TRANSGENERATIONAL
Ruth Wang GSAPP SPRING 2013 Instructor: Kazys Varnelis, Ph. D. Associate: Leigha Dennis
What is the Transgenerational City ? The Stoop and a New Life on the Street.
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What is the Transgenerational City? The city gathers together a wide bandwidth of people of all generations. Safety, comfort, convenience, usability, ergonomics, and accommodation of individuals of all ages and abilities are taken into consideration when designing for the city. Time is also a consideration, as the young can become old, the old can become
disabled, the disabled can become old, etc. The population is in constant fluctuation. The city must, therefore, be adaptive, bridging transitions across life stages. Transgenerational design for the city is, however, not specialized for the elderly or disabled. It is about designing to accommodate the widest possible spectrum of users and
participants, regardless of age or ability. Further transgenerational design is not only about accessibility, but also about inclusion and rehabilitation. The condition of immersive stimulation in sound, movement, information, etc. is a unique quality of the city which supports longer, fuller lives. The transgenerational city not only accommodates 3 but also immerses all individuals in this experience.
1958 A Great Day in Harlem | First Observations of the Transgenerational Stoop
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Observations of the Transgenerational Stoop The photograph A Great Day in Harlem, taken by Art Kane in 1958 of 60 of the most famous jazz musicians of the time, was not only a showcase of music legends but also a demonstration of the unique condition of the citystoop as a multi-generational gathering place. 5
1960 Jay Street & St. Marks Avenue | First Observations of the Transgenerational Stoop
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Observations of the Transgenerational Stoop The transgenerational capacity of the stoop, is a phenomenon that continues to appear in the present day. Left: 40th Jay Street Stoop 1960. Right: St. Marks Avenue Stoop 2012
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Woody Guthrie on a NYC Stoop in 1943
Who is Transgenerational? People of all generations and of all abilities.
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1901-1926 GI Generation
1901-1946 Six Generations Co-exist in Today’s Cities
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1927- 1945 Mature-Silent Generation
1946-1964 Baby Boomers
Who is Transgenerational? Born in 1901-1926, the GI Generation is composed of the children of the WWI generation & fighters in WWII & young in the Great Depression. Due to their War-time upbringing, they tend of have strong models of teamwork to overcome and progress.
Born in 1927-1945, the Mature or Silent Generation went through their formative years during an era of suffocating conformity , but also during a time of post-war happiness: “peace, Jobs, Suburbs, Television, Rock n Roll, Cars.�
Born in 1946-1964, the Baby Boomer generation is commonly viewed as divided into two groups: the first group being the save-the-world revolutionaries of the 1060s and 70s, and the second being the career climbers of the 70s and 80s. 11
1965-1980 Generation X
1981-2000 Millennials, Echo Boomers, and the 9/11 Generation
1901-1946 Six Generations Co-exist in Today’s Cities
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2000-present Generation Z
Who is Transgenerational? Born in 1965-1980, generation x, has also become commonly known as the latch-key kids. because they would often go home from school to an empty house. Often they are focused on the saving the neighborhood, not the world, making marriage work, and being there for their children.
Born between 1981 and 2000, generation Y is a sharp departure from generation X. Nurtured by omnipresent parents. Members of this generation respect authority, prefer to work in teams and on schedules, and tend to experience great academic pressure. They have also grown up with unlimited access to information, tending to be assertive with strong views.
Born in 2000 up until the present day, members of generation Z are highly connected, having had a life-long access to communication and media technology, such as the world wide web, instant messaging, text messaging, mp3 players, and mobile phones. This has earned them the nickname “digital natives� 13
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How Are Transgenerational Social Interactions Catalyzed? Tracing the geneology of the transgenerational stoop.
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1964 Lake Anne Village | Play as a Catalyst of Transgenerational Interaction
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Play as the Catalyst The first completed village center at Reston, VA, designed by Whittlesey, Conklin and Rossant. It is village planning strategy based on the assumption that play is the catalyst of social gatherings and groupings. Smaller villages within each center around a particular kind of activity.
For example, Village I focuses on a lake and water sports, Village II around dining and food, Village III around playgrounds and jungle gyms. Congregations accur around shared activities. Scale was used to make the activities centers appear welcoming and accessi ble. Entryways, residences, and
amenities near the street level were made to appear smaller than elements further away. Though in many ways, the dreams and goals of this village center were loftier than the realities, it was an early experiment in planning transgenerational interactions through a focus on play. 17
1965 Jacob Riis Houses | Identity, Contemplation and Play
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Play as the Catalyst The Jacob Riis Houses are a public housing project in the East Village on the lower east side of Manhattan in New York City designed by architects Walker & Gillette. The Riis Houses broke through traditional proprietary notions about property and projects.
Programming of the surrounding plaza focused on providing space for individual contemplation, as well as, gathered play. It was more successful than Lake Anne Village in that it was not over-planned. Activities were not as specified. Rather spaces composed
of techtonic arrangements of blocks and beams, ramps and stairs, and an ampitheater space, allowed the residents to gather in determining their own conceptions of play.
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1966 Sesame Street | Pre-School Education & Engagement with the Transgenerational Street
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Education & Learning as the Catalyst Sesame Street was conceived in 1966 during discussions between television producer Joan Ganz Cooney and Carnegie Foundation vice president Lloyd Morrisett. Their goal was to create a children’s television show that would “master the addictive qualities of television and do something good with them”, such as helping young children
prepare for school. A unique quality of the show for its time, was the unprecedented efforts to be all inclusive in its cast and crew, hiring female and minorities more than any other childrens’ show. Many of the scenes take place on the city street and the city stoop, and depict situa-
tions where there is transgenerational and inter-ratial interaction.
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1968 Universal Design | An All-Inclusive Approach to Design
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Accessibility as the Catalyst In 1968, the Architect Ronald L. Mace coined the term “Universal Design.” Mace defined the term as the concept of designing all products and the built environment to be aesthetically and functionally accessible to the greatest extent possible, by all people, regardless of their age, ability or status in life.
While Mace’s conception of Universal Design at the time, focused on the interior of the home: kitchens, bathrooms, corridors, etc, his work would later influence the accessibility of public space, including stairway conditions like the stoop.
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1968 Fair Housing Act | Housing as a Civil Right
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Fair Housing as the Catalyst Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women,
and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and disability.
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1970 Ada Louise Huxtable | Preservation and the Transgenerational City
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Preservation as the Catalyst Ada Louise Huxtable was an architecture critic and writer on architecture. In 1970 she was awarded the inaugural Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. According to the architecture critic, Paul Goldberger, prior to Huxtable “architecture was not a part of public dialogue”
Not only did Huxtable make architecture more accessible and present in public conversations, she was also a great preservationist and lover of cities. The preservation of historic buildings (statements made by Huxtable were
a part of a movement which saved Penn Station from demolition in 1962) makes the city aesthetically and ... (can’t think of the word at the moment..) accessible to older generations , as well as helps to maintain a link of understanding across generations. 27
1970 -1973 Accessibility Code | Universal Design Recognized
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Accessibility as the Catalyst After four years of practicing conventional architecture, Ronald Mace, became involved in the effort to produce the first building code for accessiblity in the nation. This code became mandatory in North Carolina in 1973 and served as a model for other states.
Here, we begin to see the translation of universal design on more exterior elements of buildings, sidewalks, stairways, and railings.
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1988 BRISTOL-MYERS Bristol-Myers | Transgenerational Design Recognized
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Accessibility as the Catalyst In 1988, the term, transgenerational design, was nationally recognized by Bristol-Myers company. A decade later in 2000, the company would publish the term in “America Comes to Age� a special report on aging in the nation. 31
1988 Fair Housing Act of 1988 | Reinforcing Fair Housing
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Fair Housing as the Catalyst The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 establishes an administrative enforcement mechanism, provides stiffer penalties than the present act, and expands its coverage to include disabled persons and families with children.
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1990 Americans with Disabilities Act | A Right to Mobility
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Mobility as the Catalyst In the 1990s, accessibility for the disabled came to the forefront of civil rights activism. Mobility became a central concern for disabilities activists.
Arthur Campbell, Jr., a key disabilities rights activist, is known for stating, that he doesn’t want your sympathy; he just wants what most people do: a living wage, a meaningful social life, a few good laughs and the means to get around.voluptat 35
1990 Americans with Disabilities Act | A Right to Mobility
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Mobility as the Catalyst The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental activities. 37
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How do we design for the Transgenerational Experience? Making the Stoop Condition Accessibile to All
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1970 Stanley Milgram | The Experience of Living in Cities
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The Experience of Living in Cities The individual experiences density, large numbers, and heterogeneity of city life as overloads, which require adaptive adjustments. These adjustments create the distinctive norms and behaviors characteristic of city life. How do we make access to the immersive experience of the city attainable by all? 41
1990-1992 Adult Day | Bringing the Experience to the Rail
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The symbol of the handrail was chosen as the main
Bringing the Experience to the Rail Adult Day (Des Plaines, IL) designed by Mark Rakatansky, transforms the standard gerontological handrail into a place of engaged interest and stimulation. The new handrail weaves its way through the facility, transforming as it responds to different spaces and events (as coatroom rail, as lounge bench, as photographic display) acting as a way to support more than just
physical balance. Demonstrating how accessibility is not only a physical concern but also an experiential concern.
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2000 Transgenerational House | Exhibiting and Re-Stating Transgenerational Design
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Defining Transgenerational The Transgenerational House: A Case Study in Accessible Design and Construction” was an exhibition in June at ‘’Designing for the 21st Century: An International Conference on Universal Design’’, held at the Rhode Island College of Art and Design, Providence, RI
The exhibit served to clarify and re-state the concept of Transgenerational design in the public eye. Transgenerational Concept IS NOT about building specialized “elderly” or “disabled” housing and furnishing them with “adaptive” or “senior” products.
IT IS about designing residential environments and household products to accommodate the widest possible spectrum of those who would use them—regardless of age or ability.
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1975 Robson Square | A new Accessible Stair
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A New Accessible Stair The Robson Civic Courts Square, designed by Architect Arthur Erickson in 1975 in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a civic plaza known for its three grand staircases, each with the unique feature of an integrated ramp designed for the elderly and disabled. The ramps are designed to make the climb, not only accessible but also experiencially
inclusive. Thus, making the immersive experience of the city plaza open to the greatest range of individuals.
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2011 The Silver Tsunami | The First Wave of Baby Boomers Turn 65
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The First Wave of Aging Boomers Transgenerational Design becomes a more pressing and present issue. Communities like Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, which was recently designated as an Aging Improvement District, begin to recognize this urgency.
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2012 Aging in Place Design Awards | Experiencing the Home
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Experiencing in Place AARP and the National Association of Home Builders give awards for home designs which enable aging in place. Designs for minimizing entry ramps and kitchen accessibility, reminiscent of Mace’s original ideas for Universal Design. 51
2013 Julien De Smedt Stoop | The Stoop Experience Gone Mobile
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The Stoop Gone Mobile JDS and Vestre Design introduce the Stoop in 2013, a bench that is meant to replicate the classic New York Brownstone Stoop. The JDS Stoop attempts to replicate the unique type of environment generated by the Brownstone stoop-- a space which is neither public nor private, which fosters
loosely organized communities in dense urban neighborhoods. Unlike the traditional stoop, the JDS stoop is mobile, finding a place anywhere in the city and at any time. Yet, it is immobile in the sense that, much like the traditional stoop, its effectiveness to attain its stated goal is dependent on its
juxtaposition with a “dense urban neighborhood.� or perhaps not, given the increasing mobility of communications in the city (mobile phones, faster, more efficient modes of transportation, and other dynamic forms of connectivity) 53
2050 The Intangible Stoop | The Transgenerational Stoop Re-Defined
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The Stoop Redefined Left, Klaus Berger 1964, Future Cities Exhibit. Left, Bed-Stuy Superblock 1969. How will the interface between residence and street in the future be not only accessible to all generations but also a fully immersive experience, in a time when the residential street has become less and less static, and
more and more dyamic, perhaps even intangible?
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Superstoop: A New Life on the Transgenerational Street
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