28-02-2012

Final thesis title and description


Shape a community & Coop in the Crown Heights grid
How a community center and a cooperative housing project can cross-fertilize each other.

The existing real estate crisis forces us to rethink building typology so they are more resistant to fluctuations in the economic market. Cooperative housing is a good example of this kind of typology but it is a difficult project to realize. By combining the Coop with a community center, the existing structure of the community can be used as the fundamental basis to set up the project. The mix of these features in one site creates a tension between the microculture and the community culture respectively created by the Coop and the community center. The generic grid of Crown Heights creates the perfect condition to rethink this new housing typology.

09-02-2012

Weeksville

The City Concealed: Weeksville from Thirteen.org on Vimeo.

Pin Up 8

Programme definition:

I want to work on a medium scale (between the scale of the block and a building). The housing stock is aimed at the average family of two parents with two children but by the many shifts in society is the exception rather than the rule. Therefore there is need for more variety. This can be obtained by designing and flexible types, specific types of design. A thorough typological research is the beginning of this design element.









Site.

I moved my particular site because it is illogical to think about the types of the block to an exception / boundary of the grid. So I have moved to the generic grid. The specific block located between St Marks Ave, Buffalo Ave, Prospect Pl and Rochester Ave. The block has very diverse neighbors and has a very important historical value. On this block is namely the Week Ville Heritage Center which houses one of the first free African Americans in New York. This is the origin place of Ville Weekly. After the rediscovery of this place is growing as a community with very diverse activities. On the vacant lot next to the protected buildings they currently build a 19,000 square foot community center.


I want to design on that spot a building for both residential and community functions and so look for how they can reinforce each other.

Volgers