Table of Contents
2
Foreword
5
Poly-programmatic: A Dynamic Equilibrium
6
Participatory Ownership: Securing A Socially Responsible Future
18
Intermediate Communities
28
Fourth Place
38
Mutualism in Shared Economy
48
Whitehole
58
3
Foreword
You are holding in your hands the last book produced under the WORKHOUSE Research Studio Essay Series Trilogy. It concludes a three-year study of the grey zone between domestic and work spaces and activities by UCLA students. Like the other two books, this one addresses a broad scope of issues – it looks into series of new visions implied by co-working and co-living spaces within the historial, social, cultural and technological paradigm shift. As lifestyles continue to transform, architecture needs to be redefined to accommodate changes in daily life. If the separation of domestic and work space into discrete zones informed the ethos of modern architecture and urban planning in the 20th century, the 21st century is characterized by the fluidity and flexibility of spaces and lifestyles. Essays in the book examine currently changing patterns of inhibition, the rise of new forms of community, and the reconciliation of domestic and work environments in new typological formats. It also grapples with how future architects can productively address these changes. In a pandemic like the one we are currently facing, the living and working conditions and the relationship between the two becomes ever more pertinent. As future norms are being questioned in a post-Covid-19 reality, architects will be faced with new challenges as the boundaries of spaces and programs take on new meaning. We hope that the WORKHOUSE essay series will serve as a point of reference to those, envisioning the future. Hitoshi Abe
This academic report is meant to be a tool of inspiration and has no commercial value . Thank you in advance to all the entities and photographers for allowing us to reproduce your images.
Professor, Dept. of Architecture and Urban Design, UCLA Director, xLAB Research Group, UCLA Chair for Contemporary Japan Study, Terasaki Center, UCLA
POLY-PROGRAMMATIC: A Dynamic Equilibrium Jacob Sertich and David Vasquez 6
Coffice Interior view, Ground Floor, @HYPERMIX, Japan. © HYPERMIX, 2020
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HYPERMIX Located in Koto City, Tokyo, Hypermix places work directly alongside home. The privately owned development totals 3,082m2 of ground-up construction. The building’s 8 floors accommodate different lifestyle needs (Fig 1). The public floors (levels 1-2)
Equilibrium, defined as a “state of balance”1, carries implications of stasis, regularity and conformity. Shin-Ichi Fukuoka assigns a dynamic role to equilibrium, which facilitates continuity, flexibility and interconnection. Fukuoka defined this dynamic equilibrium as the “state of flux between...degradation and synthesis” that serves as the mechanism in which “entropy [can be] exported from a system.”2 Similarly, the balanced scale, aequi-libra, maintains equilibrium through an ephemeral flow of continuous additions and interventions. Currently, buildings are increasingly considered poly-programmatic vessels that contain a multiplicity of programs, tenants, and timelines. Economic, social, and cultural intersections and development are built into the framework of poly-programmatic buildings. Poly-programmatic buildings act as systems of dynamic equilibrium made manifest into programmatic and economic production. These buildings provide a prolonged but concentrated snapshot of the equilibrium’s dynamic state of flux. The following case studies are unique examples of mixed-use projects that imbue dynamic equilibrium. However, these examples lack the architectural development that fully correspond to the new phenomenon, allowing a new architectural typology of the poly-programmatic to emerge. 8
provide commodities to be used by all residences and the public such as conference spaces, a multipurpose hall, a gym, and studio spaces. The semi-private floors (levels 3-6), also known as “shared houses”, promote co-living. Each shared house is composed of 8 dormitory style rooms, a large rental office space and a shared lounge and kitchen. The private floors (levels 7-8) support a more conventional and intimate living environment. Large apartments and penthouse units are organized along the perimeter of a shared central courtyard.
(Fig 1) Hypermix, Tokyo, HYPERMIX, 2020 9
This hyper-mix of programs results in emergent microcosms of economy, home, and community within the building.This can be seen in the capacity of the structure to reorganize based on local (within the building) needs and demands. Levels 3 through 6 were originally designed as semi-private live-work clusters.The presumed advantage of this arrangement was to build-in a close relationship between the home and workplace.However, tenants rejected this design decision and took it upon themselves to offset deficiencies. Tenants, seeking a greater distance between work and home, relocated to another floor (in some cases to a different building). Future tenants established micro-businesses out of their dormitories that were unrelated to the rental office; shifting the relationship between the dormitories and rental offices away from an employee-employer arrangement. Hypermix is an unconventional example that demonstrates the evolutionary, and sometimes unpredictable capacity
(Fig 2) Diagram showing multiple programs within Hypermix, HYPERMIX, 2020 10
of a mixed-use ecology. The building as a whole sustains dynamic equilibrium, as each level shifts and flexes to meet needs determined by the users and programs. Although Hypermix transcends the conventional mixed-use typology programmatically, design and construction decisions remain conventional and fail to keep pace with the programmatic flexibility. Architecturally, Hypermix uses standard slab construction and conventional modes of vertical circulation to navigate zoning and programmatic components. These conventional features restrain the adaptability of polyprogrammatics and only allow for segregated floors of activity. In order to foster a dynamic equilibrium, poly-programmatic buildings must challenge the disconnection that standard slab architecture and vertical circulation creates. In this sense, the dynamic equilibrium addresses the entire building, rather than pocketed instances and parts of it.
(Fig 3) 'Dollhouse' Photogrammetry model of Coffice, HYPERMIX, 2020 11
ARTS CHIYODA Once a junior high school, 3331 Arts Chiyoda continues to be an active participant of the Chiyoda community in Tokyo. The 3,300m2 building aims to bridge art and commercial components while promoting communal involvement. Each of the four levels of the building produce programmatic intersections that allow users and visitors to engage with artists, peers, and the larger community. The basement level is focused primarily around art, offering multiple art studios and two small exhibition spaces available to be rented by tenants (artists) or community members and institutions. The ground floor provides public functions, such as a cafe, a gallery, and a gift shop. The second floor combines two types of workspaces: art studios and co-working hot desks. The roof is adapted to provide community oriented programs such as a communal garden, recreational sports facilities and a special event space. Arts Chiyoda creates a symbiotic relationship which extends beyond the programmatic makeup of the building to create an economic microcosm. Arts Chiyoda’s economic symbiosis employs art production and cultural programming to increase the appeal of the commercial component. This productive relationship has proven higher occupancy rates and lower turnover. The diversified scheme and mutually beneficial programs allow Arts Chiyoda to fund community-driven programs, community events, exhibitions, and even art residency programs, featuring artists like Megan Clune.3 Arts Chiyoda is a successful example of a mixed-use project, however due to the rigidity of its adaptive reuse construction, it is not comprehensive of poly-programmatic typologies. While its program is free to proliferate within the bounds of what exists, Arts Chiyoda is shackled by the existing boundaries of its structure and can be altered only at the fixture level. This 12
(Fig.4 ) Programs at 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Images credit: Reno-Machi, 2019 and Artfair.3331, 2018 13
are equally committed to their stakeholders’ interests as well as giving back to society. Tenants include freelancers to high growth businesses predominantly working in tech, architecture and other creative industries. The 5 “give floors”, supported by the “buy” component, are dedicated to providing stepping stones for young entrepreneurs. “Give” programs include events
(Fig 5) Artist in Residence studio and exhibit space, 3331 Arts Chiyoda, 2020
limiting factor suggests that spatial iterations may be one of the key components in architectural typology that could fully support the dynamic equilibrium. It follows that new strategies that will allow adaptive reuse buildings to maintain the dynamic equilibrium and support poly-programmatics through spatial iteration can be key to the development of new architectural typology. 3Space INTERNATIONAL HOUSE Located in Brixton, London International House revitalized a 6,000m2 government-owned building into a cooperative community of established businesses and more experimental start-ups. The 12-story building holds a vast poly-programmatic ecology focused around their “BuyGiveWork” initiative. In this program International House gives away office space for each office space that is sold. In this way, “providing space for diversity inclusiveness and innovation and to support those who are too often priced-out of cities.”4 The building is organized in three programmatic categories: give, buy, and socializing, or networking levels. 5 “buy floors” support businesses who 14
(Fig 6) International House Program Ecology, 3Space, 2020 15
and project space, youth entrepreneurship hub, community initiatives, a textiles workshop and a center for photography services. Although these two programmatic categories are distinct from one another, the organization of the building promotes intermingling. Programs in the “give” and buy” are staggered throughout the building. The top two levels of the building house socializing and networking programs that are available to the public. International House, much like Arts Chiyoda, illustrates how a poly-programmatic combination can produce a symbiotic and dynamic microcosm. The difference between the two is that International House is much more direct in assigning an economic role to each tenant through the “BuyGiveWork” mechanism of value exchange.The limiting factor that these two projects have in common is the adaptive reuse typology of the building, which restricts poly-programmatic strategies. Architecturally, International House benefits from a much larger floor area to operate within, but it is still restrained to the limits of an architecture that was not originally designed to best support a dynamic equilibrium.
Hypermix to pocketed moments of dynamic equilibrium. International house and Arts Chiyoda both provided distinctly original mixes of the program, but were constrained by the adaptive reuse character of the projects. Many of the poly-programmatic case studies share the same issue – a lack of corresponding architectural solutions. This can be read as an indication for the urgency of new architectural typology, that will timely respond to the needs of polyprogrammatic buildings. With dynamic equilibrium at its core, poly-programmatics strengthens interconnectedness, symbiotic relationships and commutual strategies in design. It therefore becomes clear, that for architecture to take the full advantage of poly-programmatics, it has to both support and be supported by the dynamic equilibrium.
*** The discussed case studies have illustrated the increasing trend of poly-programmatics.The analysis of precedents depicts that complimentary programs allow for a certain level of dynamic equilibrium to be achieved. However, the same examples illustrate how little progress has been made towards developing an architectural typology that corresponds to the emerging trend of poly-programmatics. Among the studied projects, Hypermix was the most opportune to push poly-programmatic architecture as a ground-up development, however the shortcomings of the design was in the fact that it relied upon standard slab construction. This construction decision limited 16
1 “Equilibrium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https:// www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equilibrium. Accessed 21 Feb. 2020. 2 Shin-Ichi Fukuoka, Ph.D., is a biologist born in Tokyo in 1959. He has published many books that again raise the question “What is life?” based on the idea of dynamic equilibrium, including his bestselling book "Between the inanimate and biological (Kodansha Gendaishinsho)". 3 Megan Alice Clune fluidly shifts between musician, composer, and artist. Primarily, her work explores both the concept and aesthetics of ambient music through sound installation, collaboration, and performance. 4 “BuyGiveWork”, 3Space International House, http://3spaceinternational.co.uk/ buygivework. Acessed May 28, 2020
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PARTICIPATORY OWNERSHIP: Securing A Socially Responsible Future Daniel Sklar and Hiroshi Holloway
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Shared courtyard, Yokohama Apartments, On design partners, Japan. © Koichi Torimura, 2012 19
Plutocratic decision-making has emerged as the invisible epidemic in a world increasingly defined by economic inequity. As real estate developers and private equity funds jostle for a greater presence in the housing market, the average Angelino has been left without a say, and sometimes, without a home. Layer in the growing degree of isolation that contemporary sociologists ascribe to an excessive overreliance on technology; the world as we know it, is rapidly approaching a dystopian state rivaling that of an Aldous Huxley vision. Within this bleak landscape, however, there exists a way out - a path forward that reaffirms the voice of all stakeholders - a model of participatory ownership. Participatory ownership eschews the notion that the name on the deed of trust has the final word. It expands this historically narrow perspective to consider the input of tenants, neighbors, and the broader community. By establishing a third party - Pool House - as the impartial arbiter for exchange, a more equitable living arrangement is made manifest. Within this framework, rent is negotiated, quiet hours are established, and communal duties are allocated. The testing ground for this approach is found within the backyard of ordinary single family residences (SFRs). Seem 20
implausible? Not so. In 2017, California passed State Assembly Bill 68 (AB-68), which allows all SFRs to add auxiliary dwelling units (ADUs) to the property. By leveraging AB-68, Pool House intends to design, build, lease, and manage backyard ADUs. Thusly, creating an entirely new housing ecosystem nestled within the existing urban framework. The nature of this new housing stock is such that it requires reimagining the relationship between homeowner and neighbor. The backyard, a traditionally private zone, is transformed into the threshold for social engagement; a fluid border traversing the line of public and private. Concurrently, the participatory ownership model asks the SFR homeowner to take on the role of landlord, and the typical two-car garage to be conceived of as a dwelling place. To understand the need for this sort of radical intervention, one must consider the multitude of systemic challenges plaguing Los Angeles’ housing stock. At present, there is an affordable housing deficit of 760,000 homes in Southern California alone. 1Compounding the problem is the staggering population growth relative to new construction - between 2005 and 2015, permits were filed for only 21.5 units of housing for every 100 new California residents.2 Additionally, even the least restrictive residential zoning (R4) dictates that an apartment be no less than 400 square feet. In contrast, AB-68 allows ADUs as small as 150 square feet,3 introducing an entirely new option to Los Angeles’ housing mix. So how does Participatory Ownership work? Pool House reaches out to homeowners and offers to build them an ADU. The company covers all of the cost, and handles the architecture, construction, and leasing. In return, Pool House receives a ten-year land lease on the property, which allows it to sublet the ADU. During this ten year period, Pool House takes full responsibility for any repair work required on the unit. If the pipes are clogged, Pool House plumbs it. If the roof has a 21
leak, Pool House fixes it. Concurrently, Pool House also makes monthly payments to the homeowners for 10% of collected revenue. At the end of the ten-year lease, the homeowner keeps the ADU, and can choose if they would like to retain Pool House as a property manager. The key enticement to homeowners is Pool House’s promise to remove the developer risk typically associated with a project of this variety. Additionally, the added monthly income experienced by participants in the program sweetens the pot.
(Fig 1) Business Plan, Pool House, 2020 22
To arrive at this approach, numerous case studies were considered. Among the most compelling were Leo Palace, Yokohama Apartments in Japan, and AirBNB, now an international enterprise. The forthcoming sections provide analysis of these precedents, as well as an examination of how they have been modified to produce the Pool House concept. LEOPALACE 21 Leopalace 21 is a Japanese real estate enterprise offering construction and leasing services to landowners. The firm’s strategy starts with its acquisitions team, which is tasked with identifying landowners with available, developable land. Once identified, Leopalace 21 reaches out to the landowners, offering to construct and operate an apartment complex on behalf of the owner. Unlike the participatory ownership model, Leopalace 21 requires that the owner pay for the construction of the project. Once construction is complete, Leopalace 21 master leases the property, offering the owner a fixed return on investment and taking full responsibility for the maintenance and management of the complex.
(Fig 2) Example of our room facilities, Leoplace21, 2020 23
Pool House and Leopalace 21 align in their approach to engaging landowners. Both models recognize that few have the stomach for development risk, and that the ability to remove this uncertainty is highly attractive. However, the two enterprises diverge in their approach to upfront costs, profit sharing, and community engagement. Where Leopalace 21 asks the owner to pay for the construction, Pool House removes this upfront cost by paying for the buildout. This approach is not born out of an uncanny reverence for the homeowner, but is in fact part of a calculated assessment that preferences upfront risk to variable long-term risk. In the Leopalace 21 model, the company commits to a long-term lease, guaranteeing rental payment to the owner each month. In contrast, Pool House agrees only to a profit-sharing scheme, which ensures payment to the owner only if the Pool House successfully leases the space. Additionally, Leopalace 21 does little to intervene in the social interactions of its residents, whereas social engineering and mediation are a key component of the Pool House ethos. YOKOHAMA APARTMENTS Yokohama Apartments by ON Design is a four-unit apartment complex for young artists. The complex was designed to create a sense of community. It is replete with a semi-public courtyard space flanked by “huts for living.” A Multifunctional courtyard with a shared kitchenette and a workspace is used for public exhibitions, community events and communal cooking. Though the Yokohama apartments lack a specific business approach, they nonetheless offer helpful insight into the design of communal living. Additionally, the scale of the project is consistent with that of the prototypical Pool House unit – a freestanding dwelling of roughly 400 sqft – 800 sqft. Pool House seeks to use the architectural ideas of the Yokohama apartments to maximize the number of tenants on a property, and foster a micro-community comprised of homeowner and 24
tenants. Additionally, deploying the architectural potential of the Yokohama Apartment concept generates both semi-public and private spaces that foster and promote a sense of community and human interaction – two characteristics of a society that are in great demand in Los Angeles.
(Fig 3) Sketch, Yokohama Apartment/ On design partners, On design partners, ArchDaily, 2012.
AIRBNB Airbnb, now a household name, acts as a digital platform connecting homeowners to potential short-term tenants. The company does not own any of the real estate listings, nor does it host events; it acts as a broker, receiving commissions from each booking. AirBNB offers listings in over 81,000 cities, spanning 191 countries, and boasts over five million listings worldwide. The platform boasts over 150 million users, 53% of whom use Airbnb because of its range of affordable listings.4 Pool House iterates atop this model to create its own portfolio of short-terms and long-terms listings. In contrast to AirBNB, however, Pool House is not merely a middleman, but in fact, designs, constructs, and leases its portfolio properties. Still, Airbnb’s digital platform is a noteworthy guide for Pool House 25
(Fig 4) Design for Airbnb, Google Design 2017.
and its digital presence. Additionally, the way in which AirBNB has constructed an ecosystem of users, wherein tenants can share information and learn from one another, is critical to Pool House’s broader mission to create community.
As the shared-economy continues to grow, architecture can leverage participatory ownership to create new networks and communities. In the imminent future, designing a structure will be only one part of the architect’s task. Indeed, the Participatory Ownership model necessitates a more holistic approach to architecture – one that considers not only the aesthetics of a project, but the likely social interactions that are to be produced as well. Thought must be given to the rules of etiquette, community building, and sharing space. The architect must usurp the traditional role of broker, leasing property to specific tenants to best ensure a fit in personality type between owner and tenant. In these ways, the architect’s status is to be elevated from designer of space, to designer of experience.
*** The Participatory Ownership model builds upon the infrastructure of existing communities to create new social interaction through urban density. It is a novel overlay on the suburbs, putting the age-old adage “good fences make good neighbors” to the test by asking homeowners to participate in a new form of communal living. By creating space that blurs the boundary of the backyard, residents form microcommunities within the larger suburban landscape. That is, the fence no longer separates neighbors, but binds them together as participants in a smaller, more intimate community. This living arrangement generates social value in part by fostering more social interaction in an age when people are longing to connect. Additionally, it is noteworthy that Pool House will allow for low-income and middle-income renters to reside in neighborhoods that were historically accessible to only those that could purchase a single-family residence. 26
1 Collins, Jeff. “Southern California Lacks 759,000 Affordable Homes, Report Says.” Orange County Register, Orange County Register, 29 Aug. 2019, www.ocregister.com/2019/05/21/ southern-california-lacks-759000-affordable-homes-report-says/. 2 Chiland, Elijah. “How Serious Has California's Housing Shortage Gotten?” Curbed LA, Curbed LA, 4 March, 2016, la.curbed.com/2016/3/4/11159938/california-housing-shortagehomeownership. 3 “California Paves Way for More ADUs.” BB&K Law, www.bbklaw.com/newsevents/insights/2019/legal-alerts/10/california-paves-way-for-more-adus. 4 “Airbnb by the Numbers: Usage, Demographics, and Revenue Growth.” Airbnb Statistics (2020): Users, Booking, Financials & Fun Facts, 18 February 2020, muchneeded.com/ airbnb-statistics/.
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INTERMEDIATE COMMUNITIES Megan Berookhim and Chloe Watson
Interior view of the main space at Flatto-Nihonbashi and image of the PIAZZA app, Japan. © Flatto, 2020 28
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Intermediate community is a term that addresses a new group of diverse users that have emerged as a result of changing modes of communication in relation to the space they occupy. Architecturally, Intermediate communities bridge between physical and digital communities to create a physical hub that engages social media and therefore enriches physical and digital presence in a physical space. Physical communities inherently foster interaction. They are often bound by shared geography, religious alignments and similar social activities. Physical communities share meeting points and physical locations, where interactions are commonly held. Within the built environment these spaces may include community centers, schools, parks and town halls.Digital communities, on the other hand, are social media based interactions that exist solely through the framework of online platforms; such as facebook, instagram, twitter, youtube and pinterest. In digital communities members virtually interact with one another based on common experiences and interests. Due to the shifts in communication modes, these two communities have diverged and share few aspects from both domains. Nevertheless, each community takes full advantage of their unique features. Digital communities are equipped with various digital profiles that employ immediacy, flexibility and a 30
certain level of anonymity. Physical communities, on the other hand, foster in-person communication and draw attention to the presence of the physical hub as the center for interaction and attraction. Considering the advantages of both domains and their features, the dichotomy of digital and physical presence opens up an interesting question for architects who are presented with an opportunity to address the space “in-between� these two paradigms. The intermediate community is envisioned to occupy this gap and benefit from the dynamic occupancy within both digital and physical domains. To fulfill the demand of this complex and diverse user-group, future architects and designers are presented with an opportunity to develop new typologies of flexible multi-use buildings that will respond to the needs of the Intermediate community. The following case studies illustrate varying spatial solutions that could inform this new typology and address some of the crucial needs of the emerging Intermediate community user group.
INTERMEDIATE COMMUNITY
Physical Digital I NI A T ET RE MCEODMI A T Ym u n i t y MTUENCI TOYM M UCNoIm C o m m u nI Ni tTyE R M E D
PhysicalPhysical C o m m u n Ci toym m u n i t y
Digital Digital C o m m u n Ci toym m u n i t y
(Fig 1) Intermediate Community, Authors, 2020. 31
POP-UP STORE Pop-up shops are one example of the physical manifestation of the intermediate community. The pop-up retail model allows merchants, who primarily conduct sales online, and customers to connect in a physical space on a temporary basis. Pairing an established online experience with an offline experience to match consumers needs is an excellent way to build a network of loyal, and engaged shoppers. Furthermore, the event based nature of the pop-up retail model has another important advantage as a marketing strategy- it adds an element of excitement to the shopping experience. The "scarcity strategy" reinforces the business component and presents the product as an exclusive offer making the event more exciting to the shoppers and of greater advantage for retailers. On the downside, pop-up shops appear to lack some of the advantages of the permanent stores. While pop-up stores benefit from the absence of monthly rental fees, they do not offer permanent meeting places. Potentially, the component of permanence, included in lasting physical presence, could still allow for the flexibility of functions and diversity of users. Physical presence, extended in time, can foster durable relationships between all the stakeholders and brings in stability. It therefore becomes clear that the challenge presented by the Intermediate
(Fig 2) Glossier pop-up shop in London, Dezeen, 2019. 32
community is set in a peculiar relationship between permanence and temporarity, where change and stability can be found in interaction with each other. POINT 0 The co-working model is another strategy which informs the development of the intermediate community. Point 0 is a coworking space that thrives on its capacity to hyper-customize each user's experience. This technologically advanced work environment acts as a platform for different companies to test out their products. In doing so, creating a mutually beneficial relationship between those using the space and those testing products. This allows users within the same shared workplace to have different experiences according to their personal preferences. Unique levels of customization allows for instant adjustments on several levels – from the customization of temperature to the modification of furniture. Personalization of the work environment offered by the Point 0 project is significant for the study of Intermediate communities as it involves the presence of the user in a digital environment.Point 0 project also includes a mobile app for its tenants, through which each user can customize their workstation to enhance their experience. Point 0’s productive interactions between
(Fig 3) Point0 co-working space in Tokyo, Point0, 2020. 33
digital tools and the physical environment provides a tailored experience which unites these two domains in one space. FLATTO Flatto is a co-working space with a built in app component located in Nihonbashi Japan. Flatto and Piazza aim to be a useful resource for the community. The Piazza app allows the local community to engage with the coworking space remotely. Community members can keep up with scheduled events and programs, plan events, chat with local community members in chat rooms and even search for employment in the ads section. Meanwhile, the physical co-working space provides amenities such as a shared kitchen, lounge area, studios, office spaces and training room that are available to the public. This project is successful in its integration of both physical and a digital platform. While Flatto illustrates an example of engagement with the Intermediate Community on a level of physical presence and through its digital app, it seems to be lacking the flexibility in its programs.
(Fig 4) Flatto Ground Floor Plan and Piazza App, Flatto-Nihonbashi, 2020. 34
SPACEOS SpaceOS is a digital workplace management application that functions as a digital coworking space. SpaceOS takes advantage of the growing role of technology as it becomes crucial for an efficient work culture. By offering centralized access to various functions that are relevant and urgent during work hours, the app connects its users as if you were in a physical co-working space. The convenience of immediacy and instant access to various resources and efficiency in operations equips SpeceOS tenants with an essential network of resources that become available regardless of physical location. This innovative idea of providing a platform that focuses on locality and engages with a space without occupying a physical territory stands out as a timely response to changing modes of communication and shifts in live-work culture. This strategy can be seen as an appropriate response to the needs of the emerging Intermediate Community through customization, immediacy of operational strategies, remote control options and flexibility in relation to the physical space.
(Fig 5) SpaceOS App, SpaceOS, 2020. 35
*** In the above mentioned case studies, we have analyzed projects that occupy both digital and physical spaces and cater to the needs of the Intermediate Communities. These examples demonstrate that even though people are turning to digital technology in nearly every aspect of life, they are still drawn to the physical space, which provides a spot for direct interaction. Our research has shown that the strongest case studies are successful primarily because they employ combined strategies, where digital performance is enhanced by the presence in the physical space. It becomes clear that the phenomenon of Intermediate Communities, indicated by a growing number of digital natives that want to have a choice of occupying physical spaces at their convenience, brings up the necessity to bridge diverged physical and digital communities together in one space. Architecture in this scenario has a potential to act as the bridging device to accommodate these needs. Programmatically, such concepts as diversity of functions, efficiency in interaction and flexibility of space are long familiar to architects. However, the challenge presented to the profession is in bringing these features together with the advanced technological backbone to increase the efficiency, provide new modes of communication and new means of occupying the space. By enhancing these features in design, architects appear to have a unique opportunity to come up with a new typology that will no longer privilege physical over digital or vice versa, but rather will cater for the new user group, for the Intermediate Community.
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FOURTH PLACE Florian Lepinard and Luchao Wang
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Interior view of Book and Bed Tokyo in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. © Moshimoshi-Nippon, 2020
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In the book, The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg introduces the concept of the "Third Place" as "informal public gathering spaces" in opposition to the first places (home) and second places (work).1 Oldenburg insists communities hinge upon the establishment of local, informal and inexpensive spaces individuals can gather to momentarily escape the demands and routine of home and work life. Studies conducted by the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and international architectural firm Gensler, show a trend of diminishing third places due to increasing commute distances between home and work. Professors Takamasa Suzuki and Yasanori Muromachi, of Tokyo Tech, link technological advances in high-speed transportation to an unprecedented growth in urban sprawl in Tokyo.2 The displacement of the workforce to the outskirts of the city destabilizes the notion of the third place as individuals
(Fig 1) Diagram showing home, work, community - the third place, Bisner, 2016 40
spend a greater amount of time in transit- further complicating one's capacity to foster a healthy balance between leisure and work. The studies conducted by Gensler, show longer daily commutes negatively affect the psychological health of employees. 3Third places, initially meant to promote physical interaction, are being replaced by modes of transit where individuals are isolated in a transitional space that doesn’t relate to first, second or third places. This paper suggests the emergence of the Fourth Place phenomenon –a new category that addresses a new dynamic environment that optimizes leasing models and mobilizes third places to maximize their capacity. Fourth Places build upon Oldenburg’s sequence of spaces through incorporation of the fourth dimension – the domain of time. In Euclidean geometry, the fourth dimension refers to a concept of space beyond immediate perception that involves movement and time. In this way, the phenomena of Fourth place aims to extend beyond the fixed conventions of a single program for a single site and a single user. Instead, the fourth place maximizes the occupancy level, allowing for the use in programmatic “off-hours”; therefore, accommodating various groups of users on the same site at different times slots and allowing for different programs to coexist. This diversified set of conditions unfold a challenging opportunity for future architects – it entices them to think about the buildings from the perspective of a flexible and multifaceted
(Fig 2) Timeswap, Authors, 2020 41
network of spatial responses to shifting programmatic needs. The shift from the traditional leasing model to a more resourceful arrangement with the inclusion of "off-hours”, results in the emergence of diversified environments that act as an equilibrium for live-work-play activities. The advantage of activating various sites across the city to host different activities accommodated by the Fourth Places allows for less commute and more efficient use of free time. In this scenario, every single location in the city has the potential to mobilize several functions in an engaging way. There are a number of existing businesses that operate within the framework of the Fourth Place, that rely on the relationship between complementary programs, spatial efficiency and temporal aspects embedded within the design strategies. Various combinations of these factors are explored in case studies below to see how different spaces maximize use by transitioning between uses. With minimum effort to operate the programmatic shifts, Fourth Place’s strategic alignment of site, time and function provides fruitful grounds for architects to build upon.
(Fig 3) Spacious, Sam Hodgson for The New York Times, 2018
SPACIOUS Spacious is an online platform and an app that infills retail buildings during their off-hours. While many restaurants are closed during the daytime, Spacious effortlessly turns these spaces into co-working stations. This scheme allows business owners to maximize revenue during off-hours, while also providing a shared workplace for people. Some of the bars and restaurants also provide complimentary food and drink services during co-working hours, simultaneously, expanding the restaurant’s clientele base. In the evenings, restaurants and bars return to their normal business hours and continue to operate unaltered. For the convenience of the user, the app offers subscription passes on a monthly or annual basis, as well as 42
(Fig 4) Diagram of Spacious, Authors, 2020
more flexible options such as “pay by minutes'' or “drop in.”The digital and physical presence of the project, instant access to the database of venues, variety of sites and locations and flexibility of plans make this strategy a successful Fourth place example that efficiently employs time, space and function for the benefit of business owners and the user. 43
(Fig 5) Book and Bed Tokyo Shinjuku, TripAdvisor, , 2018
(Fig 6) View on Ginza Sony Park , Ginza Sony Park, 2020
BOOK AND BED TOKYO
SONY GINZA PARK
Book and Bedroom Tokyo is a successful chain bookstore which has an integrated capsule hotel component. By bringing these two functions together, the project allows one single space to combine activities that employ different timeframes: napping or reading during the day and accommodating guests at night. Flexible design strategies convert the bookshelves into compact beds to ensure uninterrupted efficiency. Inspired by the sleeping pods popular in Tokyo, it provides a safe spot to take a break from the buzz of the megapolis and allows for a moment of solitude. Typical of a bookstore, the silence and relief is successfully complemented by the bed component that brings in comfort and coziness. Book and Bedroom Tokyo is a context-specific response to many being forced to move to the periphery of the city due to the density, over-population, and high cost of living. Demonstrating the capacity to switch between functions and respond to a growing problem, Book and Bed Tokyo is an influencial model as a Fourth place.
Sony Ginza Park employs features of the Fourth place through the overlapping functions, flexible arrangement and adjustment to the temporal condition between them in the expansion of the existing Sony building from 1966 into a campus. Through an iterations of expansions the original retail space incorporated a 3-level subterranean multi-functional space and a public square. The most recent addition is a ground-up project which will provide workspaces and public amenities to be completed in 2022. The shifting and varying timelines of the building display architecture’s capacity to accommodate temporal changes. Furthermore Sony Ginza Park provides an example of a more extensive timeline in which change occurs. Unlike the previous case studies, in this instance the programmatic shifts are not taking place to meet localized needs; but rather to be informed by and adjust to larger trends and demands. Thusly, the Fourth Place can be understood as a phenomenon that addresses both micro and macro needs and functions within varying timeframes.
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*** The Fourth place challenges the common approach of designing a space for a single function over its lifetime as it aims to seamlessly infill the interstitial space between home (place 1) work (place 2) and one’s commute (the new place 3). By adding a dimension of time to spaces with otherwise fixed programs, new architectural solutions can be explored for more dynamic relations between work,live and play. Furthermore, the shift of attention to the temporal aspect in architecture opens up a new unexplored territory for future architects. By adding the dimension of time to spaces with otherwise fixed programs, the room for design that addresses off-hours use in the same spaces suddenly opens up. New typologies that will emerge as a response to the Fourth Place condition will have to cater for the programs with alternative timeframes, different use patterns and various audiences. In this sense, the Fourth Place offers an interesting promise for the field, as it predominantly shifts what has been considered static and established to a one that is flexible, dynamic and diverse in nature. In other words, the Fourth place challenges architecture that is “frozen in time” and rather embraces the temporal condition of changes that take place in architecture.
1 Ray Oldenburg, The great good place: cafes, coffee shops, community centers, beauty parlors, general stores, bars, hangouts, and how they get you through the day. (New York: Paragon House, 1989), 320. 2 Takamasa Suzuki, Yasunori Muromachi, "Population Density - Automobile Use Regulationship: Re-examination in Asian and American Mega-Cities," Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, Vol.1(2007): 1371. 3 Nachiko Yamamoto et al., “What is the next generation of Tokyo’s “third places”?, Gensler Research, Gensler, 2016, https://www.gensler.com/research-insight/gensler-researchinstitute/tokyos-third-places. Accessed May 28, 2020.
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MUTUALISM IN SHARED ECONOMY Wandi Wang and Ziyao Li
View on Coworking space in Brooklyn Boulders Chicago, © Arc20, 2020 48
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“Mutualism, an association between organisms
of two different species in which each benefits. Mutualistic arrangements are most likely to develop between organisms with widely different living requirements.”1
Encyclopaedia Britannica
The growing shift towards the shared culture of work-live environments has resulted in the expanding popularity of coworking phenomenon. The growing trend towards shared workspaces has opened up a myriad of opportunities for designers and allowed for new combinations of programs to emerge. Interestingly, this shift also implicates the changing relationship between the environments of work and home. As these two domains increasingly overlap a demand emerges to seamlessly fold in the element of leisure. The architectural response to the convergence of live, work and leisure in one space is the phenomena that will be defined as mutualism in this essay. This new phenomenon of Mutualism diverges from the traditional mixed-use typology as it embeds additional and often unexpected leisure components into its main program. Traditionally, the mixed-use building typology maintains distinct boundaries between incorporated programs, therefore, restricting potential interaction between them. In contrast to the typical mixed-use scheme, where the commercial and residential spaces are plugged into the organization of the building with no physical overlap, Mutualism appears to dissolve these boundaries. The aim of Mutualism is to seamlessly interlace several programs that may not initially seem compatible, while 50
ensuring an experiential component hinged upon the users ability to effortlessly shift between programs. Specifically, Mutualism facilitates interdependence of programs to amplify the experiential component and brings-in the attractive element of “lifestyle” as its key feature. As a result, the co-working typology now becomes a complex network of experiences as programs become an extension of one another. This allows Mutualism to trigger a completely new set of connections between the service and product provider with the user based on the features of convenience and immediacy. Mutualism, therefore, opens up as a complex phenomenon and this paper explores it through a number of case studies illustrated below. BROOKLYN BOULDERS Brooklyn Boulders is an urban climbing, fitness, coworking and community center located in New York City. Brooklyn Boulders fosters a sense of community by overlaying a coworking component into the programs of the climbing gym. This project integrates a series of design elements as stimulus
(Fig 1) Brooklyn Boulders Chicago, Arrowstreet, 2020 51
(Fig 2) Plan, Brooklyn Boulders Queensbridge, Arrowstreet, 2020
tools for the user to direct the attention towards the program of climbing. These stimulus elements, embedded in coworking areas include pull-up bars, sitting balls and other training equipment, used by the tenants as energy boosting devices. Combination of physical activity and workplace creates an unconventional setting, where clients of Brooklyn Builders can work, have space to rest, recharge and enjoy climbing activities without leaving the building. By having these two divergently different programs together, the project emphasises the lifestyle element as the key point of attraction and therefore places the “play” element at the foreground, shifting the convention worklive-play to play-work-live. MUJI HOTEL GINZA Muji hotel is an excellent illustration of Mutualism as it employs the strategy of integrating the shopping experience into the primary function of the hotel and subsequently blurs the line between these two programs by incorporating the leisure components to it on all levels. Each hotel room is equipped with MUJI products which encourages hotel guests 52
(Fig 3) MUJI Hotel CRM Analysis & Redesign, Vian Deng, 2020
to indulge in the “MUJI lifestyle.” By placing the function of temporary accommodation to the forefront, while keeping the retail component underlining every aspect of the experience in the Hotel, the project clearly addresses the phenomenon of Mutualism. As a Brand, Muji is known to its customers primarily as a retail business. However, in its hotel project, Muji shifts the roles of “producer of goods” to a “producer of experience” and brings the latter to the foreground. From the critical standpoint, Muji Hotel brings in a problematic aspect of exalted level of consumerism. At Muji Hotel, each guest immediately becomes the user of Muji products and conveniently, a Muji store and Muji restaurants are located in the same building. As 53
programs of hotel, restaurant, retail store, workshop events all merge together in one building, Muji grows from a retailer to a provider of a particular lifestyle, or experience of a curated living as envisioned by the brand. The example of Muji presents an interesting case study for Mutualism phenomenon as it demonstrates both sides of one coin– it does provide convenience and comfort to its users by blending several programs together, however, it also seamlessly limits consumer’s choices by narrowing the window and allowing for seamless integration of consumption into other aspects of living. EQUINOX HOTEL Equinox Hotel is positioned in the niche of boutique hotels that include additional elements of leisure.The hotel provides its guests with built-in membership in their luxurious fitness center, offered to the guests as part of the package. Similarly to Muji, the hotel program is a new addition to the luxury fitness company. Otherwise, better known for its fitness centers and sports facilities, the introduction of a hotel is an opportunity to package a lifestyle. Thusly, devoted equinox customers can travel with no worries of missing a workout. While hotel guests
(Fig 4) Equinox, Stefano Ukmar for The New York Times, 2019 54
curious about Equinox automatically become prospective clients. This strategic combination of programs that Equinox employs in its Hotel facilities can be easily reviewed through the lens of Mutualism. On the one hand, Equinox provides convenient access to high-end gym facilities available for the Hotel guests and therefore reinforces productive relationships between the programs for the benefit of the user. On the other hand, the fact that Equinox expands the “play” component and brings the “live” component as a supportive element for the support of the lifestyle agenda and experience of the gym, indicates the shift in current economy towards the industry of leisure and entertainment as a primary goal for the producer. GREEN STREET AGENCY Green Street Agency is a co-working space, created to foster the budding cannabis industry. As an office building and a communal hub, Green Street Agency hosts retail spaces, community halls, galleries and restaurants. The advantage of this project in comparison to the previous precedents of Mutualism, is that Green Street Agency openly addresses the growing market around cannabis-related products and, hence,
(Fig 6) Bird's eye view of the third floor, The Green Street Agency cannabis hub, M-Rad, Archinect, 2018 55
brings the network of businesses, product consumers and other interested parties together clearly indicating its role. Mutualism, in its best version, can be illustrated by one of the evident examples of beneficial relationships that is fostered in the project–the cannabis-focused law firm that is located in the building provides its service to the members of the Green Street Agency. It becomes clear that interdependent relationships that the project creates serve for the benefit of various stakeholders and ensure such aspects of quality, privacy and security. *** The examined case studies have demonstrated that the shared economy seems to be moving from a “work-liveplay” sequence to a “play-work-live” sequence, with elements of leisure and entertainment standing at the frontline. This shift has been analyzed through the lens of the Mutualism phenomenon; the situation where programmatic boundaries in projects get blurred for the benefit of the “play” component. Seeing the features of Mutualism in a number of contexts allowed the research to reveal a number of possible combinations of functions. Architecturally, Mutualism can be of interest from several perspectives as it differs from the traditional mixeduse programs with its multilayered nature of programs that seamlessly merge at different points of use. This change in strategic planning may offer future architects an opportunity to explore new typological solutions that will challenge the traditional design for mixed-use buildings. Another feature that Mutualism suggests for architectural exploration lies in its focus on the experience of the use as a primary driver for the occupation of the space. This aspect may suggest architects to incorporate an element of immersive experience in their design, enhanced by the advanced technology available today.
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1 Encyclopaedia Britannica, s.v. “Mutualism,” ed. John P. Rafferty, https://www. britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419. Accessed May 28, 2020.
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WHITEHOLE Zhiyin Lin and Yujie Shi
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View on Coworking space in Brooklyn Boulders Chicago, 59 © Patrick Tourneboeuf / Tendance Floue, 2018
In a society where the conventional workday and workplace are being redefined, individuals have the capacity to personalize their lifestyles. The separation between live and work, reinforced by 20th century office culture, had positioned these two domains as opposing ends of the spectrum. Today, with the shift towards co-working and co-living culture, the boundary between home, work and leisure is more ambiguous than ever. The trend of boosting efficiency and productivity at work and in life, regardless of one’s location, has furthered the shift and resulted in new unexpected typologies of work-live-play environments. With increased mobility, denser work-live-play typologies and shared use of the space, social distance and physical separation of activities that were once common and familiar have been eradicated. As a result, various lifestyles have emerged at the intersection of the work-live-play domains, revealing the urge to accommodate the transition between the roles that these three domains predetermine. With this in mind, the research below aims to address a certain deficiency in current mixeduse programs. This paper hints on the potential of the space ‘in-between’ typologies and programs in multifunctional developments and illustrates it through a demand of such ‘blank zones’. The analysis focuses on features of ambiguous and transitory zones, tagged in the paper as “Whitehole” spaces, that can be found in existing developments and that perhaps 60
indicate a promise for the architects of the future. The concept behind the term “Whitehole” is a loose organizational model that embraces the ambiguous and flexible nature of space. It hinges upon the element of transition and allows for the instantaneous shifts between various activities. Initially, the co-working typology employed similar strategies and emphasized undefined zones as potential sites for productive work and study flow. With time, co-working spaces gained their own typology and had properly submerged into a workplace category that is hard to be defined as flexible and multidimensional. This loss, however, pointed us to the activities that surround the routine of work-live-play cycles and may emphasize ambiguity by the very nature of change.
(Fig 1) Whitehole Diagram, Authors, 2020 61
STATION F Station F is a co-working and co-living space located in Paris, France. Its growing popularity is largely underlined by high-efficiency work-live trends popular among independent entrepreneurs. At first glance, Station F seems to be a typical contemporary style shared live-work space with centralized resources and networks. However, upon closer inspection it employs “Whitehole” features in its arrangement. The residential component is located within ten minutes walking distance from Station F’s work campus, thusly, generating a transitory space. Although the transitory zone is not incorporated in the project as a feature of a centralized worklive environment, it has been recognized that employees enjoy that distance between work and live spaces. This transitory territory allows them to prepare for work, decompress after
(Fig 2) Flatmates– Station F’s co-living space Station F, 2020 62
work or seize moments of improvisation and integration within the city. Whether it was incorporated by design strategy, or just happened to fall in place by mere coincidence, the ‘blank zone’ is clearly enhancing the experience of transition and personal time of the tenant. Also, Station F also includes a number of undefined, or multifunctional spaces within the main building. These “Whiteholes” are available to members to meet a range of needs, from a yoga studio to hosting a birthday party. PARKVIEW GREEN Parkview Green, located in Beijing, China, is a large-scale multiuse development that includes an office complex, a shopping center and a hotel. The project represents a conventional mixeduse typology with a bridge that allows for transition between the two main volumes of the building. Typically, the function
(Fig 3) Section, Parkview Green, i.pinimg, 2020 63
(Fig 4) Atrium View, Parkview Green, Globetrekimages, 2020
of a bridge is strictly infrastructural, however Parview redefines its design parameters by incorporating a set of additional complementary programs within this space. Considering the dominant functions of work-live-play functions of the development, the bridge actualizes the “Whitehole” condition in the building. In this sense, the bridge serves two functions prescribed for the “Whitehole” space: it serves as a place of transition between key programs, and also brings an element of distraction from the habitual routine. The latter is done through the series of events and exhibitions that take place on the bridge. Also, as a place for distraction from work-live zones, the aspect of time plays an important role in the programming of the bridge. With the element of surprise and cultural content provided in the space, the time of transition slows down. The tenant has a chance to disengage from the established cycle of activities and pause to view current show on display. Combination of several factors found in the gallery bridge at Parkview Green project demonstrates that architectural decisions may be used to reinforce the “Whitehole” condition and therefore, strengthen the balance in work-live-play environments through incorporation of non-fixed events and programs and factor of transition. 64
(Fig 5) Osage Lofts Denver, Estately, 2020
OSAGE LOFT Osage Lofts is an adaptive reuse development In Denver, with an old warehouse of the Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Co., built in 1915, converted to a work-live location. Despite its close proximity to the Arts District and the convenience of zoning, the project didn’t meet all the needs of its tenants. In the survey conducted upon the project’s completion, residents indicated that only one out of thirty-two units was used as projected work-live environment. In the same survey, residents had claimed that working and living in the same building made their life static and that they felt isolated from the outside world. As Osage Loft's example has shown, the combination of work and home in close proximity to each other does not always provide enough flexibility for the people to feel freed from their traditional roles, activities and routines. Perhaps, it could even suggests that consideration of the “Whitehole” space in an earlier stages of design can be of a benefit for various stakeholders.
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*** In the context of diverse and efficiency-driven modes of living– people’s roles often happen to be predetermined. Within these frames, there is an urge to occupy the spaces of transition and sites of ambiguity. Reviewed in the essay “Whitehole” spaces in existing developments seem to accommodate these liberating moments – shifts between different lifestyles, leaps from the habitual routines to impromptu moments. Whitehole, therefore, becomes a place of radical transformation. It is a threshold, as it is not a final destination but rather a temporary stop on the way to somewhere else. It is neither here nor there, it is a space that is a 'blank zone'. The transitory quality of these zones marks an invisible, internal transformation as one’s identity moves from “worker" and "tenant” to that of a “person”. It is for these heterotopic qualities, Whitehole becomes a powerful tool for architects to demarcate the space. Since Whitehole strips its occupant of the assigned occupancy through singling out of the worker or tenant, the ambiguity or transitory space provides comfort to its user by referencing larger communities with more choice of lifestyle, identity or representation. Whitehole is therefore, a collapse of both the individual and the collective.
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Credits Studio Instructor
Hitoshi Abe
Dept. of Architecture and Urban Design, UCLA
Editors
Lena Pozdnyakova
xLAB Research Group, UCLA
Celine Havai
Dept. of Architecture and Urban Design, UCLA
Cover
Lena Pozdnyakova
xLAB Research Group, UCLA
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2020 AUD UCLA