Kiefer Thesis 2016

Life RECONNECTED Ryan Kiefer

Darren Petrucci, Director Renata Hejduk, Co-Director Adelheid Fischer, Reader Chris Starkey, Reader May 2016 ed. 2

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Urban Biophilic Microdwellings Thesis 5 Introduction

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Social Well-being 8 Biophilia 10 Microdwelling 13 Manifestation

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Using biophilic microdwelling community networks to improve the quality of life for people and desert organisms by the transformation of underutilized areas and connection of fragmented urban landscapes in Downtown Phoenix.

Final Remarks 42 Bibliography 44 Process & Iterations

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Thesis While there is a growing desire for sustainable urban living, Downtown Phoenix remains a fragmented landscape with vacant land, underuti lized areas, and a detrimental imbalance between commercial and residenti al uses.

This project aims to fulfi ll this desire by connecti ng these landscapes to form a cohesive and ecologically viable urban fabric which will increase the well-being of people and natural systems through increased biodiversity, ecological awareness, and a greater occupati on of the public sphere.

Biophilic microdwelling communiti es, strategically inserted into Downtown Phoenix, can recover underuti lized areas, create more urban housing, and introduce nati ve species which will begin to transform vacant sites to create a cohesive urban frabric. As water, food, and refuge draw more organisms, a biologically diverse urban ecosystem will emerge and spread throughout the urban area, redefi ning the future of the city.

The increased emphasis on social living in this new biophilic setti ng will strengthen personal and ecological well-being. 

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Introduction

After considering many varied interests and looking at what is most concerning in the world today, this thesis is devoted to the sustainable transformation of Phoenix, Arizona. A relatively new city, Phoenix is at a turning point in its development and is poised on the brink of defining itself for the future. The current paradigms of autocentric sprawl and habitat destruction have been challenged and new ideas developed. Phoenix is in a unique position to be able to begin a new sustainable type of progress. The process has already begun with high-density buildings and housing infiltrating Downtown, along with cultural amenities for the new occupants. However, the city currently remains much as it was after the abandonment of the mid 20th century when most residents left for the surrounding suburbs. Vacant lots and underutilized areas fragment the urban landscape, creating an undesirable environment for both humans and native desert organisms. The lack of residential development exacerbates the sense of abandonment as the city shuts down after business hours. The housing that does exist is typically high rise luxury apartments or condos wherein the resident is far removed from city life. The growing desire and need for housing which is affordable for young professionals or students and aimed to engage the city and streetscape has not been developed. The resulting emptiness has created a wound in the urban fabric that is only now beginning to heal, and it is how this wound will heal that will define the future of the city. Will the future development force the traditional

unsustainable paradigm into being only to inevitably fail, or will a new sustainable paradigm, guided not by typical planning or thought processes but by unique conditions of the region and input from contemporary users, redefine Phoenix and set a precedent for the redevelopment of other cities?

This project seeks to fulfill these desires by providing biophilic micro housing capable of acting as a catalyst for urban transformation. Some of the most underutilized and disruptive features of Downtown Phoenix are the parking garages. They often occupy an entire block and disrupt the streetscape with the detriment of single functionality.

The location of these garages, however, is ideal for an urban housing and ecology catalyst based on surrounding resources and they would serve as insertion points for additive development. A greater diversity of habitat for both people and native species through a network of strategically placed, biologically loaded microdwelling communities which leverage these underutilized structures can meet this need and improve the well-being of residents of all species and the natural systems of the urban ecology.

Theorists and sociologists have begun to research a trend of perceived discontent or “unhappiness” experienced by many people. According to a study by Tori DeAneglis, American happiness peaked in the late 1950s.1 The prevalence of this phenomenon has been increasing over the past several decades and many sources indicate that the disconnection from nature felt as a result of simultaneous urbanization has had a significant impact while also causing increased 1. Tori DeAneglis. “Consumerism and its Discontents,” American Psychological Association 35, No.6 (2004), 52.

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lethargy and an overall apathetic and non-creative society.2 Connecting people with nature again will provide them with the intrinsic value of nature described in great detail in Timothy Beatley’s book, Biophilic Cities.3 With the implementation of biophilic concepts in both public and private areas there will be an overall improvement of living which will only increase with positive feedback loops. Not only will there be direct human benefit but there will also be indirect human benefit as the rest of the natural environment improves.4

The human-nature disconnection provides a possible cause for discontent experienced by people across many areas of their lives. Architectural solutions to this problem are evident as the basic concept of biophilia is to reconnect people to nature. The less defined aspect of the solution is how to use ideas of biophilia as a catalyst for social and ecological change. The emergence of urban farming and permaculture in Phoenix could be that catalyst. An awareness of natural processes like pollinator migration patterns or species preferences combined with a direct connection and interaction with nature would create an exceptionally biophilic environment. Introducing aspects of biophilia into the public and private realm will have positive impacts on the well-being of humans and other species.5

In addition to fostering a relationship between nature and people, biophilic environments foster social relationships 2. Timothy Beatley. Biophilic Cities. (Washington, DC: Island Press, 2011), 65.

3. Beatley, Biophilic Cities, 10 4. Sean B. Cash, “Bringing Corporate Stakeholders to the Table in Collaborative Ecosystem Management,” in Pragmatic Sustainability, ed. Steven A. Moore (New York: Routledge, 2010), 264.

5. Beatley, Biophilic Cities, 4

Figure 1- Underused Land on 1st Ave in Downtown Phoenix.

between people themselves as more time is spent in the social realm to enjoy the benefits of a biophilic city lifestyle.

Biophilia is verifiably desirable and interpenetrating natural systems is a solution to the basic problem of human disconnect with nature.6 Other elements of biology based solutions including biomimicry, biomorphism, and biodesign can contribute to the goals of biophilia and aid in the ultimate goal of moving toward a healthy and sustainable society.7

Biophilic microdwelling communities, strategically inserted to recover underutilized parking structures in Downtown Phoenix can create vital urban housing and introduce native species which will begin to transform vacant sites to create a cohesive urban fabric. As water, food, and refuge draw more organisms, a biologically diverse urban ecosystem will emerge and spread throughout the urban area, redefining the future of the city and setting a new precedent for sustainable urban development.

6. Pijawka, Sustainable Cities, 3 7. Thomas Knittell, “Generous Cities: Design Informed by Ecologies of Place” (lecture, Arizona State University, Tempe, March 25, 2015).

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Social Well being

To begin this project, it is critical to understand the current state of well-being. Well-being consists of physical, mental, and emotional health in equal measure. Mental and emotional health may sometimes be grouped under the qualitative term ‘happiness’, as is the case in several studies which have sought to discover causes of mental and emotional well-being. Studies support a general consensus that American society peaked in happiness and perceived prosperity during the late 1950s.8 People today are under the misguided economic theory of happiness, assuming that with more income comes greater happiness. This has, for the most part, been disproved. An empirical study done by Richard A. Easterlin et al. on the relationship between a country’s income and happiness has shown that happiness does not increase with income.9 The same results were found in another study by Easterlin: “As income increases and then levels off, happiness remains unchanged, contradicting the inference that income and well-being go together”.10 According to Easterlin, the cause of this discontent is the disparity between the amount of time people spend working on pecuniary goals and non-pecuniary goals. Not understanding that desire constantly reasserts itself into life no matter how much money a person spends causes people to work harder to earn more money. Meanwhile, the 8. DeAneglis, 52 9. Richard A. Easterlin et al. “The happiness–income paradox revisited.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107 (2010): 22463–22468.

10. Easterlin. “Explaining Happiness.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 100 (2003): 11176–11183.

realm of non-pecuniary aspects of life which include social relationships, family bonds, personal health, and a whole range of both leisurely and productive activities are often neglected despite being more influential on a person’s wellbeing. “Most individuals spend a disproportionate amount of their lives working to make money, and sacrifice family life and health, domains in which aspirations remain fairly constant as actual circumstances change, and where the attainment of one’s goals has a more lasting impact on happiness”.11 The economic theory of happiness has been around ever since currency and desirable goods have existed, but it struck a new degree of importance in the middle of the twentieth century with the increased size of the middle class. Wealth and prosperity was previously reserved for a smaller group of people and therefore the detrimental effects of obsessive 11. Ibid

Figure 2- This 1954 advertisement from The Saturday Evening Post illustrates the beginning of the consumption competition and collective strive for community unity through processions, which Dean MacCannell argues is a foolish goal. (image source: James Vaughan) —8—

pecuniary efforts were not wide spread.12 With several new post-war introductions like mortgages and easy credit, more people found themselves in a place of greater economic means. A greater number of affluent people multiplied by the close proximity to other affluent people in suburbia led to the now almost axiomatic idiom ‘keeping up with the Joneses’.

The shear abundance of everything following World War II set off the massive culture of consumerism that is still thriving today. So much was set on this idea of consumption -of a new and disposable society- that people began to believe that in order to be happy they had to be consuming as much as other people and show it off. Hence, neighbors were often comparing themselves to their neighbors and gauging their own well-being off of that comparison, rather than looking at the non-objective realm of their personal and family life for mental and emotional well-being. This same mindset applied to houses and the habit of ‘bigger equals better’ has continued through to today as described by fig. 2. Many people respond to societal pressures requiring the exhibition of wealth and status, hence the perception of one’s success and worth forces the perpetuation of large houses.13 People’s mental and emotional well-being decreased because they have placed too much importance on material goods and monetary gain.

The evident solution to this decreased well-being is to shift one’s focus from a pecuniary life to a healthier and more socially-focused life. Given that society has been focused on 12. Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez. “The Evolution of Top Incomes: A Historical and International Perspective.” American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings 96 (2006): 7.

13. Tiny. Directed by Merete Mueller and Christopher Smith.

(Speak Thunder Films, 2013), 35:00.

monetary gain and consumerism so strongly for the past sixty years, this would clearly require a huge social paradigm shift.

While certainly a daunting task, there are many schemes to start the movement with solutions that include minor lifestyle changes which gradually become bigger,14 decreasing possessions and house size,15 creating an economy based more on services than goods, and providing new infrastructure that returns fundamental human needs to those deprived of contact with nature. One of the strongest trends with the greatest reception has been the creation of biophilic cities.16 Not only do biophilic cities increase happiness,17 they also increase the ecological stability of the area18 and improve social equity. 19

14. Ibid, 53:00.

15. Ibid, 28:00.

16. Beatley, Biophilic Cities, 3 17. Ibid, 10 18. Pijawka, Sustainable Cities, 3 19. Ibid, 8

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Biophilia

It has been shown that connections with nature are extremely beneficial to people on every level. After all, humans originally had a very close relationship with nature and people can still feel this inherent connection when visiting the natural environment.20 Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of a person’s life all improve drastically within a natural environment.21 The natural sounds found in a vegetated environment have a positive impact much like music offers benefits.22 It is not surprising, therefore, that the decline in happiness coincided with children spending less time playing outside.

In just one generation, the amount of children playing outside everyday fell from seventy percent to only thirty one percent across the country.23 Tim Beatley discusses in his book Biophilic Cities the importance of children being exposed to and understanding the natural world.24 Also, the ecological stability of an area increases with biophilic practices by promoting biodiversity and creating more opportunities for people to come into contact with nature. Biodiversity is more important than many people realize and the topical issue of bees disappearing is just 20. Javier Senosiain Anguilar, Bio-architecture, (Oxford: Architectural Press, 2003), viii.

21. Pijawka, Sustainable Cities, 8; Beatley, Biophilic Cities, 4 22. Nikki S. Richard and Katrina McFerran, Eds. Lifelong Engagement with Music: Benefits for Mental Health and Well-being. (New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2012), Ch.8.

23. Rhonda Clements. “An Investigation of the Status of Outdoor Play.”

Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood 5,1 (2004): 72.

24. Beatley, Biophilic Cities, 138

one example of how ecosystems need stability in order for food to exist and air to be clean. These benefits create positive feedback loops and constantly generate additional happiness and benevolence between people and nature.

There are many features and characteristics of biophilic design. The consulting firm Terrapin Bright Green recently published a list entitled 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design which succinctly mentions the most important aspects of a successful biophilic environment: Nature in the Space 1. Visual Connection with Nature 2. Non-Visual Connection with Nature 3. Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli 4. Thermal & Airflow Variability 5. Presence of Water 6. Dynamic & Diffuse Light 7. Connection with Natural Systems Natural Analogues 8. Biomorphic Forms & Patterns 9. Material Connection with Nature 10. Complexity & Order Nature of the Space 11. Prospect 12. Refuge 13. Mystery 14. Risk/Peril

Where does biophilia belong? It can be argued that a biophilic home setting is critical because that is where

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Case Study

people spend most of their time. However, it can be just as easily argued that a biophilic work place is the most important because that is actually where people spend most of their waking time. It can even be argued that the most important place to incorporate nature is in public space between home and work because that is where most human interaction occurs and therefore is where the social effects will most be felt. These are all valid points of view and if even one of these was used it would be incredibly beneficial compared to a case where none are used. Typical biophilic schemes focus on the public space in transition zones between buildings but do not have as strong a focus on more used spaces that people spend most of their time.

However, for the full effect biophilia can have on a person’s happiness, it should really be used in all domains of life.25 Interpenetrating space and blurred lines are an important next step in applying biophilic characteristics to homes, businesses, streets, plazas, and other urban areas because it addresses where people actually spend time and allows them the opportunity to passively or actively engage with natural elements at all times. Urban ecological design can take all the space between buildings -places of circulation, gathering, and connecting- and apply an appropriate biophilic overlay that would best fit with the function of the spaces and the region of the city.26 A biophilic life offers the most opportunity for a relationship with nature, providing exposure at all times.

One of the most progressive places for biophilia is the city-state of Singapore. The environment of Singapore has been described not as a garden in a city, which is a fair description of a typical biophilic community, but as a city in a forest.27 Beginning in 1982, the planting and integration has become so intense and abundant that it feels more as if the city was built within the jungle instead of the jungle being brought back into the city. This helps establish a sense of connection between the areas of vegetation.28 When everything weaves together and the planting becomes an integral part of the city structure, that is when the transition from garden in a city to city in a garden occurs. This is also what makes the city so successful as a place of biophilia. It is not limited to the home, or to work, or to intermediate public space. It spreads throughout the city and moves between and through buildings. Vegetation climbs the sides of buildings, spans interior lobbies, covers roofscapes, canopies roads, and envelopes homes. If one didn’t realize it was planned, it may be mistaken for an abandoned city that nature has reclaimed. Yet it does have a sense of control that improves the city aesthetic gained from careful plant selection, care, and maintenance.29 The positive effects of nature’s integration in the city have already been documented at two hospitals. At Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, an incredible building

25. Richard Blaustein. “Urban Biodiversity Gains New Converts.” BioScience 63 (2013):75.

26. Danilo Palazzo and Frederick Steiner, Urban Ecological Design: A Process for Regenerative Places, (Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2008), 94.

27. Peter Newman and Tim Beatley. “Singapore: biophilic city” (video) May 7, 2012. 2:00 28. Ibid, 6:00 29. Peter Newman and Tim Beatley. “Singapore: biophilic city” (video) May 7, 2012. 29:30

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utilizing plants, animals, and open air systems to create a healing environment, hundreds of new species of birds and butterflies have been found. Patients are experiencing a better healing environment. Workers reported that they like to work in that environment for its ambience and that it is better than working in town surrounded by walls .30 HOK’s Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in the Jurong Lakeside District (fig 3.) uses vertical healing gardens to bring nature and daylight to every patient.31 With all the interconnectedness of nature and city, everything is highly accessible and is therefore used by many people. From the tree canopy walkways32 (fig.4) to the butterfly trails along shopping areas,33 everybody has an equal opportunity to enjoy the natural environment.

This enjoyment is not only for people either. The people of Singapore have taken to the concepts of biophilia so much that

spaces are often seen as shared not only with other people but also with the plants and the animals they have invited back into the city.34 This acceptance is critical to the success of biophilic design. After all, the founder of the term biophilia’, E.O. Wilson, asked “Is it possible that humanity will love life enough to save it?”35 While those in charge of the project may support it, if the denizens of the urban area do not approve of natural elements in the city the project will fail. This becomes particularly difficult when certain species which are vital for a healthy ecosystem, such as larger carnivores, are unwelcome because they are potentially dangerous to humans.

30. Ibid, 25:45 31. “Seamless Care in a ‘Vertical Healing Garden’,” HOK, accessed May 14.

32. Newman and Beatley. “Singapore: biophilic city”, 4:00 33. Blaustein, “Urban Biodiversity Gains New Converts.” ,73.

34. Newman and Beatley. “Singapore: biophilic city” 19:00 35. Stephen R. Kellert and Edward O. Wilson. The Biophilia Hypothesis. (Washington D.C.: Island Press, 1993), 430.

Figure 3- HOK’s Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

Figure 4- Tree top canopies in Singapore bring people up to the level of the tree tops for a different perspective. (image source: Singapore National Parks) — 12 —

Microdwelling

Biophilic cities represent a large-scale movement to increase general happiness but as mentioned before, it is only one of several methods currently being used to bring people’s focus back to the intrinsically important aspects of their lives and away from material obsession. As people downsize in the number of goods they own, they also downsize house size. Beginning with the economic recession of 2008, people started to decrease the size of their houses

Figure 5- Thoreau’s Cabin at Walden Pond (image source: walden.org)

out of economic need. USA Today reported then (based on census data) that the mean house size decreased in square footage for the first time in over a decade.36 Even after the economy began to recover there was still a desire to move away from large and mostly unnecessary homes and focus more on what is really needed- a smaller house that is easier to maintain and more affordable. For many this means not having a separate room for each function, or reducing the number of bedrooms. For others, downsizing to a minimal living space has become such an important life choice that the challenge became living in the smallest space possible. Many people have found this to be a better way to live with more freedom, more time, and more money to do what they love.37

The idea of micro-dwelling is not new. Henry David Thoreau was famous for living in a small cabin (fig. 5) in nature 150 years ago.38 He was not living in the tiny dwelling but outside it in the woods and during his walks to town.

Accessory buildings around primary residences have been and are still used today as covert housing for extended family, illegal immigrants, or other non-registered residents.39 Philip Jodidio discusses in his book Small Architecture Now! the relatively recent trend of breaking down walls between single-use spaces and incorporating many functions in a single area.40 The role of micro-dwellings in the future could 36. Wendy Koch. “Americans are moving on up to smaller, smarter homes.” USA Today, March 17, 2009.

37. Tiny, Directed by Merete Mueller and Christopher Smith.

(Speak Thunder Films, 2013), 4:00.

38. Mimi Zeiger. Micro Green: Tiny Houses in Nature. (New York: Rizzoli International Publishers, Inc., 2011), 8.

39. Tiny, Directed by Merete Mueller and Christopher Smith.

(Speak Thunder Films, 2013), 14:00.

40. Philip Jodidio. Small Architecture Now! (Cologne: Taschen GMBH, 2014), 7

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be considerable. Prompted by the recession and sustained by their success, the cheap costs of micro-dwelling make these small houses very attractive to some, and would gain even more popularity if the economy depresses again.41 The idea of a simple house that works and is cost effective comes to the concept of “usability”.42 This trend of small living has already become more than a trend as micro-dwellings have developed into a new and proven type of architectural language with vitality and promise for the future.43

In the recent past, the idea of small houses took off in the U.S. as theoretical exercises. Across the nation there are many competitions for small living designs and construction.

In Southern California, smaller dwelling units are increasing in areas that have no minimum size limit while legislation is being pressured to allow smaller buildings in cities where limits do exist.44 In the Phoenix area, there is a local annual micro-dwelling event put on by Patrick McCue, a Phoenix firefighter and builder. He has been on the Phoenix Fire Department for twenty years and has been a builder for at least as long with experience in renovation and building. He is most well-known for his then-radical home, House of Earth and Light (fig. 6) in northern Phoenix which was featured in a Smithsonian Exhibition, designed with Marwan Al Sayed and built himself.45 McCue’s position on micro-dwellings 41. Ryan Mitchell, interview by Lindsay Abrams, “Living large in 150 square feet: Why the tiny house movement is taking off”, Salon, June 28, 2014, accessed March 28, 2015.

42. Patrick McCue, interview by author, Tempe, March 28, 2015.

43. Zeiger. 7 44. Alison Hewitt, “Tiny-dwellings concept grows,” Whittier Daily News, July 30, 2007, accessed March 27, 2015, LexisNexis Academic.

45. Karrie Jacobs, “Labor of Love”, Dwell Magazine, Premiere (October 2000): 60-67.

Figure 6- House of Earth and Light (image source: Dwell)

and building in general came partially from his observation that the majority of high-fashion architecture was incredibly expensive and unavailable to the public. To overcome this cost barrier, he implemented salvaged material in his house46 and later focused his attention on micro-dwellings to reach the same effect as what is lauded in magazines and blogs.47 The Phoenix microdwelling exposition showcased built designs by ASU student teams and community members interested in the idea of smaller living with both residences and work spaces.48

Micro-dwellings have incredible potential not only in sustainability fields but also in human happiness with this notion of availability. They have become popular in part because they go against one of the biggest parts of consumerism, the notion that the house is an indicator of wealth. However, when someone chooses not to display their 46. Ibid 47. Patrick McCue, interview by author, Tempe, March 28, 2015 48. “2015 Contributors”, microdwelling, accessed February 27, 2015.

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wealth in a large house the system breaks down, divisions between people crumble, and human interaction can be more genuine. The idea and style of a traditional home can still exist with a micro-dwelling, but on such a small scale it is much more affordable, allowing more people access to good design.

Case Study

Two projects completed by Olson Kundig focus on the micro-dwelling as a shelter and tool for living rather than a framework for living.49 Sol Duc Cabin (fig. 8), built from 20102011 in Washington is only 388 square feet. It makes up for its small area with a lofty living area, creating the perception of a larger space. The dwelling feels even loftier because is also elevated off the terrain to protect against flooding. The cabin is made entirely of steel, creating a durable and surprisingly inconspicuous house. Sliding steel shutters allow the dwelling to be completely sealed, offering complete protection and security. To offset the perceived coldness of the exterior steel, the interior features warm wood throughout the floors, walls, and ceiling. Gulf Islands Cabin (fig. 9), built in 2008 in British Columbia, is a mere 194 square feet and features a similar steel shutter system, allowing the cabin to open to the natural environment. Each of these micro-dwellings was designed intentionally to encourage living outside the unit.

Figure 8- Sol Duc Cabin by Olson Kundig

49. Philip Jodidio. Small Architecture Now! (Cologne: Taschen GMBH, 2014), 242-253.

Figure 9- Gulf Islands Cabin by Olson Kundig — 15 —

Case Study

In Phoenix there are several apartments nearing completion made out of re-purposed shipping containers (fig. 7)50 Though small, they are considered luxury residences showing that style and economy can coexist. The extreme interest and long wait list51 only reinforce the popularity of smaller living. For example, one future tenant, Stephanie Strausser, commented, “I love the thought of all of that — building materials, cost efficiency.”52 Brian Stark, a partner in the project, believes that this residential complex is approaching the level of microdwellings seen in other parts of the country.53 While a building is technically considered a micro-dwelling at less than 600 square feet (according to the Tiny House Association) or around 200 square feet (according to the film Tiny), these 740 square feet units54 are certainly an indication of changing attitudes.

Although micro-dwellings appeal to plenty of people, one of the most challenging things blocking the proliferation of micro-dwellings is the issue of land use, zoning regulations, and construction classification.55 Micro-dwellings are typically changeable with modules, trailers for moving, reconstruction, etc. With this new type of structure, planners and regulators are unsure how to classify 50. Bryan West, “Shipping container apartments coming to Phoenix,” 12 News, February 12, 2015, accessed March 24, 2015.

51. Ibid 52. Brenna Goth and Sophia Kunthara, “Cargo containers center of Grand Ave. housing project,” The Republic, January 15, 2015, accessed March 24, 2015.

53. West 54. West 55. McCue

Figure 7-Shipping container apartments in Phoenix, Arizona.

micro-dwellings within the existing zoning framework despite the similarities to both regular houses and RVs. Elaine Walker, an advocate for the American Tiny House Association, has been working on developing standards for micro-dwellings in an attempt to promote their spread and acceptance.56 This includes defining exactly what constitutes a micro-dwelling or a tiny house, what construction requirements include, whether or not a structure’s portability or disassembly impacts its classification, and what purpose it is used for. One simple way to get around zoning restrictions is to build the dwelling on a trailer, classifying it as a temporary structure free from zoning restrictions.57 However, this presents the concern that the structure then is a trailer and not a house.

Like Thoreau’s cabin, some people rely on a foundation and 56. American Tiny House Association.

57. Tiny, Directed by Merete Mueller and Christopher Smith. (Speak Thunder Films, 2013), 3:32

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permanence to give a sense of place to a home, no matter what size.58 Another argument in favor of a more permanent structure is the safer and more stable communities that develop around owner-occupied homes, according to analyses done by Alexander von Hoffman.59 A permanent presence connects the dwelling and resident more firmly to the place and leads to more community-oriented behavior like maintenance, neighborly interaction, and community pride. Permanent occupancy within a city has also been shown to be a viable way to revitalize an area.60 While there is still a struggle, some headway has been made. There are some construction guidelines for towable and permanent dwellings, analysis of zoning ordinances and codes for minimum house size and land use options, and there are many resources gathered together for insurance, building inspection, and community assistance.61 As shown in the previous case study, some applications for micro-housing are viable options to circumvent zoning restrictions for individual residences. Other micro-dwelling cases may need to show an exceptional use of an otherwise unusable plot of land.

Case Study

The Riverside House (fig. 10) by Kota Mizuishi, built in 2010 in Tokyo has 592 square feet over two levels and 58. Ibid, 4:00 59. Alexander Von Hoffman, Eric S. Belsky, and Kwan Lee, The Impact of Housing on Community: A Review of Scholarly Theories and Empirical Research, (Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, 2006), 59.

60. Stuart S. Rosenthal, “Old homes, externalities, and poor neighborhoods: A model of urban decline and renewal”, Journal of Urban Economics 63 (2008), 826.

61. American Tiny House Association.

Figure 10- Riverside House by Kota Mizuishi

a loft.62 It takes advantage of an oddly shaped piece of land stuck between a road and a river and utilizes every possible part of it. The only portion of the site left exposed is designated for a combination garden and parking spot, which is still utilized by the second level via a cantilever (fig. 11).

The issue of land use and zoning rights is particularly crucial to establish because the setting of a micro-dwelling is critical to its success. In an urban setting, residents have 62. Philip Jodidio. Small Architecture Now! (Cologne: Taschen GMBH, 2014), 236.

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Figure 11 –Riverside House site plan

the advantage of all of the city’s amenities and transportation is relatively simple. Urban life is also convenient for those working in the city and justifies keeping a small home; if someone were to spend all of their time either working or enjoying the amenities of the city, there would be little need for a big home sitting empty. This is the case for Shawn Groff, a resident of Vancouver living in the city in a 240 square foot dwelling.63 As the Vancouver Province illustrates, “He sleeps in 260 square feet but works and plays in a 10-millionsquarefoot room called downtown”.64 Groff reported that he was happy living with what he needed and leaving a smaller environmental footprint.65 Samuel Baron had a similar liberating experience a year later in 2014, also in Vancouver .66

Micro-dwellings in a rural setting, on the other hand, 63. Paul Luke, “Freedom in small spaces; Micro-dwellings are becoming lifestyle choice for many metro residents,” The Vancouver Province, May 26, 2013, accessed February 22, 2015, LexisNexis Academic.

64. Ibid 65. Ibid 66. Fiona Hughes, “The fine art of micro living; Samuel Baron loves the urban lifestyle and makes it affordable with a tiny apartment,” The Vancouver Sun, May 15, 2014, accessed March 27, 2015, LexisNexis Academic.

have the benefits of a more tranquil environment away from the noise of the city and completely surrounded by the natural environment. There is also more privacy being away from other people, which is an advantage because so much of micro-dwelling living is spent outside where there is unlimited free space. It also offers the opportunity for a more transparent barrier between the interior and exterior. For a biophilic living space, it is certainly an effective situation with cooler temperatures, potential for a garden, and more relaxed living space. Rural retreats to beaches, forests, mountains, lakes, etc.. have historically been considered vacation spots for their isolation and restorative nature. Sunset Cabin (fig.

12) is an example of a micro-dwelling in a rural setting. Set by a lake in Toronto, the 275 square foot cabin resides in solitude among the trees with blurred boundaries between interior and exterior, including a partially outdoor bathroom.67

The best of both settings can be found in a biophilic city. The natural elements of a rural setting incorporated not only around the dwelling but throughout the entire urban landscape would provide green space that has the benefits of nature with the amenities and convenience of the city. People could work and play in the garden city and return to their garden retreat right around the corner. Noise can be reduced with screening plants and other sounds like birds and water, a technique used in Lawrence Halprin’s Freeway Park in Seattle, among other places.68 The abundant nature available to the community would also help regulate the microclimate, an 67. Zeiger, 89 68. “Three: Seattle Freeway Park, Seattle, Washington.” Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes: An International Quarterly 26 (2012): 62.

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Figure 12 –Sunset Cabin, Taylor Smyth Architects

Figure 13 –Soe Ker Tie Hias, TYIN Tegnestue. Small living space offers shelter for child refugees while mostly outside.

essential aspect of psychological and physical comfort. 69 Community aspects of biophilic micro-dwellings are also important to consider. Solitary dwellings currently exist, but they lack the community benefits of shared space and interest. One successful micro-dwelling community is the project called Soe Ker Tie Hias (fig. 13), which means “Butterfly House”, designed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The project is a series of micro-dwellings for orphaned refugees from Burma. While micro-dwellings started off as individual living units for seclusion or contemplation, this complex introduces social aspects to tiny-living with these buildings all put together in a community.70 The Oasis 2000 Community was designed to produce a microclimate that created a comfortable environment for a community that shared some facilities but that also valued personal privacy 69. Javier Senosiain Anguilar, Bio-architecture, (Oxford: Architectural Press, 2003), 142 70. Zeiger, 23

and reflection with inner courtyards in the small residences.71 In Mexico City there is a small lot with a community of four organic houses by Javier Senosiain (fig. 14).72 They form their own community within a neighborhood in one of the largest cities in the world, utilizing principles of urban infill. Creating denser cities also reduces sprawl and the load on surrounding habitat. A community of people who can support each other for security and share a common theme, such as biking, farming, building, programming, retirement, entrepreneurship, etc.., offers the potential for a lifestyle focused on good social and environmental principles and interactions with little necessary concern for monetary conditions. This, of course, leads to a condition that promotes genuine happiness.

71. Anguilar, Bio-architecture, (Oxford: Architectural Press, 2003), 157.

72. Ibid,155

— 19 —

Manifestation

What form would new microdwelling communities take? As people moved into the suburbs of Phoenix, they left behind a dying downtown district with the poor and socially segregated who could not move to suburbia.73 Over the past two decades, in an attempt to rekindle a popular and attractive city scape, urban infill projects have been developed to create housing where there was previously abandoned or polluted land. This housing has brought more people back to the city to take advantage of the existing infrastructure and convenience of businesses and work while also enjoying the amenities and social interactions inherent to city living.74

Phoenix is gaining some attention as a hub for talent and innovation with tech start-up companies growing in the city.75 It is unknown whether the people are attracted to the companies in the city or if the companies are attracted to the talent moving toward the cities, but it is undeniable that there has been a resurgence in conducting business and working in an urban setting.76 There is also a growing interest among other types of people who have been impacted by the recession of 2008 who have become disillusioned of the American suburban dream and are now seeking smaller houses and a reduction in belongings.77 73. Diane R. Suchman, Developing Successful Infill Housing, (Washington, D.C.: ULI-the Urban Land Institute, 2002), vii 74. Ibid, 4 75. Taylor Soper, “Silicon Desert: How Phoenix is quickly – and quietly – becoming a hub for innovation”, GeekWire, February 11, 2015 76. Ibid 77. Nielsen, “Millennials Prefer Cities to Suburbs, Subways to Driveways”, Newswire, March 4, 2014.

Figure 14 –The Satellite House Complex, Javier Senosiain.

Jonathan Cottrell, co-organizer of Phoenix Startup Week and former manager of Go Daddy commented on the difficulty Phoenix has in attracting or retaining the type of young workers who are seeking an urban lifestyle: “It’s such a sprawled out community all over the map with different cities and hubs”.78 Combine this with the fact that millennials are relying less on cars and more on shorter public commutes79 and one can see how Phoenix needs some change to meet the demand of the very near future. The introduction of additional housing to the Downtown district, especially along prominent public transit routes, will begin to make Phoenix a desirable urban setting in which to live.

Developers would be trying to attract young adults (millennials) and students seeking an urban lifestyle with shorter commutes and a lively atmosphere.80 The 78. Soper, “Silicon Desert: How Phoenix is quickly – and quietly – becoming a hub for innovation”, GeekWire, February 11, 2015.

79. Tony Dutzik, Jeff Inglis, & Phineas Bazandall, “Millennials in Motion: Changing Travel Habits of Young Americans and the Implications for Public Policy”, U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group, October 2014.

80. Eliot Brown, “Young Drive an Urban Rebound”, The Wall Street Journal, January 2, 2015.

— 20 —

development of these infill projects has been very popular with both government and developers for its high monetary returns and gentrification of the city, making it a more attractive place where people will spend more time and money.81 The typical type of infill development that would occupy these vacant lots, however, is not the type that will redefine Phoenix or foster a biophilic environment. A better solution would be a housing type that puts residents in the core of Downtown Phoenix and adds an important permanent presence to the densest part of the city. Microdwellings grafted onto existing structures can take advantage of existing infrastructure and add multifunctionality to underutilized resources. Refraining from developing the vacant areas is also important for the passive urban transformation that will be done by resident pollinators and other species.

The desert environment of Phoenix is a challenging location for biophilic design with the obvious lack of water.

Water is the most critical element of biophilic design; it is the life-blood of a successful and biologically robust ecosystem.

The Sonoran Desert does not receive much rainfall and it is highly wasteful to extract water from municipal water sources or already-depleted groundwater stores. However, it is possible to take advantage of other water resources which would otherwise not be used. There is a vast resource of untapped water within the skyscrapers of the city. The greatest abundance of recyclable water is in the densest part of Downtown where there is the maximum use of air conditioning units (fig. 17). The condensation from HVAC 81. Ibid, 9

Figure 15 –Parking garages serve only one purpose, occupy large areas of land, and fragment the urban environment.

Figure 16 –Underutilized area between buildings in an alley.

— 21 —

Figure 17 –Water potential within buildings in Downtown Phoenix. Each blue collumn represents the scaled quantity of water available from HVAC condensation during the summer.

units in the dense downtown area can produce around 15,000 gallons of water from condensate per 10,000 square feet of space. The grey water from these same buildings can be added to the condensate to add some essential minerals to the otherwise pure water.82 Combined with storm water retention and natural rainfall, this water could be used to irrigate the landscaping that will accompany the microdwelling units in order to kick-start the new urban ecosystem. At the University

of Arizona, the building for the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture (fig. 25), designed by Eddie Jones and Landscaped by Christy Ten Eyck successfully uses this strategy to water the surrounding landscape and create a cooling pond environment .83 The water and key plant species will draw more animal species and begin to transform the vacant and fragmented areas of the city through pollinating and dispersing seeds of existing species,

82. “Condensate Water Introduction,” Alliance for Water Efficiency, 2016.

83. Vanessa Lentini, “Air conditioners can water plants while cooling air,” Southwest Environmental, 2013.

— 22 —

foraging for food and materials, and extending their own transformative abilities to other species on-site through their mutual interactions. There is even the lucrative opportunity for these pollinators to directly serve human industry through the pollination of urban farms and permaculture properties.

Without a doubt the increased biological presence will create a stronger and more resilient urban ecology. By integrating biophilic micro-dwelling units with the existing infrastructure of parking garages, these catalysts for urban change will take advantage of both horizontal and vertical surfaces within the city and create a visual and functional network along Central Avenue, re-connecting landscapes and bringing a functional, ecological set of systems to Phoenix.

What types of species will affect the most change?

What is the range of species connections? With the introduction of key vegetation made possible by recycled water, animals will begin to inhabit the city. Attracted to the blooms of saguaros will come migratory pollinators including Rufous hummingbirds, white-wing doves, bees, and other insects and birds. Ocotillo and other flowering plants will attract permanent and migratory pollinators, which may be able to reconnect vital pollen corridors which have been disrupted through development and habitat fragmentation, which is described in The Forgotten Pollinators.84 Rebuilding these connections would be extremely beneficial not only for the region but for a much larger area as well.

Monarchs, Bats, Doves, and countless other birds and insects migrate north and south each year passing through 84. Stephen L. Buchman and Gary Paul Nabhan, The Forgotten Pollinators, (Washington D.C.: Clearwater Press/Shearwater Books, 1996), 109.

Figure 25 –College of Architecture, Planning, & Landscape: University of Arizona.

the Phoenix area, counting on a supply of food and nectar along the way.85 Healthy corridors for these migratory avians are critical for the continued progeny of plants (and therefore animals and humans) throughout their huge range.

Ecological resiliency increases with biodiversity, meaning that when there are more species in an ecosystem it will be stronger and better able to adapt to inclement conditions. However, given the limitations of attracting species to an urban environment it is important to understand which species will be able to enter, live within, and leave the urban environment and design for those species in order to ensure they are able to thrive.

85.

— 23 —

Figure 18–The Downtown Phoenix site, shown as a white rectangle, sits isolated from surrounding natural areas shown in green by city sprawl. Terrestrial linkages will require cooperation on a huge municipal scale and involve countless categories of stakeholders. In addition to logistic and practical problems there are safety concerns associated with linking urban areas of Phoenix with surrounding sites. As in the Singapore case study, many species would not be ‘welcome’ or well received in town. These species would also have less of a transformative effect on vacant sites than pollinators and aviary primary — 24 — consumers.

Interview Paul Beier is corridor expert

be the same as the surrounding Sonoran Desert to be a viable and resilient ecosystem?

Regents’ Professor and wildlife at Northern Arizona University.

Q. How much connectivity should be sought in order to avoid isolation of the Downtown Phoenix ecology?

A Small parks and even some larger semi-natural areas (Camelback Mtn, Papago Park) are so completely isolated that only limited improvement is possible. South Mountain is not yet isolated, but is threatened by a new highway to be built to the west of it. Some neighborhoods on the fringes with large lots, native landscaping, and conserved washes probably support almost all native species. True downtown may be able to support a few native animals and a lot of native plants, but it will never again be a Sonoran Desert ecosystem. That is not entirely bad – just what it is.

Q. Would every species need to be able to move through downtown in order for a connection to exist? i.e., would a connection be made if flying species were able to move through the area, but terrestrial species were not?

A Connections are always species-specific. Camelback and Papago are connected for birds and bats, and perhaps for urban tolerant mammals like gray fox.

Q.

Does

Phoenix’s

urban

ecology

need

to

A No. It will never be the same as the larger areas of the Sonoran Desert. Nonetheless, natural patches can have great value to reptiles, birds, and humans.

Q. To what degree, in an urban environment, will the design for a select set of focal species attract subsequent additional species?

A Probably not much. Black bears, bobcats, mule deer, Coues white-tailed deer, rattlesnakes, desert tortoise, and javelina are not coming back to downtown Phoenix, even if it becomes a nice place for many other species.

A regional analysis (fi g. 18) led to the conclusion that nati ve pollinators and avian species, both migratory and permanent, would be most appropriate. A sustainable and eff ecti ve ecosystem can result from the types of animals that will be able to live in Downtown Phoenix, and it is these birds, insects, and other aviary species that need to be considered when designing urban habitats.

A more detailed analysis of the Downtown district was done to determine potenti al areas of interventi on based on resources or lack thereof (fi gs. 19-24). The general Downtown area in line with and adjacent to the light rail line was selected as the broad site for investi gati on. The site analysis included mapping vegetati on, shade, zoning and primary land use,

— 25 —

Figure 19–The site follows the light rail tracks along Central and 1st Avenue between Chase Field and the Phoenix Art Museum. Light rail stops are shown in red.

Figure 20–Existing Landscapes and vegetated area are spread across Downtown but are not connected.

The largest area is Hance Park, built over the I-10 freeway.

— 26 —

Figure 21–Shade and protection is most prevalent in the densest part of Downtown where the buildings are tallest.

Figure 22–Vacant and underutilzed lots.

The quantity of available land is a result of land banking and an overabundance of surface parking lots.

Figure 23–Latent water is distrubuted with the highest density in the core of Downtown Phoenix where the majority of the large office towers and stadiums are located.

— 27 —

Figure 24 –Development use distributionBlack is commercial and magenta is residential. There is a highly disproportionate amount of non-residential building in the downtown area considering the density of occupiable square footage.

vacant land, factors detrimental to wildlife, verti cal surfaces, horizontal surfaces, parking garages (as an underuti lized and prevalent infrastructure of the city) and water availability.

These maps and drawings showed that the Downtown area with the highest density of high-rise buildings was an ideal locati on for housing with ample unused areas in the form of parking garages, the highest density of water availability, and large amounts of shade. An axonometric overlay helped visualize the relati onship between the most important factors which informed the locati ons of the microdwellings and the projected spread of transformati ve avian species.

Figure 25–Axonometric drawing showing building density, water distribution, vacant land, and underutilized parking structures. Arrows show aviary species moving into the parking garage landscapes and then, over time, spreading out and transforming the city.

The architectural translati on of the goals of this thesis is based not on structure or human habitati on but on the form of the most important elements of this project -the plants.

Selecti ng species based on their impact in the Sonoran desert, their benefi t to pollinators and other avian species, and the connecti ons between themselves, a preliminary list of species was developed and refi ned over ti me. Shown on the right are some of the chosen plant species and subsequent animal species att racted to the resources off ered by the plants.

Key species like the Saguaro cactus were selected for the shear number of services they provide to other organisms and the intricate relati onships they have within the

— 28 —

Peregrine Falcon

California Poppy

Palo Verde

Ironwood

Cottonwood

Aloe

Mesquite

Lewis Flax

Sand Verbena

Ocotillo

Desert Sage

Mexican Bird

Iron Wood

Barrelcactus

Saguaro

Creosote

Beard Tongue

Honey Bee

Pygmy Owl

Prickly Pear

Sotol

White-Wing Dove

Woodpecker

Digger Bee

Acacia

Fairyduster

Parri’s Agave

Road Runner

Arizona Lupine

Rufous Hummingbird

Indian Blanket

Teddybear Cholla

Desert Marigold

Great Horned Owl

Milkweed

— 29 —

Monarch

ecosystem. For example, the Saguaro cactus is a vital plant for resident pollinators like bees and migratory pollinators like bats and white-wing doves. They provide shelter and protection for woodpeckers ,wrens, and owls. Their fruit is eaten by many birds and can also be harvested for human use. They have a close relationship with creosote and Palo Verde which are often nurse plants of young Saguaro. The qualities of the selected plants all make them helpful in developing Phoenix’s urban ecology and attracting the right species that can thrive in an urban environment and play an important role in transforming the landscape (fig. 25).

The plants were drawn technically to clearly show their specifications (fig. 26). The width and height was marked but more importantly the depth and spread of the roots was drawn, showing what size planters would be needed to position these species on parking garage structures. The planters were drawn as well, derived from the necessary soil for the roots and following the form of the roots themselves. These drawings translated into literal planters for each species (fig.

27) as a method of representing the unseen structure of the plant and as a visual description of which species are included in each planter system. The planter systems themselves are a conglomeration of various planter types molded together to fit within the existing structural frame defined by the parking garage structure. The planters were joined to a.) improve material efficiency and use the most amount of soil for the least amount of planter, b.) allow the soil to multi-function as a thermal buffer, c.) include a variety of species in each planter system for biodiversity, and d.) provide extra room for mutualistic subsoil ecosystem relationships. The latter point

is a result of research that reveals many important ecosystem functions occur sub grade. For example, leguminous trees, like mesquite or Palo Verde, rely on nitrogen fixing rhizobium bacteria in the soil to supply the plant with oxygen taken from the air because the soils have poor nitrogen content.

In exchange, the tree supplies the bacteria with some of the sugars and photosynthetic resources it produces.

In the design of microdwelling housing, the units must

— 30 —

Figure 26–Technical Drawings of important species.

Continued pgs. 32-33 — 31 —

— 32 —

— 33 —

Figure 27–Planters derived from technical drawings

— 34 —

— 35 —

Van Buren st.

1st ave.

act as the vessel to introduce biophilic elements to the city where they may then develop and spread. For this design, one sample site was chosen at the southeast corner of 1st Avenue and Van Buren St. in Downtown Phoenix (fi g. 28).

This site fi ts within the resource-fi lled dense urban core, is directly on the light rail line, and has a large parking garage occupying the corner of the block (fi g. 29). The parking garage structure follows a sixteen foot on center grid patt ern with fi ft een feet of space between columns. In order to fulfi ll the objecti ve of turning the parking garage from singlefuncti on to multi -functi on, the parking spaces and roof space could not be uti lized. The biophilic community also had to be visible from the street in order for passersby to have a visual connecti on with nature and increase ecological awareness. The verti cal faces of the parking garage were therefore wrapped in microdwellings and landscaping (fi g. 31). This parasiti c method of graft ing took advantage of existi ng parking garage structure and infrastructure like stairs, elevators, electricity, and of course parking.

Each microdwelling was designed as an individual module based on the 15’ gap between columns. The planter system followed likewise, allowing each individual pair of dwelling/planter to be installed or removed independently of the others. The overall eff ect is that the microdwellings themselves are obscured by the more important planters and vegetati on, making it seem as though the project is purely landscaping (fi g. 30). While the microdwelling units are all fairly similar, there is great variety in the form of the planter, creati ng a dynamic and intriguing facade. The microdwellings are 145 square feet each and consist of a 3.5’x7’ bath, a 10’x8’ kitchen

Figure 28–Site of sample design intervention.

— 36 —

Figure 28–Parking garage on Van Buren and 1st ave. Across Van Buren, shown in green, is an existing disconnected landscape. Shown in blue are highrise buildings capable of providing water to the new biophilic landscape.

— 37 —

and living space, and a 6’x8’ loft (fi g. 32). Despite the small size, each unit has a full bed, private bathroom with shower, sink, and water closet, and a kitchen featuring a sink, oven, 3 burner stove, and microwave. There is also integrated storage systems to take advantage of odd structural spaces. Each unit also has its own air conditi oning units, located between units (or on the roof) as show in fi g. 30 below. The outer wall is composed largely of windows to aff ord residents a constant

and maximum view of the natural ecology occurring in the planter system (fi g. 33). The units also alter their footprint in response to the planter system in order to bett er integrate with the plant species and include the resident in the biology.

Aestheti cally, the enti re system has the sense of being hung up to drain as cables support added columns like clotheslines and water stains drip down the outside of the planter, showing use and movement of the most Service Cavity`

Ocotillo`

Pollination Shrub Transformable Landscape`

Creosote

Acacia

Agave Common Sotol New Structure

Existing Structure

Ground Planter

Landscape

Residences

Figure 30–Annotated Section Drawing. The project is clearly sepparated into the existing parking garage covered by a layer of microdwellings and then a final layer of landscaping. The outer focus of the planters connects the natural elements to the city for human and ecological well-being.

— 38 —

important resource in the desert. The vegetati on falls all the way to the street level for a conti nuous facade with which people on the street level are able to interact. The hierarchy of planter size menti ons the infl uence of view shed from higher level units and street clearance for tall vehicles. Each planter can be self suffi cient with adequate biodiversity and soil richness, meaning that no landscape maintenance is required for this facade. The living walls of reborn parking

garages can spread throughout the area and give Phoenix a new future.

Figure 31–Perspective Rendering. The layers of landscapings with the planter systems consisting of different combinations of pots results in a dynamic facade which presents the plants and their hidden structures to the city. The new facade comes to life and spreads its influence throughout the city.

— 39 —

Type A -Level 2

Figure 31–Unit Plans

Type A -Level 1

Type B -Level 2

— 40 —

Type B -Level 1

Figure 32–Interior. Connection to biology through windows.

— 41 —

Final Remarks

Biophilia is a connection to the environment with visible nature, interaction, and a healthy ecology.

Microdwellings limit private space in order to open up the public sphere and expand social interactions.

Connections to people and to the environment foster healthy awareness and healthy ecosystems. All of these elements combine to create well-being for all the residents of the new Phoenix, human and non-human alike.

Biophilic microdwelling communities which take advantage of underutilized parking structures in Downtown Phoenix will transform the urban area to foster these connections and awareness. A biologically diverse urban ecosystem will emerge and spread throughout the urban area, redefining the future of the city and setting a new precedent for sustainable urban development.

— 42 —

— 43 —

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— 46 —

Process and Iterations

The design process is iterative. Testing a thesis requires even more trial and experimentation as the idea is developed and translated. While a thesis project may come to an end, it is never really over. There is merely one iteration that is the last. This thesis is therefore not a final product but a refined iteration. To fully understand the development of this project’s concept, the following pages are dedicated to process work, unaltered from every stage of design. This illustration of a thesis in progress can be thought of as a motion diagram, charting the forward momentum of the project, or as a log book, providing details that can be referenced and drawn from the past to serve the present if necessary.

— 47 —

Process Week1 Week one involved site visits, selecti ng intriguing areas, and developing a fi rst pass conceptual design. During this ti me I explored Downtown Phoenix along the light rail route and searched out underuti lized areas that a single microdwelling (or a couple) would fi t. Potenti al schemes involved hanging dwellings under the Central Avenue where it crosses over the park. Another scheme looked at allyways and the space between buildings and took on a biomorphic, spanning concept that connected two alleyways.

— 48 —

— 49 —

Process Week2 This week saw the development of a microdwelling community which devolved into a standard, high density housing complex. The original thought was to use principles of urban infill and insert housing on a former parking lot.

The intention of the microdwelling community was to create a private courtyard that could be shared biophilic space for residents. However, this iteration involved too many units, the density grew too large, and its true identity as a housing complex came to light.

This

week

also

involved

preliminary

maps

of

regional connections and potential wildlife corridors.

Urban systems were also mapped, looking at lots, shadows, and vegetation. Sites of particular interest were marked and then a line was drawn to link them together.

— 50 —

— 51 —

Process Week3 This week returned to the original sites and types of schemes, exploring the typologies of bridge, armature, and enclave. Multiple sites were analyzed under the filter of these three typologies.

The

regional

scale

drawing

was

modified

and

detail was added to the corridor sizes and routes.

— 52 —

— 53 —

Process Week4 This week was devoted to case studies with some additional iterations of the previous design types. Case studies included Unqlo Cubes, Sol Duc Cabin, Gulf Island Cabin, Maddison Avenue Dollhouse, Riverside House, MenScience Store, Hills at Valco (as a bad example), and examples of wildlife bridges and desert green walls.

The design focus was more on armatures expanding through the city as a literal series of connections and bridges, allowing motion completely unimpeded by roads. This iteration centered around sites by the Phoenix Art Museum, which has under used space on its south side, and the Roosevelt Light rail station, which suffers from having only one function.

I also developed a plan that showed the existing parks, future developed landscapes, and the new bridge connections.

— 54 —

— 55 —

Process Week5 This week I had a breakthrough with the discovery of water as a resource within the buildings. I had been wanting to use water, because of its importance to biophilia, but the desert climate seemed to forbid it. Then I realized how much water was not being used from the surrounding buildings and that started my investigation into other resources available in Downtown Phoenix.

I

conducted

research

species

would

looking

at

Monarch

be

pollinators butterflies,

to

begin

appropriate and

investigating

what

and

started

off

migratory

animals

like

hummingbirds,

and

bees.

The design focus this week was centered on the light rail stations on Van Buren next to the transit center. This scheme for micro housing built on top of the existing station structure to add another function, but a major problem was the balance between Biophilia and Housing.

Here, biology and landscape was merely added and served more as a decoration than as anything useful. Focussing on balance started to become a much bigger theme.

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Process Week6 This week was midterm review. I added more case studies including CAPLA at UofA for the condensation information, Graft Tower, Greenacre Park in NY, Singapore Sky Tree, and Thorncrown Chapel. I also expanded the species to include the keystone trees mesquite, ironwood, and cottonwood, plus the saguaro cactus. This week also marked the introduction of users as keystone species in the new urban ecology and what their needs were.

The design focus was on the same site but was relying less on the light rail station. In hindsight it was a complete step backward as it did not involve any extra emphasis on biology and also did not add to the multifunctionality of the station.

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Housing

Unused Space

Isolated Occupation

Uniqlo Cubes –HWKN 2011 New York City 64 sqft

Biophilia

Greenacre Park, New York City

“Pop-up” stores in city taking advantage of unused space and revitalizing “forgotten corners of the city”.

An isolated park that does not connect to surroundings.

Works as a biophilic destination only.

Creates a larger destination/ landmark to place the smaller store cubes.

Connecting Hall

Qanat

+

Runnel

Water provides visual and auditory stimulation and is prized in the desert.

Mensciense Flagship Store –HWKN 2012 New York City 750 sqft

Double store front

Connection, multiple approaches.

Water can be protected below grade because the sight and sound of water can have similar psychological impacts.

Moments of emergence create mystery, intrigue, and refuge.

Building of Nature

Unique Site Riverside House –Kota Mizuishi 2010 Suginami, Tokyo, Japan 592 sqft

Thorncrown Chapel By E. Fay Jones makes the most of its unique site, allowing the natural environment to not only shape the building, but almost become the building.

take advantage of maximum width on narrow site and overhanging second floor to cover the site completely while still having some land open for parking

Elevated Height

Use Existing Resources

Sol Duc Cabin –Olson Kundig 2010-11 Olympic Peninsula, WA 388 sqft

Water is the source of life and nature.

Water can be found in the city through: Rain Storm Run-off Grey Water Recycling Air conditioning Condensation The University of Arizona CAPLA building utilizes these strategies to provide water for landscaping.

Elevated to protect against flooding. Steel shutters protect windows and close house to elements when vacant.

Tall living space compensates for small footprint.

Failed Connections

Live Outside Gulf Islands Cabin - Olson Kundig 2008 Gulf Islands, British Columbia 194 sqft (345 sqft counting porches)

The Hills at Valco- Sand Hill Developers + Rafael Viñoly + OLIN

Cupertino, CA

Intentionally small to encourage being outside and emphasize the experience with nature.

Revitalizing shopping center.

30 acre green roof covering buildings and streets alike.

Lacks a connection to buildings and streetscape.

Re-Wilding Networks

Natural FLow Endémico Resguardo Silvestre Jorge Gracia Garcia 2010-11 Each unit 65 sqft.

There is a need for ecosystem connectivity, though the solution may not be literal.

Respect Nature by lifting units off terrain. Corten weathers naturally. Close to nature but with amenities.

Wildlife networks for nonterrestrial species is more practical for the existing urban environment.

Elevated Perspective

Hanging House Maddison Avenue (doll)house –REX 2008 New York City

A successful project in Singapore brought people to a new level of interaction with the natural environment.

The previously unfamiliar tree canopy became attainable.

Distinct and separate residence utilizing existing structures for support as it hangs and occupies under utilized urban spaces.

Offering a new perspective of nature within the urban environment is an important part of creating intrigue.

Green Wall Structure Green walls are visible

Vertical Green Graft Tower-vertical Farm + Hotel

reminders of nature. More diversity and complexity will create vitality and useful habitat.

Distinct and separate residence utilizing existing structures for support as it hangs and occupies under utilized urban spaces.

Desert conditions preclude lush foliage, therefore the container is an important aspect of design.

Keystone Users

Keystone Occupants

Keystone Species

Keystone Plants

Young adults seeking an urban lifestyle within a beginning salary budget. Interest in alternative transportation, Innovative and social work, and experiences instead of procession.

Factors of Cause

Several theories regarding the increased interest in urban living. There is an increasing number of urban offices after a period of suburban office popularity. As offices are moving back to urban areas, so are people. This could also be interpreted in the reverse if young adults are moving into urban areas and businesses are following the young talent.

Among young adults and millennials there is also a sense of disillusionment of the American suburban dream after witnessing the housing recession of 2008.

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Keystone Migratory Pollinators

Saguaro cactus, velvet mesquite, ironwood, Fremont cottonwood

Rufous hummingbird, Monarch butterfly, lesser long-nosed bat, white wing dove

Process Week7 This week I reiterated some information on keystone species, mapped water density throughout the city, and created three montages of nature infiltrating the city. The water was a useful drawing that helped backup the dense area of Downtown Phoenix as having many resources.

The montages were useful in that they revealed what my project is not about. With the possible exception of the Roosevelt Light rail station turned into a mesquite bosque, there is a clear delineation between foreground-nature and background-city in the montages. Because the integration was important, these products did not convey the correct experience. Furthermore, the goal of the project to transform the urban environment passively with the help of pollinators is a completely different type of scale and project than converting pavement and re-purposing many parts of the scale to actively develop a garden city.

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Process Week8-9 The week started by mapping horizontal and vertical surfaces to form a comparison of where the most potential area is. Vertical surfaces were much more prevalent in the dense downtown.

I also investigated maps that revealed different detriments to

wildlife.

Sources

like

agriculture,

feral

animals,

canals, roads, air traffic, and other human-induced problems showed where wildlife was being hit hardest.

At last the breakthrough! The parking garage has come into view as the point of intervention. Spread throughout the city and so dull, it is amazing that it took more than half the time of this project to realize. This first iteration of the microdwelling community based around a parking garage did follow the same structural module that was used in the final. However, the units did not confine themselves to the parking garage and ventured all around the block and the adjacent block, crossing the street to do so, and the structural guidelines of the parking garage did not hold up away from the existing columns. Also, this scheme was still incredible focussed on the microdwelling, rather than the landscape.

This scheme does involve roof gardens on the vaguely formed dwelling units, but there is no integration or real relationship. — 62 —

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Process Week10 This week I developed the axonometric maps of the parking garages, vacant land, buildings, and latent water. I also applied the wildlife detriment overlays to the axons to see if any fell within the Downtown area. Of those that did, they covered the enti re area with no specifi c part of downtown, so they were considered not incredibly vital to immediate decisions within the urban core.

I conti nued working with the same site but constrained the project to the parking garage. I developed a type of unit that incorporated the roof of the unit below it that doubled as a planter. The problems with this scheme 1.) the multi functi onality of the parking garage was compromised because some units slid into parking spaces, 2.) the planters were not deep enough, and 3.) the enti re design was sti ll driven by the unit and the balance between landscape and housing was terribly inadequate.

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Process Week12-13 The fi nal weeks results in a fl urry of diff erent schemes.

Some, like the half spheres supported by crooked columns, took inspirati on from purely biomorphic design. Schemes with conti nuous planters were concerned with the cohesion of the facade and the benefi ts of large, conti nuous soil masses. The schemes were reviewed, criti qued, analyzed, and put aside as the next iterati on came about.

While mass producing many iterati ons at the last minute, I also began establishing the fi nal presentati on outline and fi nalizing all of the axon drawings, species selecti ons, and other elements of the thesis which been in fl ux since the beginning.

I think there are elements of each stage of the design process in the fi nal project, and these elements become more obviously integrated as the iterati ons progress toward a fi nal version. Yet it is also incredible how diff erent the project is when it ends from when it began. Seeing the development of this thesis in the process reveals not only the development of the project but a development in the method of investi gati on and type of design work.

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