Patterns of Community: Rethinking the Urban Block

Muthna Akrm Jennifer Cahill Meagan Calnon Lisa Colwill Michael Duggan Lindsey DuPell Jessica Forsythe Sarah Glenn photos taken by jimmy heath

Nicole Gray Sara Greenwood Jose Gutierrez Olivia Hallquist Kyle Ho Cameron Konop Mike Layer Gonzalo Martinez

McKinley Mertz Rachel Momenee Haley Peckham Dave Procelli Sarah Pytlik Daniel Schuler Matthew Scott

Madeline Underhill Andreya Veintimilla Charles Warner Brian Wedekind Ryan Wellingho Joanna Wozniak Xianzhong Zeng

“Ghetto, poverty, violence, slums.”

These words often characterize Over-the-Rhine, prompted by years of negative media exposure. Sadly, they bury other terms that many Over-the-Rhine residents use to portray their community, such as friendly, charming, diverse, unique or unexpected, and, most importantly, home. Getting to know a neighborhood is hardly possible by listening to the media or by driving through it after work (with doors locked) or by taking a Segway tour; these mostly produce shallow glimpses, leading to quick judgments and short term fixes. To truly understand a neighborhood, one needs to actually see and listen to its residents, and to understand its history in light of political-economic shifts that have been local and global in reach.

These have been the goals of several Miami University architecture studios, and the work assembled in this volume (from Spring 2010) adds to this body of investigation. Specifically, the studio set out to examine Over-the-Rhine at the scales of the building, block, and neighborhood and to envision what can result when design is motivated by the bringing together of environmental sustainability and social equity.

An important vehicle underscoring the studio’s design investigations was the generation of Patterns (Christopher Alexander et al). The studio found eight Patterns that appear frequently in some of the most successful communities in the world: the city as a medium for learning, increased parking accessibility, private interior block courts, green technology/design, urban farming, green roofs, community gathering spaces, and improved block edge condition (Patterns are defined on the following pages). Using these 'ingredients' for a sustainable community that is both environmentally sound and socially inclusive, students incorporated the Patterns as a template to design a place where both economical and social diversities don't just exist, but thrive.

The complex physical nature alone of Over-the-Rhine provides difficult challenges for architectural and urban design. Alleys that are too thin for 21st century transport, buildings that have been configured to house many single-room apartments, and the lack of any shared space in the interiors of blocks are just three examples that pose design challenges in their own right.

Layering over these physical challenges with the template generated by the Patterns proved to be a rich exercise. Most projects incorporate affordable housing or potential educational/job training experiences so that low-income and homeless residents of Over-the-Rhine have opportunities to address their needs.

At a time when the City of Cincinnati advocates “economic mix,” many projects balance a mix of incomes in the unit designs of the buildings themselves, and nearly all investigate the possibility of shared interior block courtyards. While it is hoped that Over-the-Rhine can become an urban landscape needing no car, many projects investigate innovative solutions to parking. And urban agriculture, green roofs, and passive solar technologies were staples for many projects.

The intent of these projects is to offer another way of thinking about the urban block and neighborhood.

By analyzing Over-the-Rhine at the deepest level and listening to current residents, the studio offers new ideas about economic, social, and environmental sustainability. photos taken by jimmy heath

City as a Medium for Learning An unsettling rate of unemployed residents in Over-theRhine cannot overcome their felony charges at a job interview. The city should offer residents a chance to learn; a chance to turn lives around. There are many strategies for this kind of job training. Already successful in Over-theRhine is Venice on Vine with “Power Inspires Progress.” By hiring convicted felons and teaching them job skills while helping build resumes provides the opportunity for those who want to turn their lives around. Business incubators can help residents to turn their hobbies into businesses. Urban farms scattered throughout the neighborhood could employ dozens of residents and teach skills to move on to any job in any place they may like. When a neighborhood provides success to its residents, they will likely take more pride in the community; decreasing crime and the amount of social services necessary. Facade face lifts only mask the problems that Over-the-Rhine faces. We believe that if the problem is fixed, the neighborhood will take care of itself.

Increased Parking Accessibility Because the increase of residents almost guarantees an increase in the number of automobiles present in the neighborhood, we must account for this increase while not harming the pedestrian-friendly charm of the historic urban plan.

An increase of automobile utilities such as parking spaces seems to be the most problematic but also the most important. Instead of adapting the neighborhood to fit the needs of the automobile, we have taken great strides to make the automobile adapt to the pedestrian oriented neighborhood. We must not completely ignore the needs of the automobile.

Private Interior Block Courts In high density neighborhoods such as Over-the-Rhine, private interior block courts should be mandatory.

Protected by the block’s perimeter buildings, the interior block court would be accessible only by the residents of the block. These courts would provide block residents with an intimate space where they could relax alone or with the company of just a few of their neighbors. A small space such as this promotes informal contact between neighbors.

Green Technology/ Design Green technology has been gaining popularity at an exponential rate all over the country; for good reasons. Solar panels, wind mills, and high efficiency appliances not only reduce our dependence on oil, but they also decrease the amount of money that residents must pour into their utility bills which would be very helpful for the low-income residents of Over-the-Rhine. But our studio’s green thinking goes much further than bolting a couple of solar panels to a roof. We have taken a very close look to how we could renovate buildings in Over-the-Rhine to make them perform better. We have incorporated green walls, shading devices, natural ventilation, and much more into both our market rate and affordable housing designs so that these buildings can perform at a much more efficient rate while still lowering utility rates. Achieving more environmentally friendly buildings is vital, and technology hand-in-hand with architecture, have the tools to make it happen. Obviously, huge changes will not occur overnight, but each advance helps to change the world.

Urban Farming Urban agriculture is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in, or around, a village, town or city.

Our mission is to create an abundance of food for not only people in need, but for everyone living in the community, by planting gardens on unused land and space while increasing diversity, educating youth, adults and seniors and providing an environmentally sustainable system for the Over-the-Rhine community. We incorporate urban farming into our designs like it is an integral part of the urban system. This allows urban farming to be embedded into and interacting with the urban ecosystem. Such interactions include the use of urban residents as laborers, use of typical urban resources (like organic waste as compost and urban waste water for irrigation), direct links with urban consumers, and beautification of empty or abandoned lots. Urban farming can be easily learned/ utilized by people of all classes, making the urban farming movement virtually unstoppable.

Green Roofs/ Green Spaces Over the past 10 years, the incorporation of green roofs into cities has been on the rise. And why not? Green roofs are relatively easy to maintain and make street level views of the city skyline much nicer. However, aesthetics are only a small part of why green roofs are becoming so popular.

Green roofs to reduce water runoff, decrease solar heat gain, extend the life of a building’s roof, and help prevent the ‘heat island’ effect.

Green roofs offer room for a private deck or a semi-private space for building tenants to spend time getting to know one another. A green roof could also be utilized for growing crops for the building‘s tenants. The green roof’s endless possibilities make it a viable solution for the buildings in Over-theRhine.

Community Gathering Spaces Green spaces foster a connection between community residents and the natural environment that surrounds them, thus allowing for a more livable city. The simple textures, sounds, and smells offer residents of Over-theRhine a nice change of pace from the hard-lined, concrete reality of the city. Places such as these help facilitate social interaction among people of all classes and races. There are numerous public green spaces in Over-the-Rhine that are under-utilized or just simply not used at all. The design of a successful public green space must incorporate activities and places to sit and meet so that the space will become a destination unto itself, rather than merely a place to pass through.

No social system of any kind is even remotely possible without community gathering spaces.

Improved Block Edge Condition There is something intriguing about an uninterrupted facade of buildings standing tall on both sides of the street.

Improving the edge conditions of the Over-the-Rhine blocks will give the feeling of a dense urban neighborhood while providing private courtyards/ gardens on the interior of the block. Buildings standing tall act as a fence around the city block, providing a safe place for block residents to relax after a long day. An uninterrupted line of buildings also acts to establish a public/ private line that will make the neighborhood safer while at the same time allowing residents of a block to become comfortable with one another. Our studio has taken advantage of empty and abandoned lots by designing infill housing to close the gaps of the street scape and bring Over-the-Rhine back to a greater density.

Each pattern description is accompanied with an icon that represents its respective pattern. These icons will appear in the bottom right corner of every project contained in this book. These icons will indicate which patterns were incorporated into each project.

mixed housing, green thoroughfare project liberty street location jessica forsythe, chad warner project team

description

Our project redefines the dynamic interaction of public and private spaces within the urban environment by distinguishing “layers” of privacy within a community. The block will essentially contain no purely “public” spaces with the exception of the public streets and external sidewalks. This reinforces a sense of community and enhances the safety within the block. The block will contain layers of “semi-public,” “semi-private,” and “private spaces.” By balancing public and private spaces, the community members of the block will have pride, ownership, and responsibility on each level.

In identifying and highlighting these separate layers, we were able to internalize the urban culture within the block, making each necessary amenity safely accessible to the inhabitants without denying or changing the existing inherent culture of the community. To accomplish this, we first chose to “build up the urban edge” of the block, specifically the Liberty and Race Street borders.

We accomplished this by implementing three new buildings on these edges, establishing commercial amenities on the first floor of the buildings with mixed income apartments above. Also, we designed accessible and safe parking within the block.

Green Road

--to reect the excitement of urban living with a commitment to implementing designed and natural sustainable practices and elements, physically and visually connecting the block.

--to redeďŹ ne the dynamic interaction of public and private spaces as the concepts are embodied and developed within the physical built environment of an urban environment by distinguishing "layers" of privacy within a community.

--to internalize the urban culture within a communal block, making each necessary amenity safely accessible to inhabitants without denying or changing the existing and inherent culture.

mixed income housing project pleasant street location chalo martinez, mike layer project team

description

Ground floor commercial units give essential vitality and life back to Liberty street. Loft style housing units above supplement the commercial below and link to the interior green spaces.

Elevated catwalk along the rear of the units creates a buffer between the residences and the parking below as well as providing green space for the occupants.

rear perspective

Ground floor grocery and market venue provides space for residents to set up shop and sell crafts, merchandise, foods, etc. while providing a low-cost alternative to Kroger. Produce grown next door can be bought and sold in the same neighborhood creating a block scale economy.

Modular, pre-fab green housing infill is designed to accommodate a wide range of family types and income levels. Units are designed to be flexible and can be tailored specifically to the needs of the occupants.

Rehabilitation of existing housing along Elm Street re-imagines the housing types of Over the Rhine.

Existing buildings can be awkwardly long and narrow, creating inhumane interiors with little or no natural light. Circulation stairs are centralized and the building “trimmed” back from the interior of the block to allow not only more green space on the interior, but a building type flooded with natural light and humanized spaces.

existing proposed site plan

typical unit layout

prefab construciton diagram

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street front perspective

mixed income, disabled housing project liberty street and elm street location sara glenn project team

description

This scheme investigates the possibilities of universally accessible design in the rehabilitation of Over-the-Rhine historic housing stock. The act of inclusion, in regards to socially sustainable architecture, should not be solely based upon different ages, gender, ethnicities, and socio-economic factors but also including individuals that are physically disabled.

Over-the-Rhine’s wonderfully preserved 19th century typology is unfortunately unaccommodating to the physically disabled.

Creating an architecture that accommodates the needs of the physically disabled will allow for a more inclusive and dynamic community.

interior block perspective

The second aspect of this scheme investigates the possibility of environmentally sustainable architecture within Over-the-Rhine. There are many opportunities for implementing environmentally sustainable strategies. In regards to block design and housing development, adapting existing buildings and creating potential green and growing spaces within blocks are small moves architects can make in order to present a greener perspective for design.

The newly constructed buildings around the southern end of the block act as a ‘fence,’ enclosing and protecting the interior of the block.

This semi-private zone offers residents of the block a place to relax and commune with one another.

rehab floor plans

proposed site plan

new construction

street section

mixed income housing project pleasant street and race street location jose gutierrez, xianzhong zeng project team

description

Two new buildings will be added to the existing block between Pleasant Street and Race Street at Green Street. These two buildings will provide 6 market rate housing units along with 6 affordable housing units while also providing 28 parking spots below the building in a half underground garage.

The half below grade garage gives vehicles superb protection from weather and gives residents of the block a close, convenient place to park. Providing both market rate and affordable housing in the same building helps to create a sustainable and long lasting neighborhood.

By filling in empty lots, the newly constructed buildings would strengthen the block perimeter, providing block residents with a semi-private courtyard in the middle of the block where residents could gather together after a long day.

Protected by the block’s buildings, the interior courtyard provides a safe place for residents to interact with one another. This interaction will strengthen relationships between block residents, reinforcing a feeling of community.

street perspective

At one end of the courtyard is a children's playground and the other side holds a grass garden while the middle of the courtyard remains open for any activity. The variety of activities in the courtyard give residents something different to do everyday. section A-A

Fabric roof tiles have the ability to be folded individually into various configurations; casting dramatic shadows away from the sun craving plants of the garden below. Tiles can be randomly folded by individual vendors or be choreographed into sweeping forms that become an iconic symbol for the market. The reconfigurable roof tiles serve as an icon for the block and the community offering a different design for each day.

examples of different roof tile configurations

street section

affordable housing project kroger block location sarah pytlik, cameron konop project team

description

‘Portal 24’ aims to provide affordable, flexible housing for interns working in Over the Rhine.

Offering a shorter lease period and a range of apartment types, Portal 24 hopes to appeal to a wider array of tenants, and bring them together in a shared, communal environment.

The complex also acts as one of the main entries into the interior of the block, connecting 14th Street to the gardens. As such, the building takes on the same green agenda as the rest of the block with its green walls, drawing the community in, and advertising the beauty within. Commuters can park in an underground parking lot, accessed to the left of the main path, while bikers can lock their bikes beneath the community billboard while they take a stroll. The pre-existing building at 24 14th street works harmoniously to achieve this affordable housing opportunity, with the intention of making it easier for out-of-town interns to live and work within the community where they can have a deeper interaction with the community.

Taking advantage of empty lots, the Portal 24 building continues the barrier of buildings along the perimeter of the block. The uninterrupted street front acts as a barrier, creating an interior block space that can be enjoyed by block residents.

Apartments in the rear of the building enjoy a stunning view of the proposed urban farm where residents of this building may volunteer.

entrance to the block interior - ‘portal’

community urban farm project kroger block location meagan calnon, rachel momenee project team

description This garden will provide an opportunity for the residents of Over-the-Rhine to have an active role in the movement of sustainable urban agriculture. As a space dedicated to the community, it empowers the public to take control of their impact on the environment and thrive as a positive learning atmosphere. It promotes healthy interaction between people and their surroundings as it cultivates a space that beneficially establishes a sense of ownership and independence within the community. This animated place will be the catalyst for the residents to become more financially self-reliant with their food source and give them the ability to enjoy the benefits of the produce they harvest.

Organization of the garden revolves around optimizing the available sunlight throughout the growing season.

Consideration of the shadows delineates the location of the crops grown as a way to ensure that each plant receives the appropriate amount of sunlight for its productivity. By using cold frames, the growing season has been lengthened to occur from April 1st to November 15th. This extension allows for a longer growing and harvesting period that results in a higher yield.

The first phase of crops harvested occurs in the northern section of the vegetable/ herb garden where the sunlight is at its most present. The middle section is harvested next to incorporate the practice of continual harvests as some plants are repeatedly grown throughout the growing season. This continues to be illustrated in the southern section of the vegetable/ herb garden as the location of the plants reflects its necessary exposure to sunlight in relation to the advancing shadows as the month's progress.

planter boxes

primary gathering space secondary gathering space

sitting wall

vertical farming, hydroponics project kroger block location brian wedekind project team

description

When thinking about the production of vegetables and plants, there is a growing trend to use hydroponics. This growing trend is for a very good reason. Plants grown using hydroponic techniques are not susceptible to disease, produce more fruit, and can be grown year round regardless of seasons or rainfall. Hydroponic gardening is also space effective as you do not need to use soil. This means that plants can be grouped closer together and the absence of soil means less structural support is required.

Located next to the community garden of the block zero master plan, this hydroponics/ vertical gardening center will work together with the more traditional form of farming next door. One of the strongest aspects about hydroponic growing is that despite the great amount of technology that is involved, there is very little training needed. This means that the center could employ 5 to 8 members of the community year round to maintain the hydroponic farming on each of the four floors.

Since the upper part of the building has access to natural light, the top 2 floors will grow fruits and vegetables while hops will be grown on the lower floors using artificial light. Fruits and vegetables will be sold at the farmer’s market while the hops grown can be sold to local breweries, creating a tight sustainable community.

exterior perspective

hydroponics (artificially lit)

main office

hydroponics (naturally lit)

office

hydroponics (artificially lit)

hydroponics (naturally lit)

tropical hydroponics

hydroponics (artificially lit)

open to below

ramp to basement

tropical fruiting plants (artificially lit)

first floor perspective

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the sun room restaurant project kroger block location

9 8 second floor 10

andreya veintimilla project team

13 - Kitchen Area

description

The Sun Room serves the community in a variety of ways and is an example of social, economic, and environmental sustainability. First and foremost the project seeks to connect different aspects of block zero through collaboration with the community garden and hydroponics. The goal is to highlight the process of food grown in the garden being transformed into food on a plate and to allow members of the community to be a part of that process. The Sun Room will provide healthy yet affordable food to the neighborhood locally grown and prepared. Not only is this a place to eat but a place where people can interact with their friends and neighbors.

The intent of this project is to also provide jobs and cooking training to members of the Over-the-Rhine community. Residents invest time learning to grow fruits and vegetables in the community and vertical gardens so why not learn to prepare them for a meal as well? Employees can work along side experienced cooks and chefs to learn the trade and provide them with a steady job or perhaps jumpstart their own careers. The building and Sun Room addition are equipped with a number of sustainable features including green walls, the use of natural sunlight and ventilation, energy efficient kitchen equipment, etc. In order to engage with the street, the glass addition is designed to open and close according to weather, fusing the dining area with the sidewalk and neighboring garden.

1 - Waiting Area 2 - Ground Level Dinning Room 3 - Ground Level Kitchen 4 - Dry Storage 5 - Walk-In Cooler 6 - Trash Room 7 - Freezer 8 - 2nd Level Dinning Area 9 - 2nd Level Preparation Area 10 - Outdoor Sundeck/Herb Garden 11 - Manager’s Office 12 - Head Chef’s Office

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14 - Dining Area

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first floor

exterior perspective interior perspective

spring performance

affordable housing project kroger block location jennifer cahill project team summer performance

description

The Common Grounds project is designed to be a new model for mixed-income development, focused on creating income diversity within a single building. The design implements a range of strategies to achieve success: ‘green’ technologies, which attract more affluent buyers but also lower utility bills for low-income residents; a unique level of architectural design and customization; and access to a variety of public and private spaces for interaction between residents.

In an effort to reduce the building’s carbon footprint, six solar thermal panels were placed on the roof of the existing building – enough to provide 70% of the year’s hot water demands for 12 people. Many times more efficient than the photovoltaic panels currently available, solar thermal panels actually have the ability to recoup their costs within a reasonable amount of time. In addition, the shading system along the southern exposure of the building would help lower cooling expenses, cutting costs by 30% on the summer solstice and 80% on the spring solstice. A third technology, also financed by the building’s middle or upper class residents, would be Over-the-Rhine’s first ‘intensive’ roof gardens, allowing for protected vegetable production, improving air quality, and prolonging the lifespan of the roof. Finally, the project’s proximity to activities and necessities (such as the grocery store) allows for mainly pedestrian transportation.

Above graphs show the amount of solar heat gain through the southern facade windows with and without the louvered shading device shown on the facing page. Analysis showed the louver system to cut cooling costs by 30% on the summer solstice and 80% on the spring solstice.

The project’s unique design qualities certainly stand out from what is currently available in the neighborhood, offering condo-shoppers something truly different while retaining historic Italianate beauty along the streetfront.

section A-A

The most important goal of the Common Grounds is to not only place a diversity of people into adjacent units, but to create the spaces needed for interaction between neighbors. Three garden tiers offer varying degrees of public and private space, and a shared lounge, laundry room, and stairwell compel residents to mix and socialize.

two story residential - floor 1

li b e r ty st

existing site - hughes street

two story residential - floor 2

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eco youth market garden

two story residential - floor 2 block location

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street section

’ michael duggan kyle hoff

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mixed housing, green thoroughfare project vine street location mary mertz project team

description

The work/live space I have created for the north western corner of Block Zero allows for a client to purchase the whole building, live in one of the apartment spaces, work in the retail space below, and rent out the remaining residential units. The owner also has access to an office/guest space located on the first floor.

interior perspective

A live/work space is appropriate for Over-theRhine because this area is always developing and so it is beneficial to have room for renters. More importantly, it is good to have ownership to help create stability in the city. Ownership prevents slum-like conditions because there is someone available to ensure the building is kept up and regular maintenance takes place. In a work/live condition the owner actually lives in the building and is more likely to keep the building looking nice. The flexible conditions of a work/live accommodates the ever-changing state of a developing city.

This is a prominent option for those occupying the work/live. Whether it is the owner needing help on their business downstairs, or the renters upstairs, the close location to this opportunity gives these set of buildings an upper hand to the rest of the area. My building plus the immediate adjacent ones share a symbiotic relationship with the business incubator located right next door.

vine street perspective