Sophie Granger Spring 2018 Studio VI – Writing workshop Prof. : Finn Ferris Introduction and values Inequalities can be source of great design innovations. As designers, turning our lens towards those imbalances can reveal a world of new possibilities which can in turn improve the lives of people. Inequalities can happen between classes of people, or between people and external situations that are oftentimes beyond their control. It is therefore important to consider human behaviors in respect to the kind of inequality that affects a group of people. My humble hope would be to use interior design to serve those who can’t always fight against their situation; sometimes because the problem is not obvious, sometimes because the magnitude is greater than their means. The goal would be to improve people’s environment in a way that is meaningful to them and beneficial to their growth. When visiting Nolita, boutiques with clever concepts and little restaurants reinventing brunch are likely to be things remembered about the experience. It is also likely to be the very same experience lived by all other visitors coming to the hip neighborhood for the weekend. The question that arises is: what part of the residents’ experience is unique to them? This reflection brings about another question: who are the residents of Nolita, and what do they consider to be elements that contribute to the growth of their feeling of belonging in this neighborhood? Research and contextual observations Rising rent prices have been changing the landscape of Nolita for about a decade. Luxury apartments and shops are pushing longtime residents and local businesses further out and it is changing the dynamics of the neighborhood. In 2017 alone, median rent prices have soared 147% compared to 2016. 1 Although clashing with the tenements of the 19th century, shouldn’t this real estate boom bring a new wave of residents? In fact, this real estate game possibly has a negative effect on the community, because people coming to Nolita no longer wish to establish a long term home there. Newcomers are gone as soon as a more profitable deal enters the market, creating waves of temporary residents. Given the circumstances affecting rent prices, one of the clienteles that would be likely to establish a longterm home in Nolita and see it evolve are families; due to children attending the nearby schools for many years at a time. 3,957 households with children represent 15% of all households in Nolita, 2 and because of the social network that emerges from elementary and middle schools, those families will potentially develop a closer bond with the neighborhood itself, than people following the real estate market trends. Usually, school children know all their classmates and some of the parents may be familiar faces to them. The same phenomenon applies to parents who, when picking up their child at school, will recognize other parents and children. Thus, school children can represent an axis around which a community builds itself. Kids naturally weave the community together. This can in turn reinforce the feeling of belonging for those families, who will build memories from their interaction with the neighborhood and its people. According to Sherry Tuckle, author and professor at MIT, it is those interactions that are unique to residents, as
1 2
https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/ https://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/NY/Manhattan/NoLIta-Demographics.html
Sophie Granger Spring 2018 Studio VI – Writing workshop Prof. : Finn Ferris opposed to boutiques or restaurant experience by visitors as well, that creates a sense that you live in one place and not another. 3 The way Nolita has changed in terms of how people interact with it can also be seen through the amount of public spaces left in the neighborhood. Fewer opportunities remain to enjoy free, green spaces and create an anchor for residents. The Elizabeth Street Garden is one that all could enjoy year-round. Aside from it, access to nature is limited in this area. Out of the 13 playgrounds located within a 15 minutes walk from the elementary school PS 130 serving the district, none of them offers a setting that isn’t paved or covered in playground tiles. 4 A surprising number of food-producing community gardens are however accessible to the community. They are often vacant lands that communities succeed to preserve. To become a member generally involves taking ownership of your plot of land and maintain it in good shape. Most of them unfortunately have long waitlists to get access to a plot of land, and the majority of them are located over a mile distance from Nolita. This is nonetheless an indicative that there is a desire for more community gardens. To address this issue of belonging and access to public spaces in the neighborhood, the strategy is to focus on what naturally binds the community together: children. As mentioned above, kids are often what connects different households together, because of the friends they make in school. The idea is to have the same dynamic of a shared social network happening in a space that can be accessed by all residents. The proposed program will offer an after-school program to engage children with nature, as well as a year-round community garden open to the residents of Nolita. Children will have the opportunity to learn and interact with nature and come back with their parents to participate in the community gardens. Also, the very nature of the community gardens implies that it requires maintenance and frequent visits. This will therefore increase the likelihood of meeting the same people week after week and have people get to know who their neighbors are. By addressing the space to all generations, but with a focus on the youths, it can create an atmosphere that is truly aimed towards reviving how residents perceive and interact with their neighborhood. These two programs will be nested within an overarching botanical garden. This encompassing “mother-space” is meant to be an anchor; a space through which people can claim their neighborhood and identify it as their own, because of the interactions among community members that will occur within.
3
Kaysen, Ronda. “These Cleaners Never Close: [Real Estate Desk][1].” New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast); New York, N.Y. October 20, 2013, sec. RE. 4 https://www.nycgovparks.org
Sophie Granger Spring 2018 Studio VI – Writing workshop Prof. : Finn Ferris Reflection The inequality I tried to address was the receding feeling of belonging in the neighborhood of Nolita. This feeling is what makes you call a place your home; it is what makes you relate with your neighbors; it is what makes you comfortable about where you live. By centering this revivification around children and food, it seemed a successful strategy to start weaving relationships among residents. Moreover, a garden needs care. This program was specifically chosen because it implies people will be frequent users of the space and thus build relationships out of repeated encounters with the same people. Intended as a place of learning for children in particular, it would be interesting to make it a learning space for all: an intergenerational microcosm where each would benefit from his interactions with others. Formally speaking, the most successful portion of the project is the spatial distribution. It was intended to replicate a tree’s ecosystem, with its branches as a network of paths, and it translated quite clearly in the final result. Being able to see what is happening below or up, through the branches, is what makes the space interesting: it calls to our curiosity, our exploratory nature. In an ideal world, the negative space would be much larger compared to the actual paths – much like bridges – so that they are more closely shared by people. One thing I would be interested in developing more is the feeling the branches create at a human scale. Right now, it happens consistently at the scale of the building. The next layer would be to bring this ecosystem to take shape in the different areas, so that this tree-like habitat truly happens throughout the design at different magnitude. Perhaps, by programming the branches to be other things than only pathways, to make the branches themselves be the destination.
INTERGROUND SOPHIE GRANGER DESIGN STUDIO VI | SPRING 2018 PROF. NANCY HOU
Inequalities can be the source of great design innovations. As designers, turning our lens towards those imbalances can reveal a world of new possibilities which can in turn improve the people’s lives. 4/ Site location Inequalities happen between classes of people, or
6/ Contextual analysis
between people and external situations that are
12/ Programs and users
oftentimes beyond their control. It is therefore important to consider human behaviors emerging
16/ Spatial distribution studies
from those inequalities, as those observations contain
18/ Project direction
key points leading to a potential solution.
20/ Concept diagram 22/ Material selection
My humble hope would be to use interior design to serve those who can’t always fight against their
24/ Plans, sections and rendered views
situation; sometimes because the problem is not
50/ Reflection
obvious, sometimes because the magnitude is greater than their means. The goal would be to improve people’s environment in a way that is meaningful to them, and beneficial to their growth.
INTERGROUND
SITE LOCATION
The Elizabeth Street Garden, a hidden gem in Nolita, the
Our task was to propose two programs, occupying three
northern part of Little Italy in Manhattan, will undergo
floors of the new construction, in an effort to address
some changes as a new affordable housing complex is
inequalities in this neighborhood.
planned to replace it.
Interground Elizabeth Street garden lot Nolita Elizabeth Street garden lot
4
Interground (3 Fl. X 10,100 Sq.ft.)
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INTERGROUND
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS
$3,212,127 147.1%
MEDIAN PRICE INCREASE
2017
Rising median housing prices are pushing residents and business owners alike out of Nolita at the fastest rate in the city. The increased real-estate turnover also means people coming to Nolita are less likely to establish a long-term home there.
$1,299,930 source: https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/
2016 MEDIAN PRICE % INCREASE FOR LITTLE ITALY 2016-2017
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CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS
[INTERGROUND]
PLAYGROUNDS & NATURE
[PS 130]
13 playgrounds are within a 15 minutes walk from elementary school PS 130. Being entirely paved or covered with playground tiles, none of them provide opportunities for the children to directly interact with nature in the context of play. source: https://www.nycgovparks.org
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PLAYGROUNDS WITHIN 15 MINUTES FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PS 130
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INTERGROUND
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS
FOOD-PRODUCING GARDENS IN NOLITA There is an interesting offering of food-producing
1.3 MI 1.2 MI 1.1 MI 1.0 MI 0.9 MI 0.8 MI
community gardens in close-by neighborhoods,
0.6 MI
although none are located in Nolita directly.
0.4 MI 0.3 MI
Unfortunately, the wait list to have access to a plot of land can be lenghty. On the other hand, this signifies there is a desire for more gardens.
DISTANCE TO FOOD-PRODUCING GARDENS FROM ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN
source: http://www.greenthumbnyc.org/gardensearch
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INTERGROUND
PROGRAMS AND USERS
PROBLEM
OBERVATION
Fast real estate turnover harming the feeling of belonging for Nolita residents
Loss of green spaces for the community to interact with
To address this issue of belonging and access to public spaces in the neighborhood, the strategy is to focus on what naturally binds a community together: children.
The proposed program will offer an after-
likelihood of meeting the same people week
school program to engage children with nature,
after week, and have people nurture these
as well as a year-round community garden open
newly formed relationships.
to the residents of Nolita. Children will have the
STRATEGY Main focus towards long term residents: Families & their children
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GOAL Revive the feeling of belonging in the community through interaction with nature
opportunity to learn and interact with nature
These two programs will be nested within
and come back with their parents to participate
an
in the community gardens.
encompassing “mother-space� is meant to be
overarching
botanical
garden.
This
an anchor; a space through which people can The very nature of the community gardens
claim their neighborhood and identify it as
implies that it requires maintenance and thus,
their own, because of the interactions among
frequent visits. This will therefore increase the
community members that will occur within.
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INTERGROUND
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION STUDIES
SPLIT + STACK
Design play time! Through creating several variations of how “split” and “stack” could take shape, I was intuitively giving form to the space. Iteration after iteration, the characteristic that kept surfacing was the awareness of up and down, so that multiple levels could exist without being uniformely stratified. This also translated into the connection
v.01
between spaces at different levels, as well as the emergence of interesting opportunities to treat the negative space.
v.02
v.03 16
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PROJECT DIRECTION
INTERGROUND
Integrate / in the ground The direction for this project came from the desire to regain a deep connection with nature in an urban environment. Nature is an inextinguishable source of inspiration and answers, and by observing the mechanisms of the species that are one with it, there is the potential to mimic those processes and apply them to human behaviors. If we can reintegrate nature’s order as a participant, rather than an invader, we will see positive change resulting from this attitude.
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INTERGROUND
CONCEPT DIAGRAMS
Botanical path
A TREE’S BRANCHES: A NETWORK OF PATHS
Community gardens
Do wn
Down
Circulation
n
Dow
n
Dow
4th floor
20
n
Dow
Up
Up
5th floor
Wanting to offer an environment akin
the branches, which are light wells
to that of a tree, for several species
open to the floor below. The ramps
call it their home, I opted for radiating
connecting the different levels allow an
paths which would be surrounded by
uninterupted navigation through the
the natural elements of the botanical
space, while being accessible to all.
garden and community gardens. This strategy enabled me to create an On each floor, there is a sense of what
organic space that triggers exploration
surrounds you, created by the visual
and curiosity as people make their way
connections happening in between
through the botanical garden.
6th floor
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INTERGROUND
MATERIAL SELECTION
NATURALLY SIMPLE The material palette is a direct call to natural elements: earthen floors, rolled cane fencing and of course the main actor, the vegetation. This combination captures the vibrancy of the dense forests and its textures. Through the contrast of light and dark, the whimsical aspects of nature are emphasized.
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PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS Atrium
Restrooms
Down
Rock climbing
n Dow UP
Reception
Trampolines
From the arrival point, located on the 4th floor of the building, users can begin the exploration of the botanical garden in any direction. The sunken portion of this floor, the areas between the branches, are programmed with
Dow
n
an atrium for conferences, and events and a playground overlooking the
Coat check
Elizabeth Street Garden. The circulation strategy allows people to circulate
10’ 0
in a loop, giving them the freedom of experiencing the space multiple ways.
20’
N Foam pit & tarzan ropes
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INTERGROUND
4th
PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
5th
6th
As they are reaching outwards, branches split to create openings that let light coming in from the greenhouse roof, penetrating the space all the way down to the 4th floor. In addition to making the space more interesting for users who can see what is happening above and below them, this move was crucial in capturing a maximum of daylight, even deeper, towards the center of the building.
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PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
Atrium
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INTERGROUND
PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
Lower level
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Lawn
INTERGROUND
PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
Multi-purpose classroom Kids hub
Do wn
Restrooms
wn Do
n
Dow
Up
The botanical path continues on the 5th floor and shares its boundaries with a loungy lawn, a multi-purpose classroom and the Kids hub, a space dedicated to school children when they check in for the after-school activities. Offices
10’ 0
20’
N
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INTERGROUND
PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
Lawn
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INTERGROUND
4th
PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
6th
5th
In the design, the ramps are part of the experience. People can enjoy the unobstructed view to the Elizabeth Street Garden right below, have a better perch to observe their children do rock climbing, or take advantage of the ramps overlooking the atrium to snap a great picture of an event.
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INTERGROUND
PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
Playground
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INTERGROUND
PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
The shed
“Outdoor” classroom
n
Dow
Snack shack
10’ 0
20’
The entire space, covered by a greenhouse
The closed environment allows for year-round
roof and a curtain wall flanking each side of
growing, a real benefit for urban gardeners.
the building, makes members feel as though
Workshops and a fully equipped shed offer
they are out in the open air. With the gardens
members the help and supplies they need to
on the last floor (6th), the plots can benefit
have a prolific garden. The Snack shack makes
from maximum daylight hours without being
use of its dedicated planters to offer customers
shaded by any other neighboring building.
the freshest of snacks, harvested just for them.
N
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INTERGROUND
4th
PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
6th
5th
The planters throughout the botanical garden, also doubling as railing, allowed for a strong and consistent design language by letting the greenery take center stage. The interstitial space between branches is lined with a planter that is extending below the floor, giving dimension to the ceilings. On the community gardens level, shallow and table-height planting beds allow community members to enjoy gardening without the strain involved in reaching and bending over.
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INTERGROUND
PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
Rooftop garden
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INTERGROUND
PLANS, SECTIONS AND RENDERED VIEWS
Rooftop garden
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INTERGROUND
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INTERGROUND
REFLECTION
The inequality I tried to address was the receding
program was specifically chosen because it implies
Formally speaking, the most successful portion of
interested in developing more is the feeling the
feeling of belonging in the neighborhood of
people will be frequent users of the space and thus
the project is the spatial distribution. It was intended
branches create at a human scale. Right now, it
Nolita. This feeling is what makes you call a place
build relationships out of repeated encounters with
to replicate a tree’s ecosystem, with its branches as
happens consistently at the scale of the building.
your home; it is what makes you relate with your
the same people. Intended as a place of learning
a network of paths, and it translated quite clearly in
The next layer would be to bring this ecosystem to
neighbors; it is what makes you comfortable about
for children in particular, it would be interesting to
the final result. Being able to see what is happening
take shape in the different areas, so that this tree-
where you live. By centering this revivification
make it a learning space for all: an intergenerational
below or up, through the branches, is what makes
like habitat truly happens throughout the design
around children and food, it seemed a successful
microcosm where each would benefit from his
the space interesting: it calls to our curiosity, our
at different degrees of magnitude. Perhaps, by
strategy to start weaving relationships among
interactions with others.
exploratory nature. In an ideal world, the negative
programming the branches to be other things than
space would be much larger compared to the actual
only pathways, to make the branches themselves be
paths – much like bridges – so that they are more
the destination.
residents. Moreover, a garden needs care. This
closely shared by people. One thing I would be
50
51
INTERGROUND
SOPHIE GRANGER DESIGN STUDIO VI | SPRING 2018 PROF. NANCY HOU
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