Urban Design and Architecture Work Samples by William Toohey III

Urban Design & Architecture Work Samples Harvard University MAUD, CPC, 2020 Wentworth Institute of Technology Adjunct Professor, 2020-Present M.Arch, 2018 w/ distinction BSA, 2017 magna cum laude

William Toohey III tooheyw@wit.edu www.williamtooheyiii.com

Links to Digital Media:

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Contents I. Pathways Between Home and School II. South Boston Master Plan III. Suffolk Downs Master Plan IV. Suburban Loop V. Patterned Language VI. Permanent Supportive Housing Campus VII. MIT Vertical Campus VIII. Climate Resilience

Pathways Between Home And School Thesis: 3rd-Year Graduate, Spring 2020 Project Type: Urban Design Thesis Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire Advisor: Stephen Gray, Assistant Professor at GSD

In 1996, the United Nations Children’s Fund launched The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI), “to respond to the challenge of realizing the rights of children in an increasingly urbanized and decentralized world” (UNICEF, 2018). As contemporary architects, urban designers, and planners seek improved understanding of their roles and projects, there emerges an opportunity to advocate for child-centered global agendas by realizing goals at the local level. Focused around health, education, and affordable housing, this urban design thesis is interested in adapting existing suburban infrastructure to better meet the needs of children from low-income housing developments and households in the United States. An analysis of relationships between three different local housing developments in the City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Gosling Meadows, Wamesit Place, and Winchester Place Apartments) and three respective elementary schools (New Franklin, Dondero, and Little Harbour) reveals two primary concerns for the urban designer: firstly, the proximity and lack of pedestrian infrastructure between home and school makes it difficult and rather unrealistic for children and adolescents to actively commute; and secondly, diverse programmatic elements that structure fun and healthy places are absent in low-income areas of the city, often with more gas stations and highways than crosswalks and spaces for recreation. Pivoting on the complexity of socioeconomic structures, learning and child-developmental inequities, behavioral and health challenges, and the often neglected voice of children in the American democracy, this thesis offers an agenda to center suburban and urban development on the development of the child.

Many of the poorest family housing developments---which are home to hundreds of the city’s children---are located over a mile away from their district’s public elementary school.

1.44mi

Home Gosling Meadows

1.25mi

1.11mi

School Little Harbour School New Franklin

Home Wamesit Place

Home Winchester Place

School Dondero

As a response, what if the city focused on imagining a more child-centered neighborhood that consolidated and centralized some of its most important resources?

Proposed Neighborhood

This neighborhood could restructure important relationships between education, health, and housing for children and families.

Pathways Between Home and School: Urban Design for Childhood

What works well for children and families? + Close proximity of Wamesit Place (PHA) to Greenleaf Recreation Center + Tree coverage and various natural systems + Ratio of paved to unpaved surfaces + Bicycle racks near recreation center + Local courts, athletic fields, and skatepark What doesn’t work well for children and families? - Lack of sidewalks - Lack of crosswalks - Lack of public seating (where are the benches?) - Dead-end streets (why doesn’t Holiday Drive connect to Lafayette Road?) - Lack of spaces to safely explore (why not utilize existing greenspaces?) - Lack of public space for gathering and hosting events - Lack of safe spaces to ride a bicycle - Pre-K through 8th grade only accessible by motor vehicle

Potential Risk Factors - Motor vehicles (movement, exhaust, failure to maintenance) - Noise pollution from close proximity to U.S. Route 1 Bypass - Sedentarism among children and adults Potential Protective Factors + Public space buffered by trees and other safety measures (e.g., bollards) + New signage and pavement markings + New sidewalks along Holiday Drive and Greenleaf Avenue + Noise reduction strategies + New proximity to health and education facilities

Chapter 3

0 50

200

500’

Education

Health

S. U. ute Ro

Housing

a yp

K-5 Elementary School

W e

Greenleaf Recreation Center

Core Primary Care Lafayette

ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care

Road

Mixed-income housing

Portsmouth High School

Swimming Pool

Mixed-use cluster i

1/4 m

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est

er P

lac

Public library branch

Mixed-income housing integrated with big-box commercial as podium

0 50

200

500’

5 Organizing Principles for a Child-Centered Neighborhood

1. Mobility

2. Natural Systems

Establish a safe and continuous loop of walkable and bikeable paths to support the physical health needs of children and families.

Provide adequate access to natural systems that encourage psychological well-being through free exploration and connections with nature.

3. Accou

Site commercial and programming next t spaces to encourage street” approach to c and safety.

untability

d residential to large public an “eyes-on-thecommunity health

4. Learning

Create a resilient network of educational facilities that support the rapidly changing developmental needs of young people.

5. Living

Improve relationships between lowincome households and educational facilities as a response to existing barriers and school performance inequities.

1. Mobility

Establish a safe and continuous loop of walkable and bikeable paths to support the physical health needs of children and families.

Angled Angled terrain terrain for playful encounters

Grass mound

Winding monkey bars

Interactive landscape features that function as fun & engaging Playscapes

Gas station

Raised intersection for speed reduction

Ground-level commercial Raised intersections, signage, and painted markings that support Safe Crossing

Mixed-income housing

Parking garage

2. Access to Nature

High School

Woods

Wetlands

Provide adequate access to natural systems that encourage psychological wellbeing through free exploration and connections with nature.

3. Accountability (Visibility)

Site commercial and residential programming next to large public spaces to encourage an “eyes-on-the-street” approach to community health and safety.

Open greenspaces

Access to high quality Public Parks

Solid rubber ground covering (hurts less to fall on) Private gate (accessed by residents)

Fenced-off open spaces for toddlers and young children that encourage Safe Exploration

4. Learning

K-5 School Public Library Branch

Rec Center

Create a resilient network of education facilities that support the rapidly changing developmental needs of young people.

Greenleaf Recreation Center

Daycare courtyard Greenleaf Skatepark

Winding path through park

Access to facilities that support high quality Informal Education

5. Living

Improve relationships between low-income households and education facilities as a response to existing barriers and school performance inequities.

American Red Cross Wamesit Place Housing (PHA)

K-5 Elementary School

Sensory Path

Leasable Office Space

Cross Roads House Transitional Housing Services

New Greenleaf Recreation Center

Greenleaf Skatepark

Wamesit Place Housing (PHA)

K-5 Elementary School

American Red Cross

Cross Roads House (Transitional Housing Services)

Leasable Office Space

Mixed-Income Housing

Sensory Path

Wamesit Place Housing (PHA)

Elementary School K-5 Dondero Elementary School

Atlantic Ocean

Sagamore Creek

Restaurant

Commercial Commercial

ia dr xa n Ale

ite

ll S

St.

. Dr od wo ge Le d

Office Office Office Office Daycare

Home Home Home Home

Home Home Home Home Home

Portsmouth KinderCare American Red Cross

Seacoast Community School

Leasable Office Space

Mixed-Income Housing

Wetlands

Home Home

Av af nle Gr ee

fay

ett

K-5 School K-5 School

South Boston Master Plan GSD Elements of Urban Design: 1st-Year, Fall 2018 Project Type: Master Plan / Urban Design Strategies Location: South Boston, Massachusetts Professor: Dennis Pieprz, ASLA, Chair of Design, Sasaki Team Member: Young Lv (MAUD 2020)

Seen through at least two core factors, race/ethnicity and residential land use, South Boston’s history and current trajectory is a tale of little diversity. We view this local, yet universally-applicable issue as an exciting opportunity to advocate for and help shape a more diverse South Boston: a neighborhood with potential to better reflect the aspirations of the city and its people. In order to encourage diversity within the physical context of an underutilized industrial site, we’ve established a boulevard that functions as a primary axis to not only support public and private motor vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians, but also help generate activity in secondary and tertiary public spaces along the path. From the east, we’ve continued the network of perimeter parks and pathways. And from the south, we’ve extended moments of large open spaces and the existing grid. In effect, these rather simple gestures establish clear public intersections to be further articulated through architecture, public art, temporal venues, and the innumerous activities that could follow. This dynamic relationship among diverse public spaces, buildings, and people reflects more closely the evolving anatomy of neighborhoods in 21st century cities. With this understanding, we hope to inspire others to reaffirm that people and the public realm are critical for ensuring successful urban design.

Climate Resilience

Extending the Public Realm

Between Buildings

Winter

Interlocking with Existing Grid

Suffolk Downs Master Plan GSD Elements of Urban Design: 1st-Year, Fall 2018 Project Type: Master Plan / Urban Design Strategies Location: Boston, Massachusetts Professor: Dennis Pieprz, ASLA Team Member: Wei-Hsiang Chao (MAUD 2020)

Movie Night

Science Fair

Establishing a New Grid

Suburban Loop GSD Elements of Urban Design: 1st-Year, Fall 2018 Project Type: Master Plan / Urban Design Strategies Location: Woburn, Massachusetts Professor: Dennis Pieprz, ASLA Team Member: Xingjian Jiang (MAUD 2020)

NOTE: Overall site plan graphics by Rebecca Resnic / Master plan by team / North Station architecture by Longshao Xiao & Rebecca Resnic / Parcel 18 architecture by Yang Zhao & Luis Negron

THE LINK: URBAN GONDOLA Studio: Lifestyle, Summer Internship 2017 Project Type: Master Plan & Gondola Stations Office & Project Location: Boston, Massachusetts Supervisor: J.F. Finn, III, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Principal Program Coordinators: Adam Harper, Project Architect, Associate / Diana Vasquez, Architect, Senior Associate Intern Team Members: Addison Silva—UConn Marketing, Lily Shi—Cornell Design & Environmental Analysis, Lindsay Hague—Endicott Interior Design, Longshao Xiao—WashU Architecture, Luis Negron—UPR Rio Piedras Architecture, Peijin Shi—Parsons Interior Design, Rebecca Resnic— WashU Architecture, Tianyi Sun—UPenn Architecture, Yang Zhao—Cornell Architecture

With the task of connecting a currently disconnected North and South Station in Boston, Massachusetts, this proposal speculates about an efficient, economical, yet ambitious option that challenges the already explored notion of a multi-billion-dollar process of boring tunnels for subterranean connections: an airborne alternative via cable-propelled transit. Executed by a diverse team of ten, inside and (voluntarily) outside of Gensler’s Boston office, this demanding intern project involved a historical survey, site analysis, and design process that led to an enticinglynew urban vision that would help alleviate public transit congestion in Boston, flying above the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. By drawing the longest and least amount of straight lines along the Greenway, understanding the limits of a variety of differing gondola systems, distinct site nodes were generated at their intersections. Utilizing a 3S cable car system to provide the necessary infrastructure to move 3,600 people per/hour, per/direction, following suit with cities such as New York and London, this proposal continues an international trend but sparks a local, city-wide dialogue about the future of public transit.

Transit Hub to Support Boston’s New Gondola System Sectional Perspective through Dewey Square / South Station

FERRY SERVICE First form of public transportation in Boston: 3-mile route to Chelsea across the harbor

1630

OMNIBUS Longer than conventional stagecoach with bench seating running lengthwise along the vehicle

1680

BOSTON TRANSIT TIMELINE

I-93 TUNNELS Created to mitigate traffic congestion and allow opportunities for new public spaces

2030

1730

Response to the demand for land transportation due to ambitious landfilling projects HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES

MOTOR BUS Boston establishes motor bus route

1980 Connection from Boston to East Boston/Logan Airport TED WILLIAMS TUNNEL

1780

THE EL Boston Elevated Railway Company (BERY) expands the network of railway lines, adding new carhouses and terminals

1830

1880

1930 Existing tracks utilized as ideal framework for new transportation system ELECTRIC STREETCAR

Rails added to planned routes along street RAILS & HORSECARS

Top Left Image: Digital model by Tianyi Sun; Base rendering by Luis Negron; Post-process by author Data: https: //www.mbta.com/history

Key design strategies for proposed South Station / Dewey Square Gondola Station: 1. Preserve existing public space that supports farmer’s markets, food trucks, and other tactical urbanism at street-level 2. Allow existing site lines (e.g., pathways, greenspace edges, and tree lines) to generate an appropriate building footprint that leads to a building that belongs in its immediate site context 3. Utilize existing tunnel infrastructure to support new gondola station loads 4. Design the rooftop and various interior elements to play the role as an extension to the Greenway 5. Create a pedestrian bridge that allows easy access to the gondola loading dock from High Street. Based off of the placement of the Parcel 18 (Urban Arboretum) station and an existing building between Dewey Square and Congress Street, the gondolas would have to be received above the road where Purchase Street terminates at Summer Street. With 26 feet of clearance above the road, the gondola station would not interfere with any traffic, and the station form would serve as a new threshold for commuters to experience on Purchase Street.

Patterned Language: Displacement, Violence, Depression, Substance Use GSD Option Studio: 1st-Year, Spring 2019 Project Type: Urban Interventions at Multiple Scales Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Professor: Toni Griffin, Professor in Practice of Urban Planning Visit link for more complete document https://issuu.com/williamtooheyiii/docs/ patterned_justice_displacement_viol

Communal Resilience It seems that it is only a matter of time until all postwar public housing developments are demolished and replaced with mixed-income housing in the United States. However, this Middle Hill-Bedford Dwellings master plan considers redevelopment as an opportunity to experiment with mixing more than just incomes and housing. Attracting more diversity—in terms of income, building program, events, people, public space, and transit—can help reinforce communal resilience that lasts generations. An anti-enclave approach is a productive strategy forward, in the context of historically-segregated public housing projects. This master plan is only one scenario, but the reality of the Hill’s future should be a result of economic development that’s guided by inclusive growth strategies that more equitably distribute ownership and actual control of property across the neighborhood. This plan shows a wide range of new possibilities for the Hill District. And it also considers how phasing new construction and demolition can ensure that public housing residents move only once and are not displaced from the Hill.

Supermarket

Mixed-Use

Mixed-Income Housing

Communtiy Center Block Church

Housing

1 . J U ST C I T Y VA LU E S A D D R E S S E D Ad a pta b i l i t y, S u sta i n a b i l i t y 2 . P O P U L AT I O N S S E RV E D Eve r yo n e 3 . P E R M A N E N T O R T E M P O R A RY Pe r m a n e n t 4 . PAT T E R N L I N K AG E S D eve l o p m e n t Te n s i o n C o m m u n i t y La n d Tr u st 5 . M E AS U R E O F S U C C E S S C o m p o s i t i o n of U n i t Ty p e s Median Household Income H o m e ow n e rs h i p by Ra c e/ E t h n i c i t y

Church

Single-Family Homes

METRICS

Phase 2: 2024-2027 Demolition of Public Housing and New Construction of Mixed-Use Neighborhood, Only as the Result of Successful Marketing and Management Efforts to Attract Diverse Financial, Social, and Human Capital Phase 1A: 2021-2023

Phase 1B: 2023

Outline and implement a dynamic network

Residents are Given

of human and social services that is pre-

Multiple Options to

pared to work directly with individuals,

Move and Adequate

individual households, groups of residents,

Services and Legal

and the entire community that occupies

Representation, if

Phase 1A: 2021-2023

Needed (e.g. move into new construction across the street, take a housing voucher to another neighbor-

New Construction of Innovative Mixed-Income / Mixed-Use / Courtyard-Style Housing

hood, or enroll in an-

each building. Construct this network of services based mainly on the most urgent needs of existing public housing residents, but also anticipate the need for a system that productively improves social relations between all residents. Strive for communal resilience that spans across all possible perceived

other federal housing

boundaries between class, culture, race, etc.

program)

It is absolutely imperative that adequate services are established before any units are occupied and must be provided to all resi-

Bedford Avenue

dents. Create a methodology for evaluating resident relations.

Phase 1A: 2021-2023 Landscape Work to Create Accessible and Inviting Connections through Neighborhood

Phase 1A: 2021-2023 New Construction and Revitalization of Existing Single-Family Homes

A model for distributed ownership among all community stakeholders

Linked Reconciliation

This proposal connects intimate spaces through the block and utilizes an adjacent, vacant lot to infill with a building dedicated to recreation and community services.

Recreation Gardens

METRICS 1 . J U ST C I T Y VA LU E S A D D R E S S E D C o n f l i ct , Re c o n c i l i a t i o n 2 . P O P U L AT I O N S S E RV E D Yo u t h a n d M ot h e rs 3 . P E R M A N E N T O R T E M P O R A RY Pe r m a n e n t 4 . PAT T E R N L I N K AG E S Lo s s Urban Wilds 5 . M E AS U R E O F S U C C E S S D e c re a s e d V i o l e n c e

Recreation

Daycare

Community

Organizations

The intentional positioning of new development near sites that have been marked by violence can help facilitate a process that acknowledges the past, addresses trauma, and creates a common vision to prevent retaliatory violence. The notion of a “linked reconciliation” involves multiple sites that are linked, physically, socially, or systematically, through a variety of organizations and institutions that own or maintain the sites.

Wylie Avenue

Church Morgan Street Victim, 17 Senior at Pittsburgh Milliones University Prep, Shot and Killed Around 7am on October 8, 2014

rch

Chu

SOURCES: (Quote) https://www.upmc.com/media/news/111318-bamwine-chp-apha

“Nearly half of black teenagers surveyed in Allegheny County report losing a friend or family member to murder, a disproportionately stark statistic that is associated with suicide attempts and other negative childhood experiences, according to research led by UPMC and University of Pittsburgh scientists.”

Collective Rehabilitation This building’s primary purpose is for rehabilitating individuals suffering from addiction. It offers beds, trained staff, new social programs that encourage collective healing, and flexible space for a variety of guest lectures and education-oriented activities. A mix of uses offers the community new space that is not entirely exclusive for the purpose of recovery.

Walking Track

Fenced-In Lawn

Community Space for Group Dialogue

Office

METRICS 1 J U ST C I T Y VA LU E S A D D R E S S E D H e a l t h i n e s s , S a fet y 2 . P O P U L AT I O N S S E RV E D Eve r yo n e 3 . P E R M A N E N T O R T E M P O R A RY Pe r m a n e n t 4 . PAT T E R N L I N K AG E S Va c a n cy 5 . M E AS U R E O F S U C C E S S D e c re a s e d D r u g - Re l a te d F a ta l i t i e s D e c re a s e d U s e of N a l oxo n e

Office Amphitheater

Vacancy

1519 Beechview Avenue

Church

Supportive Refuge This UPMC-funded urgent care center offers the Beechview community new services, public space, and a stateof-the-art healthcare facility. And a local task force will receive support to address depression, anxiety, and the most vulnerable residents. This new place creates an inviting environment for locals to enjoy but also helps respond to unmet public health needs of the community.

At riu m C Pere rm atie ts De sir ab le D ay lig hti ng

Patient Capacity = 8 to 10

Covered Open Space

METRICS 1 . J U ST C I T Y VA LU E S A D D R E S S E D H e a l t h i n e s s , S a fet y 2 . P O P U L AT I O N S S E RV E D Eve r yo n e 3 . P E R M A N E N T O R T E M P O R A RY Pe r m a n e n t 4 . PAT T E R N L I N K AG E S 5 . M E AS U R E O F S U C C E S S D e c re a s e d S u i c i d e s

Ch u

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m na

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This is also intended to be an inviting and convenient healthcare facility that neither feels nor looks like a traditional healthcare institution. The pattern language of architecture that serves people and public health can evolve into something more unique and hopefully attractive. Meaningful architecture and urban design might actually help contribute to improving the health of people who experience it, especially if it makes one feel a sense of belonging or refuge in a time of instability.

24/7 Urgent Care

Public Library

Broadway Avenue

ur ch

Church

Bee

chvie wM

anor

Permanent Supportive Housing Campus for Families with Children, Elderly, and Veterans GSD Option Studio: 2nd-Year, Fall 2019 Project Type: Campus Master Plan Location: Los Angeles, California Professor: Daniel D’Oca, Associate Professor in Practice of Urban Planning

This Permanent Supportive Housing Campus is composed of mostly affordable rental housing with flexible 24/7 supportive services. The supportive services are designed to promote physical, mental, and social well-being for all residents. The development prioritizes space and services for homeless families with children, elderly, and veterans who are living with disabilities (e.g., mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, substance misuse behavioral patterns, or chronic health conditions). Positioned strategically close to existing health service providers, this Downtown Los Angeles development contributes to stabilizing housing and life for many individuals in need of both housing and support. The model of permanent supportive housing is possible by maintaining ongoing communication and collaboration between service providers, trained building staff, property managers, and tenants. This development is a mixed-use environment where the vast majority of people living and working in the neighborhood are trained to respond to urgent issues that may arise. In addition to its ideal functionality, financing this type of housing is quite difficult. However, local opportunities like the No Place Like Home Program ($2B), Proposition HHH ($1.2B for 10K units), and the Homeless Emergency Assistance Program ($124M) make it more feasible. With no limits on length of stay for tenants, this proposed affordable housing makes a modest contribution to helping reduce and permanently prevent homelessness in Los Angeles.

URBAN DESIGN PROJECTS