ADD& FIT

Project idea

Alongside the birth and recent developments of New York City and its architecture, comes an underlying trend of exclusion. The very act of defining and claiming ownership of certain spaces, manifests itself physically as the vertically imposing typologies of the city. The impenetrable mass of these buildings act as a sort of defensive front that serve to intimidate and fend off street-goers. The row houses in flatbush act as a prime example of such architecture in which their exterior communicates a sense of territorial claim and sovereignty of the land. To challenge this is to create a place that is understood as inclusive. “Architecture” often excludes and implies ownership, so instead, we turn to that which belongs to no one, but at the same time provides a sense of place: nature.

Project description

Our proposal works to break down the defensive structure of these urban typologies by the introduction of natural elements and its forms, which serve to counteract the narrative of definitive exclusion with one of inclusive integration. The lone home initially left on the site, is used as a root for the trees and following communities to grow from. Habitable spaces are placed to circumscribe the trees, which serve as monuments to encourage social interaction. The trees and living clusters are organized with the purpose of creating implied courtyards and leisure spaces (reference to site plan and perspective). The trees then become the definitive elements that drives the programmatic organization of the living units, retail & communal spaces.

There are two distinctive typologies on the adjacent streets to the site. (One, a retail area, the other, a residential area). Here, we envision our project as a combination of both conditions, creating a welcoming community that seamlessly integrates into the local area of flatbush. Seeing clear distinctions between the heights and unit footprint of the house and apartment typology, our project seeks to explore the possibilities to merge their traits together, ultimately developing into an aggregation of living units that move on a spectrum from sparse to dense.

Technical information

On a micro scale, the placement of the living units creates courtyards, both main and localized, allowing residents as well as the flatbush community to share the space together. The elevational heights of the house and apartment buildings are used as parameters to restrict the vertical expansion of our project, focusing on an aggregation that gradually shifts from a low to a higher point. The three habitable spaces as described above are then connected through vertical and lateral circulation.
Moving to the modular aspect, this characteristic may allow for users to expand their living spaces through the addition of extra module, taking into account the possible temporality of how long these spaces may actually be inhabited. As nature is not properly defined, our project provides a similar system for residents to grow their family under their freewill. Hence, adding & fitting.

Co-authors

Justin Wan, Steven Lin, Darwin Hu, Jesse Chapelle, Jose Zagal, Yesenia Diaz-Porcayo, Shenaia Turner, Alexia Avanessian