Monthly Archives: October 2015

Assignment Posts, Final 1500w

The Green Cure

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Publication: Harvard Design Magazine

Thesis: New York City should undergo a large scale introduction of green, sustainable projects like DSR’s High Line project to combat the effects of uncontrolled urbanization and municipal development.

Abstract:

Questionable power sources such as coal mining and fracking. Hundreds of millions of tons of municipal construction waste. Widespread poor space and resource utilization. These are just some of the vexing issues facing New York City’s environmental situation. These are problems are not isolated to the Big Apple. These are problems echoed across the country but exacerbated by the volume of people and the proximity within which they live. Things that seem natural to a town, such as historical neighborhoods and parks have washed away in waves of urbanization and skyrocketing prices for a square foot of rent. The urbanization of New York has been crippled by its piecemeal growth and small scale projects resulting in an incoherent patchwork of an environmentally unsustainable city. While an occasional project will address these issues, there is an ignorance of the need for green that shoots straight to the top. There have been reports of the ideal scenarios for decades from now, but little legislative legwork to keep things moving along the allotted path (Office of the Mayor, 2007). Environmentally conscious architecture and planning isn’t merely a supplementary certification to boast about but rather, urgently needed. As cities draw more and more people from an ever wider range, their scope of in-demand resources grow too. This ever expanding radius and, in turn, impact per person is putting a strain on the country as a whole and it is beginning to show. California’s drought, crop shortages, and landfill zones running out of space are just a few of the symptoms of this national epidemic, and some of these problems are affecting the big apple as well (WBEZ, 2015).

Now more than ever there is a need to return to the basics, the lifestyle possible hundreds of years ago is still relevant today. I do not mean to imply by any means that horse and buggies are the new Prius, but rather that using what you have and conserving your resources are a way of life, not a choice. For architects this means designing buildings that are adaptive and designed for their location to use a reasonable amount of energy and attempting to gain some through renewable resources. For urban planning this may mean more green space and better regulation of zoning. The city’s planning commissions have consistently approved projects with little to no regard for environmental impacts, or based on a set of standards that only address a specific set of issues (Smith, 2002)(NPR, 2010). Residents of the city are beginning to take notice of the changes all around them, affecting everything from air quality to even how much sun they see (Hughes, 2015). People naturally crave natural features (such as trees and grass) to maintain a positive mood and general well-being. To feed these cravings, New York City needs projects that add green space to the urban fabric.

A step in the right direction can be found in New York City itself. Stretching from Gavensvoort Street to 34th Street, a once disused 1.45 mile long portion of the New York Central Railroad stands proudly 30 feet above street level. The High Line Park, designed by New York architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DSR), is an incredibly popular project. Receiving nearly 5 million visitors per year (Lopate, 2011), the HLP is an exemplar of an environmentally thoughtful project. Due to the decreased use of rail traffic through the nation, the original New York Central Railroad became obsolete. The portion of the railroad that would become the High Line sat over Manhattan streets for over 30 years, obsolete and growing hardy wild grasses and shrubs. While slated for demolition in the 1990s (following the trend of wasteful construction), repurposing of the railroad began in 2005, until its completion in the fall of 2014 (Lopate, 2011). Instead of demolishing the railroad, leaving the area as a pile of rubble for several years only to be turned into another environmentally wasteful project, the High Line is an example of successful and effective adaptive reuse.

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26th Street Viewing Spur. Photo taken by Barry Munger

 

The High Line’s success can be attributed to its biophilic design and subsequent effect on its users. Biophilic design appeals to the innate human affinity to natural features and processes (Kellert, 2005). The average New York City daily commuter will likely have his view dominated by the skyscrapers, seeing only steel, glass, and concrete. Stephen Kellert proposed that biophilic architecture is an attempt by humans to act as a substitute for nature itself in a world where rampant urbanization makes visiting actual nature difficult (Kellert, 2005). A 2014 report by the Journal of Leisure Research indicated that per capita visitation to national parks has decreased by roughly 19% over the last 17 years (Walker, 2015). However, the High Line addresses this problem by injecting a green space directly into a concrete and steel construct. This introduction of natural and green features, in addition to its architectural programming (theatres, lookouts, lounges), result in very positive feedback from the surrounding community. This popularity (gauged by its annual 5 million visitor count) is the key to the High Line’s sustainability. An environmentally conscious building is not successful merely due to its green construction or a small energy footprint. Its user base needs to love the building enough to continue its existence. The people of New York City (for the most part) love the High Line. As a result, they will encourage its upkeep and perhaps even upgrade it over the next several decades, therefore prolonging its life. In prolonging its life, it avoids its demolition and stops wastefulness.

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Gansevoort End, Plaza and Stairs. Photo taken by Iwan Baan.

The High Line’s popularity has generated a positive, worldwide response. Projects from different continents, such as Europe, Asia, and Australia, are learning from the success of the High Line. They are taking principles similar to those of the High Line and applying it to the problems they face in their own cities. Disused infrastructure is retrofitted via adaptive reuse and transformed into new, public oriented programming. For example, American firm Gensler won the London Planning Award for their concept for the London Underline. The Underline is the adaptive re-use of the abandoned metro tunnels and surplus infrastructure underneath London (Gensler, 2015). The project seeks to turn the existing infrastructure into a subterranean pedestrian/bicycle path, outfitted with programming like shops and restrooms (Gensler, 2015). This would provide not only a safe way for Londoners to travel through the city by foot and bike (avoiding traffic) but also give the abandoned infrastructure a new purpose. Dutch firm MVRDV is transforming a portion of elevated highway in Seoul, South Korea into a large, public “Skygarden” (Dezeen, 2015). The project turns 938 meters of highway into a pedestrian garden/walkway 17 feet above street level. The Seoul Skygarden also plans to host 254 different species of trees to create a “city within a garden” (MVRDV, 2015). The New York High Line is spearheading the international movement to introduce adaptive reuse to abandoned infrastructure and transform abandoned and disused projects into functional, green projects.

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London Underline Concept Rendering. Produced by Gensler.

 

 

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Seoul Skygarden Concept Rendering. Produced by MVRDV.

While widely praised for its positive effects and architectural legacy, the High Line is not perfect. While it does offer positive, green effects to the surrounding area, it comes with a list of consequences. The High Line runs through the Chelsea neighborhood, traditionally seen as a gritty area in an overall poor condition (Koblin, 2007). The High Line’s popularity has resulted in a real-estate boom along the path and revitalization of the area. A number of (expensive) luxury condominium complexes are in progress along the High Line’s run (Tablang, 2015).  However, this has not been a victimless event. The park has been described as a “tourist clogged catwalk”. Established small businesses in the area have suffered, some closing down due to loss of their usual local customer base and increased rent costs (Moss, 2012).

 

The Highline is a big step in the right direction towards a newer, green New York City and world at large. Its adaptive reuse of an obsolete railroad has turned what was once a decrepit piece of concrete and steel into a sprawling garden complex visited by thousands every day. Despite its negative effects on the economic and social conditions of its surroundings, the High Line, as an individual entity, is sustainable and its efficacy as an adaptive reuse design should be followed in future New York City projects.

 

Works Cited:

“Not It!’ This American Life. NPR. WBEZ, Chicago. 10 April. 2015. Radio.

 

Hughes, CJ. “The Stress of New Construction.” The New York Times. 25 September 2015. Online. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/realestate/the-stress-of-new-construction.html.

 

Moss, Jeremiah. “Disney World on the Hudson”. The New York Times. 21 August 2012. Online. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/opinion/in-the-shadows-of-the-high-line.html.

 

plaNYC: A Greener, Greater New York. New York, New York: Office of the Mayor of the City of New York. 2007. Online. http://www.nyc.gov/html/planyc/downloads/pdf/publications/full_report_2007.pdf.

 

“Critics Say LEED Program Doesn’t Fullfill It’s Promises.” NPR. NPR, 8 September 2010. Online. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129727547

 

Smith, Neil. New Globalism, New Urbanism: Gentrification as Global Urban Strategy. Oxford:

 

Wiley-Blackwell. 2002. Online. http://www.overgaardtonnesen.dk/TEKSTERNE/05-Smith-New-Globalism-New-Urbanism-Gentrification.pdf

 

Kellert, S. R. 2005. Building for Life: Designing and Understanding the Human-Nature Connection. Washington, DC: Island Press.

 

Lopate, Phillip. “Above Grade: On the High Line,” Places Journal, November 2011. 25 October 2015. https://placesjournal.org/article/above-grade-on-the-high-line/

 

Walker, Jonce. Biophilic Urban Acupuncture: The Importance of Biophilia in Urban Places. Terrapin. 21 October 2015. Terrapin Bright Green. Online. http://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/blog/2015/10/biophilic-urban-acupuncture-biophilia-in-urban-places/

 

Koblin, Josh. High Line Park Spurs Remaking Of Formerly [Gritty] Chelsea. Observer Real Estate. 2 April 2007. Observer Real Estate. Online. http://observer.com/2007/04/high-line-park-spurs-remaking-of-formerly-grotty-chelsea/

 

Gensler. Gensler Vision for Disused London Metro Lines Wins London Planning Award. Gensler. 3 February 2015. Online. http://www.gensler.com/news/press-releases/gensler-vision-for-disused-london-metro-lines-wins-london

 

Tablang, Kristina. 5 Luxury Condos Sprouting Up Along New York City’s High Line. Forbes. 28 February 2015. Online. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kristintablang/2015/02/28/5-luxury-condos-new-york-city-high-line/

 

MVRDV. Seoul Skygarden. MVRDV. June 2014. Online. http://www.mvrdv.nl/projects/seoul-skygarden

 

Dezeen. MVRDV Studio http://www.dezeen.com/2015/05/13/mvrdv-studio-makkink-bey-transform-seoul-overpass-into-high-line-inspired-park-seoul-skygarden/

Assignment Posts, Draft 1000w

Better Way for Urbanization

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With the visibly growth of population and acceleration of urbanization, people’s need are increased. Architects are devoting on seeking innovative styles and forms for architecture. However, due to the unconsciousness of the importance of humanitarian architecture, and the lack of conservation policy, designers tend to ignore the cultural meaning of the existing buildings and demolish them when a new program is launched. Such actions caused loss on both culture and humanity. To avoid such losses, reinvention should be considered as a main method for urbanization rather than demolition or simply expand the city area and build something new. In this paper, examples will be provided to support this argument.

From many perspective, New York city is one of the most modernized and developed cities on earth. If you ever looked into the urban design of New York, it is easy to tell that all the efficient infrastructures around New York have provided numerous fine connections from district to district. The advised city plan has brought, or still bringing New York better level of economy. However, failure on urban development still happened in this city. There is one example of a project that was abolished later on due the cursoriness to people: the reconstruction did not make to serve people from different social classes, on the contrary, caused people to lose their habitats.  The project is called Bronx expressways which was managed by Robert Moses, the “master builder” of mid-20th century.In this project, Robert Moses accused to his idea of “car culture”. To accelerate the growth of the city, Robert was in favour on building highways instead of subways. To fulfill this task, he planned to demolish a large amount of neighbourhood and supporting facilities, the loss of home causing the residences aggressively antagonistic to the project. The worse thing was that he did not take the conditions of people from different social classes into consideration. Robert Moses neglected that a large amount of citizens could not even afford a car, instead, most of the people actually take subways as their main transportation. his ignorant of people’s habit on transportation caused a huge segregation between the middle and upper class residents to north of Bronx, leaving the rest portion of lower class residents suffering in the south part. Although this project may have benefited the upper class economics, it never worked because of the neglection of the minorities.

In order to avoid such conflicts that could happen in the demolition, some architects decided to deliberately ignore the existing cultural and humanistic elements and establish the “utopian” of their minds. However, culture and humanity are the intelligence and experiences that people gained over time. One can hardly innovate merely by getting rid of them. One famous example is Noisy-le-Grand,  a post-modernism architecture complex which locates in the east suburb of Paris. The complex was designed by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill during World War II. With the concept of “utopian”, this “city” has the capacity for people from different social classes, it has 610 apartments and looks like a forest of concrete. He expected that his project would become a landmark and would work as the reference for other cities. However, he did not get his wish. The were several failures that happened in this project. Two of the major ones are about the negligence of humanity. First of all, the designer did not seek for any connection between the project and the old city. Bofill focused only on the new form of neighbourhood without paying attention to the needs of residences. Although the buildings are “well done”, the supporting facilities are inadequate. The residences still need to somehow go back to Paris to fulfill their daily needs. Afterall, even though the project is established away from the existing city, it is not as independent as it supposed to be, instead, it made people’s life harder. The other failure is the lack of communication in among people. Instead of having a sense of harmony in the neighbourhood, the large density of apartments makes the space look compressed and stressful, people are “trapped” in the fancy concrete boxes, the public spaces barely work, the whole place is a backwater. Can’t stand with the inconvenience and the lifeless atmosphere of the “city”, most residences moved out. Nowadays, only few elderly who feel rejected by the society still live in this deserted space. The similarity between these people and this neighbourhood shows flashes of tragedy. As Bofill admitted in an interview after the failure:”architecture does not change everything.” Negligence of culture of humanity is the major reason why the “city” waned.

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Photo credit to:Laurent Kronental

On the other hand, there is still some great examples that had successfully incorporated the building into its surrounding atmosphere. Shanghai, as an international modern city, was still determined to maintain its old cultural district. At the same time, they demanded to integrate such districts into the city pace by adding the commercial elements. Tian-Zi-Fang, a famous old neighborhood formed by “Nongtang” (a type of traditional alley in Shanghai), was reinvented successfully. The native residences were all kept, but the first floor was redesigned in to stylistic café and creative groceries. Thousands of visitors are attracted to the area every day, produce the income for maintaining the district. Moreover, the reinvention of the neighbourhood also provides a better life quality for the residence because they were funded to decorate the old house. Such example shows us one possible way to solve the problems that could happen during the city development. For different sites, we can adjust the method, and finally take a humanitarian approach toward the growth of the city. Buildings should be something that people appreciate,  a right way of reinvention can really revive an old city and bring better way of living to people who live there.

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Photo credit to: http://www.douban.com/group/topic/44986535/

To Sum up, if we can reinvent old buildings, furthermore figure out the way to fit them into modern urban- planning, the charming connection between the “old” and the “new” will be created.  The heritage of the culture will be kept and it enables the later generations tracking the development process of the city. Moreover, by respecting the culture and humanity, people will feel respected by the government and thus supporting the future urbanism. Negligence of culture and humanity will only retard the development of the city.

 

Source:

Helena L. Jubany. “The Social Responsibility of Architects”, Social Responsibility in Practice. June 29, 2011.

Stewart Brand. Emergence, desire lines and predicting behavior, “All buildings are predictions. All predictions are wrong”. How Buildings Learn, 1994, p. 160-178.

Vikas Shah. Thought Economics, The Role of Architecture in Humanity’s Story, June 2012.

Xusheng Zhang.  Four Modes to Change the old neighbor, June 2010.

Chi-Wei Yang, GuiYangLouShi web, Reinvention of old new building:  great examples, April 2014.

Siliang Fu, STLBEACON, Major Chinese cities face urbanization and demolition, June, 2012.

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Architects vs. Interior Designers

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Thesis Statement: Interior design should fall under the jurisdiction of the architect and not an interior designer, as they are more qualified in both education and professional experience.

Periodical: ArchDaily

There has always been a conflict between the interior design and architecture professions in how they intersect with one another. Architects continually believe that the interior design of a building falls under their jurisdiction, as they are more qualified in both education and professional experience.

A Bachelor of Architecture Degree from an accredited university takes more time and effort than an Interior Design BFA Degree. Although, “interior design has changed dramatically since the beginning of the 20th century, when it was merely interior decoration,” (Guerin) it doesn’t hold up to the same standards as if one was to pursue a bachelor’s degree in architecture. Interior design is now considered to be, “a discipline of professionals qualified to identify, research and creatively solve problems of the interior environment . . . and protect the health, safety and welfare of the public,” (Guerin, Thompson). However, architecture education has already been focused around research, creative design solutions, and the health and welfare of the public since the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) first introduced a national standard in architectural education in 1912 (NAAB History).

Recommended Academic Plan for the Bachelor of Architecture (BARC
https://rap.psu.edu/recommended-academic-plan-bachelor-architecture-barch-program-only-162-min-credits
FIT Academic Plan 2
http://catalog.fitnyc.edu/undergraduate/majors/twoyearassociatedegreeprograms/interiordesignmajor/

If one were to take a look at an interior design education today, such as one at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and compare it to an accredited school of architecture education, such as the one at The Pennsylvania State University, they would believe the two different disciplines have a relatively similar education background. They both take studio courses, courses in hand drawing and computer skills, environmental system courses, art history courses, a professional practice course and both complete theses. The main difference someone would see is that an architecture student attends school for five years while an interior design student only     attends for four years. Just because the two degrees look fairly similar on paper, doesn’t mean in practicality they are. After an interview with a third year interior design student attending FIT and her friends, and comparing it to my own and fellow classmates’ experiences as third year architecture majors there were major differences. They get handed a pre-designed building already and are told to design the interior spaces of that building, architecture students are told to design whole building and the spatial qualities of the different programs; so here this shows that architecture students have more practice with design strategies than an interior designer does, and they understand how the building itself is suppose to feel as they are the ones from the beginning that have a certain feel/picture in mind for the spaces. However, in our architectural education there is not an emphasis on materials for interior spaces, there is definitely an emphasis on building facades and different treatments regarding that, but in reality architecture students really don’t have a basic concept of interior materials like fabrics, and tiles. In the end though, future architects have more design skills based off the amount of time through school they spend on studio, and how they are able to integrate structural engineering, HVAC, plumbing, and sustainable strategies into a design of a building, thus designing the interior spaces of projects should fall into their realms of the design process.

Screen Shot 2015-10-25 at 3.55.37 PM
http://www.ncarb.org/Becoming-an-Architect/Architecture-Basics.aspx

After education is complete, and interior design students and architecture students move into the real world, there is still this separation between the two even though they tend to work side by side. Each profession requires its professionals to have a license. According to the National Council for Interior Design Qualification, interior designers need to obtain at least two years of fulltime or part-time work experience, receive a formal interior design education, and pass three parts in the time given to become licensed (NCIDQ Examination). In regards to becoming a licensed architect, one needs to attend a five year NAAB accredited degree program, pass seven exams, and acquire a total of 3,740 hours of interning before becoming fully licensed (“The Basics”). “All 54 U.S. jurisdictions require the completion of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE),” (“The Basics”), while not every state requires an interior designer to become licensed.

interior-design-licensure
http://www.allartschools.com/interior-designer-license/

As one can see there are more credentials needed to become a licensed architect than there are to become a licensed interior designer. In fact, someone who went to school and obtained a B. Arch degree can apply and take the exam to become a licensed interior designer (NCIDQ Examination). In a professional licensing sense, an architect definitely seems more qualified to be a decision maker; the architect has gone through more schooling, more required internship hours and can even become a licensed interior designer if they wanted to. The fact that after schooling an architect can become a licensed interior designer but an interior designer can’t become a licensed architect shows that interior designers and architects are on two different levels, with the architect being above.

There are some people that believe the architect’s argument that the design of the interior spaces falls under their jurisdiction is invalid. That with today’s more, “increased complexity in the design of interior environments… demand[s] a more focused expertise and skill set,” (Weigand). It is argued that in architectural education with, “its inherent breadth, has failed to provide the focused experience at the interior scale needed to support an evolving high level interior design practice,” (White). Although it may be true, architects don’t learn a whole lot on the interior scale, but architectural education does support and encourage research on interior spaces and the different experiences someone can have while being brought through the building.

Architects are taught from the beginning that both the shell (exterior of the building) and the interior of the building operate as a whole. Architects tell stories through their buildings, and evoke emotions as people move about the interior spaces they create. Through the conceptual and technical training that a person with a B. Arch degree does both in and out of school to achieve a licensure in architecture, compared someone with an Interior Design BFA degree does to achieve their license, don’t compare on an even scale. Ultimately, the design of the interior spaces falls into the hands of the project architect.

Featured Image Info:

Designer: Spector Group Designs

Website:  http://www.spectorgroup.com/spector-group-designs-first-nyc-office-for-interparfums/

 

Bibliography:

“The Basics.” NCARB. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

Guerin, Denise A., Ph.D., and Jo Ann Asher Thompson, Ph.D. “Interior Design                                                Education in the 21st Century: An Educational Transformation.” Journal of Interior Design 30.1 (2004): 1-12. Print.

Guerin, Denise A., Ph.D. “Issues Facing Interior Design Education in the Twenty – First Century.” Journal of Interior Design Education and Research 17.2 (1992): 9-16. Print.

“Interior Design BFA Degree Program.” Fashion Institute of Technology. Fashion Institute of Technology, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

“NAAB History.” NAAB Website: About The NAAB – NAAB History. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

“NCIDQ Examination | Application Information.” NCIDQ Examination. Pronto Legal Notices, 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

Weigand, John. “Interior Design and Architecture.” Design Intelligence (2013): n. pag. Design and Architecture – DesignIntelligence. Greenway Communications, 20 Mar. 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

White, Allison Carll, Ph.D. “What’s in a Name? Interior Design And/or Interior       Architecture: The Discussion Continues.” Journal of Interior Design 35.1 (2009): 10-17. Print.

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ADAPTIVE REUSE IN DETROIT

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PROPOSED PERIODICAL: CITY LAB

POST TITLE: Adaptive Reuse in Detroit

THESIS: Rather than allowing old, industrial buildings fall to ruin, the city of Detroit should revitalize these buildings to become sustainable and viable centers of activity through adaptive reuse.

I. INTRODUCTION

    On July 18, 2013, the city of Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy. A city that once was bustling full of citizens and a booming automotive industry has since suffered economic turmoil. Its people left after the success of the postwar years, a 63% decrease in population since 1950 and a 26% decrease since 2000. The unemployment rate varies from 27.8% (2009) to 10% (2015). It has the largest violent crime rate seen in any city in the United States. Most startling is the amount of unused, abandoned land. There are currently 78,000 structures accompanied by 66,000 lots currently sitting idle, falling to ruin in the city of Detroit. These abandoned sites become magnets to violent crimes with 60% of reported arson cases happening here. Rather than allowing old, industrial buildings fall to ruin, the city of Detroit should revitalize these buildings to become sustainable and viable centers of activity through adaptive reuse.

II. Detroit is in need of revitalizing through adaptive reuse.

A. what adaptive reuse is

  • Adaptive reuse is the act of creating new built opportunities within existing built forms. It involves the repurposing of a structure that is usually abandoned and in unceasing decay. Adaptive reuse can accommodate for the social, political and economic progress within a community. It is found most often that these abandoned, industrial buildings are located in prime, dynamic spaces such as along a waterfront or in proximity to historic landmarks. It is a sustainable approach for architectural design, especially in cities such as Detroit.

B. why adaptive reuse is the solution

  1. sustainability – By reusing the existing structure we decrease the environmental pressure resulting from transportation and production of materials.
  2. improves cultural value and identity – A space revamped by adaptive reuse enhances the identity of a culture by maintaining history and memory in place while providing new function for its survival. It brings authenticity to a site by acknowledging the significance of an existing use and space.
  3. embraces development of economy – The repurposing of a building helps accommodate cultural changes because “Adaptive re-use projects speak to a wider cultural shift – from an industrial and manufacturing based economy to one centred around services, education and cultural life” (Harrison). 
  4. net cost can be less than new construction – The net cost of an adaptive reuse project can be less than new construction because it consumes less energy and uses fewer building materials. As the cost of energy continues to rise, new construction becomes a more expensive option when considering its life cycle.

An existing building has cultural, economic, and financial value. Instead of inevitably becoming a burden on a community, an industrial building can serve as a hub for urban life and create opportunities for natural urban development.

III. Other major cities have utilized adaptive reuse for abandoned structures to revitalize the city.

Adaptive reuse has proven successful in other industrial locations such as the Highline Park in New York City’s Meatpacking district, Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, and The Brewery in Milwaukee. The ability to bring life to these once booming industrial centers is key to bringing life to the city as a whole once more.

  1. San Francisco, Ghirardelli Square – Ghirardelli Square was the first successful example of adaptive reuse seen in the United States. In the 1960s, the existing factory buildings were purchased by William Roth, who hired Lawrence Halprin, landscape architect, and Wurster, Bernardi & Emmons, architectural firm, to create a design to accommodate retail spaces, offices, restaurants and a movie theater (Sharpe). This project preserved the history and original atmosphere of the site, preventing the demolition of a storied building and construction of a new modern apartment building. 

    www.ghirardellisq.com
    www.ghirardellisq.com
  2. New York City, High Line – High Line Park is a great example of adaptive reuse that takes an existing, abandoned railroad line and creates a beautiful landscape elevated from urban context of the city. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the High Line is an extremely successful example of adaptive reuse that both the community and tourists love and actively use. While the project was extremely expensive, the preservation of history and popularity amongst the city’s population made it a worthwhile investment. 

    Rendering by Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro/Courtesy the City of New York
    Rendering by Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro/Courtesy the City of New York
  3. Milwaukee, Brewery – The Brewery in Milwaukee is a very extensive and ambitious project that plans for the adaptive reuse and “environmentally sensitive restoration” of 26 structures on the National Register of Historic Places, a brownfield cleanup, and creation of low income housing amongst the remains of the Pabst Brewing Company (Benfield). The master plan of this project by Joseph Zilber includes residential lofts, a beer hall, office space, educational campuses, urban parks, senior living facilities, and medical campuses with more retail and luxury spaces to develop in the future. This success of this project relies on the cooperation between the developers and the city and the LEED Neighborhood Development program. 

    Courtesy Jeramey Jannene, licensed under Wikimedia Commons
    Courtesy Jeramey Jannene, licensed under Wikimedia Commons

IV. methods of adaptive reuse: how to revitalize a building

  1. Evaluate existing conditions- A great amount of effort should be dedicated to evaluating the existing fabric in order to make the most of the conditions. Designers look into the former structural, mechanical, electrical, architectural and landscape systems.
  2. Meet codes and install updated systems – To revitalize an existing structure, the design team must update systems to comply with current codes. Most issues with code compliance have to deal with energy standards, accessibility and fire regulations.
  3. Insert contextual program – The factor that determines the ultimate success of an adaptive reuse project is what will go inside it. The context must be highly considered in order to insert effective program. Industrial spaces are most effectively converted into to retail and community spaces.

V. Michigan Central Station, Harbor Terminal, and Hotel Eddystone offer great opportunity for adaptive reuse because of their size, space and location.

  1. Michigan Central Station – Michigan Central Station is a critical structure for adaptive reuse. With a space large enough for a train on the ground floor and an 18 story tower with hotel and office space above, this is prime real estate sitting vacant. An approach like that of Ghirardelli Square would be ideal, so that the history of the site and building may be preserved, bringing back the heyday of Detroit with a new era of use featuring offices, retail space, and residential living. 

    Photographer: Zach Fein
    Photographer: Zach Fein
  2. Harbor Terminal – Another site is the Harbor Terminal building. This huge warehouse currently sits vacant, but is an ideal candidate for adaptive reuse that could be turned into a multi-functional building with the creation of new waterfront urban space along the Detroit River as well. If the remain of the Pabst Brewing Company, can be given a new life, why not this warehouse? 

    Zack Fein
    Zack Fein
  3. Hotel Eddystone and Park Avenue Hotels – These hotels are other great locations for adaptive reuse. These abandoned hotels can serve as the catalyst for creating a new social center that also has a sustainable emphasis, by preventing the demolition of historic landmarks and reusing the existing structure. These hotels could be prime candidates for the LEED Neighborhood Development program. 

    www.architonic.com
    www.architonic.com

VII. the other side: why isn’t adaptive reuse happening?

  1. money required to update systems – While preserving the history of a site is a very integral component of design, too many this does not always make adaptive reuse the solution. Adaptive reuse can be a very financially involved and time intensive project. It is not always as simple as buy old building, move in new program. The mechanical and HVAC systems of these abandoned buildings are often out of date (if they even still function) and require extensive updates and installation of new modern systems. These systems are expensive to install for large buildings, and become even more expensive with the increase of sustainable measures.
  2. today’s code requirements – Older buildings often do not meet today’s code and accessibility requirements. This may involve moving existing walls and structural elements and changing floor plans in attempts to make it compliant with the rules of today.

While designers may love the opportunity to bring back the glory of an old architectural wonder, developers will often only see the dollars signs associated with doing such a  task. For many developers it is cheaper to tear down a building, and start from scratch.  With all the necessary updates and adjustments that require extensive funds and construction, many say why bother with adaptive reuse?

VIII. conclusion

Through the city’s efforts to evaluate existing conditions, meet code compliance, and insert contextual program, adaptive reuse will offer an opportunity for the Central Station, Harbor Terminal, and Hotel Eddystone in order to revitalize the city of Detroit. Seeing the success of great urban works in cities such as Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and New York City, we believe adaptive reuse is the future for the success of revitalizing cities in our coming generation. We can take these old buildings, install updated systems, insert new program, and create a sustainable, viable space for the community. We believe that adaptive reuse could be just the change Detroit needs. While proposals have been made for sites such as Michigan Central Station, no actual renovation has begun. Action is needed.

REFERENCES

  • Benfield, Kaid. “A Green Neighborhood Brewing in Milwaukee.” CityLab. The Atlantic, 22 Sept. 2011. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
  • BINDER, MELINDA LORR. “ADAPTIVE REUSE AND SUSTAINABLE DESIGN: A HOLISTIC APPROACH FOR ABANDONED INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS.” University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2003.
  • Donofrio, Gregory. “Preservation by Adaptation: Is it Sustainable?” Change Over Time 2.2 (2012): 106-31.
  • Harrison, Stuart. Adaptive Re-use. Adelaide: Office for Design and Architecture, 2014. Odasa.sa.gov.au. Web.
  • Green, Jessica M. “Adaptive Reuse in Post-Industrial Detroit: Testing the Viability of the Engine Works.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2008.
  • Hollander, Justin B., Niall Kirkwood, and Julia L. Gold. Principles of Brownfield Regeneration: Cleanup, Design, and Reuse of Derelict Land. Washington: Island Press, 2010.
  • Meltzer, Emily. “Adaptive Reuse of the Seaholm Power Plant: Uniting Historic Preservation and Sustainable Practices.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2011.
  • Ro, Sam. “11 Depressing Stats About Detroit.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 18 July 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
  • Sharpe, Sara E., “Revitalizing Cities: Adaptive Reuse of Historic Structures” (2012). Mid-America College Art Association Conference 2012 Digital Publications. Paper 18.
  • Spivak, Jeffrey. “Adaptive Use Is Reinventing Detroit.” Urban Land Magazine. The Magazine of the Urban Land Institute, 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
  • Thornton, BJ. “THE GREENEST BUILDING (IS THE ONE THAT YOU DON’T BUILD!) Effective Techniques for Sustainable Adaptive Reuse/Renovation.” JOURNAL OF GREEN BUILDING 6.1 (2011; 1901): 1-7.
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Mixed-Income Housing Segregation

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Periodical: Design Observer

Thesis: While mixed-income housing is a solution for the low-income housing problems originating in our cities, it should offer an ethical solution for its users.

Summary:

The public housing system has developed many problems dating back to Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1933, he declared, “One-third of the nation is ill-housed”. He addressed the importance of housing and the failure to adequately house the American population. At one point in time affordable housing held hope and promise for cities’ poor communities, but now it has become centers for crime, violence, and gang activity. Therefore the upper-class community usually rejects affordable housing projects.  However, a better way to give affordable housing to our cities without concentrating crime and poverty, and preventing low-income housing from overcrowding the ghetto started to develop.

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