Social Life in Vertical Spaces

Project idea

The project studies and critiques recreational spaces in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Automobiles dominate as the primary aspect of city planning creating large monocultural zones of transit with little regard to human occupation. The rigid zoning and lack of accessibility to different to recreational spaces negatively affects city dweller’s physical and mental health and leads to a sedentary lifestyle. The project speculates a residential tower design that challenges existing residential typology by integrating increased movement and social spaces while blurring the rigid lines that surround different functions. It also takes into consideration the diverse population in the UAE and their needs into the program planning.

Project description

Images of historical precedent for urbanism are suggestive that city streets were a place where there was an abundance of activities and variety of people. There are people working, people shopping, people lounging and just watching the streets. It was packed with energy which is missing in Sharjah. It was a space where adults and children lived in parallel. It was commercial, it was social and informal. More importantly it blurred the lines of rigid zoning we now live in. The major components identified in Sharjah are residence, vehicular traffic, and recreation and these are strictly separated. If we look again through the history of mankind, we have transitioned from moving for survival to bare minimum physical movement. The alarming increase of sedentary lifestyle in the city is evidence of the influence of urban design on its residents.

The proposal for a residential tower that integrates movement involves looking into several complex factors that directly impact this design. Who is it for? What are their characteristics? Type of movements they want to engage in, what kind of spaces do they prefer? What is the preferable time for this movement? All these factors shape the approach to which one takes to design a new reality of social spaces. What this means is providing a wide range of spaces that give children the option to play in different types of environments with a safe travel route. Providing creative spaces for creative children as opposed to active and athletic children. Adults who work late hours and only have time for themselves early morning, late night, or weekends. Parents who accompany their children while they play, a place for them to relax while keeping an eye on their children. The list goes on. Large social spaces or small intimate spaces, relaxing spaces, or just essential programs like groceries. The point is to have maximum engagement between people and give them reasons to step out of their homes and increase their daily physical movement.

The project addresses a broad social and health issue prevalent in Sharjah influenced by the urban design and policies. A residential tower that addresses these issues to create inclusive spaces with a variety of programs in a dynamic environment is not the ultimate solution to the problem, but rather a response to the site conditions in Sharjah. Exploiting the advantages of the vertical nature of housing in the city to bring these essential recreational spaces closer and more accessible to the residents.

Technical information

This residential tower has exploits the regular and common journey of a city dweller from their residence to their car by transforming the typical car parking space to accommodate more communal activities which is not available in the neighborhood. This car park is incorporated in regular intervals in the tower with vehicular and residential elevators landing only at these levels and makes residents to travel two flight of ramps to reach their residential units. This re-designing of the car park and circulation zone in a tower increases circulation, daily movement and socialization within the tower.