designed for everyone (9). Telehealth can also be a great tool in adaptive assistive technology. Telehealth was used in Alagoas, Brazil as a means of improving the accessibility of healthcare to citizens who did not have sufficient funding to go to far away health facilities and wait to be treated. The program was extremely successful as well as cost and time efficient. Although the intended purpose of it

was aimed toward reaching those living in rural, poor and hard to reach locations the idea can be applied to aging in place facilities, homes, or even public areas and health centers (10). Telehealth could provide a resource to counseling, medicating, and even rehab facilities. Documentation and filing could be more efficient and easily accessed by the patients and staff alike. Pharmacies could have the ability to fill prescriptions quickly and offer counseling via telehealth. Patients could view their prescriptions online and be advised on dosages and intake immediately. Telehealth could reduce medical costs and bureaucracy of processes greatly and is something that can be incorporated into public and private spaces, health facilities, and even on the go or in times of emergencies. When designing for the future this is something that may be easily adapted to various environments. Public transportation is another factor of everyday life that can be improved to help those with disabilities. As stated previously, a large portion of the disabled population is comprised of senior citizens. As the number of senior citizens continues to increase, it can be assumed that the need for accessible public transportation will also increase. While the ADA

Figure 6

regulates the amount of transportation available, “the vast number of older people in the United States do not and probably will not live in or travel in neighborhoods with ADA paratransit service, and, even if they do live or travel in such corridors, they are unlikely to qualify for those services for most of their lives after they reach age 65” (11). With the population increasing and social preferences shifting toward more urban living, it is believed that there will be more people utilizing this public transit. The key to making public transit a success is being able to adapt public transport to the needs of people of all abilities.

“The need for accessible public transportation will also increase” “Paratransit is recognized in North America as special transportation services for people with disabilities, often provided as a supplement to fixedroute bus and rail systems by public transit agencies. Paratransit services may vary considerably on the degree of flexibility they provide their customers” (12). Paratransit services are very useful for some, but the expansion and success of these services is still not where it should be. “The high costs seen in U.S. paratransit systems are inherent in the nature of the service. It is hard to generate substantial economies of scale transporting people with significant disabilities within a large, low-density service area—while being forbidden by law to significantly delay their trips to pick up or drop off other passengers” (11). It is clear that this type of transport still needs some fine tuning before it can be truly successful. It comes down to how long each individual will have to spend inside one of the vehicles. With the ADA regulating this, there is little that the transport services can do in terms of mass transport. This drives costs up which hurts the businesses doing the transporting. People with disabilities also usually can’t afford expensive forms of transport due to not having high incomes. Their disabilities may prevent them from working as

Research much as they could have otherwise and some rely on disabilities checks from the government as income. High costs cause people with disabilities to look to other means of transportation. Most disabled persons still rely on their personal automobile for their primary source of transportation, although they may have someone else drive it for them. Using elderly people as an example, “As new cohorts of car-oriented citizens reach traditional retirement age, even fewer use public transit” (11) because while public transit works, it is more affordable for senior citizens who already own an automobile to continue using it. In the case of the Eastern Hills Mall, there is only one bus route as a means of public transportation. This bus is not always disability friendly, nor does it offer services as far as varying medical needs. When looking at malls, it is obvious why parking lots are so large, and why there are usually few bus routes. People in the U.S. are so dependent on personal automobiles that they will likely depend on it until the day that they can no longer safely drive. This solution is not sustainable. More accidents are bound to happen as the aging population increases. “In 2015, there were almost 48 million adults aged 65 or older in the United States, representing 15% of the total population. By 2030, it is estimated that adults aged 65 or older will comprise 21% of the total population (74 million adults aged 65 +). Most of these older adults are drivers, with nearly 83% of adults aged 65 and older (38.4 million people) having driver’s licenses in 2014” (13). Therefore, personal automobile should not be the only option for people with disabilities. When designing a space for any demographic, but especially people with disabilities, careful consideration must be made in regard to how they get around the site and within the buildings. If amenities are integrated into people’s living spaces, there is less need for mass public transport. It is important to focus on personal independence and enabling people to travel by their own means. If these aspects are kept in mind then all environments can be comfortable, usable and easily traversed by everyone.

Smart homes are another innovative idea that could be geared towards living conditions of elderly and disabled persons. This involves placing advanced technology in homes that can track and store data in a control center within the home showing the inhibitors patterns, whereabouts and activities. Radio frequency floor sensors can identify where the resident is at any time (14). Sensors in heavy use products such as refrigerators can also collect and store data to be later analyzed by doctors and family who can determine when emergencies can occur or when the individual may need more assistance (14).

“The key to making public transit a success is being able to adapt public transport to the needs of people of all abilities” In the next 50 years we will start to see architecture adapt to long term changes and people starting to consider these life processes at younger ages. Universal design, smart home technologies, surveillance equipment and emerging ambient intelligence technologies will lead us to innovation in architecture and planning supportive of aging in place and universal design. Education and communication between researchers, health care professionals, architects and designers, home owners, and local governments will be key to creating a future built environment usable and easily accessible for people of all abilities.

2.4

Technology

Leaders in Tech There are many aspects of technology that influence our daily lives. When analyzing the Eastern Hills Mall site, there are multiple levels of technology to be analyzed and to take into consideration. For this we must consider leaders in technological building, the increasing tech presence in Buffalo, and technologies that we are starting to see develop, especially those related to helping people with disabilities. Facilities that are driven by innovative technology are becoming increasingly popular in North America. With the presence of so many successful technologyrelated companies with headquarters in the United States, it makes sense for these companies to utilize their own technologies in their own campuses as a showcase of innovation. Companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple have been heavily investing in their own technology for the greater wellbeing of human kind and much of their technology can be incorporated into architecture and the built environment to improve people’s daily lives. Google invested in their technology and employees when the company built their “Googleplex” campus in Mountain Valley, California. At the time of its creation, the campus was to serve as an office space for its employees. Google took an unorthodox

approach to their idea of a workplace with offering amenities to the employees that have never been integrated into an office setting. These amenities consisted of residential spaces, outdoor recreation, a spa, fitness center, cafes, auditoriums, green space, and innovative office spaces. “The reasoning for this was the idea that within the loosely structured university system, there are resources available to allow the individual to conceive, investigate, and execute the impossible—and that is how Google was originally conceived” (1).

“These companies utilize their own technologies in their own campuses as a showcase of innovation.” It is very important for an innovative company, like Google, to be able to offer their employees a space that respects their own beliefs and visions as a company. Other unusual amenities that Google provided are education opportunities to its employees, “colorful Google Bikes... Google merchandise… Self-driving robotic cars” (2) and wireless internet access across its entire campus, both indoor and outdoor.

Research While almost every aspect of the facility was designed with technological influence, some features are truly advanced and offer a new level of innovation. The buildings have bathrooms with smart-toilets and sinks in which “…the temperature and water pressure can be controlled via automatic controls” (3). In one of the main lobbies of the campus “you are greeted by a large screen that showcases the recent searches that users make on Google Search. This screen is all about live updates and thus changes happen extremely fast. It can be observed that most of the searches that pop up are related to the general terms that people search for, on a day to day basis” (3). Google also emphasized sustainability within its campus design. There is a plethora of green space on the campus which under normal circumstances could mean a lot of wasted energy on conventional lawn upkeep. However, Google showed their creativity by

hiring actual goats to help trim all of the landscaping. Also, as a part of making the lives of the employees easier, the complex features The Growing Connection campaign, napping pods, and slides as a form of circulation from higher floors to lower floors as seen as in Figure 2 (3). Apple Incorporated has also been a company involved in utilizing cutting edge technologies into their facilities. In 2013, a new campus was to be constructed as the head-quarters of apple operations in Cupertino, California. The facility is shaped like a giant circle, and often referred to as a spaceship. The “Infinite Loop” facility, designed by the famous architect Norman Foster, includes a section that is devoted to research and development of apple products. Apple, under Steve Jobs’ leadership, was a company very interested in incorporating green design into their facilities through good and

Figure 1

Google isn’t the only company that is innovating and changing the standards for everyday life. Amazon has taken several daily activities to which they have applied their latest technologies. Just recently, Amazon launched an idea proposing to change what society knows as the grocery market. “Four years ago we asked ourselves: what if we could create a shopping experience with no lines and no checkout? Could we push the boundaries of computer vision and machine learning to create a store where customers could simply take what they want and go? Our answer to those questions is Amazon Go” (5).

Figure 2 thoughtful architectural design of the buildings themselves, as well as the spaces surrounding them. The new campus incorporates a lot of green design such as photovoltaic panels placed on the roof of the facility. Another perhaps more impactful feature is a “dedicated generating plant as the primary source of electricity powered by natural gas and other more environmentally sound means” (4). Included in the facility are also amenities seen in other campuses such as auditoriums, exercise facilities, and other non-traditional workplace features such as nap pods and hang out areas.

Figure 3

This idea was made into a reality in 2017 and allows the consumer to shop like never before. Shoppers that have an Amazon account scan their phone upon entry to the store. From there, users may shop for their desired product like a conventional grocery store, all the while Amazon’s cutting-edge technology monitors the products being taken from the shelves. When the shopper is content with their purchases and ready to leave, they can do exactly that. The user leaves the store and is automatically charged for the products that they had just purchased. The facility is maintained by minimal workers, and has potential to become a model for future grocery stores. The only store currently utilizing this system is in Seattle, Washington which makes the possibility of an East Coast location even greater. The store “is

Research currently open to Amazon employees in our Beta program” (5) but hopes to open to the public soon. With the collision of green design, technology, and a generation of workers seeking a non-traditional workplace experience and atmosphere, there is sure to be an increasing amount of campuses like the Googleplex and Apple Park; along with amenities like the amazon shopping center. This is then associated with a new era of universal design in which people of all abilities must be considered as well. An increasing amount of companies should be investing in spaces like these, as they have proven to be successful, sustainable, and productive spaces for the workers of all types.

Tech Presence in Buffalo The city of Buffalo and its surrounding areas are keeping up with this technology boom, as several tech-based companies have built facilities in this area. Amazon is one of these companies and currently has a warehouse located in Lancaster, New York that just recently opened. Amazon is also looking to build a second headquarters. However, a decision has yet to be made as to which city to develop it in since there are many cities with the proper size and desire to host the facility. Others in companies in the area include Alphabet, Tesla, Yahoo and Uber. Each have varying impacts on the area. Alphabet is a tech company whose headquarters are in Mountainview, CA and is the parent company of Sidewalk Labs. Sidewalk Labs is creating a tiny city inside the city limits of Toronto at Quayside. Many aspects of this project are comparable to the undertaking of our studio. This smart city is going to be completely tech oriented. This site will also

Figure 4 be Google Canada’s new headquarters. Along with this, Sidewalk Labs is taking the initiative to monitor statistics and actions of the residents to collect data to see how well this type of urban environment works and affects the lives of its residents. Tesla is a company that has strong roots in the Buffalo area. This comes in the form of the SolarCity gigafactory located in South Buffalo. With the opening of SolarCity, the Buffalo area is expecting to bring a minimum of five hundred jobs. There is also a Tesla electric car charging station directly to the south of the Eastern Hills Mall site. A factor that inspired possible development on our site. Yahoo is a company that has had a presence in Lockport, a suburb of the Buffalo area, since 2009. In 2015, “Yahoo opened the second phase of its Lockport operations – a new data center and call center ….and has invested more than a half billion dollars in Western New York since it first came here in 2009.” This new center features a design to support fresh air cooling and energy efficiency. As a company Yahoo has a department that focuses on usability of their products for people with disabilities, but does not yet have a facility specifically dedicated to this. Uber is starting to expand into the Buffalo Region and offer more and more services along with UberEats which is expanding at a significant rate. Uber and UberEats could be developed further to be plausible solutions for issues of accessibility.

Technology to consider Technology has also been shifting to include an emphasis on universal design and aiding those with disabilities. There are multiple technologies and devices that have come out recently that help those with disabilities such as the Safe stick, Flume bathtub, Bruno turn out seat, Honda assisted walker, Tobii eye tracker, Emma’s watch, and Liftware to name a few. Safe stick is a new revolutionary device for individuals who are sight-impaired. Safe stick is imbedded with GPS technology to guide the user to their destination. The design comes with a Bluetooth headphone for the user to vocally communicate their desired destination to safe stick. There is also a built in speaker to communicate with the user if the Bluetooth does not connect or is not charged. Safe stick also has a RIAS (Remote Infrared Auditory Signage) receiver. RIAS sends signals that radiate outward as the user is walking. When the RIAS system detects that there is an object ahead, the built in speaker will notify the user, “object ahead, move right.” Destinations and checkpoints can be implemented into the GPS tracking device to make searching for a location easier. An example of this could be a bus stop within a community. The user would only have to say, “bus stop” and safe stick would save the location of that bus stop within the user’s community. The designer of safe stick, Parasuraman Kannan, is currently designing prototypes of this invention with ambitious hopes that safe stick will be in the hands of those who can benefit from this innovative technology (6). Flume bathtub is different from any other handicap accessible bath tubs. Other handicap accessible bathtubs have doors on the side of the tub that open for someone who is paralyzed from the waist down. Flume bathtub is a tub that is tilted for easy access to enter into the tub. A person in a wheel chair can

approach the tub and clamp the wheels in place. Once the wheels are locked in place, there are handrails for an individual to grab and pull themselves into the bathtub. The bathtub is always titled at the angle of entry towards the seat until water is applied; the general principle for this idea can be compared to a seesaw. The seat is the center of gravity and the weight of the water will shift the center of gravity. As the user drains the water the tub will slowly tilt backwards to its original entry position. Flume Bathtub is the winner of the 2011 Red Dot Design concept (7). Bruno is a company that specializes in handicap accessibility technologies and applies them into buildings and cars. Beside the accessible lifts, Bruno also invented an easier way for paraplegics to swiftly enter and exit a car. This invention can be used by anyone who has trouble with bending to enter a car. Valet Signature Seating is a seat that is designed to rotate 90 degrees towards the car door, extrudes outside the car, and lowers to wheelchair level. Once the seat is outside the car and lowered, and individual can slide onto the chair. Then the chair can bring the person into the car by rising, rotating, and sliding back into the car. Valet Signature Seating gives paraplegics the opportunity to sit in the front of the car rather than in the back of a van with a wheelchair lift. Bruno’s Valet Signature Seats can be implemented into almost every car. Paired with Tesla’s self-driving car, Valet Signature Seating could revolutionize transportation for people with disabilities (8). Honda has been studying the way humans walk since 1990. Prototypes of walking devices have been designed since 1999. Honda has now come out with a product called Assisted Walker. This device has the robotic research and technology to assist a user with walking without falling. The Assisted Walker has sensors in the hips that track information about the user’s weaknesses or errors when walking. The information is then processed by the built in computer and then applied to assist the user in remaining upright. Essentially, the user can not fall because the computer counter acts the weight of the user (9).

Research Tobii eye tracker is a device designed to be compatible with computers to track a person’s movement with their eyes instead of using a mouse. A mouse with a computer or laptop requires movement of the hand. What does someone do if they do not have the physical capabilities of using their hands? Tobii eye tracker is a component that is plugged directly into the computer, which is usually placed under the monitor. There are two eye trackers or sensors that locate the user’s pupils. Tobii eye tracker uses illuminators that emit near infrared light, which is reflected off the eyes. There are two cameras, one for each eye, that collect the reflections from the infrared light. That data is then processed to accurately place the mouse pointer where the eyes are looking on the screen. Tobii has even thought of human’s pupil dilation due to the level of luminance in each environment. Tobii technology is currently working with Microsoft Windows 10, for the capability to provide more access in the hands of computer owners. This eye tracker is a device that will change the American Community Survey for homeowner who are disabled that “do not have the ability to use technology” (10).

“it has become increasingly difficult to ignore advanced technologies when designing for the future” Emma’s watch is a device worn on the wrist of a user to counter act the tremors that are often an effect of Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s is a lack of connection between nervous systems that causes tremors in the arms or legs. In 2017, a worldwide survey’s results showed over 10 million patients have tremors. There is still no cure for Parkinson’s, but there is Emma’s watch to decrease the uncontrolled tremors. Emma’s watch emits vibrations that counteract the involuntary twitches from the tremors, which stabilizes the hand. The device is paired with a smart phone through an app. Haiyan Zhang is the person who designed Emma’s watch and works at

Microsoft Research Center in Cambridge, England. He wanted to develop something to help Emma Lawton, a woman who was a graphic designer but had to abandon her passion due to the tremors. Ms. Lawton, at 29 years of age, thought that she would never have a career in graphic design again. Haiyan Zhang studied what caused tremors which sparked an idea to use vibrations to counteract the tremors. When Zhang went to meet with Emma there were tests for her to do. Emma tried to draw a box and struggled. Zhang put the watch on Emma. She then told Emma to write her name. Emma had no problem writing her name out. She then tried to redraw the box and had no problems with this either. Emma then shed a tear of joy to do what she once loved to do. Emma’s watch could be used for people in the work force because this invention gives people with Parkinson’s the ability to write and draw (8). Liftware is a company that specializes in appliances that aid eating to make eating meals easier for people who have Parkinson’s. Liftware has two general types of utensils: Liftware Steady and Liftware Level. Liftware Steady is designed to assist people who may have tremors in their hands. Liftware states that Liftware Steady provides 70% less shakiness in the hand than without it. The assistive technology emits vibrations to counteract the unwanted movement caused by the tremor. Liftware Level balances the utensil (spoon or fork) with the weight of the food, which adapts to the mobility of the user. The utensil adapts to the hand twists, bends, and movements while staying level (11). With the vast amounts of information and technology available, it has become increasingly difficult to ignore advanced technologies when designing for the future. Some of the top-notch tech companies such as Google, Apple, and Amazon offer new, interesting, and innovative ways to work, live and socialize. The Buffalo area has become a home to many of these companies. With that in mind, as well as the many forms of technology available to improve the lives of those with disabilities, it only makes sense that the Eastern Hills mall site should be developed into a site that will reflect these themes of technology.

2.5

SUSTAINABILITY

LARGE SITES Humans are moving into an era of new technologies created from the fear that we are overextending our reach on raw materials that are gathered from the planet. In the recent decades experts have proved that if we continue on the current path, there will be no way to sustain life. To help combat this people need to look at new ways to capture and store renewable and sustainable energy from sources like the sun and wind. This sustainable approach will need to be integrated into many aspects of our society. With the major push to move towards more sustainable means of producing energy in the last few decades the question of “how” always persists. This is a question of money and efficiency. Many aspects of renewable energy are impacted by the sizing of units. In most cases, the amount of energy output created by both wind and solar means it is not positively related to the size and cost of a unit. According to the New York Independent System Operator, a mega-watt is the measure of electricity that is the equivalent of 1 million watts. Their general estimation is that one single megawatt provides enough electricity to supply the power needs of 800 to 1,000 homes per year (1). Wind energy only produces 15 mw per 75 acres of space. The up-front investment for sustainable energy

production can be daunting, but becomes more palatable with return on investment. One option to help offset the initial investment as well as mitigating the problem of seas of parking that most retailers have is adding solar canopies. There are many examples of situations where parking lots were retrofitted with solar canopies that have a multitude of benefits associated with them. In their most basic form they offer shade to the vehicles that are parked underneath but they do much more than that. They also completely change the aesthetic of the parking lot. Most buildings in the United States are plagued by the overuse of the parking lot. These canopies help mitigate that impact and make the lot look more unique. But, most importantly the canopies can offer solar energy to a space that was previously only offering one service. The University of Colorado, Boulder installed a series of solar shading systems on their campus. They saw incredible returns on their investment. In an article by Energy Sage, the university parking lot was stated to “offer an average annual savings of $21,750, equivalent to an eight percent return on the initial investment. In the two years after this initial system was installed, CU Boulder built two more carports on its campus, helping to achieve LEED Platinum status for some of its buildings”(2). This example shows that an installed system, like the one in Colorado, can offer an incredible amount of

Research clean energy and savings for the residents. In this specific case the university could get an eight percent return on investment every year. Within 15 years the university will start making money from the

“An average annual savings of $21,750” solar panels. This university project was only 30,000 SF and still provided $21,750. The 30,000 SF is only 0.6% of our total acreage on the Eastern Hills Mall site (3). This brings to light the advantage in the size of the site. There is a lot of usable space that is unprogrammed as of now. There are many different types of renewable energy that are available, but not all of them are applicable to the site. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the most effective sources of renewable energy in New York are solar,

wind, biomass, and hydroelectric. The easiest of those options will be the solar and wind options due to the size of the site, but there may be ways to incorporate the other means into production. The process tied to biomass energy production often relies on by products of agricultural regions. During an interview with Jonathan Bluer, the Assistant Director of Community Development in the Town of Clarence, NY, Jonathan mentioned that up to 70% of the land in the town is being used as agricultural. In the United States there is a large presence of biofuel coming from ethanol production which comes from a by-product of corn crops. According to the NYDEC, “The US currently produces some 7.2 billion gallons of ethanol per year. Fourteen percent of the US corn crop is now dedicated to ethanol production…” (4). Part of the agricultural production in the town could go to the generation of biofuel for a Biofuel Cell on-site. Hydro-electric power will have to be generated by utilizing water retention ponds. Sustainability efforts are nothing unless you put them into action. There are many examples of people and

Figure 1

organizations being more and more sustainable, but perhaps the most impressive is the country of Sweden. In Swedenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent past, they have made a huge effort to push for a more sustainable living nationwide. Sustainable living in Sweden starts at the smallest scale of the nation: the citizens. Each Swedish citizen has a desire to reduce their impact on their environment. The major aspects of Swedish life that are so sustainable include an intense focus on recycling, finding efficient ways of heating cities, and designing buildings and spaces that have passive environmental elements. The first point, recycling, is a big point for the Swedish people. One of the places that this can be seen is in their fashion. In the Swedish culture today, there is a focus on reusing old or vintage fashion instead of making new clothes. Their second-hand clothing market is booming and creating competition for the modern retailers. Also in line with the recycling motive, Sweden has made it an initiative to try and recycle as many of their consumer products as they can, such as bottles, cans, cardboard, etc. Sweden established a target of recycling 90 percent of their bottles and cans. Right now, they are at 88 percent (5). Getting the residents of the space to be more sustainable is one aspect of green design. Another large factor in the green design process is installing passive attributes into the construction of the built environment. The concept behind sustainable buildings, or net-zero buildings in some cases, is that you are reducing the amount of energy needed to maintain a comfortable environment for your occupants. In most cases there is a need for mechanical means to keep the interior environment of a space in that comfort zone, but utilizing passive elements to reduce the need for mechanical intervention is all part of a sustainable approach. The most influential aspects of passive design are the sun and the wind. Many passive design approaches utilize sun angles and prevailing winds to alter the climate zone. Knowing what sun angles are can allow the design to provide adequate solar shading devices, so that in the summer shade is cast onto the building and in the winter sunlight can penetrate the building. Knowing which way prevailing winds are coming

from can aid in cooling certain spaces throughout a building. Passive building design can help lower your base cost for environmental controls, but it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop there. Like Sweden, we need to educate our residents to be more conscious about the way that we are using energy. On a building in Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, Nevada, the architect placed an educational sculpture on the outside of the building. The sculpture denotes the sun angles at the solstices and equinox during the year. This small piece of metal allows the average passer-by to see the relationship between the overhang and the window. Small actions like this will help to educate residents (6). Along with educating the residents of a space comes the utilization of personalized controls. An example of this is the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In this health facility the nurses and other professional medical staff have the ability to personalize the mechanical systems to the individual rooms. This allows the staff to reduce the impact through amount of air changes and temperatures in a room based on occupation. If the nurses know that there is no one in certain rooms, they have the ability to turn down the mechanical impact. Attributes like this paired with a population of residents that have a knowledge of their environmental impact can greatly add to the passive systems introduced into the project. The result of this drastically brings down the need for mechanical systems and makes it more sustainable (7). Adding sustainable aspects to any project has a multitude of benefits that come from it, but cost will always have a larger impact. Cost is impacted in many ways throughout a sustainable process. The cost for initial involvement of sustainable aspects can be high in some cases, but has incredible rewards. Some of the best situations that shed the most light on sustainability are situations where a process has already been established but not in a sustainable manner. A great example of this is PepsiCo. PepsiCo has been around for quite a long time and has developed a process to make their products. After an analysis of their production process they decided it was time to make some changes and try to be

research more sustainable. After the company re-worked their production process with a focus on zero water waste they reported that the company saved $375 million from 2010 to 2015. This is an incredible amount of savings but is also directly related to the size of the company. One of the other major companies that are making goals to be more sustainable is Walmart. Walmart has established goals to make their fleet more efficient (8). The U.S. Green Building Council also has made statements about the cost efficiency of building green buildings. Obviously, the USGBC sees a lot of applications of green buildings and other sustainable uses of space. In an article titled Green building costs and savings, the U.S. Green Building Council states that the biggest problem they face is the apparent lack of education when it comes to constructing green buildings. They conducted a survey that polled people on what they thought about building green: “Interestingly, the public dramatically overestimates the marginal cost of green building. A 2007 public

opinion survey conducted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development found that respondents believed, on average, that green features added 17% to the cost of a building, whereas a study of 146 green buildings found an actual average marginal cost of less than 2%” (9). Most people don’t know how much more it costs to construct a green building. There is misleading evidence that green aspects of building are more expensive. In that same article, a study from the firm Davis Langdon stated, “There are expensive green buildings, and there are expensive conventional buildings.” But, there is a big difference: cost savings down the road. The best way to get the most out of your sustainable green building is to integrate green design into the whole process. Knowing that the end goal of a project is to be LEED Certified or Net-Zero can have a huge impact on decisions. The example that the USGBC gives is that if you were to install high performance windows it could allow for the use of a smaller HVAC system.

Figure 2 + 3

SOLAR ENERGY One of the larger and more obvious options for developing a plan for this site is solar energy. Whether using the existing structure, or developing a new set of structures and complexes on the site. There are many ways solar energy could be harvested on the site. According to a video posted by Solar Buddy, the sun produces enough energy to power three million homes for an entire year every day. Making use of this energy in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s context seems almost ludicrous if one is not to participate in it. There is the standard route which involves basic photo-voltaic solar panels installed. These can be found on rooftops of many structures or used to make solar farms in which a large number of panels are arranged to acquire a large quantity of energy from the sun and convert it into electricity. However, this energy is DC current and must be converted into AC current using a converter which can then be used for normal appliances and general uses (15). If done successfully, there will be excess energy in which Figure 4

is not used. This goes back to the utility provider in which requires reimbursement (15). There are also many incentives that reduce the costs of the installation of these panels which could further make even initial cost deterrents less substantial. Which is the largest factor to consider when choosing to do solar energy on site. Another interesting innovation that is starting to become a reality and could revolutionize both solar energy acquisition and transportation is solar pavement. A study done by Dezfooli, Nejad, Zakeri, and Kazemifard found some promising possibilities for the future of solar pavement in which ways of using the heat absorbed from the pavement could be stored and/ or used to create electrical energy (16) .The group also looked furthermore with some preliminary testing of this newer technology of solar pavement and came up with some interesting results: â&#x20AC;&#x153;To survey the feasibility of solar pavement to achieve the electrical energy through solar cells, IV (currentvoltage) measurements were carried out to record the current and voltages of the solar cells embedded in the pavement under different conditions and determine their power conversion efficiency (PCE).

research The drainage test showed that the average volumetric flow rates of solar panel and solar pavement are 0.018 and 0.042 L/s, respectively. Moreover, the value of drainage test was 0.0224 L/s in asphalt pavement. The solar pavement in comparison to solar panel showed a higher PCE value of 5.336%. Besides, based on the UTM results, the flow number (FN) is 1002 with 49 mm deformation for solar panel and 1260 with 65 mm deformation for solar pavement. The UTM results also showed that solar pavement improves rutting performance in comparison with a solar panel. Thus, adding a new layer of the solar cell and rubber solar pavement could enhance strength parameters and electricity generation for transportation applicationâ&#x20AC;? (16). These results show some interesting and promising implications of the future; heated pavement during the winter can prevent ice buildup on roads. Not only this, but if the stored heat energy is able to be converted easily enough into electrical power, more energy could be given back to the grid or perhaps reutilized for future transportation means. As time goes by as well, solar technologies will become more common and cheaper to install. These future possibilities will most likely happen sometime in the near future and could be a worthwhile investigation for a long-term project such as this one.

fossil fuels used for water heating. Generally, the system is very simple because it requires only sunlight to heat the water. It works when the working fluid is brought in contact with a dark surface (high absorptive) that is exposed to sunlight, which then causes the temperature of the fluid to rise. This fluid may be caused by the water being heated directly, which is called a direct system, or it may be a heat transfer fluid (such as a glycol or water mixture)that is passed through some form of a heat exchanger and called an indirect system. These systems can be classified into two main categories: active system and passive system. The active system can be divided into two sub-categories which are the open loop and close loop system whereas the passive system uses the system of thermosiphon and integral collector storage(ICS)â&#x20AC;?(17). This could be another option on rooftop sustainable design that could be used as opposed to or along with solar panel options. This is another function in which would help further reduce the costs of maintaining any residential or business as water heating plays a role in energy costs and this could effectively negate those costs.

Solar energy generation through the use of water heating systems is another option in which could be used when looking for energy conserving functions of our site. Field experts talk about how this is an effective system that could be used for many common household functions such as steam for washing dishes, bathing, cleaning, and other tasks day or night as they are stored in insulated tanks (17). They continue to explain how exactly these systems work: â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the most widely known solar thermal applications is the solar water heating system. The solar water heating system uses natural solar thermal technology which is where solar radiation is converted into heat and transmitted into a transfer medium such as water, antifreeze or air. This system is often feasible for replacement of electricity and

Figure 5

Daylighting and Natural Lighting One of the most common ways to control interior conditions of a space is through passive systems that control natural lighting. Controlling lighting can be done through two different ways. Either through passive design of structure and architecture, or by using landscaping and nature to control lighting. One building in one area or region does not function the same if placed in a different one. According to Grondzik and Kwok, different regions need different amounts of shade with New York needing it for one-fifth of the year and Miami needing shade for three-fifths of the year (6). Also, when we look at certain environmental factors for certain regions, we find that there is seasonal variation, and thus, variation in seasonal needs. The sun path particular to a specific site is a key factor in design of both landscape as well as intuitive building design. When it comes to sun paths, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, it subsequently travels through the southern sky throughout the day. In climates and regions in which this heat and humidity is especially unbearable, this direct sunlight may be undesirable for the most part, therefore, north-facing indirect lighting may be desired. However, in temperate to cold regions, southern facing clearstory windows would be desired during the winter months as it helps to heat the building. However, even in these climates, there are many times of the year where this direct sun exposure is undesired. This is where passive design and landscaping can aid in regulating the space. Using deciduous trees will block the sun in the summer, but once it sheds itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaves in the fall, it offers exposed sunlight during the winter months (6). There are many different types of deciduous trees that are native to the region in which shed at different times and could offer various types of protection from the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rays for different

durations of time and seasons. For a site like ours, in which much of the landscape was previously destroyed to make way for this mall, a need to reclaim the site and bring it back to its natural standpoint seems evident. Whether we plan on making actual park space or just seek to improve walkability of the site, there are many different types of applications for trees such as ash, maple, and oaks that present different opportunities as well as incorporating evergreen pines and non-deciduous species. Along with sun management, trees and other plantings greatly aid in noise reduction and air pollution mitigation as well as to just adding aesthetic quality to spaces. Passive building design involves multiple different ways of controlling the climate zone such as large overhangs, sun shelves, and egg crate shades (Grondzik, 2015). Whether through adaptive reuse, or new construction each of these systems can be incorporated to some extent to aid in controlling lighting on interior spaces. Large overhangs and light shelves work in a similar way. Overhangs are the use of extending a roof or above structure past the wall or level above it to create shade for the building during certain times of the year. Light shelves are constructed in a similar fashion; however, they are designed to reflect light up into a space creating diffuse light. They are generally put in front of clearstory and fenestration. Both are set up so that the sun and its rays, when higher in the sky (generally around summer time), are blocked or reflected by either the overhang or the light shelves. This allows for a better management of natural daylighting. During the winter when light is desired to aid in heating a home or building, the suns lower path of trajectory in the sky allows its rays to pour into an interior. Egg crate shades work differently in that no matter the time of year they block the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rays. This is done by an egg crate system having larger corner wall structure which is more apt for blocking capabilities as opposed to having a simple support in the corner of a structure that does minimal sun blocking. For the Northeastern region of the United States in which our site is located, selective natural lighting is

research

Figure 6 + 7 desired; however, it is not wanted year-round. In our context, light shelves and overhangs could be passive designs incorporated into our development of the site in which would be beneficial as opposed to passive designs like egg crate shades which would not be beneficial during winter months.

Rainwater Precipitation is an important thing to be considered when designing a site since the water system will be changed due to the alteration of a site. There are many ways to prevent storm water runoff. One of these ways is to use the water for another application. Recycling water can be done in many ways depending on where it falls. You can use rain water for a variety of reasons such as watering landscapes and lawns, toilets, washing machines, bathing, along with water for pools and ponds. Recycling rain water has many benefits that goes beyond environmental and go all the way to monetary. Environmental benefits include reduction of storm water runoff and pollution, control of erosion in urban environments, provides water for non-potable applications with little treatment also reducing demand for water at peak times during the summer. Less water is being released from the site is

another application that prevents storm water runoff. This in turn, reduces the amount of water that is sent down streams minimizing erosion when there are large storms. When there are hot days during the summer or times of drought, rain water can be used to water the grass and landscaping. Using rain water for other applications that would normally require treated water from the town, helps reduce the amount of treated water that you pay for. It is especially helpful to use the water for applications that do not require treatment since it can just be used right away and saves the energy and chemicals used in treating water (21). Rain water is collected in a few ways for different applications. A lot of rain water that will be used for applications inside a building usually comes from the roof of a building which helps minimize the amount of debris that is in the water and other contaminants. Rainwater can also be collected by simply funneling the water toward a pond to maintain adequate water levels in the pond. It can also be directed toward landscaping beds to help water the landscaping. Another eco-friendly option is to have the water channeled toward a wet area that is allowed to stay natural on the site. This helps create an ecosystem where different animals can flourish to give back after disrupting the animalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exterior environment (22).

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Environmental benefits include reduction of storm water runoff and pollution, control of erosion in urban environments, and providing water for non-potable applicationsâ&#x20AC;&#x153; Some of the things that you must be careful of is water quality, such as mineral levels and other nutrient levels. If they are too high they can be unhealthy for you to drink. If there is a lot of calcium in the water then it can create mineral deposits in the storage tanks or on the filtering systems causing them to not work well. It could even clog the pipes running into the building. There are many different ways that the water can be stored and different pieces that go into the storage units. These units can either be stored below ground, above ground or in a building and come in all shapes and sizes. A large concern of reusing rainwater is the possibility for contaminants. As the water is used in more intimate tasks such as drinking it becomes vital to make sure that the water is pure and healthy to drink. When the water first enters the collection system it goes through screen to remove any of the large objects that managed to make its way into the collection system. After these screens it enters the main storage area and from here it could be used for general uses such as watering lawns or landscaping beds. If it is destined to be used inside, it is filtered a few more times. After a few filters, it can be used for washers and for toilets. If the water is to be used as potable water a more stringent system must be used which included UV lights which kill bacteria that could be in the water.

There are more applications for rain water collection in a commercial project when compared to a residential one. This is just based from the budget for the projects along with the uses of the spaces, buildings and sites. Commercial projects usually have much larger budgets and more land being developed. Since there are is more money involved they could potentially have a much larger system that ties back into the building compared to a small residential project. Residential projects can take rain water into consideration on a large scale but that occurs in the development of the area before individual houses are built or smaller less dense building is done. This usually occurs in the creation of ponds or ways to mitigate storm water runoff. But the larger projects can have very large tanks and sophisticated filtering systems at a reasonable price where they are able to use some of this rain water to help cutdown on the large amount of water consumed in larger buildings.

Figure 8

research

Grey Water Reclamation A great way to increase the sustainability of your building is to incorporate grey water reclamation into the project. Grey water reclamation is simply the idea of using the water from things like washing your hands or taking a shower to do other things like flush toilets and irrigate the site.

Credit 1 Water Efficient Landscaping

There is a major distinction between grey water and black water. According to the website of the Australian government, grey water is “waste water from non-toilet plumbing fixtures such as showers, basins, and taps.” This water can be used as a nonpotable source of water. Some statistics show that up to 60 percent of waste water is coming from showers and hand basins with the rest coming from toilets, kitchens, and laundry.

We specifically care about the shower and hand basin water because, while those are considered grey water, toilet, kitchen, and laundry water are considered black water. Black water is water that has been mixed with waste. Unlike grey water, black water requires heavy treatment before it can be considered a potable water source. If you are going to reclaim water to reuse it in your system then it is better to try and keep harsh chemicals out. In particular, you would not want to send your laundry water in because you are putting detergents and softeners in-to the water. Something a building owner could do is require all the sinks to have natural soaps and cleaning materials used (23).There are a few places that you can purchase grey water reclamation systems from some of the top brands being AquaCycle, Aqus, and BRAC Greywater Recycling systems. When specifying water reclamation systems, you should be keeping a close eye on the efficiencies of the systems. LEED Certifications are based on how much of your water goes to waste.

(2-4 points)

Credit 2 Wastewater Technologies

(2 points)

Credit 3 Water Use Reduction

(2-4 points)

Knowing exactly what your systems are doing will help you on your road to LEED status. Above the LEED statuses that you can obtain, there are also Net-Zero goals that you can reach. To be Net-Zero in water management you need to have one-hundred percent of the occupant’s water use coming from captured precipitation or closed-loop water systems that account for downstream ecosystem impact and that are appropriately purified without the use of chemicals (24). That being said, rainwater and storm water runoff are not included in the greywater reclamation systems. Rainwater and Storm water are their own separate entities. Costs for the installation of a reclamation systems can vary according to the sizing and type of system you want. There are three main types of systems: laundry-to-landscape, branched drain systems, and pumped systems. The cost of the units increases respectively as does the maintenance. In an article from House Logic, titled, “Is a Passive Greywater System for You?” The author states that the average family household could save as much as 30% on their total water usage. That translates to roughly $150 out of your $500 yearly water bill. Also, you may see a sewer bill being lowered because you will be putting less volume into the storm drain system. Overall greywater reclamation is going to help not only you the customer, but also the municipality that you live in (25).

Porous Pavement A critical impact on large scale sites is rain water runoff. This can cause flooding downstream and allows pollutants to be put into the streams. One way to help mitigate this is to use porous materials for some of the ground coverage on the site. Parking lots usually take up a large area on a site and are a big component of high runoff levels. Storm water runoff is a big issue because the use of impervious surfaces alters the rate of infiltration of precipitation and puts this water into streams at a rapid rate. “The loss of natural stream channel structure due to altered hydrology has been broadly implicated in the degradation of urban aquatic habitats. Impervious surfaces also serve as a means for delivering pollutants directly to streams. When runoff bypasses the natural filtering process provided by soils, access to a critical ecosystem service is lost. Thus, it is not surprising that indicators of biotic integrity are generally low in watersheds with 10% or more impervious cover” (18). Creating improper storm water management can be detrimental to the environment of the site and to areas downstream from the site. But, the use of porous materials helps bring the site back to a more natural state, allowing storm water to penetrate into the site how it would naturally. “Porous pavement allows precipitation to infiltrate through the pavement to the soil, reducing the volume of storm water runoff produced at a site.” (18). It allows water to get through the material and into groundwater, absorbed by surrounding plants or to be sent into a retention or detention pond at a slower rate than a conventional asphalt. Porous ground material can be used for sidewalks, parking, roads, patios along with other similar applications. Some of the most common porous applications are porous pavers, porous asphalt, porous concrete and porous pavement. In a study done in Athens, Georgia USA comparing a typical asphalt parking lot to a porous pavers lot

made up of grass pavers, they found that the grass pavers produced 93% less runoff than the typical parking lot. By implementing porous materials into the design of a site, it can be enough to mitigate the need for detention and retention ponds in case of large storms (18). A porous pavement parking lot is not all that much different than it would be to create a normal parking lot. The major difference is the actual pavement itself. Another difference is that there needs to be a geotextile below all the stone. The stone base must also be 60% of the way down to the frost line, and there must be roughly 40%-60% space between the stones so it can hold the water and drain at the appropriate rates (19). Porous pavements are more durable than people believe, traditionally it is thought that porous materials and or pavers are not suitable for areas that go thought the freeze thaw cycle because they water will get into the cracks and break apart the material. But, this is not true. “For instance, in areas with freeze-thaw cycles, the pores in the pavement give the water a place to expand without breaking up the pavement” (19). The space between the aggregate allows the water to expand when it turns to ice without breaking apart the material. Even in the cold climates, porous pavements are durable. They can be plowed like normal driveways and de-icier can be used. They do not recommend salt to be used because it can clog some of the pores in the pavement but there are liquid alternatives that can be used. If pavers are used it can still be plowed just with the plow raised a little off the surface as to not catch an edge. In areas where there is a large amount of rainfall, porous pavements can handle this. Special consideration must be taken into account to ensure the soil infiltration rate is high enough to allow the water to soak back into the ground or that a way for the water to escape, as to not overflow the holding area, is available under the porous pavement. Otherwise, the water level getting too high under the parking area and coming back up through the porous area can lead to an unstable parking area.

research There are many benefits of utilizing porous pavements such as preserving a lot of the natural hydrology on the site by allowing the precipitation to pass through the pavement and be absorbed by the soil. It also reduces the volume of runoff unlike detention and retention ponds which just slow the discharge. “Other benefits include high (85–90%) pollutant removal efficiencies, durability, noise reduction, and increased safety for vehicular traffic due to reduced spray generation on driving surfaces. Additionally, valuable land is not sacrificed to a single use; porous pavement sites are functional parking areas that also provide on-site storm water control” (18). The price of porous material to non-porous materials is competitive. On larger sites the porous option is cheaper than the impervious solution. This is because the porous option can mitigate the need for drainage to a detention or retention pond and running the storm water pipes to the ponds.

Geothermal heating and cooling There are multiple ways to properly take on geothermal heating and cooling. This is a very important factor to consider as almost half of an energy bill for homes can be deduced to a home’s heating and cooling (26).Therefore, reducing the costs of this would make a vital impact on our site and could drastically reduce costs if applied to the buildings and development that takes place. These systems are simplistic and offer a very effective solution. It works by tapping into the constant temperature that the earth maintains five feet under the earth’s surface (27). In Northeastern locations of the United States, this is approximately 53 degrees (27). During the winter months, while it is cold outside, the ground keeps a warmer temperature.

The heat is captured through the piping system and is transferred to a furnace within the home in which disburses it throughout the house via forced air or radiant floor heating (26). Subsequently, during the hot months, the system extracts the heat from the home, and transfers it to the earth giving users cooler and less humid environments (26).

“Almost half of an energy bill for homes can be deduced to a home’s heating and cooling” There are two ways to further our investigation with two different methods of heating and cooling. This is through open loop and closed loop systems. Open loop systems are most commonly found in areas in which are rural and access to a well is found (26). Closed loop systems are the more common of the two in which are used. They use piping loops in which are installed underground, or ones that could be found in a pond. These systems can be installed in three different ways. According to an article by the DTE Energy Company “They can be found horizontally, vertically, or with a directional board to absorb the earth’s heat and move it into your home” (26). For our site, if we are to consider using geothermal, we must consider the most efficient system with the space provided and the developments we make. For this, closed loop geothermal systems may be an interesting system to consider as they offer the most compact system per unit as well as the availability to be used via a pond which is also available on the Eastern Hills Mall site. This can make them viable for widespread use throughout the site.

100

Wind energy Wind Energy is one of the most common and easily accessible forms of renewable energy. In almost every city in the United States there is some form of wind energy being harvested. Wind energy is a renewable resource that is created from the heating and cooling of the earth by the sun. This cycle creates convection currents that then create winds. Wind energy is a great source of green energy because it is sold at a fixed price over a long period of time. This is due to the fact that the wind energy is going to be apparent no matter what. As long as the sun is shining and creating convection currents there will be wind produced. This fixed price added to the free nature of production cuts energy prices down to a fraction of traditional energy means. This makes wind energy some of the cheapest, most affordable energy offered. Wind is also favored because it can be installed anywhere that

there are good winds. The overall footprint for single wind turbines is minimal, but when you start to get into larger clusters, or wind farms, you can start to see an impact (28). Wind energy is not a new concept to the Buffalo area but it is something that needs to be utilized more. When driving down route 20 there are windmills at the top of every hill. Also the windmills in Lackawanna, windmills are a main part of Buffalo energy production. The Steel Winds Site in Lackawanna has a capacity for 35 Mw of energy production. This project was part of a larger project to utilize the brown field sites that are a product of the industrial age of Buffalo. The $34 million project sits on a 30-acre site. The project was split into two phases with Phase 1 being the installation of eight 2.5 Mw wind turbines and Phase 2 being the installation of an additional six 2.5 Mw wind turbines. Both of the phases combined offer approximately $190,000 in annual tax revenue. The wind turbines produce enough wind energy to provide energy for 15,000 Western New York homes. The wind turbines offer a unique aesthetic to the coast line of Lake Erie in Lackawanna. Steel Winds was the

“Harnessing the wind along the shores of Lake Erie, Steel Winds is a symbol of economic renewal of a long-dormant industrial region and a source of great pride for local communities. Steel Winds is driving the transformation of the entire former industrial waterfront along Lake Erie…” 101

research

Figure 9 start to an economic redevelopment of this part of Lackawanna: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Harnessing the wind along the shores of Lake Erie, Steel Winds is a symbol of economic renewal of a long-dormant industrial region and a source of great pride for local communities. Steel Winds is driving the transformation of the entire former industrial waterfront along Lake Erieâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? (29). Some of the residents have a positive connection with the turbines while others see them as an eye-sore. This is something that would have to be addressed. Whether or not the community would want medium to large sized wind turbines in their neighborhoods could be a very important factor in the feasibility of the site (29). Our site is located at the top of the Niagara Escarpment. This location will allow for a more direct wind to hit our site. Also, Transit road offers a wind tunnel experience forcing the wind along the road way and directly at our site.

According to the website Windfinder, Buffalo experiences an average wind speed of 10 mph from a south-western direction. According to the same site, Buffalo experiences more wind speeds during the winter due to the lack of tree foliage. Without the foliage the winds can pick up unobstructed speeds. This helps mitigate the loss of efficiency in things like solar panels when the angle of the sun is not optimal. Looking at the performance data from the Lackawanna site we can see that 30 acres of land being set aside is a lot of land, but one of the greatest things about wind energy is that the space between turbines is completely usable. This space can be used for anything that is not going to impact the wind paths of the turbines, like solar panels.

102

Urban Farming On a large open site, traditional farming techniques can be used where the fields are spread out and take up a lot of land. This isn’t the most efficient use of space but when the land is available it is most commonly used, like in the United States. It requires large tractors, huge amounts of pesticides, fertilizes, and herbicides. All of this is not done in a controlled environment so if there is a large rainstorm a lot of these end up running into streams which is harmful for ecosystems and also can contaminate the drinking water. There are few regulations on farmers to prevent storm water runoff. Along with minimal regulations on the fertilizers and other chemicals dumped onto these fields. Large sprawling farms need to transport the goods a large distance to get the food to where it needs to be. Therefore creating inefficient systems. Agriculture has one of the greatest impacts on the environment since it utilizes so much land, destroys forests, and clears large areas. As well as all the chemicals pumped into the ground destroying the nutrients in the soil. Since there are so many farms throughout the world and the distance to ship the goods to market can be long, urban farming is a way of the future and is being incorporated into many existing cities today. But there are other ways to incorporate agriculture into an urban environment, which is known as urban farming. Some techniques for urban farming are aquaponics, farming on rooftops, farming indoors, or

103

backyard farming. These have their advantages and all are great ways to incorporate farming into an interior or exterior urban setting. Backyard farming is for the urban environment where people still have their own small plots of land where the houses are right on top of each other. A small company in Austin, Texas is reinventing the way farming is done in cities, moving toward commercial run urban farming.

“Traditional farming techniques are inefficient and have few enforced regulations” “His company, Lettuce, ‘is an urban farming network,’ he says. He contracts with owners of small plots— front yards and church lawns— around the city, and farms them using sensors and a system to monitor variables like heat and moisture. Participants won’t have to lift a finger—starting in December they’ll get a weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) style delivery and a share of the revenue” (11). They are using peoples land across the city and farming small portions of each person’s plot which gives the company a larger farmable area, which increases the output for the company. This idea will continue to gain traction across the world as more people begin to give land to these types of ideas.

research

“It gives residents of the city a nice place to get away from the busy city and into a more tranquil environment ” Rooftop farming is like a green roof but actually turning the roofs into usable, farmable areas. This has been done all over the world with one example being in Brooklyn. “Rooftop farming was born out of the green-roof movement, in which building owners partially or completely cover roofs with vegetation atop special waterproof membranes. Green roofs use plants and flowers to provide insulation, create a habitat for local wildlife, help control runoff, put more oxygen into the atmosphere—and provide a welcome, verdant break from urban drabness. Rooftop farms take the greenroof concept a step further, with plots that provide fruits and vegetables for residents and the chance for urban volunteers to become part-time farmers” (12).

Rooftop farming is good in many ways for the city it is utilized in. It gives residents of the city a nice place to get away from the busy city and into a more tranquil environment, which can also make the building more attractive and desirable to live in. Since cities do not have an abundance of green spaces the rooftop gardens create more of these spaces. It also helps bring co2 levels in cities down while also reducing the impact of heat island effect, which is caused by solar radiation being bounced back into the atmosphere. By creating the green area on the roof, it helps limit storm water runoff because a lot of the water is needed for the crops to prosper so it’s either absorbed by the soil and used right away or it can be collected and used at a later time. It provides for a nice get away, storm water management, less transportation costs for good, less impact on the environment, and also helps clean the air. Aquaponics is a new type of farming that is popular in cities. It is a crop growing system that also incorporates fish in a recirculating water system. The crops are grown in water that the fish live in. The fish create the nutrients needed for the crops to grow (13). Aquaponics and hydroponics are similar in that both grown crops in water instead of in soil.

Figure 10

104

Figure 11 “They started in their backyard, growing vegetables, herbs, and tilapia on about a tenth of an acre. Now, at a new three-acre location, they project to harvest twenty times more—250,000 heads of lettuce and other greens and 7,500 pounds of fish a year. The fish live in 500 gallon drums next to the greenhouse; with a system of pipes, the farmers transfer water between the two locations. In short, fish waste provides nutrition for plants, which in turn filter and purify water for fish. Yields can be ten to twenty times per square foot higher than that of traditional farming, while using 90 percent less water. “We never discharge any,” says Hanan. In a region that in recent years has been prone to drought—when it hasn’t been flooding—the future of farming in central Texas may not be in terra firma” (11). This just shows how successful an aquaponics system can be. It is extremely sustain able, being able to produce such a large around of crops while also creating meat to eat while also using creating 10-20 times higher yields than normal. The plants filter the water that the fish are in and the fish pro-vide the nutrients for the plants to flourish making this system so efficient. By growing the plants in the water, they

105

“Full Indoor Farming is all based around Mimicking the perfect environment in which crops grow.” can grow up to 50% faster than in soil due to the ability to access the water and nutrients when needed. Smaller containers can be used since roots do not become attached to the growing medium. A lot of infections that occur in plants originate from the soil so since there is no soil involved in hydroponics it allows the plants to be less likely to catch a disease. If one does catch a disease it is less likely to spread to the other crops (14). This is a great system to use in a tight environment with the yields being so high along with the sustainability of the system while also producing meat at the same time.

research

What vegetation can be grown indoors? Another way to increase the productivity per acre is to grow crops indoors which has become a common and successful practice in the Netherlands. There are two types of indoor farming, one is in green houses and the other is actually inside a confined building. In the Netherlands, they went through a few tough famines and after which they pushed for higher yields per acre with less water consumption, fewer fertilizes, fewer pesticides. The success the Dutch have shown is in part to growing their crops indoors in massive green houses that take up what use to be large outdoor farms. They have far superior yield rates per acre than any other country in the world. The climate inside these green houses are completely regulated and monitored to give the plants exactly what they

need to thrive. They have also engineered some of the highest yield capacity seeds. A mix of all these things are what makes this production unique and so efficient. If this was mimicked around the world, there would be much higher yields all over. Indoor farming usually includes vertical farming where the crops are stacked in different layers so there can be higher yields per acre. This is another technique that allows for farming to be done on less land allowing it to be done in higher density areas such as cities. Full indoor farming is all based around mimicking the perfect environment in which crops grow. They use artificial light to mimic daytime all the time. By combing these many types of farming, cities can become areas with very high yields and produce quite a lot of the food required for the cities. This will be a continually growing trend in the future as more and more people get behind them and more efficient and higher yields are realized.

Figure 12

106

Analysis

3.1

Clarence History Of Clarence The town of Clarence is located in Erie county, east of Buffalo, New York. The neighboring towns are, Lancaster to the south and Amherst to the East. The geography of Clarence can be defined as a gentle slope increasing from south to north. The soil differs from the north to the south of the town; Clarence’s northern soil is primarily clay loam while the southern soil is sandy and gravelly loam (1). The history of Clarence’s development can be dated back to the late 1700’s. The early residents of Clarence have seen the transformation from woodlands to new industries, fought in the War of 1812 and then published the first issue of their newspaper on June 14, 1814 (2). To this day Clarence is full of pride from its history, shaped by its early settlers. Before the town of Clarence was developed by settlers and turned into the suburban region we see today, the town was described as an isolated wilderness with acres of trees. The area of land has had many names throughout its development. Most, if not the all, of Erie county and parts of Niagara county were previously occupied by Native Americans (1). The region which settlers took from the Native American’s was originally named, “Ta-Num-No-Ga-O” which meant “place full of hickory bark”. The town’s names

109

before it was finally recognized as Clarence, named after a house in England, include Ransomville, Pine Grove, Ransom’s Grove, and Clarence Hollow. Clarence Hollow was the name of the town most often used during the early 1800’s. The town was subdivided into hamlets; a hamlet is a small region or settlement that is smaller than a village (2). The hamlets developed at that time included: Clarence Center, Harris Hill, Swormville, and Wolcottsburg; most of which still exist today (1). A settler by the name of Asa Ransom, hence the town’s name “Ransomville,” became the first permanent citizen of Clarence Hollow in 1799. Ransom was a silversmith from Geneva, New York who settled Clarence. Joseph Ellicott offered land for those who were looking to expand the Holland

Figure 1

Analysis town of Clarence takes their agriculture industry very seriously. In fact, the town created a protection plan for their farmland and natural resources, which were the foundation of the town (4). The grain Industry thrived in Buffalo at the end of the nineteenth century. Ransom constructed a gristmill in 1803, which was just the start of the industry (3). A gristmill is a facility that grinds grains, and it proved to be essential to the growth of the town. Grain wasn’t the only industry that expanded in Clarence. Buildings needed to be erected and resources were needed. Expanding in 1804, Ransom constructed a saw mill. The lumber then gave jobs to the carpenters to construct new buildings and homes for settlers. One example would be the tavern Asa Ransom constructed for the Holland Land Company in 1804. Asa Ransom helped produce a growth in industry and as a result, population. With more jobs being created due to industry, more settlers wanted to travel to the thriving town (3). Figure 2 Land Company. Ellicott was an agent for the Holland Land Company; he wanted people to purchase land and erect buildings for the company. Asa Ransom, accepted Joseph’s offer and built on the land Ellicott offered. Ransom constructed a two-story tavern that was used as an office in Clarence Hollow for the Holland Land Company; this was only the beginning of construction in Clarence (3). After the tavern was built, the town’s population grew, and Asa Ransom felt the need for more infrastructure in the town to support more and more settlers in Clarence Hollow. Buffalo was a developing city on the rise starting in the 1800’s, and transportation became a key element for industry and growth through the end of the nineteenth century. The surrounding water features, such as rivers and lakes, were beneficial in the transportion of goods from one location to another (3). Farming was one of the most common ways of life at the beginning of the 1800’s, and is very prevalent to the town today. To this day, the

As the town began to grow in population, more industries were being introduced and buildings were constructed to accommodate for the population, and to promote growth as a community. The growth of the town was not the only source that fueled the citizens’ pride. In 1812 the British returned to reclaim the territory, a call was sent for all ablebodied men to march on the Niagara Frontier (2). The Niagara Frontier became the location along the Niagara River where the British and the Americans fought. The overall history of the war is not entirely important for the town of Clarence’s development, but it is important to recognize the men who left their town to fight miles away (5). As the war continued, residents within the town of Clarence desired a new form of communication to keep them updated.

Figure 3 + 4

110

Two publishers from “The Buffalo Gazette”, Smith and Hezekiah Salisbury, moved their equipment to Clarence. The two men printed their first issue from the Harris Tavern on June 14, 1814 (3). Clarence quickly grew after the War of 1812 and continues to grow to this day. The rapid growth started in the early twentieth century with approximately 3,000 residents. Many years after the War of 1812, heading into the 1930’s, there was a major land boom or expansion of the land encompassed by the town’s borders. The largest development that the town has experienced was from the 1930’s to around 1946. Some refer to this as Clarence’s land boom adding roughly 6,331 residents to the town. Ten years later the population grew to 13,267 people. Starting at the beginning of the 21st century with roughly 26,000 residents and in present day with approximately 30,700 residents. Over two hundred years the population has increased more than 27,000 residents (1).

Eastern Hills Mall The most significant commercial development in the past 50 years for Clarence, was the construction of the Eastern Hills Mall on Transit Road. It was developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and was originally planned to be named “Buffalo Mall”, however; the people of Clarence did not like that name as they do not identify as residents of Buffalo, thus the name was changed to the Eastern Hills Mall. Construction began in 1969 and on November 8, 1971, fourteen stores opened up; the mall was finished two years after that. In 1973, there were six original anchor stores: JCPenny, Jen’s, AM & A’s, Hengerer’s, Woolworth, and Sears. JCPenny and Sears are the only original anchor stores still in operation, at the time of writing, under their original names at the Mall. The other four anchor stores have changed, or changed names over time, but the other current tenants are Rocky’s Bar and Grill, Bon Ton, Macy’s and Sports Performance Park. One interesting feature

111

Figure 5 of this mall that is not very common today, is that most of the anchor store companies actually owned the independent buildings they occupied; in the past few years that has started to change as Sears sold their portion of the mall and now leasing the space. In the mall, a three-screen movie theatre was opened, owned and operated by General Cinema Corporation from 1971 to 1993, at which time it was then sold to Dipson Theatres and was converted to an art film cinema in 1998. In 1986 the mall underwent “an extensive overhaul” that added a food court. From 1972 to 1989 the Eastern Hills Mall was the largest mall in the Buffalo area, until the development of the Walden Galleria Mall. The last renovation to occur at the mall was in 2005 when a cosmetic renovation took place on the east-west center concourse and food court. In 2006, facing Lake Storm “Aphid”, the Eastern Hills Mall’s parking lot served as an important area and focal point for cleanup and restoration services for the surrounding area. Then in 2012 the television station WBBZ-TV moved the studio to the mall (6). As previously mentioned, the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation developed and operated Eastern Hills

Analysis Mall. In 1948, Edward DeBartolo, founded the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and was able to take advantage of the shifting population post

“He changed the way America shops” World War II. DeBartolo recognized and saw an opportunity as more and more Americans moved into the suburbs and the demand for a convenient access to retail stores increased. His company was one of the first companies to start building and developing shopping centers in the suburban area. By the 1990s, DeBartolo was estimated to possess more than $1.4 billion in personal wealth. After his passing in 1994, the company remained under control of his family (7). His daughter Marie Denise York and his son Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. took charge. His son increased his personal wealth and was given the San Francisco 49ers from his father and owned the team

Clarence N.Y.

Buffalo N.Y.

for about 23 years. DeBartolo Sr. had a huge impact on society, and it all started with his first mall in Youngstown, Ohio in 1948. Since then he built over 200 malls in 20 states and his company was ranked as the fourth largest owner of shopping and retail spaces at the time of his passing. The International Council of Shopping Centers said, after hearing about his passing, “He changed the way America shops.”

Proximity to buffalo Although residents of Clarence historically have not preferred to identify as residents of Buffalo, it is impossible to ignore the impact the city and other surrounding suburbs has had on Clarence. It is useful to understand the demographics of both places when examining how they are related. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of the City of Buffalo in 2016 was almost 257,000 with a population density of 6,470 people per square mile over 52.51 square miles. In contrast, the United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Clarence in 2016 was only 32,000 with a population density of 573 people per square mile over 53.5 square miles. It is quite obvious that Buffalo is much denser than Clarence, however; just because a lot of people live in the city doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of people commuting to work from suburbs like Clarence. The median income, again provided by the US Census Bureau, shows that a median household income over $90,000 compared to just under $32,000 for the city of Buffalo - a good indication that many of the people who live in Clarence, probably work in the City. For those who do live in Clarence, the city provides many amenities including a multitude of Universities, vibrant night life, historically significant architecture, public park space, access to water, multiple professional sports arenas, and much more all just 30 minutes away by car.

112

ContexT Of Clarence The primary significance of Amherst’s proximity to Clarence is economic. Outside the city of Buffalo, Amherst has grown steadily since the 1950s, after World War II, and rapidly after the early 1970’s when the University at Buffalo (UB) built their North Campus on the west side of Amherst. The University drew money and businesses to the town, fueling its growth into the affluent suburb that it is today. Clarence has also become an affluent suburb of Buffalo, but it currently lacks the large commercial investments found throughout Amherst. The development of Amherst was quick, and fueled by developers turning swaths of agricultural and swamp land into an abundance of single story and single purpose office parks. These office and business parks served as employment centers for people in Amherst and Clarence. The town of Amherst contracted out an Economic study in 2016 to Delta Associates of Washington D.C. They divided the town into six Planning Analysis Areas (PAA) across the six areas, the largest job growth sectors are: Education & Health Services; Retail, Dining, and Entertainment; and Professional, Business, and Financial Services. This information demonstrates a shift in employment away from the “office-using sector”. Delta Associates cites the Census Bureau Local Employment Dynamics Program in Figure 3 of their Economic study which shows that employment in Office-using Sector in the Town of Amherst was at 46,049 in 2002, jumped to 51,711 in 2010, then dropped down to 46,896 in 2014. This shift can be explained partly by a national trend

113

to move away from low-density, automobile-oriented business parks and corporate campuses in suburbs to high density office space in cities. This trend has left lots of under utilized, vacant, and obsolete commercial buildings around Amherst. There is one notable exception to this trend in Amherst - CrossPoint Business Park owned by the Uniland Development Company. This office park focuses on new standalone buildings for a few key companies including Geico, Columbus McKinnon Corporation (CMCO) (the newest member of the Park), Fidelis Care, Atto Technology, and more. At first glance, this may seem beneficial for Amherst because it keeps some of the office jobs that it’s lost, however; Delta Associates claims that CMCO

Figure 1 - Vacant Office SPACE

Figure 2 - CMCO Office

Analysis left office space that it was leasing in Audubon Business Park to build at CrossPoint and that it did so because of economic incentives offered by The Empire State Development Corporation and the Amherst Industrial Development Agency (AIDA). The trend of companies abandoning old facilities to build new ones just for economic incentives and the perceived prestige of a standalone building is more alarming that companies moving to cities because it is not environmentally sustainable and it is not economically sustainable for the town of Amherst. The Commercial Real Estate Services, groups Amherst, Tonawanda and Lockport together form the North submarket in the buffalo region; Amherst is the largest component of this group. Again, according to Delta’s Associate’s Economic study, the north submarket had an overall office vacancy rate of 12.1%

Amherst UB North Campus Figure 3

and a Class A office vacancy rate of 19.1%, however; the Class B vacancy rate is only 7.5%. The visual result of this data is a lot of under utilized, vacant and obsolete office space. This is important to note because the use and redevelopment, or lack-there-of, on these sites will be essential to the economic success of Amherst in the next decade. Delta Associates identified four particularly attractive redevelopment opportunities, each in a different Planning Analysis Area. All of them are car-oriented facilities containing primarily one-story structures that are at least 20 years old, however; they are all close to particular “amenities” such as the University at Buffalo North Campus, the Village of Williamsville, Interstate 290, or Niagara Falls Boulevard making them desirable locations for businesses new to the area and other startup companies.

Amherst village of willamsville Figure 4

114

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

115

The good news is that the town of Amherst and Amherst Industrial Development Agency (AIDA) are notoriously generous with their incentives for businesses which caused companies to move to Amherst in the first place, but will also help retain them going forward. According to Delta Associates, the Amherst Industrial Development Agency offers a “sales tax exemption on materials related to the development or renovation of sites and buildings, an exemption from New York State’s 1% Mortgage Recording tax, and up to 10 years’ of abatements from local property taxes.” The University at Buffalo (UB) has been mentioned a few times before, but is worth elaborating on because it is a major economic factor within the Education and Health Services sector for Amherst and the Western New York region. According to The University’s archive, the first building, a residence hall designed by I. M. Pei, was completed on the UB North Campus in 1971, but it wasn’t until 1973 when classes were first held on that campus. Since then, the University has attracted many students, educators, and businesses to Amherst. Today, UB has approximately 30,000 students and graduates an average of 8,000 students per year. This means that there is an ample supply of young, educated workers in Amherst , assuming a large percentage of students stay after graduation. UB is a large University split between three campuses, and is a big draw for the region, yet there is another big draw for the region that is quite small in comparison - the Village of Williamsville. Located in the southern part of Amherst, with a population just over 5,000, and a median income between 2011 and 2015 of only $59,000 Williamsville seems like an unlikely point of interest, however; the village is very significant to Amherst and Clarence. The village of Williamsville was the first settlement in the Town of Amherst and was strategically located on “Buffalo Road” or what is now known as Main Street/Route 5 and Ellicott Creek. The Creek and waterfalls powered the mills that were the main source of income after Williamsville was settled. Today, one of those mills, on present day Spring Street, has been revitalized

Analysis and contains “1811 Comics” and “Sweet Jenny’s Ice Cream Shop” (Figure 5). Buffalo Road was the primary means of transportation for settlers headed west in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Route 5 still draws many people traveling east toward Clarence or

“THESE SMALL IMPROVEMENTS make the village more pedestrian centered which is a relief in comparison to all the automobile centered environments”

Transit Road is the border between Amherst and Clarence. The road dates back to 1801 when surveyor Joseph Ellicott, an employee of the Holland Land Company, mapped and surveyed the “Niagara Frontier” or what is now western New York, and part of Ohio. Although Ellicott didn’t intend to, he created one of the busiest roads in the region. Transit Road, named for the surveying instrument that Ellicott used, is one of the only major North-South arterial roads in western New York and, as a result, has attracted people and businesses since its creation. Transit Road stretches twenty-five miles from Lockport to Orchard Park and passes through or borders eleven communities (listed from north to south) including: The City of Lockport, the Town of Lockport, Pendleton, Amherst, Clarence, Depew, Lancaster, Cheektowaga, West Seneca, Elma, and Orchard Park. The characteristics of Transit Road

west toward Buffalo that don’t want to pay the toll to drive on Interstate 90 today; which was an average of 34,543 per day in 2015. The Buffalo airport is just south of the village, as is Interstate 90, and route 290 is only a few minutes to the west. All of these “amenities”, plus having a quiet small-town feel, make Williamsville an attractive place to live and visit. On top of all that, Mayor Brian Kulpa has made significant improvements to Main Street, Spring Street and most recently, Rock Street. He added curb bump outs, rain gardens, permeable pavement, and a green wall seen in figures 6-8. These small improvements add to the appeal of Williamsville, representing a forward-thinking sustainable local government, and make the village more pedestrian centered which is a relief in comparison to all the automobile centered environments common to the rest of Amherst. Another major contributing factor in Amherst’s economic growth are the roads that pass through and border Amherst. To the west is the Niagara Falls Boulevard, to the north is Route 990, to the southwest is route 290, and to the east is Route 78, otherwise known as Transit Road.

Amherst arterial Roads Figure 9

116

Figure 9 - TRANSIT ROAD vary distinctly across its duration; Jay Rey, from The Buffalo News, published an article on August 15th, 2015 entitled, “Tour of Transit Road through Rearview Mirror” that excellently covers these characteristics and includes some interviews with residents and drivers on Transit Road. Rey wrote that, “The evolution of Transit began where it meets Main Street on the Amherst and Clarence border. This intersection was once known as Snearly’s Corner, named for the owner of the store and tavern that stood during the late 1800s, said Douglas Kohler, Erie County historian. It was one of the earliest settlements along Transit, the end of the trolley line from Buffalo. As the automobile emerged, so too did Transit Road” (8).This historical observation is essential to understanding that location today. That piece of Transit Road between Route 5 and Sheridan Drive is one of the busiest on the whole road and is home to the Eastern Hills Mall - one of three enclosed shopping malls in that region. It is significant that the trolley line stopped there because that is where

117

public transportation stops today. It is also the second largest intersection on Transit Road with nine lanes in the north-south direction and six in the eastwest direction (the largest intersection is the next intersection south of Transit and Main: Transit and Wehrle Dr. with the same nine lanes in the northsouth direction, but seven lanes in the east-west.) This area is the busiest on the entire road; Transit Road has an average of 28,582 cars per day, in Amherst, in 2015, the section between Main and Sheridan received a staggering 37,197 cars on average, per day, in 2015, according to the New York State Department of Transportation. Traffic data is important to note because it is one of the major contributing factors a developer uses when determining if a certain area is worth investing in. “Twenty thousand cars a day – that’s the magic number,” said developer Anthony Cutaia, who built two large apartment projects along Transit in recent years. “Transit Road has achieved the 20,000 mark

Analysis nearly all the way to Millersport now, so if there’s availability to develop, it’s going to develop” (1). More importantly than traffic data though, is income. “You have two of the top income ZIP codes on either side,” said developer Anthony Cutaia. “East Amherst and Clarence. What’s not to like about that?” (8) However, Rey points out that before there was money in the area, and before there were 20,000 cars a day driving on Transit Road, there was one major, yet often overlooked, development that really made Transit Road become the “PowerStrip” that it is today: sewers. Editor of the “Clarence Bee” Newspaper, Ethan Powers elaborates on the impact of sewers in his article, “Sewer it, and they Will Come”. “Clarence’s sewer infrastructure has been a controversial topic amongst town officials since the early 1980s, when the town had the opportunity to become almost fully sewered through a highly favorable state grant program, which would have subsidized Clarence for roughly 90 cents on the dollar for its investment” (9). An impressive incentive, but even more impressive is the fact that the residents of Clarence voted it down due to a fear of uncontrollable sprawl, and a rushed engineering plan for the sewer layout. As a result, they got to watch their neighbor, Amherst, who accepted the funding, start expanding rapidly with an abundance of commercial projects and housing tracts. Local developer, Noel Dill, has been a part of several projects along Main Street in Clarence and is a big proponent of adding sewers to Clarence; he claims that, “It has to happen in order for Main Street to develop the way it should.” Dill said. “You can talk

about community life and giving people the ability to start and grow businesses, but it all starts with sewers. Public sewers are the most important type of utility there is. It shouldn’t be a luxury in a town. It should be something that is provided for right off the bat” (9). It is important to note that adding a new sewer system to an existing town is very expensive, costing $200-$300 per square foot, or $1.5 million dollars per mile, (9) however; if executed well, and the town Planning Board closely monitors new development, Clarence could see dramatic economic improvement without becoming the next car-oriented, consumerist suburbia like Amherst. The primary significance of Amherst’s proximity to Clarence is economic; the businesses there provides many jobs and tax dollars but more importantly it serves as a good case study for what Clarence doesn’t want to become - an overly commercialized, caroriented, sprawling suburbia. The local government in Clarence watched Amherst accept funding to build a sewer system, then see an influx of office parks and big-box stores, an increase in traffic flows, a connection to public transit through the NFTA bus routes, and then an exodus of companies leaving empty one-story office buildings and seas of not maintained parking lots - that could have been Clarence. Clarence still has the potential to foster smart economic growth because it is still close most of the amenities that Amherst is, and gets a high volume of traffic via Transit Road and Route 5 - the key is getting people off those roads and attracting them into the heart of Clarence.

“Transit Road has an average of 28,582 cars per day” 118

3.2 The Site Eastern Hills Mall The Eastern Hills Mall has been in operation for 47 years and was an integral part of the further development of the community of Clarence within the past 50 years. The mall was developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation in the late 1960s. In 1948, Edward DeBartolo, founded the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and was able to take advantage of the shifting population post World War II. DeBartolo recognized and saw an opportunity as more and more Americans moved into the suburbs and the demand for a convenient access to retail stores increased. His company was one of the first companies to start building and developing shopping centers in the suburban area. DeBartolo Sr. had a huge impact on society, and it all started with his first mall in Youngstown, Ohio in 1948. Since then he built over 200 malls in 20 states. The International Council of Shopping Centers said, after hearing about his passing, “He helped change the way American shops.” The Eastern Hills Mall was originally planned to be named “Buffalo Mall.” However, this was protested by

119

the people of Clarence, thus the name changed to the Eastern Hills Mall. Construction of the mall began in 1969. On November 8, 1971, fourteen stores opened up and the mall was finished the next year. The mall originally held six successful anchor stores: JC Penney, Hengerer’s, AM&A’s, Woolworth’s, Sears and Jenn’s. It also held two auto centers as well as a movie theatre, various restaurants and other popular retail stores. The three screen movie theatre was opened, owned and operated by General Cinema Corporation from 1971 to 1993, and was then sold to Dipson Theatres and was converted to an art film cinema in 1998. In 1986 the mall underwent “an extensive overhaul” and added a food court. From 1972 to 1989 the Eastern Hills Mall as at its peak. It was the largest mall in the area and was thriving as the main source for retail shopping and community gathering for Clarence and the surrounding area. The first form of real competition for the mall arrived in 1989 with the development of the Walden Galleria Mall. This new mall took the title of biggest mall in the region and also offered more services than the Eastern Hills Mall, which was at this time almost twenty years old. This began the decline for the Eastern Hills Mall. Then The 90s saw a major decline for the mall. This decline was furthered within the last two decades with the increase in accessibility of the internet and the ease of online shopping. This

Analysis

“It was the largest mall in the area and was thriving as the main source for retail shopping and community gathering for Clarence and the surrounding area.” increase affected and is still affecting malls across America. The impact has been so great that many malls have been completely abandoned. When a mall reaches a certain point of extreme decline it is labeled as a “dead mall.” The last renovation to occur at the mall was in 2005 as an attempt to revitalize the dying facility. The renovation included a cosmetic overhaul

in the east-west center concourse and food court to try and make the mall more modern and appealing. However, the mall continued to decline and is now considered a dead mall. However, the mall has served as more than just a shopping center for the area. In 2006, facing Lake Storm “Aphid”, the Eastern Hills Mall’s parking lot served as an important area and focal point for cleanup and restoration services for the surrounding area. Also, in 2012 the television station WBBZ-TV moved its studio to the mall (Mall History, 2013). The Eastern Hills Mall is still in operation today but it is filled mostly with small trinket shops and receives very few visitors on any given day. The mall has been a key part of Clarence for the last 50 years and it is for this reason that this site has been chosen for this project. The goal of this project is to revitalize this important part of the community in a way that is both sustainable and adds to the value of the town of Clarence in ways that malls can simply no longer provide.

Figure 1

120

Existing Conditions A brief over view of the site revealed several things. The main buildings include the mall itself centered on the site, a Firestone to the northwest, and a Sear’s auto center in the south east end of the site. Between these buildings is an almost uninterrupted “sea” of hardscape in the form of asphalt parking lot as well as a ring road around the site. There are a few entrance drives connecting the site to Sheridan Drive to the north, Transit Road to the west, and, through another retail lot, Main Street to the south.

stores still have some regular business, whereas the smaller interstitial stores within the inner corridors do not have much. Many of these smaller stores are small trinket shops. The mall is all one grade level, except for two of the anchor stores include second floors accessible via escalators. At least one of those

The entrance drive off of Transit Road boasts a prominent Eastern Hills Malls sign to announce the presence of the mall. There is also a large retention pond on the east side of the site. There are two exterior doorways that are automatic sliding doors and could be seen as accessible. Another pull to open door has a handicap symbol on it but has no application of this feature. Most of the outdoor entrances are very small and do not announce themselves well to a visitor, although four of these entrances have large Eastern Hills Mall signs announcing them. Inside the mall there is one large center east-west corridor and two smaller north-south corridors leading into it from either side. At the ends of these corridors are the main anchor stores: JC Penny, Sears, Macys (now filled with trinkets and souvenir-like objects, not Macys retail), Bonton, Rocky’s Bar and Grill, and a sports performance center. These anchor

121

Interior Conditions

Analysis two has an elevator that is easily accessible. The aesthetic of the interior of the building is inconsistent with various styles battling throughout the mall including Art Deco, Arts and Crafts, and pink floor tiles. There is only one public bathroom at the very end of the building along with the only security desk for the whole building. There is a handicap stall present in the women’s room and there is also a family bathroom but it is removed from the rest across the food court. Immediately surrounding the mall is a sidewalk. This sidewalk does not extend all the way around the building, nor does it connect to any sort of walking path through the site’s extensive parking lot. Near the entrances to the mall asphalt was added adjacent to the sidewalk in the form of ramps. These do not meet ADA standards. The outer loop road is in a state of disrepair, there are potholes everywhere. Inventory cars are parked out into the road so that if one was to drive continuously clockwise around the loop they would hit some of these cars. White stone privacy partitions are used to block unsightly things like loading docks. There is a retention pond on the east

side of the site to remediate water runoff from the sea of hardscape. This retention pond no longer meets DEC regulations for water runoff remediation. To the south east of the site there is a residential neighborhood backed right up to the back of the loop road and retention pond. North of the site there is an Escarpment parallel to Sheridan Drive on the opposite side from the site. This includes about a 25’ to 30’ drop to the retail plaza below. All surrounding roads are extremely busy, especially during rush hour. Transit Road has, at times, nine lanes of traffic. The whole site slopes evenly to the south, dropping a total of about 10 feet over the 2,200 ft long north-south dimension. The retail site to the south of the Eastern Hills Mall plot then slopes back up about 6 feet to Main Street, creating a depression at the south end of the Eastern Hills Mall site that has trouble draining. Overall, the Eastern Hills Mall site is a bit run down but still retains some positive spaces like the anchor stores. It has a prime location surrounded by three well-travelled roads and is close to a major highway, the I-90.

Exterior Conditions

122

3.3

Site Analysis Regional Analysis Study of the context, zoning, land use, climate, and circulation around the Eastern Hills Mall site, the town of Clarence and the surrounding area.

Context The site is within the hamlet of Harris Hill and borders the town of Williamsville. This area includes a residential area to the east of the site, a smaller retail plaza to the south, more retail and businesses across Transit Road to the west, and a smaller retail plot to the north. There is an airport and a quarry nearby, as well as, commercial and some industrial areas.

123

Analysis

Clarence, ny

Eastern Hills mall 4545 Transit Road Clarence, NY

124

Zone: Major Arterial Permitted uses in this area: Shopping center or plaza; hotels or motels; banks and financial institutions; theater and public assembly; public recreational facilities; retail sales activities; nonprofit institutions of charitable, religious, cultural or civic purposes; convention facilities; restaurants; professional, medical, or executive offices; commercial laundry/cleaners; printing shops; personal service, craft, or antique shops; day-care centers and nursery schools.

125

Analysis

Land use About half of the land in Clarence is taken up by agriculture or is vacant, one third is filled with residential, fifteen percent is commercial or industrial, and the remaining land is considered public or semi-public. The Eastern Hills Mall is within the public or semi-public category.

Vegetation Clarence is not very dense and therefore has lots of undeveloped land. There is also a lot of land set aside for farming. Golf courses, public parks and woods blanket the area surrounding the site. The northeast of the site is wooded.

tRANSPORTATION Transit Road is a nine lane highway and a main thoroughfare in this area. North of the site is Sheridan Drive and south is Main Street, both of which are also highly frequented roads. There are three entrances to the site directly from Transit Road and one from Sheridan Drive. The third access is from Main Street, through the plaza to the south of the site. Also easily accessible from the site is Interstate 90.

126

Climate analysis Examination of the precipitation rates, wind speeds and directions, relative humidity, and the solar orientation in the Clarence region.

Precipitation

The yearly average precipitation rate for Clarence is about 3 inches per month. However, this rate increases during the month of June as well as during the fall months. During the winter months there is a chance for blizzards.

5 4 3 2

Wind

The wind on site generally comes from the southwest. In the winter months this shifts more to the west.

a m

- chance of blizzard

Wind Direction Diagram N Nw

N Nw

127

N Nw

Spring

summer

fall

Winter

ati v

itit

80 %

100 % 90 %

Analysis

Rel

20 %

10 %

Â°f 20

100

110

Psychometric chart A psychrometric chart is a graph to demonstrate the psychrometric processes of air. Properties that are included in both physical and thermodynamic, which include: dry and wet bulb temperature, humidity, enthalpy, and air density. The psychrometric chart is used to serve two purposes. The first is to use plotted points that

represent the conditions of airs at a specific day and compare it to the typical â&#x20AC;&#x153;comfort zone.â&#x20AC;? The comfort zone is the range of thermal conditions within occupants are most satisfied. That information then can be used to apply passive design strategies to a building to maintain a comfort within a given area.

128

Immediate Site

mm su

wint

NORT

Solar On site the sun comes from the south year round, with less exposure in the winter months.

Micro climate Large asphalt parking lot and large black rooftop cause excess heat to build up on the site.

129

Analysis

bon ton retail

rocky’s sports bar resteraunt

Macy’s Macy’s

retail

sears retail

corridor shops Mix

Existing mall In addition to the anchor stores, the mall consists of a TV Station, food court, movie theater, an SPCA and a collection of other shops.

Ground surface Conditions Surface water is directed to storm drains and flows under Transit Road or directed to the retention pond on the east side of the site.

130

Circulation Vehicular There are three entrances into the site from Transit Road and one

out to Sheridan Drive. A vehicular loop road circulates the entire perimeter of the site, as well as, a vehicular path around the perimeter of the mall itself. The outer loop is whole and usable except along the eastern edge of the site where it has deteriorated.

Pedestrian The only pedestrian path on the site is the sidewalks that follow the perimeter of the mall, but are broken up in places by driveways into service areas and loading docks.

131

Analysis

Property lines and setbacks Setbacks Throughout the site there are a variety of setbacks, On transit

road there is a 135â&#x20AC;&#x2122; setback from the main thoroughfare. On the east side of the site there is a 45â&#x20AC;&#x2122; setback from the residential neighborhood. Everywhere else on the site there is a general 25â&#x20AC;&#x2122; setback.

132

3.4

Stakeholder For our project redesigning the Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence, New York, it was important to gain information about both the site and its context. For this, we interviewed Jonathan Bleuer, one of the two town planners for the town of Clarence. His insight and knowledge of the region, the town, and the site were essential to the design of this project. The Town of Clarence is a town located in Erie County, New York and is a suburb of Buffalo, located to the northeast of the city. Clarence borders five municipalities, three of which are larger than Clarence. The city of Amherst is the largest and borders Clarence to the west. There is also Lockport to the northwest and Lancaster to the south, both of which boast decent populations. There are also the smaller towns of Royalton and Newstead which border Clarence to the east. Some of the most important pieces of information about Clarence are its specific population demographics. Clarence has one of the least dense populations in the region with 574 people per square mile, 2.7 people per household, and a population of 31,500 people. Despite these low numbers, however, the population of Clarence is actually increasing. This population consists of 92.8% caucasian people. The median age of Clarence is 43.7 years, making its population older than the average city in America.

133

Clarence also has an average home value of $417,000 and the average household income of around $90,000 a year. Both of these numbers are high for the Western New York region.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clarence has one of the least dense populations in the region with 574 people per square mileâ&#x20AC;? The Eastern Hills Mall address is 4545 Transit Road in Williamsville. The site was rezoned in 1969 from agricultural to commercial. In 1971 it cost $25 million to build the mall, which equates to $170 million today. It was the largest mall in the region when it was built at 996,000 square feet on a 103 acre site. The site is connected to greater Clarence by three main roads that connect not only Clarence, but most of the Western New York region. Transit Road boasts almost 30,000 cars a day, Sheridan Drive almost 26,000 per day, and Main Street sees approximately 8,000 cars a day. The site is accessed predominantly by cars, but it does also features a NFTA Bus stop.

Analysis There were many criteria that we were asked to meet when approaching design options for the site. Jonathan Bleuer made it abundantly clear that Clarence, like many of the other suburbs of America, is an automobile driven community, and as such, we have to take cars into account in our programming. It is important for us to find adequate and appropriate ways to store these cars without creating unsightly seas of parking. Various routes for transport are to be integrated into the site. A strong demand to increase population density within Clarence was also expressed. This is due to the town’s need for more residential space. Many people from the surrounding areas are waiting to move into Clarence. Current residents, however, do not want more people coming in to encroach on their back yards so the new complex needs to be made appealing to current residents as well as new incomers. As far as offices that are to be developed in the area, Clarence has a strong neighborhood business presence so we were to focus on smaller scale office/businesses. Along with the need to make the site appealing, there was also a need to not undermine the character of the neighborhood hamlets in Clarence as they are

NFTA-Metro routes

+ Points of interest

already successful and the town does not want us to take attention away from these areas. For the site, a balance between nature and the built environment was also highly desired. Residential function for people of all ages was also seen as an important component as well as proper integration of the mixed-use buildings on the site. Perhaps one of the most key functions was that it had to be special, unique, and enticing to attract people from Clarence as well as the greater community and region. These constraints placed by both Mr. Bleuer as well as the site and the context it exists in had many implications for the site. With the desire to increase density, along with the desire to add more residential, leads to the need for multi-family dwelling or multi-use buildings. Along with this, there was the implication to break past Clarence’s two story limitation on building and look into integrating three or four story buildings that are appealing and have it be unobtrusive to the neighboring single family areas outlying the site. With Transit Road outlining the western border of the site, it is necessary to find a way to make this a very attractive and enticing front that will draw people in. Finding ways to attract industry to the site is another possibility for development as it would help in reducing taxes for the town. Cars are going to be the biggest mode of transportation for the site, but it is also key to find ways to hide them so that they are not taking away from the site itself. With the site, it was also key to find ways to balance the natural and built. For this options of how to make “an experience” for people were key to attracting people to the site. Ideas such as outdoor recreational functions were highly encouraged. These spaces are to cater to people of all ages and are encouraged to be kid friendly, since many of the middle-aged citizens of Clarence have little children. One of the most enticing ideas was to create a water feature as it would be something unique to Clarence that people would not so easily find since the only water in Clarence is the Tonawanda Creek. With much of Clarence’s population being older however, it was important to realize that they must be well catered for as well for their wants and needs.

134

3.5

Program Original Program The initial research for program precedent in relation to the design for the redevelopment of the Eastern Hills Mall site directed the design team to two key case studies: Crocker Park and the Menlo Park Facebook Campus designed by OMA. Our research showed that Crocker Park had a similar overall lot area to the Eastern Hills Mall site and that its largest amount of program space was allocated to retail (These statistics for Crocker Park do not account for the recently completed headquarters for the American Greetings Corporation on the site which was not available at the time of writing). In contrast, the new Facebook Campus in Menlo Park, California has a dramatically larger amount of both office space and residential space than Crocker

Park, despite having an area on two-thirds in size. Based on researching these two case studies, the Design Studio 5 team determined that the program solution for the Eastern Hills Mall site is a combination both places, which is evident in the statistics of our final design. However, our initial design program target was twice the built area of the final design meaning that the Team planned for twice the built area in square feet as well as a lot coverage of 70 percent, an unrealistic figure. When we realized those two facts, we reassessed our program allocations, then took another look at our two key case studies and determined that the intended function of the site would not benefit from as much housing or office found on the Menlo Park Facebook campus, therefore we reallocated that program space to increase amenities, account for maintenance space, doubled on site parking and added a medical facility.

Crocker Park

New Facebook campus

Initial design Program

Total Lot Area (Acres)

88 acres

59 acres

97.9 acres

Total Lot Area (sq. ft.)

3,850,000 Sq. ft.

2,560,000 Sq. ft.

4,267,836 Sq. Ft.

40%

45%

70%

Retail (sq. ft.)

1,050,000 Sq. ft.

25,000 Sq. ft.

960,000 Sq. ft.

Office (sq. ft.)

1,000 Sq. ft.

1,731,000 Sq. ft.

1,800,000 Sq. ft.

Residential (sq. ft.)

Unavailable

1,611,000 Sq. ft.

2,320,000 Sq. ft.

Lot Coverage Percentage

135

Analysis

136

design

3.1

Introduction

139

Design

universal design Executive summary After studying precedents set by other mall site renovations this design team was determined to create a facility that is totally unique for the Eastern Hills Mall site. The design team’s first goal is to reuse parts of the existing mall in an effort to make the project as sustainable as possible. Reusing parts of the mall would reduce demolition, reduce construction cost, be better for the environment, and would keep a small part of Clarence’s recent history. Since the population of Clarence is above average in age than the average town in the U.S., there is inevitably going to be a higher percentage of people with some form of disability in the area. This is why the second goal of the design team was to design the site to emphasize universally designed living and working environments as well as provide accessible amenities and accessible transportation on the site. Throughout the campus are features like zero-step transitions and an automated bus system that will help anyone traverse the campus with ease regardless of that person’s level of mobility.

will do this by being designed to house large, established technology based companies like Tesla or Alphabet, as well as smaller tech based companies just starting in the industry that would benefit from small incubation spaces. Tech companies will be encouraged to house, or newly develop, departments on the site that focus on design for people with disabilities and to explore technology that can improve the everyday lives for people of all abilities. These technologies can then be tested right there on the site. Lastly, to address the needs and wants of the town of Clarence, the campus will be mixed use and incorporate housing at various levels of density. The campus will also hold accessible office spaces, retail spaces, and community accessible buildings. This will create a campus that reflects the needs of the surrounding town, connects the site to the rest of the community, and has unique amenities which can’t be found in other nearby areas that will attract people to the site. Through the combining of all these factors the design team will create the Network. The Network will be a campus shaped around universal design and technology with a focus on sustainability to create a community, fully accessible to people of all abilities, that will truly be the first of its kind.

The third goal is to build upon the region’s already established technology base. This new development

140

3.2 Parti universal Universal design Design Universal design is the study and application of design for people of all abilities, regardless of physical, cognitive, or situational impairments within specific places, spaces, products and systems. This is the next advancement in accessible design which will go the extra step towards creating universally accessible places, spaces, products, and systems. The demographic studies of the town of Clarence show that there is an significant amount of people with physical, cognitive, or situational impairments. The studies also show that the average age of the population of Clarence is well above the national average, with people over the age of 18 representing 82 percent of the total population and people over

the age of 65 representing over 32 percent of the total. This analysis shows the need for a design solution that can cater to people of all abilities. This takes into account disabilities from all sources whether they come from natural causes, including aging, as well as situational impairments. This led the design team to look into a design that can be utilized by all persons. This idea paired with the technology aspect allows for a unique situation to appear where the study and application of accessible research can be supported.

design for all 141

Design

People AGE 0 TO 4

3.8%

People AGE 5 TO 17

13.8%

People AGE 18 TO 64

49.6%

People AGE 64+

32.7%

POPULATION IN AGE, cLARENCE ny ACCORDING TO THE 2010 CENSUS

clarence

total : 32,328 People

21%

of population has some form of disabilities

buffalo

total : 256,902 People

24%

of population has some form of disabilities

USA

Under age 65

21%

Over age 65

total : 323,127,513 People

of population has some form of disabilities

under age 65 with disabilities

Population Percentage of people with disabilities 142

universal Technologydesign

Buffalo is also experiencing a resurgence of technology development with companies and programs like 43 North and the DIG programs.

The second concept of this design solution is technology. Clarence has been at the forefront of some amazing technological advances since the industrial revolution and all the way through the information age. Clarence, NY has created great inventions like the pacemaker developed by Wilson Greatbatch that still have a presence with the Greatbatch Global Headquarters located in Clarence.

To continue this upward trend, there is a focus on developing the technology base that Clarence can offer with a focus on advancing accessible research studies. The Network will allow for established and emerging tech companies to have a unique headquarters aimed towards accessible research. It will bring together multiple companies and create a unique research environment and provides incubation space for those emerging companies.

1930-1940

Peak trade economy

2010

Buffalo is center for modern architecture and modern technology ( Rail and Grain)

1868

Tech incubation growth 43 north and dig incubator founded. 270,286 sq. ft of incubation space donated by university of buffalo

Fredrick Law Olmsted

1804

Buffalo’s Park - “Best Planned City in the World”

Joseph ellicot

Population

Designed buffalo’s Radial plan

1800

Buffalo Innovation time line 143

1970

Decreased Population in buffalo

1900

2000

Design

Top Tech Companies in Buffalo

144

universal design Sustainability As our society moves through the 21st century information age, there has been an apparent shift in consumer culture. The shift can be seen in the move from a more traditional brick-and-mortar retail presence to a online remote retail experience. This phenomenon leaves municipalities with retail centers, such as the Eastern Hills Mall, that are in an ever increasing state of decline. After extensive analysis and multiple design approaches, our design team found that the most viable solution for the Eastern Hills Mall site was to adaptively reuse the site. In this design we can utilize the structure of the existing anchor stores and some of the interstitial spaces between them. A study on construction waste showed that upwards of 90 percent of the waste created on a construction site came from the demolition of the existing structures. The Networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design solution includes reusing more than 65 percent of the existing structure based on the total volume that each space provides. This solution will decrease demolition, preserve existing structure, and reduce the cost of construction significantly.

145

90% of Construction Debris is created from demolition of existing structures

Design

65.8% Mall structure adapted

90% Of the United States construction activity during the next 10 years will occur on existing building stock

Adaptive reuse trend 146

universal design Network Concept Urban design, history, universal design, technology, and sustainability all seem to have one main element in common:

Technology is often developed due to connections of ideas and much of technology runs off of connections of electricity.

Connections

A site such as this cannot be successful without the combining of all of these elements. In essence our proposal is the layering of multiple sets of connections and the nodes that those connections make. A multitude of connections creates a network. Therefore, the new campus in this design proposal will be called the Network.

Urban design is rooted in connections in the form of transportation routes, the spatial connections between buildings, and the connections between public and private space. Sustainability promotes connection in that the new spaces on the site will be connected to the existing anchor store structures. Universal design is most effective when the gap between designer and user is bridged, allowing for the most usable product possible.

147

This network appears both in concept and physical form. The specific roads and pathways across the site are designed to make the closest connections possible. This is similar to how a complex network of any kind functions, by breaking it into small functional paths. In relation to the site, this concept increases accessibility to the site and ease of navigation.

Design

park

Residential community

office Retail

148

3.3 Design

BY CREATING A CAMPUS SHAPED AROUND UNIVERSAL DESIGN, AND TECHNOLOGY, with A FOCUS on SUSTAINABILITY, WE WILL CREATE A COMMUNITY, FULLY ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES, THAT WILL BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND.

Form Concept The concept for the Network is based on the main pedestrian spine that is cut through the existing structure of the mall. The location of the cut came from researching what the most valuable portions of the existing mall were. After establishing that the anchor stores represented more than 65 percent of the total volume of the mall, the decision was made to cut the spine through the interstitial spaces dividing the mall into four sections based on two axes. These quadrants provided the basis for the design to grow into the final solution.

149

Another aspect of the design that was included was the idea of reducing the hardscape on site. Hardscape is the use of hard landscaping features such as pavement. The Eastern Hills Mall is surrounded by a major sea of parking. The area of the parking lot is large enough to require a water retention pond on the east side of the site. In an effort to reduce the impact of the hardscape, the design focused on creating more efficient uses of space with additions of green softscapes. Adding density to the town of Clarence was a goal from the start. The increased amount of dense retail, residential, and other community aspects in a mixed use form helps to achieve that goal.

Design

Final adaptation The final design highlights the main pedestrian spines and allows the user to move through out the site easily.

Spine placement The spine is cut in between the existing anchor stores through the interstitial spaces. The two axes establish a primary and secondary spine with a focus on the pedestrian.

Anchor stores The anchor stores represent the most valuable portions of the existing structure.

Existing hardscape The existing Eastern Hills Mall structure is surrounded by a massive sea of parking. The amount of parking needs a water retention pond on the east side of the site.

Existing mall An analysis of the mall compared to itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s immediate surroundings revealed the major density shift that is apparent.

150

Site Design Site design

151

Design

152

Vehicular circulation Vehicular traffic was provided to bring consumers and visitors on-site and offer them access to all the amenities provided on this campus.

Pedestrian circulation Through analysis of existing facilities like the Network, such as Crocker Park in Westlake OH, it was determined that the most successful campuses focus around the pedestrian. For this reason the design for the Network includes a main pedestrian way physically connecting the south part of the site to the north. Also included is a sub-pedestrian path connecting the east to the west.

NAVI circulation The last form of transportation for the site will be a network navigation system nicknamed Navi. Navi is an an autonomous bus that allows anyone regardless of any disability to use it. Navi operates at about 15mph along a path that includes both the spine and the main vehicular roads which helps to regulate traffic across the site. A total of 11 stops throughout the site allow users to have constant access to Navi, so headway is less than 5 minutes at all times. Navi also has other universal design features like a lift to help wheelchairs to enter the vehicle, a voice that can talk to and respond to its passengers, and visual communication features in the form of written narrative and sign language detection.

153

Design

Circulation Capacity 12 people Per Bus 10 Buses at rush Hour

Speed 15 MPH

Stops 11 stops 1 Minute Wait time at stop

Length of Travel

Within the context of the site the three main paths of vehicular transportation are Sheridan Drive to the north of the site, Transit Road to west, and Main Street to the south. After analysis of the context of the site it was determined that the main vehicular path through the Network should enter off of Transit road at the south end of the site and move north through the site exiting out onto Sheridan Dr. This new roadway features a large roundabout at the south end of the site that serves two functions: mitigate speed while regulating traffic on the site and providing a fantastic view shed up the main pedestrian spine introducing visitors to the site. The other forms of circulation around the site are pedestrian traffic and Navi, our automated bus system. Both of these forms of travel utilize the main spine and connect the campus thoroughly.

NAVI The network

1.5 Mile Loop Distance 17 Minute Full loop

One of the most important aspects of any site program is its circulation. The Network will have 4 types of transportation: Vehicular, pedestrian, bike, and Navi, an automated electric bus system within the Network.

NAVI The network

154

Pedestrian spine The spine is the main connection through the site, and it acts as an accessible pedestrian walkway. The design is formed due to the curvilinear built environment and a hierarchy of vegetation. It has three main elements: a southern roundabout, a centralized intersection, and a northern park. The southern roundabout serves as the main introduction to the site. From this area, vehicular circulation and pedestrians are able to see a beautiful view shed looking north up the spine. Traversing from the southern roundabout to the centralized intersection, seating areas will be featured along the spine with serene landscape, which will provide shade and comfort. At the centralized intersection, pedestrians can congregate at the connection of the north/south spine and the east/west spine. This centralized intersection also serves as the reference point for pedestrian access on the site. Moving north up the spine, the nodes along the walkway will provide water features, which creates a noisescape for pedestrians on the site to be attracted to and to gather in these areas. The landscape planted around the nodes, will have minimum foliage to allow the sound of the water to heard from the pedestrians and to be pulled into the space.

155

The vegetation along the spine will have American Hornbeam trees and lilac trees, which will provide shading along the walkway and seating areas. At the southern and northern sections of the spine, bigger American Hornbeam trees and dwarf sugar maples will be featured, which creates a hierarchy of vegetation and privacy for the upper level residential units along the spine. The vegetation planted around the nodes include magnolia butterfly trees, plum trees and toringo crab apple trees. These flowering trees create an aesthetic attraction for the nodes, as well as a comprehensive noisescape due to the minimum foliage the trees have. The northern park acts as a pedestrian center, where people can gather together and enjoy the beautiful landscape, and an addition, a reverse view shed from the northern park to the southern roundabout. The northern park also features covered patio spaces, a water stream, and a composed rain garden with mixed vegetation. The rain gardens include a series of plants and shrubs such as red twig dogwood, marsh marigold, switch grass, northern berry bays, and phlox. The vigorous vegetation creates a composed color palette for the rain gardens, which forms an aesthetic unity.

Design

156

Landscaping The landscape design of the Network features four distinct types of vegetation: shrubs and plants, coniferous trees, flowering trees, and deciduous trees. These four different types of vegetation offer a mix of privacy, comfort, and shading around the site.

Shrubs and plants The shrubs and plants on site

include some small flowers and grasses to add a humanizing element to pedestrian paths and social spaces.

Deciduous trees The deciduous trees bring shading

and privacy to upper sections of buildings, as well as providing a beautiful fall aesthetic to the site. This blend of vegetation increase the vitality of the landscaping and offer a great experience no matter what season it is.

Coniferous trees The coniferous trees allow some

spaces to have more private sections allowing for the pedestrian to move off the main path and engage in a more personal moment creating a variety of spaces on the spine.

Flowering trees The flowering trees add beauty and

aromatic elegance to the site so that walking along the pedestrian ways is a pleasure.

Bay Berry

Red Twig Dogwood Switch Grass

Phlax

Hosta

Shrubs and plants

Douglas Fir

Eastern Red Cedar

Arborvitae

Marsh Marigold

Silver Korean Fir

Coniferous

Toringo Crab Apple

Magnolia Butterfly

Flowering Trees

157

Plum Tree

American Hornburn

Deciduous Trees

Lilac Tree

River Birch Tree

Dwarf Sugar Maple

Design

Street Furniture The Network has a unique vernacular when it comes to the specific street furniture located around the site. This unique vernacular gives the Network a defined persona that identifies it as the Network.

Bike Racks/Sharing The bike racks on the site have a Bike Racks

modern flair that highlights the tech attributes of the site and encourages ridership.

Street lights The street lights offer two benefits. They

provide light as wayfinding and light for security. Studies show that well lit areas are safer than darker spaces. The gradient of light decreases as you move away from Transit.

Garbage cans Modern design is carried through out all aspects even including the garbage cans, with slots for recycling, compost, and trash.

Street Lights Navi Stops The Navi stops are the most unique features of the street furniture on our site. The Navi stops are a modern solution to the traditional bus stop. They include an information kiosk underneath to merge the user to the technology. The stop can detect when there is a passenger waiting and send Navi to move the passenger around the site.

Garbage Cans

NAvi Stop

158

Streetscapes The streetscape design includes a comprehensive plan that focuses on the future of auto mobility and pedestrians. The plan is integrated with the site for the best safety, functionality, and form. The design team divided the streets into three uses based on level of activity, including a main street, shared street, and townhouse street; all of which integrate parking, green buffers, vehicular, and pedestrian circulation. In addition, each of these streets include zero step transitions, promoting pedestrian circulation by maximizing accessibility. The goal with all street types on this project was putting the focus on accessible pedestrian travel of every kind including wheeled mobility. Frequent vehicular road crossings and short traveling distances were achieved through the street design. To adapt to the scale of the site the integration of an autonomous bus system within these streets makes this site accessible to all.

Green space

Pedestrian Parking Vehicular

Vehicular Loading

Pedestrian

Building

Main Vehicular Road

Main streets The main street can be found along transit road. This street is the most segregated in terms of modes of transportation. The street consists of two-way vehicular travel separated by a median, a buffer zone at the edges that in some instances will be parking, loading zones, or green infrastructure. Finally, the street includes a bike lane and pedestrian route.

159

Design

Green space

Pedestrian

Shared

Buffer

Pedestrian

Building

Vehicular meets sub spine

Shared streets The shared streets are found surrounding the residential neighborhood. They are limited access and consist of a one way shared lane, that can be utilized by cars, bikes, wheeled mobility devices, and even people on foot. Either side of the street is lined with flexible lanes that transition between parking, loading, or green infrastructure. There is then a dedicated pedestrian lane on either side of the street.

Building

Green space

Parking

Shared street

Pedestrian

Building

Townhouse Street

Townhouse streets The townhouse streets act very similarly to the shared street , but do not have dedicated pedestrian lane. They are completely shared between vehicles and pedestrians.

160

Programming High density housing in the form of 300 accessible units within two apartment buildings, will vary in height from three floors to a portion of five floors. This will add more density to the housing stock of Clarence without effecting the residents already in the community. Lower density housing in the form of townhouses, will consist of 300 units stacked two high. These, although less dense than the high density, are denser than the housing stock in the area.

Residential 426,800 sq. ft.

Retail space totaling 500,000 square feet of space will be found throughout the site in the form of shopping, restaurants, and night life, among other things. These spaces will be located mostly on the ground level of the site.

Retail 493,894 sq. ft. Parking will be available in the form of four parking garages in different sections of the campus as well as street parking. These parking garages minimize the amount of hardscape necessary on the site, increasing aesthetic appeal as well as improving water drainage.

Parking 478,193 sq. ft.

REsidential

13%

REsidential

13% 13%

REsidential Office/Tech

Office/Tech

13%35% 35% 35%

Office/TechRetail

Retail

35% 15% 15%

15%

Retail

built environment 40% built40% environment 40% built environment 40% built environment

161

Parking Amenity/Community Retail Amenity/Community Amenity/Community

Amenity/Community

15%12% 12%

Parking

12% 15%

12%15%

Parking

Parking Medical

Medic

15% 10%

10%

Medical

60% non-built environment 60% non-built 60% environment non-built 60% environment non-built environment

Design

There will be 1.1 million square feet of office and tech space. This office space will be distributed throughout the site, often above retail as well as in the tech innovation display center and then Cloud. These two facilities will also hold technology research and development spaces as well as interactive public display galleries. The Cloud will also feature technology innovation spaces.

Office / Tech 1,133,619 sq. ft. Various amenities such as a grocery store, a community center, and a recreation center are all fully accessible to anyone who visits the site. This accessible aspect of these amenities will attract people to the site as well as to Clarence since fully accessible facilities such as these are rare.

Amenity 373,958 sq. Ft. A small medical facility will be created within the structure of the former Sears. This facility will provide immediate emergency services when needed as well as house a pharmacy and offices for services specific to disability management.

Medical 350,000 sq. ft.

REsidential

REsidential Office/Tech

13%

35% 13%

Office/Tech

REsidential

13%35%

Office/Tech Retail

Office/Tech

35%15% 35%

40% built environment 40% built environment 40% built environment 40% built environment

Retail

Amenity/Community Retail

15%

15% 12% 15%

Retail

Parking Amenity/Community Amenity/Community

12%

Amenity/Community

15% 12% 12%

Parking

Parking Medical

15%15%

15%10%

Parking

Medical

10% 10%

10%

Medical

60% 60% non-built environment 60% non-built environment 60% non-built environment non-built environment

162

Phasing For the purposes of development the construction of the site will be broken up into four phases. The first phase focuses on revenue building and community. This will be done through the construction of the higher density residential spaces and only renovating one half of the mall, leaving three anchor stores open for business. The remaining three open anchor stores will continue to generate revenue for the site while the first phase is under construction. The high density housing includes about 300 units within two apartment buildings. These apartment buildings vary from three to five floors tall. These can begin to build revenue to fund the construction of the rest of the site. The half of the mall that is being renovated first will include enough diverse program space to create a scaled down community in itself by the end of phase one. This means that the site will

Phase 1 Residential Office 39,188 sq. ft. Amenity Retail Parking Medical

163

have housing, retail, office space, community spaces, a recreation building, two parking garages and a grocery store, forming a complete, yet scaled down, fully functional community by the end of phase one. The second phase focuses on finishing the renovation of the mall and providing an inviting presence along Transit Road. This will be done by developing the North and West parks on the site. The park to the west will be aesthetically pleasing, seen from Transit Rd and invite people to come into the site. It also has a very simple design so that if future development is needed it can be put in this location. The North park will be an attraction on the site for both the residents and visitors. It will serve as a public park for the town of Clarence, open and accessible to anyone. This phase also begins the construction of the lower density housing in the form of townhouses. These housing units are a lower density than the apartment

Phase 2 184,800 sq. ft. 105,016 sq. ft. 194,708 sq. ft. 248,193 sq. ft. 350,000 sq. ft.

156,000 sq. ft. Residential 193,284 sq. ft. Office 213,250 sq. ft. Amenity Retail Parking 155,000 sq. ft. Medical 0 sq. ft.

299,186 sq. ft.

Design

buildings being only two stories tall but are still denser than the residential spaces offered currently in Clarence. There will also be a third parking garage constructed in this phase as part of the second half of the mall renovation. The third phase focuses on the construction of a tech innovation display center that will house a tech based company like Tesla. This center will provide more office space for people of all abilities to work in and visit. The construction of the lower density housing is finished in this phase, completing the building of residential space on the site. The last phase is the construction of a large office/ tech building. This building will be called the Cloud. The Cloud holds about 800,000 square feet of private office space and tech incubation space. It

also features an urban farm as a part of the research and development section of the building. The Cloud will also include retail spaces and restaurants on the first floor. These spaces will add a variety of types of accessible jobs within Clarence. There will also be a large park in the center of the building that is open to the public. The fourth and final parking garage is also constructed in this phase and is attached to the Cloud via a tunnel. All of these elements not only provide Clarence with a community will be the first of its kind, but also provide Clarence with much needed elements that it currently lacks such as high density housing along with more retail and more walkable areas without infringing on the community that is already present within Clarence.

Phase 3

Phase 4

Residential 43,000 sq. ft. Office 82,550 sq. ft. 55,692 sq. ft. Amenity Retail 0 sq. ft. Parking 0 sq. ft. Medical 0 sq. ft.

Residential 0 sq ft. Office Amenity 0 sq. ft. Retail 0 sq. ft. 75,000 sq. ft. Parking Medical 0 sq. ft.

819,597 sq. ft.

164

Phase 1 1. Retail corridor The southern section of the mall focuses on buffering the spine and transitioning over to the less trafficked residential section to the southeast of the site. There is a retail corridor that connects to the main spine of the site and offers space for larger chain stores and smaller retail spaces, with residential housing above. This structure is based on the existing mall structure with emphasis on making the spaces exterior facing. The retail corridor includes restaurants facing the residential section to be both more private from the main spine, but also, more accessible to people living on the site. The last amenity found in the section is a medical facility that is designed to meed the needs of the residents of the site. The medical center is an adaptive reuse of the former Sears. It provides immediate care, temporary and more permanent medical housing, and other medical based offices to meet the unique needs of the site.

165

3 2 1

Design

2. The Hub

3. Recreation center

The Hub (seen above) is designed as a community resource center for the site. The hub houses spaces that engage community involvement. This includes a variety of public gathering spaces, learning spaces, a small auditorium, and a botanical garden that draws the community in. The news station WBBZ, formerly located in interstitial space of the mall has been relocated here, and acts as a anchor. The structure includes the adaptive reuse of the former Macyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of the mall, as well as new additions.

The recreational center (seen below) is an important amenity of the site. It is designed to be accessible to all. It houses a double gymnasium space with indoor track above. It also includes a large pool facility with inclusive lifts and ramps. Adjacent to a generously sized work out room is a lift assisted rock wall, and a variety of indoor courts.

166

4. Residential units Housing has a unique twist on this campus. A special modular system was developed to create a sustainable approach to use and reuse of structures. Individual residential units that come in an assortment of sizes can be moved around the site and have the ability to move with the occupant. This means that a resident can keep their specific unit for the entire duration of the time that they live in the Network. The parking garages and some other structures have been designed to adapt to the changes of time. As time changes society from an automobile centered model to a more autonomous and pedestrian friendly model the need for parking garages will reduce.

167

When that happens, the parking garages can be converted into more space for high density residential units or other types of programmed spaces. The modular units have also been thought about through out the rest of the site. The units are included in most of the buildings adding residential value through out most of the spaces.

Design

Rack System

Unit Assembly 168

Phase 2 1. Townhouse units The townhouse area is a continuation of the concept behind the modular residential units described in the previous section. If a resident in the Network decides that the high density residential units are not what they would like to live in they have the option to change to the townhouse style low density layout. The key feature here is the ability to keep your individual unit and move it to the townhouses. The unit slides out of the racking system and is placed in the townhouse section.

3 2

The adaptability of the residential units on this campus allow for a user to feel comfortable throughout the entire experience of the Network.

+ =

169

Design

2. Retail+Mixed Use For the second phase, the development of adaptivereuse programming, which will be featured within the former anchor stores of the site will be added. At the southern section, a series of storefronts and a retail corridor will be featured, which provides access to

retail consumption for consumers. In this building, the second floor includes mixed use such as office spaces and incubator spaces. And for the top floor, more residential units.

170

3. Mixed Use market In the northern section, a public market space and mixed-use buildings will be featured, which include retail and residential units and the adaptive reuse of one of the existing anchor stores.

171

This section of the site will attract external consumers to a public market space. This expands the revenue generation capabilities of the site.

Design

Phase 3 Tesla Showroom Phase 3 of the construction process includes the development of a space that would be utilized as an Innovative Technology Display Center. This proposal features a company such as Tesla that have products in multiple forms of innovation to showcase. The office portion of this section will provide space for a business or like minded businesses to continue innovative technology research.

172

1. List

Phase 4

1. Tech Companies 2. Incubator Space 3. Gallery Space

Business incubator The business incubator area of the Network is nick named the Cloud. The Cloud offers a unique space that can provide a location for headquarters of companies involved in accessible research and application. This space will be a unique collaborative space that will bring ideas together to further the advancement of accessible technologies moving our society towards a more universally designed standard. Another key aspect of this campus is1. that List the accessible research that is being developed in places like the Cloud can have a direct relation1. to the people Tech Companies 2. Incubator Space that would use the technologies. 3. Gallery Space

2. Program

3. Spread 1. List 1. Tech Companies 2. Incubator Space 3. Gallery Space

2. Program 4. Connect

The Network is creating a innovative incubator for accessible technology research. 2. Program

1. List 1. Tech Companies 2. Incubator Space 3. Gallery Space

2. Program

3. Spread 5. Accessibility

3. Spread

1. List 1. Tech Companies 2. Incubator Space 3. Gallery Space

4. Connect 2. Program 3. Spread

4. Connect

5. Accessibility

3. Spread 4. Connect 173

5. Accessibility

Design

174

Future Development Only utilizing 40 percent of the site with built structure leaves room for future expansion. This expansion would come in to the north and south of the site as well as the spaces that were left for future expansion on the site. Features like the Navi loop and bike paths will further connect the Network with the town of Clarence and developments, such as the Uniland development to the North of the Network.

Expand campus to north and south Expand navi loop Extend bike paths to connect with proposed paths in greater Clarence Create new public road from main st. to residential sector

175

Design

176

Models A series of massing models were created to show the overall form of the Network included in the surrounding context of Clarence. The main massing model shows each of the individual buildings included in this design proposal. The new design is highlighted in white while the surrounding context is massed in grey.

177

On a smaller scale, three models were created to represent small sections of the streetscapes to show the relationships between landscape, automobiles, and pedestrian elements.

Design

178

3.4

Presentation universal designhall Clarence Town As the final portion of the design experience, our design team presented our research and design solutions to the town of Clarence in a public meeting held at Clarence Town Hall. The presentation included a speaking portion where the students went through the proposed design presenting to the planning board of Clarence, share holders for the Eastern Hills Mall, and other professionals from the field that were interested in the site. After the speaking portion, our design team showed a walkthrough that moved you through the site and highlighted the major elements of the design. To finish the presentation, the audience was asked to come and ask questions about the design. This allowed for a great interaction between the students and the professionals.

Walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= pxK3edPVYCU&feature=youtu.be

179

Design

180

3.5

Conclusion

181

Design

The Eastern Hills Mall was an influential part of the development of Clarence, NY for the past 50 years. The mall brought the suburban shopping dream to a reality and thrived for over two decades. However, due to changing consumer demands malls are going into decline and it is time for a change. The design for the Network will reuse the mall site and in doing so provide Clarence with some much needed elements that it is currently lacking. Higher density housing, more retail, and a walkable community will be implemented within this new campus without intruding upon the community that is already established within Clarence. The Network will continue the tradition of technological advancement in this region of New York housing both large tech based companies and small technology incubators. It will also start a new tradition for Clarence. This campus will not only be accessible to people of all abilities but also go a step further by giving people living with disabilities a voice in the design of products and systems so that those products and systems can be functional for people of all abilities. This proposal also leaves room for future expansion to better connect the campus to the rest of the community of Clarence via bike paths, the extension of the Navi system, and development opportunities to the north and south of the site, as well as on the site. The Network will both add valuable elements to the town of Clarence as well as become the prime example for accessible campus design establishing Clarence, NY as a leader in advancing technologies and universal design.

The designing of the Network was a unique opportunity to study urban design in a small scale setting. The project engaged the students in real world problem solving that allowed them to gain valuable skills and knowledge about current methods urban design, gathering and analyzing data, and interacting with real world clients. By studying successful existing examples of urban design and analyzing facilities like the Network that exist today the design team discerned what principles are important for good urban design and necessary for any community to be successful. The students also researched new concepts, ideas and trends within the fields of design and technology and how they relate to architecture and urban design. These areas of knowledge will be beneficial in keeping the students at the forefront of cutting edge technology and design concepts within the field of architecture. Throughout the project, the students also gained skills in effective communication. From interviewing the junior town planner of Clarence at the beginning to the project to publicly presenting the proposal to the town of Clarence once it was complete, this project pushed the students to hone their communication skills and offered them the opportunity to interact with the public. This will help facilitate networking for the students in the future. The students of Alfred State Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Design Studio 5 team are grateful to have had this unique opportunity to explore an urban design project from start to finish to its fullest extent.

182

References Research 2.1 Suburbia Text Citations

Image Citations

1. Alton, L. R. (1996, Dec.). The Army Mutiny of 1946. The Jour

1. Ratay, R. (2016, May 06). The Long Road to America’s Interstates.

nal of American History, 53(3), 557.

2. Elliot, D. K. (n.d.). The Growth of Suburbia. Kahn Academy:

Leisure Travel Vans: https://leisurevans.com/blog/the-long-roadto-americas-interstates.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-history/period-8/ apush-postwar-era/a/the-growth-of-suburbia.

2. Zayas, R. (2017, August 1). Why Lawns? Medium: https://

3. Krieger, A. (2005). The Costs— and Benefits?— of Sprawl In W.

3. Clement, G. (2017, May 5). The Ultimate Commodity: Los

S. Saunders (Ed.), Sprawl and Suburbia (pp. 44-56). Minneapolis, MN: The University of Minnesota Press.

4. Dunham-Jones, E. (2005). Seventy-Five Percent: The Next Big

Architectural Project In W. S. Saunders (Ed.), Sprawl and Suburbia (pp. 1-20). Minneapolis, MN: The University of Minnesota Press.

5. What is smart growth? (2006). https://smartgrowthamerica.org/ our-vision/what-is-smart-growth.

6. Schwarzer, M. (2005). The Spectacle of Ordinary Building In W. S. Saunders (Ed.), Sprawl and Suburbia (pp. 74-90). Minneapolis, MN: The University of Minnesota Press.

7. Fishman, R. (2008). Bourgeois utopias the rise and fall of suburbia. New York: Basic Books.

8. Smiley, D. J. (2013). Pedestrian Modern. Minnesota, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

9. Kowinski, W. (2002). The Malling of America. Bloomington:

medium.com/@yardenmygarden/why-lawns-84f15ee67e5f

Angeles. Medium: https://medium.com/california-counter (Oneonta Main Street, 2016)cultures/the-ultimate-commodity-losangeles-335c156229ca

4. Epstein-Mervis, M. (2014, June 11). How the Cold War Shaped the Design of American Malls. Curbed: https://www.curbed. com/2014/6/11/10090762/how-the-cold-war-shaped-the-designof-american-malls

Bradford, H. (2015, February 12). Abandoned Mall Filled With Snow Is An Ice-Age Dystopia. Huffington Post: https://www. huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/12/abandoned-mall-snow-

6.Powell, M. (2001) Freeway 405 Los Angeles, CA. 7.

Oneonta Main Street. (2016). gohstours.

8. DeBree, Ryan.2017.Shopping Preferences.

Xlibris.

2.2 Precedents studies

10. Sanburn, J. (2017, July 20). Why the Death of Malls IS About

Text Citations

More Than Shopping. Time: http://time.com/4865957/death-andlife-shopping-mall.

11. Howard, V. ( 2015). From Main Street to mall: the rise and fall of the American. University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia .

12. McGee, T. (2017, January 23). How Millenials Are Changing Retail Patterns.

13. Haslehurst, R. (2017, August 4). How consumer brand can connect with customers in a changing retail landscape.

1. Bialosky Partners Architects. “Crocker Park.” Archinet/Bialosky, archinect.com/bialosky/project/crocker-park.

2. Webb, M. (2003). Reviving dead malls. Architecture, 92(4), 4142. ProQuest. Web. 1 Oct. 2017.

3. “Reclaiming the Suburbs; Rescuing Shopping Malls.” The Economist Mar 31 2012: 40, n/a. ProQuest. Web.

4. Semuels, A. (2015, March 09). A New Life for Dead Malls.

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/03/a-new-lifefor-dead-malls/387001/

5. Johnson, S. (2014). Vanderbilt Medical Center, One Hundred

Oaks Mall. https://www.greshamsmith.com/projects/vanderbiltmedical-center-one-hundred-oaks-mall.

6. Zhang, S. (2014, September 18). 7 Dead Shopping Malls That

Found Surprising Second Lives. https://gizmodo.com/7-deadshopping-malls-that-found-surprising-second-live-1634073681 on October 02, 2017.

7. Harvey, S. (2014, June 26). Joplin High School Students Look

Forward to Shared Campus This Fall. http://ksmu.org/post/joplinhigh-school-students-look-forward-shared-campus-fall#stream/0

8. Christensen, J. (2008). Big box reuse. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

9. Kalinoski, G. (2013, September 17). Google Leases Office

Campus at Former Mall in Mountain View. https://www. cpexecutive.com/post/google-leases-office-campus-at-former-mallin-mountain-view-calif-from-rockwood-four-corner/

10. Garfield, L. (2016, February 16). America’s oldest shopping

15. Semuels, A. (2015, March 09). A New Life for Dead Malls.

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/03/a-new-lifefor-dead-malls/387001/

16. Hallman, T. (2017, March 22). Dallas set to un-pave a parking

lot, and put a park downtown with $15M gift.http://www. dallasnews.com/news/downtown-dallas/2017/03/22/dallas-set-unpave-parking-lot-put-park-downtown-15m-gift.

17. Saporta, M. (2017, April). City unveils Grant Park Gateway, a $48 million garage under a park.

18. EPA. (2017). Using Cool Pavements to Reduce Heat Islands.

https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/using-cool-pavements-reduceheat-islands.

Image Citations 1. Apple Dubai Mall. Digital image. Apple. Apple, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2017.https://www.apple.com/ae/retail/dubaimall.

2. Architecten, A. e. (2013). Swinging Apartments for the Elderly. Arons en Gelauff Architecten: https://aronsengelauff.nl/housing/ swinging-apartments-for-the-elderly

mall is now a bunch of gorgeous micro-apartments. http://www. businessinsider.com/americas-first-shopping-mall-is-now-microapartments-2016-2.

3. Wright, H. (2017, January 24). The Estonian National Museum,

11. Here’s what’s becoming of America’s dead shopping malls

4. “Housing for the Elderly / Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez.”

(2014). Washington, D.C.: NPR. ProQuest. Web.

12. Kelly, S. (2017, May 20). Wayzata set to end its largest

redevelopment project ever. http://www.startribune.com/after-fiveyears-of-construction-wayzata-set-to-end-largest-redevelopmentproject-in-its-history/423270933/#1

13. Black, S. (2016). Mall Redevelopment Strategies: Keeping

Today’s Malls Competitive | NAIOP. http://www.naiop.org/en/ Magazine/2015/Winter-2015-2016/Development-Ownership/MallRedevelopment-Strategies.aspx

14. Wikipedia. (2017). Shopping Mall. https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Shopping_mall.

making people proud. Estonian World: http://estonianworld.com/ culture/estonian-national-museum-making-people-proud/ ArchDaily. N.p., 23 Dec. 2016. Web. 14 Dec. 2017.https://www. archdaily.com/800971/residencia-personas-mayores-scar-miguelares-alvarez.

5. Burrell, J. +. (2017, December 13). Huis Aan’t Larr 3D

Visualization. James + Burrell: http://jamesburrell3d.com/ rzcezwhcqnzz6ad8z67tq0vjbt5kmj

6. Kuimet, P. (2016, July 9). Koda. ArchDaily: https://www. archdaily.com/office/kodasema

References 7. Coto, D. F. (2017, June 15). Morphology Building. Archdaily:

22. Freeman, C. (2007, August 1). 100 Oaks Mall. Chris

8. Platt, C. (2017). Narva College, Narva Estonia.

23.

https://www.archdaily.com/793745/morphology-building-taliavaldez-plus-nomena-arquitectos

9. Sohu. (2017, June 13). “Enjoy reading” story: Sleep here, the United States to the heart. SOHU: http://www.sohu. com/a/148536018_782836

10. Ookura, H. (2017, July 27). Ono-Sake Warehouse. ArchDaily: https://www.archdaily.com/876515/ono-sake-warehouse-eurekaplus-g-architects-studio

11. Sokk, J. (2015, January 20). Tartu nature House. ArchDaily:

https://www.archdaily.com/589007/tartu-nature-house-karismaarchitects-2

12. Sellar, P. A. (2017). Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences

Centre. Kalwall: https://www.kalwall.com/portfolio/?filter_ product_line=43#portfolio=thunder-bay-regional-health-sciencescentre-3

13. Aguiar, M. (2014, November 24). Edifício residencial para

idosos. ArchDaily: https://www.archdaily.com.br/br/01-183183/ edificio-residencial-para-idosos-slash-atelier-lopes-da-costa

14. Park, C. (2017). Campus Map. Crocker Park: http://www.

Freeman’s Photo Blog: http://christopherbriggsfreeman.blogspot. com/2007/08/100-oaks-mall.html Peterson, S. (2015, March 18). Forget Ruin Porn: 5 Awesome Adapted Spaces That Used to Be Dead Malls. Curbed: https://www. curbed.com/2015/3/18/9982614/things-that-used-to-be-malls

24.

“Work.” DLR Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2017. http://www. dlrgroup.com/work/joplin-interim-high-school.

25. Aubey, J. (2016, July 11). New Sporting Goods Store Planned

For Old Joplin High School “Mall Location”. KOAM News 7: http:// www.koamtv.com/story/32419654/new-sporting-goods-storeplanned-for-old-joplin-high-school-mall-location See reference 2.2.19

26. Meinhold, B. (2012, August 21). Next-Generation High

School Built in an Abandoned Mall 55 Days After Joplin Tornado. Inhabitat: https://inhabitat.com/next-generation-high-school-builtin-an-abandoned-mall-55-days-after-joplin-tornado/

27. Winnipeg, M. (2015, January 16). What do you do with an old Target store? Tortonto Metro: http://www.metronews.ca/news/ canada/2015/01/16/what-do-you-do-with-an-old-target.html

28. Kalinoski, G. (2013, September 13). Google Leases Office

15. Allen, Mary.2017, Crocker Park.

Campus at Former Mall in Mountain View, Calif., from Rockwood, Four Corners. Commercial Property Executive: https://www. cpexecutive.com/post/google-leases-office-campus-at-former-mallin-mountain-view-calif-from-rockwood-four-corner/

16. Allen, Mary.2017, Crocker Park.

29. Garfield, L. (2016, October 11). America’s oldest shopping mall

crockerpark.com/map/

17. Allen, Mary.2017, Crocker Park. 18. Allen, Mary.2017, Crocker Park. 19. Studios, K. (2016). Crocker Park. Kindo Studios: http://www. kindostudios.com/crockerpark/

20. Dunn, C. (2014, July). Austin Community College, Highland Campus, Austin, United States. WAN Awards: https://backstage. worldarchitecturenews.com/wanawards/project/austincommunity-college-highland-

21. Peterson, S. (2015, March 18). Forget Ruin Porn: 5 Awesome

Adapted Spaces That Used to Be Dead Malls. Curbed: https://www. curbed.com/2015/3/18/9982614/things-that-used-to-be-malls

has been turned into beautiful micro-apartments. Buisness Insider Austrailia: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/americas-firstshopping-mall-is-now-micro-apartments-2016-10

30. Berger, C. (2014, August 29). America’s First Shopping Mall

is Now Stuffed With Micro Homes. Curbed: https://www.curbed. com/2014/8/29/10054364/americas-first-shopping-mall-is-nowstuffed-with-micro-homes

31. See reference 2.2.30 32. Njegomir, D. (2017, July 17). High-Density housing freeze

brings big gun AFP to suburban Lakewood. Colorado Politics: https://coloradopolitics.com/high-density-housing-freeze-bringsbig-gun-afp-suburban-lakewood/

33. Smith, K. (2017, May 20). After 5 years and $342M, Wayzata set

to end its largest redevelopmemt project ever. Star Tribune: http:// www.startribune.com/after-five-years-of-construction-wayzata-setto-end-largest-redevelopment-project-in-its-history/423270933/#1

34. “Oakridge Centre Redevelopment.” Stantec. N.p., n.d. Web. 14

Dec. 2017.https://www.stantec.com/en/projects/canada-projects/o/ oakridge-centre-redevelopment.

35. Benfield, K. (2011, June 7). A Seattle development that is

greener than green. http://grist.org/urbanism/2011-06-06-seattleurbanism-transit-state-of-the-art-green-mixed-planning/

36. “Oakridge Centre Redevelopment.” Stantec. N.p., n.d. Web. 14

Dec. 2017.https://www.stantec.com/en/projects/canada-projects/o/ oakridge-centre-redevelopment.

37. Kahn, M. (2017, Spetember 5). Grant Park the latest

front in Atlanta tree canopy fight. https://atlanta.curbed. com/2017/9/5/16253794/grant-park-gateway-tree-canopypreservation

31.

Allen, Mary. 2017, Heat Island Effect.

7. Zeisel, J. (2013). Improving Person-Centered Care Through Effective Design. Generations, 37(3), 45-52.

8. Cota, T. T., Ishitani, L., & Vieira, J. N. (2015). Mobile game

design for the elderly: A study with focus on the motivation to play. Computers In Human Behavior, 51(Part A), 96-105. doi:10.1016/j. chb.2015.04.026

9. Clapperton, G. (2007). Elderly get to grips with gadgets. https:// www.theguardian.com/technology/2007/sep/06/news

10. Oliveira, T. C., & da Hora Sales, M. L. (2017). The

Implementation of the Telehealth Program in Basic Care Journal Of Nursing UFPE / Revista De Enfermagem UFPE, 11(6), 23802388. doi:10.5205/reuol.10827-96111-1-ED. 1106201717

11. Rosenbloom, S. (2009). Meeting Transportation Needs in an

Aging-Friendly Community. Journal of the American Society on Aging, 33-43.

12. Wikipedia (2015) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_ design

13. Bergen, G., West, B. A., Luo, F., Bird, D. C., Freund, K.,

2.3 Universal Design Text Citations 1. Steinfeld, E., & Maisel, J. L. (2012). Universal Design: Creating inclusive Environments.

2. Farrelly, L. (2014). Designing for the Third Age: Architecture Redefined for a Generation of

3. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015, November 24). “Healthy Aging.” http:// www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/ aging/art-20046070?pg=2.

4. Friedman, L. F. (2015, June 19). “How Has LIfe Expectancy

Fortinsky, R. H., & Staplin, L. (2016). How do older adult drivers self-regulate? Characteristics of self-regulation classes defined by latent class analysis. Journal of Safety Research.

14. Francoeur, A. D. (2009). Article 2: smart homes take care of their elderly residents. TecTrends Reporter.

Image Citations 1. HIWING. (2015). ICMMS Safety Monitoring Smart City

Solutions For Intelligent City Management. HIWING Buisness: http://www.hiwingbusiness.com/sale-9629308-icmms-safetymonitoring-smart-city-solutions-for-intelligent-city-management.

2. Steinfeld, E. (2012). Universal Design: Creating inclusive Environments. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Changed Throughout History.” http://www.businessinsider.com/ how-has-life-expectancy-changed-throughout-history-2015-6.

3. Target Groups for Universal Design

5. Confronting aging, a world in transition. (2017, September 22).

4. Online, P. (2015, February 28). Do not worry about the aging

Retrieved from Housing Options & Aging in Place Guide. 6. MCNAIR, B. (2006, October 6). Group to help seniors age at home. The Post and Courier; Charleston, S.C.

population, it will be better. Patria: https://www.patria.cz/ zpravodajstvi/2854215/vikendar-nebojme-se-starnuti-populacebude-lip.html

References 5. Tucker, J. (2015, November 3). The Ripple Effect of Aging in Place. Homewatch Caregivers: https://www.homewatchcaregivers.com/ community/blog/the-ripple-effect-of-aging-in-place

6. Pensgen, P. Telehealth Communication Flow Chart

2.4 Technology Text Citations 1. Meachem, J. (n.d.). Googleplex: A New Campus Community. Clive Wilkinson Architects.

2. Sklarew, R. (2017, July 13). In Silicon Valley, dropping in at the GooglePlex, tech museums and the Jobs garage. The Washington Post.

3. Chawla, A. (2016, March 21). 10 Mindblowing Facts you should

Image Citations 1. Shaughnessy, H. (2014, April 3). Apple v Samsung Case

Highlights The New Innovator’s Dilemma. Forbes: https://www. forbes.com/sites/haydnshaughnessy/2014/04/03/apple-v-samsungand-the-new-innovators- dilemma/#363c7f918f82

2. Criterion. (2015, February 11). Encouraging Employee Engagement with Office Design. Criterion: https://www. criterionindustries.com.au/blog/encouraging-employeeengagement-office-design.html/

3. Leswing, K. (2016, December 5). This is Amazon’s grocery store of the future: no cashiers, no registers, and no lines. Buisness Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-go-grocerystore-future-photos-video-2016-12/#amazon-go-sells-preparedfoods-and-other-grocery-staples-1

know about the GooglePlex! Gizbot: Technology Made Easy: https://www.gizbot.com/miscellaneous/features/10-mindblowingfacts-you-should-know-about-the-googleplex-031956.html

4. Shahan, Z. (2016, June 21). Wowza, Tesla Offers To Buy

4. Wikipedia. (2017, October). Apple Campus. Wikipedia.com:

2.5 Sustainability

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Campus

5. Amazon. (2017). Amazon Go. https://www.amazon.com/ b?node=16008589011

6. Turner, T. (2015, Jun 29). The Infrared Walking Cane. Yanko

Design: http://www.yankodesign.com/2015/06/29/the-infraredwalking-cane/

7. Radhika, S. (2012, Feb 20). Seesaw Tub. Yanko Design : http:// www.yankodesign.com/2012/02/20/seesaw-tub/

8. Bruno Independent Living Aids. (2017). Valet Signature Seating - Bruno. https://www.bruno.com/products/valet-signature-seating

9. Universal Design Style . (2012, Aug 01). Assisted Walking with

Honda’s Stride Management Assist. Universal Design Style : http:// www.universaldesignstyle.com/assisted-walking-with-hondasstride-management-assist/

10. Dynavox, Tobii. (2017, Jan 01). Launching in the fall of 2017 - Microsoft Eye Control, compatible with Tobii Eye Tracking Technology. Tobbii dynavox: https://www.tobiidynavox.com/ microsoft-eye-control/

11. Liftware. (2017). Eat with confidence. Liftwaare: https://www. liftware.com/

SolarCity!! Clean Technica: https://cleantechnica.com/2016/06/21/ tesla-offers-buy-solarcity/

Text Citations 1. Operator, N. Y. (2016). Power Trends 2016. NYISO: http://

www.nyiso.com/public/webdocs/media_room/publications_ presentations/Power_Trends/Power_Trends/2016-power-trendsFINAL-070516.pdf

2. Matasci, S. (2017, 02 09). Solar canopy installations: bring shade and clean energy to your parking lot. Energy Sage: http://news. energysage.com/solar-canopy-installations-bring-shade-cleanenergy-parking-lot/

3. Energy, S. (2009, 09). CU Boulder 100 Kw Solar Carport. Energy Sage: https://www.energysage.com/project/6776/cu-boulder-100kw-solar-carport/

4. NYDEC. (n.d.). Biofuel. DECNY: http://www.dec.ny.gov/ energy/43310.html

5. Sweden, G. o. (n.d.). 7 Examples of Sustainability in Sweden.

Sweden: https://sweden.se/nature/7-examples-of-sustainability-insweden/

6. Grondzik, W. T. (2015). Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

7. Energy, Y. -S. (Director). (2016). Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre | Energy Efficiency | Save on Energy [Motion Picture].

8. Kaye, L. (2015, September 28). Sustainability at PepsiCo

Generated $375 Million in Cost Savings. Triple Pundit: http://www. triplepundit.com/2015/09/sustainability-at-pepsico-generated-375million-in-cost-savings/

rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_origin=gateway&_docanchor=&md5=b8429 449ccfc9c30159a5f9aeaa92ffb&ccp=y

19. Cahill, M., Goodwin, D., & Sowles, M. (n.d.). Oregon State

University. Porous Pavement: http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/ sites/seagrant.oregonstate.edu/files/sgpubs/onlinepubs/g11002-lidporous-pavement.pdf

20. Backstrom, M. (2000). Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering.

United States Green Building Council: https://www.usgbc.org/ articles/green-building-costs-and-savings

Draing function of porous asphalt during snowmelt and temporary freezing: https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.00034209547&origin=reflist&sort=plf-f&cite=2-s2.0

10. Kallenbach, L. &. (2008, Jan. & feb.). A

21. Environmental Protection Agency. (2015, October).

9. Knox, N. (2015, March 25). Green Building costs and Savings.

mericaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top 10 Green Housing Developments. Mother Earth Living.

11. Monson, B. G. (2016, October 24). National Geographics.

Environmental Protection Agency. Rainwater Harvesting Policies: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/ gi_munichandbook_harvesting.pdf

The New Urban Farmers: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ environment/urban-expeditions/austin/sustainable-innovativefood-growth-feeds-cities/

22. Conservation Technology. (n.d.). Conservation Technology.

12. Miller, M. J. (2014, April 29). National Geographics. A Farm

23. Fane, S. (2013). Wastewater Reuse. Austrailian Government |

Grows in Brooklynâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;on the Roof: http://news.nationalgeographic. com/news/2014/04/140429-farming-rooftop-gardening-brooklyngrange-vegetables-science-food/

13. University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Rainwater Harvesting: http://www.conservationtechnology.com/ rainwater.html Your Home: http://www.yourhome.gov.au/water/wastewater-reuse

24. Alliance, G. B. (2016). Greywater Systems. Green Building Alliance: https://www.go-gba.org/resources/green-buildingmethods/greywater-system/

(n.d.). University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. Urban Agriculture: http://ucanr.edu/sites/UrbanAg/Production/ Animals_and_Bees/Aquaponics

25. Curry, P. (n.d.). Is a Passive Greywater System for You?

14. Vinje, E. (n.d.). Plant Natural Research Center. Gardening

26. DTEEnergyCompany. (2009, October 14). Youtube: https://

Indoors 101: https://www.planetnatural.com/growing-indoors/

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVDBRQvBVso&t=128s

15. SolarBuddy. (2013, December 06). Youtube: https://www.

27. Ryan, C. (2012, August 30). Youtube: https://www.youtube.

youtube.com/watch?v=HciKU63dLtA

com/watch?v=Uv8bTAGr0tU

16. Dezfooli A. S., N. F. (2017). Solar pavement: A new emerging

28. Energy, S. (2009, 09). CU Boulder 100 Kw Solar Carport.

technology. Solar Energy, 272-284.

17. Jamar, A. M. (2016). A review of water heating system for solar energy applications. International Communications In Heat and Mass Transfer, 178-182.

18. Dreelin, E., Fowler, L., & Carroll, R. (2006, January 19).

ScienceDirect. Water Research: A test of porous pavement effectiveness on clay soils during natrual storm events: http:// www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135405007116?_

Houselogic:

Energy Sage: https://www.energysage.com/project/6776/cuboulder-100-kw-solar-carport/

29. Lackawanna, C. o. (2012, May). Steel Winds, Lackawanna. EPA: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-04/documents/ success_steelwinds_ny.pdf

References Image Citations 1. Matsci, S. (2017, February 9). Solar canopy installations: bring

shade and clean energy to your parking lot. Energy Sage: https:// news.energysage.com/solar-canopy-installations-bring-shadeclean-energy-parking-lot/#more-6059

2. Grondzik, W. T. (2015). Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

3. See reference 2.5.2

Analysis 3.1 History Text Citations

1. White, T. C. (Ed.). (2012). History of Clarence. http://history. rays-place.com/ny/clarence.htm

2. LeLand. (2017, March 15). A Brief History of Clarence, New York. http://larrywingo.com/history-clarence-york/

4. Viviano, F. (2017, September). National Geographics. This TIny

3. ERIE Gov. (2012) About Our Town - Heritage & History [Digital

5. Thiele, T. (2017, September 14). Top 10 Solar Energy Uses. The

4. One Region Forward. (2012, April). The Town of Clarence

Country Feeds The World: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ magazine/2017/09/holland-agriculture-sustainable-farming/

Spruce: https://www.thespruce.com/top-solar-energy-uses-1152263

Image]. http://www2.erie.gov/clarence/index.php?q=about-ourtown

6.Graziose, N. Daylighting and Natural Lighting Figures

Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan. http://www. oneregionforward.org/plan/the-town-of-clarence-agricultural-andfarmland-protection-plan/

7. See reference 2.5.6

5. Dudley, W. (n.d.). War of 1812. HistoryNet: http://www.

8. Technology, C. (2012). Rainwater Storage. Conservation

historynet.com/war-of-1812#articles

Technology: http://www.conservationtechnology.com/rainwater_ storage.html

6. Mall History. “Eastern Hills Mall.” Eastern Hills Mall, 2013,

9. Association, W. N. (2017, November). Renewable Energy and

7. BRYANT, A. (1994, December). Edward J. DeBartolo, Developer,

Electricity. World Nuclear Association: http://www.world-nuclear. org/focus/climate-change-and-nuclear-energy/renewable-energyand-electricity.aspx

10. Monson, B. G. (2016, October 24). National Geographics.

The New Urban Farmers: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ environment/urban-expeditions/austin/sustainable-innovativefood-growth-feeds-cities/

11. McArdle, K. (2013, November 14). Urban Agriculture: Fad

or Necessity? Retrieved December 15, 2017, from https://www. huffingtonpost.com/kristin-mcardle/urban-agriculture-fad-ornecessity_b_4275355.html

12. Viviano, F. (2017, September). National Geographics. This TIny Country Feeds The World: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ magazine/2017/09/holland-agriculture-sustainable-farming/

www.mallhistory.com/malls/eastern-hills-mall-williamsville-ny. 85, Is Dead. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/20/obituaries/ edward-j-debartolo-developer-85-is-dead.html(Rey, 2015)

8. Rey, J. (2015, August). Tour of Transit Road Through

Rearview Mirror. http://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-buffalonews/20150816/282793535142622

9. Powers, E. (2017, March). Sewer It and They Will Come. http:// www.clarencebee.com/news/2017-03-01/Front_Page/Sewer_it_ and_they_will_come.html

Image Citations 1. Cichon, S. (2016, October 27). Buffalo in the ‘60s: Beatlemania

in the Queen City. Buffalo Stories: http://blog.buffalostories.com/ tag/twin-fair/

Urban design studio arch 7306 | fall 2017

Alex bitterman, phd. mary allen Michael bowman Colin Davidson ryan debree matthew doe shannon fay amanda federico daniel garcia nicholas graziose sean kuerzdoerfer brandon oddo paige pensgen christopher platt