As of 2009 90% of Americans commute to work every day by private vehicle yet 79% of Americans also live in cities. Why does the majority of Americans commute by private vehicle everyday when more than half of them live in cities? The answer could simply be because our infrastructure supports this method of transportation and is lacking on providing easy reliable public transportation within urban areas. However this lack of infrastructure may not be the larger issue. The buildings that we design and build around us that create this urban fabric are not designed with the pedestrian in mind and are more suited to the time and space of the automobile. This thesis seeks to study how physical elements can interact with the pedestrian in an urban environment to enhance the pedestrian experience within proximity to the building. This has most commonly been classified as an urban-scaled issue, however the architectural-scale is the only method, which can begin to address the enhancement of the pedestrian experience. Throughout my research I have narrowed down what physical elements actually contribute to enhancing this experience and they can be broken down into three basic pedestrian needs. The first is the pedestrian’s need for Mental Well-Being. This addresses the pedestrians need to feel comfortable in a space. The three physical elements that provide this comfort are the enclosure of the street and space from the built environment, the provision of human scaled elements that break down the massive structures we have constructed, and lastly space for moving and staying. The second need that is to be addressed is the pedestrian’s need for Physical Well-Being. This has to do with the pedestrian feeling safe. The physical elements that support this need are protection from vehicles, protection from crime, and protection from the elements. The last need that is to be addressed is the pedestrian’s need for Engagement. This has to do with their need to want to be in a space and be curious about what they see. The physical elements that support this are excellent design aesthetic, variation, and perception of activity. All of these nine physical elements contribute to enhancing the pedestrian experience, however these do not have to be separate elements. Multiple categories can often be satisfied by single physical elements. If all buildings in the urban environment were retrofitted with these nine elements the city would be a much more enjoyable place to be.
01
Thesis Statement
05
Case Studies
43
The Research
55
Proposal & Analysis
67
The Process
87
The Findings
113
The Conclusions
115
The Sources
1
As of 2009 90% of Americans commute to work every day by private vehicle yet 79% of Americans also live in cities. Why does the majority of Americans commute by private vehicle everyday when more than half of them live in cities? The answer could simply be because our infrastructure supports this method of transportation and is lacking on providing easy reliable public transportation within urban areas. However this lack of infrastructure may not be the larger issue. The truth of the matter is that no all buildings that we design and build around us that create this urban fabric are designed with the pedestrian in mind. As a result the downtowns of great American cities have created dead streets with very little activity that not only are not pleasant to be on but welcome crime. These are not the conditions that city inhabitants would like to live in. This thesis seeks to study how physical elements can interact with the pedestrian in an urban environment to enhance the pedestrian experience within proximity to the building. This has most commonly been classified as an urban-scaled issue, however the architectural-scale is the only method, which can begin to address the enhancement of the pedestrian experience. Throughout my research I have narrowed down what physical elements actually contribute to enhancing this experience and they can be broken down into three basic pedestrian needs. The first is the pedestrian’s need for Mental Well-Being. This addresses the pedestrians need to feel comfortable in a space. If one feels discomfort in a space they will not enjoy it. The three physical elements that provide this comfort are the enclosure of the street and space from the built environment, the provision of human scaled elements that break down the massive structures we have constructed, and lastly space for moving and staying.
2
The second need that is to be addressed is the pedestrian’s need for Physical Well-Being. This has to do with the pedestrian feeling safe. This sense of safety should be in place all over cities, as the less safe an area the less people will venture to it. The physical elements that support this need are protection from vehicles, protection from crime, and protection from the elements. The last need that is to be addressed is the pedestrian’s need for Engagement. This has to do with their need to want to be in a space and be curious about what they see. We as a people tend to get bored of things quickly and if the street does not provide the visual richness that we seek we will find little pleasure with staying there or walking by. The physical elements that support this are excellent design aesthetic, variation, and perception of activity. All of these nine physical elements contribute to enhancing the pedestrian experience, however these do not have to be separate elements. Multiple categories can often be satisfied by single physical elements. In order to apply these nine principles to my work I will design heavily within the sidewalk, façade, and immediate interior on the first five floors of my structure. These are the optimal areas to apply these techniques and will allow me to create an enhanced pedestrian experience. This approach could be applied to any architects design and create an enhanced experience for the pedestrian and create a citywide network of great streets If all buildings in the urban environment were retrofitted with these nine elements the city would be a much more enjoyable place to be.
Lillehammer, Norway
3
“Just as cities can invite life there are many examples of how the renovation of a single space or even change in furniture and details can invite people to a totally new pattern of use”-Jan Gehl
4
5
One item that brought me to this thesis is the abundance of information on pedestrian friendly streets at the urban scale and the little if any information about it on the architectural scale. As a result case studies have become a major driving force for this thesis. Each case study has been carefully analyzed to extract the elements of each street, structure or space, which can contribute the three needs of the pedestrian.
6
Form, Program, Facade Analysis
Program/Form:Outdoor Area provides activity seperate to street but allows visual interactions
Program/Form/Facade:Balconies activate facade allowing interior program to interact with street
Early on in my investigation for a pedestrian friendly architecture I analyzed the following precedents focusing on which element effected the pedestrian experience the most. Did the program of the building dictate its ability to be pedestrian friendly or the form, or maybe it was only about the facade? This case study sough out the answer to this question.
In this example of a resedential building from Tjuvholmen in Oslo Norway program has become the dominant factor as outdoor seating provides interaction on the ground floor and the balconies above bring inhabitants of the building to the exterior activating the facade and the street below.
Form: Setback in building encourages use of alley
Program: Outdoor Seating engages street Tjuvholmen Resedential Building, Oslo, Norway
7
In this example of a commercial building with restauraunts on the ground floor program again is the underlying factor for the activity of this street enveloping the pedestrians that walk through. However the visibility bewteen inside and out is also an underlying factor that creates fluid movement from inside and outside the building which points towards the facade being a major factor in this space. The building’s form plays little role in this example as it is mostly flat.
Form: First Floor overhang provides a visual sense of enclosure with umbrellas across the street
Program: Outdoor Seating envelops street, creating a visual enclosure full of activity
Facade: Transparency allows visual connection between street activity and inside program.
Tjuvholmen Commercial Building, Oslo, Norway
8
In Fanuiel Hall’s case a mixture of all three elements are important. The program of Fanuiel Hall allows the vast amount of people to inhabit its surroundings. The facade is very porous and allows easy circulation through the building and onto the street. Lastly the building form creates semi outdoor spaces for people to enjoy. These three elements work very well together and ultimately create a space bustling with pedestrian activity.
Form: Proportions of trees and buildings provide enclosure creating a more intimate space
Form: Canopy provide enclosure at a more intimate level creating a heirarchy of spaces
Form: Canopy provide enclosure at a more intimate level creating a heirarchy of spaces
Fanuiel Hall, Boston, Ma. www.asla.org
9
Facade: Transparency on ground Floor provides connection between inside and out
This study brought forth that perhaps the program, form and facade are not the driving elements of an enhanced pedestrian experience, but instead are the delivery of that driving force. Each of these three elements of a design can be manipulated in many different ways to produce pedestrian friendly architecture, however I must first determine what principles of design provide the program, facade, and form with the means of enhancing the pedestrian experience.
Boston Building Section Analysis This case study sought to determine sectional relationships between the building’s facade, the sidewalk, and the pedestrian using Boston, known for being one of the most walkable cities in America. In order to rule out that the program was the only driving factor to an enhanced pedestrian experience multiple Complexity programmatic uses were used including retail, residential, -Ornamentation elemnts provide and commercial. Each building was analyzed based on Reid Ewing and Keith Bartholomew’s urban principles of Complexity, visual richess as well as a relatable Transparency, and Human Scale. scale In this example of a commercial building in the financial district Boston the use of a human scale creates a more relatable ground level for the towering office building. The curtain wall facade also connects the interior and exterior, creating views between the two while the ornamentation provides a visual richness and at the same time breaks up the building into a smaller scale.
Transparency - Glass allows perception of activity inside
Human Scale -Canopy creates a human scaled entrance creating a more intimate space
Commercial Building, Financial District, Boston, MA
10
Transparency -Storefront facade allows maximum perception of activity within
Complexity -Ornamentation of facade allows for visual richness
Human Scale -Windows as well as small elements among the facade allow a relatable scale to the pedestrian
Retail Building, Newbury Street, Boston, MA
11
This retail building on Newbury Street gives the street the variation that is needed to capture the many users full attention and give the building its own presence on a street that is traditionally all composed of brick facades. This can be seen with the ample glazing of the facade that gives pedestrians views into the many shopping spaces as well as giving the occupants views of the street’s activity. The ornamentation of the facade not only provides a visual richness, but also breaks down the facade into more of a human scale. This can also be seen with the size of the windows as they have been designed to be to the scale of a human and not overly large.
The new addition to the Boston Public Library is a great addition to an already active street. Its monumentality creates an image on the street that allows users to understand its importance while also creating an intimate human scaled entrance that allows for more fluid movement in and out of the building through the transparent nature of the ground floor. Although this facade is mostly concrete its movement creates a visual richness and allows the monolithic facade to become much more interesting to the pedestrian.
Complexity -Movement of the facade provides visual richness
Human Scale -Even with its monumentality the human scaled entrance gives a relatable entity to the structure Transparency -Glass entrance allows perception of activity within
Boston Public Library, Boston, MA
12
Human Scale -Scale of all elements and the facade and its entirety are relatable to pedestrians
Complexity -Ornamentation of the facade provides visual richness
Transparency -Abundance of windows and entrances provide perception of human activity within structure
Resedential, Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA
13
The apartments on Commonwealth avenue provide a great example for pedestrian friendly design. The complexity of the facades provides a visual richness that enhances the atmosphere of the street. The abundance of windows allows maximum perception of human activity inside as well as views onto the street and the ornamentation of the building breaks down the building into a very welcoming human scaled structure.
The following two examples were considered poor examples of pedestrian streets located in downtown Boston. Although this commercial building has an intricate ornamentation that does provide visual richness that is all it offers. There is no perception of activity giving the street a dead perception. The facade also does not allow any views into the building and instead the pedestrian is met with a massive stone wall double their size. This is completely out of scale to a human and alienates the pedestrian. Covered Minimal Winows -Perception of activity inside building not allowed
Ornamentation of facade -Provides visual intrest and attempts to create human scale
Solid- scale alienates pedestrian
Stone
Commercial, Downtown Boston Boston, MA
14
Minimal windows - does not allow perception of activity inside building
Metal Panel
Solid - scale alienates pedestrian
Stone
Commercial, Downtown Boston Boston, MA
15
Like the example before, this was also an unfriendly street for pedestrians. The harsh facade allows no perception of human activity inside and provides no visual richness to the street. Its lack of complexity adds to this with the windows providing the only intricate human scaled portion of the facade.
This study has brought me to believe that perhaps the terms Complexity, Transparency, and Human Scale are not the only underlying principles that may guide pedestrian friendly architecture and that I must broaden my search. That being said these three terms are definitely apparent in pedestrian friendly architecture and a building must have these in order to enhance the pedestrian experience
Walking Along The Facade Analysis For this analysis I analyzed Boylston in depth studying the interaction between the buildings and the sidewalk thinking of the buildings form as a means of defining the inhabitable space of the sidewalk for the pedestrian. The street has an undulating set of facades that create spaces for moving as well as more intimate spaces for staying which makes it quite a successful street in terms of Pedestrian Friendly design.
This example shows a spacious sidewalk that allows pedestrians to flow freely throughout and the open ground level provides shops for many pedestrians to use.
Boylston Street, Boston, MA
16
This example shows a transitional space between a more intimate space that has outdoor seating and larger space with room for movement. The move to the intimate space creates a visual interest with its array of activities and the watchful eyes of the residents above.
Boylston Street, Boston, MA
17
Again Bolyston opens up creating more room for movement and allowing people to speed up in front of this building lobby where less people will be visiting. The vertical articulation of the facade helps this by allowing human perception to believe that the space is smaller where horizontal articulation would seem to be longer.
Boylston Street, Boston, MA
18
Continuing this opening and closing of the sidewalk along the street this Starbucks can be seen coming forth creating a more intimate space between the users of the coffee shop and the users of the sidewalk.
Boylston Street, Boston, MA
19
This alcove created by this store allows the opportunity for people to stay in the space inviting people to not only pass through but stay and enter the store.
Boylston Street, Boston, MA
20
The opening sidewalk in front of the Apple store provides viewers from the sidewalk to see into the upper levels of the store allowing for human activity to be percieved from the lower level and allow pedestrians to move quickly into and out of the store.
Boylston Street, Boston, MA
21
This building adds a fresh undulating facade that is unlike anything else among the street. This provides the variation and keeps pedestrians walking by interested. This vertical articulation also allows the pedestrians walking by to percieve it as a smaller space making them pass by the resedential building towards more stores.
Boylston Street, Boston, MA
22
As you get to the southwest portion of boylston the buildings start to become less visually interesting and do not offer much perception of activity within as well as having a much smaller sidewalk making pedestrian movement slower.
This study has shown me the powerful effect of variation on a street. Although Boylston may take this variation to an extreme with no real defined language to it, it provides a great example of how variation can bring life to a street and engage the pedestrians along the street.
Boylston Street, Boston, MA
23
Thomson Place Analysis From this point forward I focused my analysis on the site for which my thesis proposal would take part in. Thomson Place is an engaging commercial street located in the Innovation Disctrict of Boston. This study looked to focus on what attributes of this street were enhancing the pedestrian experience.
“In order to design a great pedestrian place you must study the best area within proimity to it in order for the same principles to apply.�-Jeff Speck
Street Location, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
24
The corner condition of this street boasts two great examples of architecture that enhance the pedestrian experience. In this example the ground floor addresses the primary street providing variation along its facade engaging the pedestrian. While the upper floors provide many views on the street at different times of the day making the street less prone to crime, as well as the articulation of the upper floors creating a hierarchy between the main facade and the side facade which turns down Thomson Pl. which also provides many views onto the street.
Corner of Congress St. and Thomson Pl., Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
25
On the other corner the ground floor also provides variation along the facade engaging the pedestrians on the major street, however this building provides variation along its side facade creating a more intriguing view for the pedestrian. While the upper floors provide just as many views as the last building there is no variation between the upper floors and ground floor. This may not be a bad design choice, but could be argued that it is a missed opportunity for creating a ground floor that has more variation and has the opportunity to be much more free than the very rigorous order of the program above which gives order to the street.
Corner of Congress St. and Thomson Pl., Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
26
The streetfronts in this location of the street provide many views onto the street, however both these facades are treated more as a side street and have very little articulation other then the windows. More articulation could create a more interesting view for the pedestrian and enhance their experience walking along the street.
Streetfronts of Thomson Pl., Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
27
Along this street there are two gaps in enclosure that break up the streetfronts and destroy the experience of the pedestrian. This one in particular is the location of a parking lot, which breaks the street and creates an uncomfortably open space along the street where the boundary of the street is blurred and the pedestrian no longer feels as though they are welcome. This space is a great example of what happens to the pedestrian environment when a space is designed solely with the intent of the vehicle in mind such as a parking lot.
Gap in Enclosure, vParking lot of Thomson Pl., Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
28
This gap in enclosure has more to do with building form than vehicular issues. Although these buildings are human sized they lack the correct proportions to the street and do not enclose it. The building on the left side of the street is in a 1:1 ratio with the street, which would work well if the building on the right side of the street was the same size. The building on the right side of the street is at a ratio of 2:1, which is not optimal for the enclosure of the street and can often make the pedestrian feel that the space is to open. One last critique of this part of the street is the fact that it ends and is not easily connected to Seaport Blvd. This is awful for having more pedestrians walk down this street and enjoy some of the following examples that I analyzed.
Gap in Enclosure, End of Thomson Pl., Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
29
One principle that this street follows very well is the idea of variation, which engages the pedestrian allowing them to always be curious for what is next for them to see as they walk along the street. This is done quite well where there is an overall link between each facade, however each one is unique and has something new to see from building to building. In addition to this nature provides natural variation to a street. Every street tree has its own imperfections, which gives something new to the street and enhances the pedestrian experience.
Variation, Thomson Pl., Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
30
Although there are two gaps in enclosure on this street, for the most part the street is very well enclosed and offers different types of enclosure, which create more intimate spaces as well as more open spaces. These intimate spaces happen when passing underneath the canopy of a tree, while the more open spaces are defined by the height of the buildings which range from a 2:1 ratio to the street to a 1:1 ratio. Both of which create the sense of enclosure needed to comfort the pedestrian as they walk down a street.
This studies concludes that overall this is a great street to walk down and also shows that a street does not need many active ground floor spaces with pedestrians going in and out of buildings shopping, but that offices can be displayed in a way to the street that provides the perception of activity. The variation of the facades as well as the street trees gives this street an interest that is bound to compel many to enjoy a walk down it. With the addition of a new structure to occupy the parking lot, an addition to enclose the end of the street, and a connection to Seaport Blvd. this could be one if not the most walkable street in the Innovation District.
Levels of Enclosure, Thomson Pl., Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
31
Boston Wharf Road Analysis In order to understand the street in which my site would be located I decided to study the conditions of this road supplemented by assumptions of the proposed master plan that would occupy the existing parking lots.
Boston Wharf Road Plan, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
32
Currently the corner condition on this road does not engage the pedestrian and persuade them to venture down the street. My interventions, which will intervene on the right side corner must engage the pedestrians walking by. This can be done through the use of a ground level program that is bound to show activity to the street, such as a restaurant.
Corner of Boston Wharf Road and Congress Street, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
33
Although the streetfront this facade imposes is aesthetically pleasing it has very little transparency and there is virtually zero perception of activity inside. Although it does provide variation as well as street trees which create an overall pleasant pedestrian experience. The addition of benches in front of the building could allow for the occurrence of human activity as well as offering places to stay.
Streetfront, Boston Wharf Road, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
34
The Innovation District is well known for its harbor walk and green spaces along the water, however it is not well known for integrate park space within the urban fabric. The main issue that needs to be addressed with green space within an urban fabric is enclosure. The street trees as well as the trees that border the park are an excellent example of how to retain enclosure in a green space.
This analysis brought about many thoughts on how to deal with different scenarios along a street and the most important note to moved forward with of how to establish an identity for a street, which is lacking one.
Park Space, Boston Wharf Road, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
35
Sidewalk Niche Analysis As my site would have an opening in the streetfront to allow access to different areas of the site I sought to study how these openings could be used to create a great pedestrian atmosphere. This example shows how the space instills a sense of mental wellbeing. It allows for space to stay as well as walk by and features a variety of human scaled objects.
Liberty Wharf, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
36
This diagram was exploring the enclosure in the space, which is not very enclosed. This has been proven from my research to not create a great space for pedestrians because of how open it is, however maybe the positives of this space outweigh the pedestrian’s need for enclosure.
Enclosure, Liberty Wharf, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
37
One reason this space succeeds is that it is bustling with activity and allows for perception of activity within the building. 250 Northern Ave is a great example of this. The ground floor is completely open boasting massive digital screens, which have sports on every day and brings sports fans from all around Boston making this location and anchor point for activity. Not only that but the building form itself engages the pedestrians with its different forms.
Perception of Activity, Liberty Wharf, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
38
On the other side of the space you can see the same attributes. The outdoor seating as well as the full glazing reveals a lot of activity not only outside but also to the bar, which consumes much of the interior program. This building form also engages the pedestrian angling itself to encompass the space.
Perception of Activity, Liberty Wharf, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
39
Another method in which the architecture engages the space is the use of vibrant materials. These materials not only grab the eye of the pedestrian with their vibrance, but with their texture as well. The texture of wood works very well to enhance the pedestrian experience because of its relation to nature, where as very monolithic materials such as stone can often seem harsh.
Materials, Liberty Wharf, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
40
This can also be seen with the other building, which uses the same vibrant wood to draw attention to its entrance, its seating, as well as the seating for the overall space. By calling attention to these objects one understands how a space is intended to be used without ever stepping foot into the space due to their interest in these materials. This study allowed me to understand how spaces that do not follow every principle of pedestrian friendly design that I have set forth can still be great spaces due to the overwhelming success of certain principles.
Materials, Liberty Wharf, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
41
Liberty Wharf, Innvovation District Boston, MA - Google Maps
42
43
Through researching about pedestrian friendly cities and how to create them at the urban scale it quickly began to be apparent that many of theses sources all agreed on one thing. Jeff Speck, Reid Ewing, Keith Bartholomew, Jan Gehl, and Dan Burden all agree that pedestrian friendly streets come down to three attributes. Each of them have named these attributes differently, however I have begun to classify them as Mental Well-Being, Physcial Well-Being, and Engagement. Although many of these authors provide some insight to how these can be accomplished they still are speaking of small-scale interactions on an urban scale of design. Jan Gehl was the first throughout my research that spoke of these three attributes through human scale and the perception of the pedestrian, which ultimatley needs to be designed on the architectural scale and be thought about every time a project has begun in a city.
44
Mental Well-Being Throughout researching, Mental Well-Being is one attribute that often came forth as a needed attribute to enhance the pedestrian environment. Reid Ewing and Keith Bartholomew describe it using urban qualities such as enclosure, human scale, coherence, and linkage1. Jeff Speck speaks of it as a walk that has intimate spaces that are the negative spaces leftover by the building. Speck argues that these crafted spaces along with greenery are the keys to a walk that instills a sense of mental well-being2. I have defined mental well-being as being addressed by three main features. The first feature is enclosure. The street that one is walking on must be enclosed in order to retain a comfortable environment. Enclosure creates a defined space for which pedestrians feel comfortable in. Jeff Speck explains this phenomenon as the need for humans to feel that their flanks are protected and the enclosure of a street does this. The second physical feature that attributes to a sense of mental well-being is the presence of human scaled elements in a space. These elements help break down the massive world we live in and make it more suitable for our size. These can take form in the articulation of the facade or even be elements that we interact with on the ground level. These objects help pedestrians feel as if the space is designed for them. It also helps break down these massive structures that have been erected is cities. When a building is over a hundred stories tall it needs to be broken down to a more relatable scale that we can begin to understand and be comfortable with. The last feature is the idea of having space for different functions on the sidewalk. These functions include places to stay as well as to walk. This has to do with the idea of a personal bubble. People do not want to feel to crowded in a space and feel more comfortable when they have personal space. By having places to sit, stand, and walk on a street the designer not only allows for the opportunity for one to have their own space on a street but also encourages the interaction between the streets occupants. One of these most 1.Ewing, Reid, and Keith Bartholomew. Pedestrian & Transit Oriented Design. America Planning Association, 2013. 2.Speck, Jeff. Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a time. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012.
45
important spaces is space for walking. Quite obviously there must be enough space for movement through the site. A space that does not constrain people and allows people to have their own personal space and gives room for people to pass others. Walking is one of the primary goals of pedestrian friendly design however it is how one interacts with their environment when they are staying in a place that creates street activity and enhances city life. There must also be a space for staying such as standing and sitting. Allowing people places to be gives them a reason to be outside and adds to the street activity. Places for sitting, standing, and walking provide the groundwork for a comfortable street. However some things add a little more comfort to those on the streets. For those walking by according to Jan Gehl vertical articulation along a façade is perceived as shorter walks while horizontal articulation is perceived as longer walks. Small factors such as this can make for a more pleasant experience while walking along the street and perhaps can even slow people down in areas where there is seating available and make people believe they have more space than is actually present. Jan Gehl supports these speaking of the human perception and the need for specific distances to be a key factor in design1. Dan Burden also supports this speaking of the need for enclosure and human scaled spaces among a street2.
1.Gehl, Jan. Cities for People. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2010. 2. Knack, Ruth. “Dan Burden’s Sidewalk-Level View of The World.” Planning, January 1, 2008, 14-16.
46
Physical Well-Being Another quality that the research revealed was Physical WellBeing. Reid Ewing and Keith Bartholomew describe it mainly with the urban quality of Transparency, which they describe as buildings allowing perception of activity within through doors and windows among the facade. With eyes on the street crime is dissuaded and the occupants of the street are safer1. Jeff Speck describes protection concerned with the danger of passing traffic on the street. This calls for barriers between the pedestrian and the vehicular traffic2. Jan Gehl speaks about protection concerning the amount of people on the street looking at optional vs necessary activity and how people accompany them3. Dan Burden also supports this claim speaking of the need for mixed uses on streets that draw more people4. In order for one to enjoy their experience they need to feel safe. I believe that a sense of Mental Well-Being can be split into three main categories of protection. One is that pedestrians must be protected from cars on the street. This could be a multitude of different objects and is an opportunity of design that can enhance the atmosphere of a street. One of these methods is street trees. These trees not only engage the pedestrian with their beauty, but also separate them from the traffic of the street. Another standard means of separation is on street parking. On street parking not only creates this necessary separation, but also provides major boosts to businesses and allows for more activity on the street. This safety can also be produced using many different objects such as bollards, bike racks and planters. Secondly it must protect them from crime. Although a building cannot physically stop crime in an area and can dissuade it from happening. In order for this to happen the street must provide opportunities for eyes to be on the roads at all times. Whether there are people on the street at all times of day or at night the facades allow for many people to be watching the street. Crime is less likely to happen the more people that are around. This also deals with the program of an area. People need Newbury Street, Boston, Ma
47
1.Ewing, Reid, and Keith Bartholomew. Pedestrian & Transit Oriented Design. America Planning Association, 2013. 2.Speck, Jeff. Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a time. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012. 3.Gehl, Jan. Cities for People. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2010. 4. Knack, Ruth. “Dan Burden’s Sidewalk-Level View of The World.” Planning, January 1, 2008, 14-16.
reasons to occupy a space and without mixed use buildings pedestrians end up walking to different places to get different things, however if there is more variety of places on a street them there is less a chance of people leaving that street and more of a chance of people traveling to that street. Lastly protecting people from the elements creates reasons for people to be on the streets no matter the circumstances. No one enjoys walking in the rain, however if sites can be designed to minimalize the effects of inclement weather then more people will enjoy the streets more often. This can be done with street trees that have canopies that can absorb most of rainfall or have architectural canopies and overhangs that shield the pedestrian from any weather. By designing for these three categories of mental well-being people will feel safer and allow them to enjoy streets more.
Stuart Street, Boston, MA
48
Engagement Lastly the need for streets to be engaging was agreed upon throughout all the sources. Kevin Lynch goes quite in depth on this topic speaking of the image of cities and how important it is to orientating pedestrians within a city1. Reid Ewing and Keith Bartholomew describe engagement with the three urban qualities of imageability, legibility, and complexity2. Jeff Speck breaks it down to the need for deep porous facades. These are facades that have a connection between inside and out3. Jan Gehl speaks of a need for good materials and details, character and facade relief4. This topic may seem very vague at first but I believe when broken down offers three major design decisions that can be taken into account when designing for the pedestrian. One of these is the need for variation. As humans we tend to get bored with seeing the same thing over and over again even if it is magnificent. A great example of this is Commonwealth ave in Boston. Although each building alone has a very pleasing aesthetic to it the repetition can get boresome after walking for several blocks. The abundance of nature on this street allows for natural variation, which allows the street to have the variation it needs. By varying buildings optimally every 20-30 feet this not only allows for different programmatic uses to be inserted into these variations but also provides a visual richness that intrigues the users of the street. This can be broken down into a few different types of variation. Variation in plan can occur with the manipulation of the building form allowing for more intimate vs more spacious spaces. Another means of variation is in the elevation of the facade. This can include different materials, articulation, and features. Lastly and a less standard way of introducing variation to a street is with variation in section. Having spaces that are higher up or that are lowered create wonderful variation that can create different perspectives on the street. Secondly and of course one of the most obvious but difficult to describe methods of engaging the pedestrian is the aesthetic of the building. This High Street, Boston, Ma
49
1.Lynch, Kevin. The Image of the City. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1960. 2.Ewing, Reid, and Keith Bartholomew. Pedestrian & Transit Oriented Design. America Planning Association, 2013. 3.Speck, Jeff. Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a time. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012. 4.Gehl, Jan. Cities for People. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2010.
can include the materials of the building. Their texture and color have a major impact on the aesthetic of a building. Texture engages pedestrians the most because it engages multiple senses. Not only can a pedestrian see the material but they can also feel it. Even the memory of a texture is much stronger than that of a materials color and that’s because textures are very specific to certain materials, where as color can be associated with many different materials or objects. These can be used to allow pedestrians to relate to a space more. Also ornamentation can be used to create a pleasing design aesthetic. Before the modern age of Architecture where architects can use any material they want within reason for their project buildings were constructed of mostly one material and so their ornamentation was the tool for which they created pleasing design aesthetic. Lastly the building form can be used to produce this pleasing aesthetic. Different shapes and sizes of structures effect the pedestrian in different ways. For example a facade that is leaned towards the pedestrian can give a greater perception of activity, which can intrigue the pedestrian more so than a flat wall can. This same form can also be used to add variation to the street. The last method by which a building can engage the pedestrian is through the perception of activity. This much like protection against crime can be attributed to people on the street and eyes on the street at all times of day. This could be glazing on the facade that allows people to see into a restaurant or store or it could be a window for residential units above. This does not have to be the actual visual perception of an activity occurring, but can be the idea that their is activity within a space and their is a visual connection to that space such as seeing light from an apartment.
Fenway, Boston, Ma
50
Items of Importance These three attributes are very important, however they should not be taken as separate entities. They are easiest to understand when they are separated, but they need to be designed as one entity. This is because pedestrians do not separate these senses, but sense these all at once and all of these can be displayed in one object. An example of this is street trees and nature in general. Nature often provides us with all three attributes. It encloses us and makes us feel comfortable, it protects us from the weather and can offer protection from vehicular traffic, and it has the variation and material that we find engaging. The same goes for the architectural elements that we place within our buildings, such as a window. The architect must understand these three feelings of the pedestrian and design with all three of them in mind simultaneously.
Tjuvholmen Museum, Oslo, Norway
51
Another item of importance that came about from my research is the human perception of the articulation direction of a structure. Structures with dominant vertical articulation tend to make spaces seem smaller where as structures with dominant horizontal articulation tend to make structures seem larger. This is due to our ability to read a distance based on points. Since there is more points for our eye to observe within the vertical articulation we seem to think its smaller or rather have a more accurate impression of a space very much the same way one reads a ruler with only inches marked as opposed to one where one can read how many sixteenths of an inch there are. With the horizontal articulation we lack the points to accurately measure that distance and as such we perceive it as being larger than it actually is. The same principle applies to looking up a building. If there was only vertical articulation than a building could seem much taller than it actually is, where as horizontal articulation would break up the building allowing for a more accurate perception of its height1.
Articulation Diagram
1.Gehl, Jan. Cities for People. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2010.
52
The last item that my research has brought forth is the fifth floor datum. The fifth floor or 44 foot height of a building is the threshold in which a pedestrian can perceive activity. What this means is that the sixth floor and above do not have a significant affect on the pedestrian. Another important note of human perception is the third floor datum of which the buildings occupants are very much so engaged within the activities of the street1.
Perception of Activity Diagram - Jan Gehl’s “Cities for People”
53
1.Gehl, Jan. Cities for People. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2010.
Liberty Wharf, Boston, MA - Cressetgroup.com
54
55
In order to show how a desolate area can be transformed into a completely pedestrian friendly area this thesis shall explore the a site within the Seaport Square Master Plan for the Innovation District of Boston. This master plan works towards filling the void of the massive amounts of parking in this area of which I have selected a site on the corner of Congress St. and Boston Wharf Rd. This site borders the master plan and the existing urban fabric allowing for the opportunity to connect these neighborhoods and create an overall pedestrian area. An in depth analysis of the different program located within the Innovation District showed how little residential buildings there are in this area. Along with this, mixed-use buildings are essential to a pedestrian area allowing walking to be more useful and eliminate the need for vehicles. For these reasons this project will incorporate a mixed use ground floor with residential above.
56
Site This site, currently the most vacant portion of Boston boast a massive amount of parking space for the Innovation District and serves as a perfect site to integrate a walkable neighborhood into new construction to continue this pedestrian experienced. In order to keep my focus on the architectural scale I chose to use the selected master plan for the area by Hacin & Associates. I selected the site highlighted in red in order to achieve this connection to the rest of Congress Street as well as to establish a new identity for Boston Wharf Road. As part of the master plan my site will neighbor the largest green space in the Innovation District and how my architectural project interacts with this is extremely important.
Hacin & Associates Seaport Square Master Plan - www.Hacin.com
57
Innovation District Site Plan
58
Site Analysis The site analysis began with first understanding the innovation district. In order to know what this street needs to be successful I needed to know what was around it. This then allowed for me come up with three strategies for starting to design my building. These strategies were one to link my new proposal with the older architecture of Congress Street. In order to understand Congress Street a study of the elevation was done revealing elements that I could then use as rules in my own design. The second was to establish a new identity on Boston Wharf Road. To do this I needed to understand what the identity of the streets throughout the Innovation District. After this analysis I understood that there was not many streets in this area that provided more shopping, restaurants, and other such retail. Lastly that I must set the framework for a completely new residential community in the heart of the district.
Urban Stratergies Diagram - Google Maps
59
Street Identities - Google Maps
60
Green Spaces and Water Diagram - Google Maps
61
Places of Employment Diagram - Google Maps
62
Places of Activity - Google Maps
63
Places of Hospitality- Google Maps
64
Congress Street Materials - Google Maps
Congress Street Entrances, Datum, and Transparency - Google Maps
Congress Street Articulation and Pedestrian Movement - Google Maps
Congress Street Program - Google Maps
65
Program As a general note mixed-use buildings generated the greatest pedestrian experience because they give more reason to more people to be on the street and in the area. It is because of this that I chose for my program to be mixed-use. I also believe that the mixed-use is best located on the ground floor where more people get more access to it. However what goes above the ground floor should be decided completely on what’s in the area and in the Innovation District’s case as you can see their is very little residential and of all of the buildings highlighted in red most of them are hotels. It is for this reason that I chose a residential program for the upper floors of this building.
Places of Hospitality- Google Maps
66
67
Through my research I have decided that the three attributes of streets on to base my architectural proposal are Mental and Physical Well-Being and Engagement. In order to explore these three attributes as they relate to design the most useful tool at my disposal will be sections. Specifically the section cut through the first five floors of the building onto the sidewalk and into the street. This section will allow me to explore three main factors that will contribute to a pedestrian friendly design. These include quality of space on the exterior of the building, on the interior of the building, and most importantly the relation in between the two. Mental well-being can be explored in these sections by exploring the space allowed for pedestrians between the building and the street. Physical well-being can be explored by examining the area between the sidewalk and the street as well as showing the relation between the users within and the users of the street. Lastly relating these three spaces together can show engagement. Also by taking multiple sections in this orientation and comparing them to each other it will allow for the variation that is needed in order to create an engaging architecture that enhances the experience of the pedestrian.
68
Thesis Diagrams
69
70
71
Thesis Installation This installation was the first manifestation of these three pedestrian sensations. This structure was created in order to satisfy all three sensations. For mental well-being it was designed to allow people to sit, allowing space for walking in front of it with its relatively small extrusion into the sidewalk of 30 inches. Its is perfectly human scaled, allowing enough height for one to fit under its canopy as well as use its table. Its offers a sense of physical well-being with its canopy to protect from the elements and its pleasing design aesthetic and form engages pedestrians walking by.
72
Sectional Vignettes To begin my process I relied heavily on vignettes to experiment with sectional relationships between the interior and the street exploring charcoal as well as computer drawings.
The example to the left in particular explored the powerful notion of the angle in the facade and how it could begin to influence the pedestrian. I concluded that these drastic angles could disrupt the streetfront and ultimately would not link into my site so I sought to explore other methods of interaction between interior and exterior The example to the right explored multiple sections along my site and the possibility of upper level retail that would interact with the street. I ultimately decided that this would hurt the ground level and the pedestrian experience as more people would spend their time inside of the building and less on the streets.
Charcoal Vignette 1
73
Charcoal Vignette 2
74
This vignette sought to explore the idea of spaces that bumped out of the facade and overlapped with each other inside of the building. Also explored was the idea of an entry that brings the pedestrian up into the building. Although the charcoals brought about an excellent study of light and shadow it did not work as well for a space designing tool and so I decided it best to move on to sketching and introducing computer rendered drawings.
Charcoal Vignette 3
75
This drawing was exploring the idea of blurring the line between public and private with circulation on the outside of the building and having an inner core of program with an open ground floor that would allow free movement through and into the building
Computer Vignette 1
76
This drawing also explored blurring the line between public and private only using retail as buffer on the outside activating the streetscape and giving a semi-public buffer to the private core of the building. I found that perhaps blurring the line between private and public wasn’t the way to go as with the first one the facade would be lifeless at times and with this drawing the street would be lifeless due to all activities taking place within the building.
This drawing to the right explores the power of the angle again and how it can be used to make connections between spaces as well as bring light within the building.
Computer Vignette 2
77
Computer Vignette 3
78
Sketches & Models The following models and sketches were all explorations through different portions of the site, exploring manipulation of the ground level and the overlapping of retail spaces as well as exploring possibilities for the residential above and the use of balconies on the upper levels to interact with the park.
Section Model
79
Building Section 1
80
Building Section 2
81
Building Sectional Perspective
82
This plan was a first attempt at laying out the ground level and seeing how it would interact with Boston Wharf Road, Congress Street and Pedestrian Way.
The following diagrams began to relate the Congress Street facade with the rest of the street and make decisions on how the building will interact with Boston Wharf Road and Pedestrian Way.
Ground Floor Plan
83
Congress Street Diagram Elevation
84
Boston Wharf Road Diagram Elevation
85
Pedestrian Way Diagram Elevation
86
87
Through all my case studies, research, and process of drawing and making I came to the following design, which was designed to enhance the pedestrian experience appealing to a pedestrian’s well-being as well as engaging them. This design features a very active ground floor filled with a variety of retail including restaurants, stores, grocery store, day-care, and a workout facility. The retail level is broken down into four different levels of the building, two levels on each side. On the Boston Wharf Road side the lower level is at ground level, while the Pedestrian way retails bottom level is six feet below grade. Residential is located above the retail and features double height living spaces on Boston wharf Road and Congress Street as well as balconies along Pedestrian Way. These double height living spaces engage the pedestrians, while the balconies bring inhabitants of the building into the community space located between the surrounding residential buildings
88
Overall Building
Ground Floor Plan
89
Residential Floor Plan
Section 1
90
Section 2
91
Section 3
92
Front Rendering
93
Back Rendering
94
Congress Street In order to link this facade to the rest of Congress Street the datum between retail below and Residential above was retained. This street offers human-scaled elements such as benches, while the facade is broken up using the materials brick and CMU. The street features multiple places to sit, which allow space for staying as well as walking. The street features protection from vehicles through on street parking as well as street trees. It offers protection from crime offering many views onto the street and providing an active atmosphere that can be inhabited at all times of day. The variation in plan as well as in elevation provide the street with multiple perceptions of the building as well as a pleasing aesthetic with textures that engage the pedestrian.
95
Congress Street Overall Elevation
Congress Street Overall Plan
96
Mental Well-Being
Congress Street Elevation 1
Physical Well-Being
Congress Street Plan 1
97
Engagement
Congress Street Perspective 1
98
Mental Well-Being
Congress Street Elevation 2
Physical Well-Being
Congress Street Plan 2
99
Engagement
Congress Street Perspective 2
100
Boston Wharf Road This street offers Enclosure between buildings as well multiple places for people to sit presenting human-scaled objects as well as providing places to stay as well as walk. This street is also protected from vehicular traffic by on street parking as well as street trees. Multiple views onto the street and into the ground level retail provide protection from crime as well as perception of activity. The variation of different elements along the facade such as the cut through the building or the multiple stairs up to the second level of retail provides an engaging architecture that enhance the pedestrian experience.
101
Boston Wharf Road Overall Elevation
Boston Wharf Road Overall Plan
102
Mental Well-Being
Boston Wharf Road Elevation 1
Physical Well-Being
Boston Wharf Road Plan 1
103
Engagement
Boston Wharf Road Perspective 1
104
Mental Well-Being
Boston Wharf Road Elevation 2
Physical Well-Being
Boston Wharf Road Plan 2
105
Engagement
Boston Wharf Road Perspective 2
106
Pedestrian Way Pedestrian Way features a car free street in which multiple levels of retail and variation in the ground plane engage pedestrians. The space is broken up into places to stay and places to walk. The places to stay feature sunken or raised seating areas immediately outside their retail space. This street offers many human-scaled elements, from the planters and benches, to the railings and tables. This street is completely enclosed allowing for a comfortable atmosphere and with its capacity to have hundreds of occupants shopping or just passing through this street will always have protection from crime.
107
Pedestrian Way Overall Elevation
Pedestrian Way Overall Plan
108
Mental Well-Being
Pedestrian Way Elevation 1
Physical Well-Being
Pedestrian Way Plan 1
109
Engagement
Pedestrian Way Perspective 1
110
Mental Well-Being
Pedestrian Way Elevation 2
Physical Well-Being
Pedestrian Way Plan 2
111
Engagement
Pedestrian Way Plan 2
112
113
From all of the previous sections I have concluded that the nine principles I proposed as creating an enhance pedestrian experience are close to the real principles needed to enhance this experience, however they lack the intangibles of the pedestrian experience. These nine principle were created with the purpose of being physical attributes that an architect can manipulate in order to enhance the pedestrian experience, but there is a disconnect between these physical attributes, which are real objects, and the sensations of well-being and engagement, which are psychological. This connection requires further research to fully understand this connection and to be able to reevaluate the nine principles that I have presented. Additionally one item that I have found interesting is that perhaps a truly amazing pedestrian experience cannot be designed, but instead happens over time. The greatest streets in the world are amazing because of all the additions and renovations of space over time. New architecture is too prescribed and even if there was many different variations along the street and architect designs it will still have that architects ideas within it and it will not obtain the same quality as decades of input from hundreds of different people. With this is mind I think it is the job of the architect to keep their space flexible, something that I have not shown here, and allow for time to take its place and create the great pedestrian environment that I have sought. Although only researching that subject would provide insight into how to accomplish this it is something that I would seek to understand in the future. As I have perused this thesis my passion for pedestrian friendly architecture has only increased and I believe that this outlook on design should be instilled in every project within an urban environment because ultimately many people sped most of their days and nights in cities and these places should be designed specifically for its occupants.
114
115
116
Ewing, Reid, and Keith Bartholomew. Pedestrian & Transit Oriented Design.
America Planning Association, 2013. This book breaks down eight urban design qualities that create walkable environments. It goes further creating a checklist of features that are essential to these environments, are highly desirable for them as well as a list of worthwhile additions.
Gehl, Jan. Cities for People. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2010. Jan Gehl dives into discussion about the human perception and how it can influence the way streets are designed in order to create more pedestrian friendly environments. Gehl discusses the building and street seeking a harmonious relation in which they work together.
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Modern Library, 1961. Jacobs Jane was one of the first to open the topic of walkability in cities and this book delves deep into what is wrong with cities today and why it is important to promote walkability.
117
Knack, Ruth. “Dan Burden’s Sidewalk-Level View of The World.” Planning, January 1, 2008, 14-16. This magazine article does a thorough investigation into Dan Burdens work with promoting walkability through his walkability audits and a look at what Burden describes as characteristics of a great street.
Lynch, Kevin. The Image of the City. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1960. In this book Lynch describes the benefits of image within a city on walkability going into depth discussing three major American cities.
Speck, Jeff. Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a time. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012. In this book that focus primarily on walkability and why its should be integrated more into cities, Speck describes four different walks and how they benefit walkability, The Comfortable walk, The Interesting walk, The Safe walk, and The Useful walk.
118