VERTICAL COMMUNITY

THE PREMISE

AS THE POPULATION OF THE WORLD MIGRATES TO URBAN CENTERS, THIS PROJECT ATTEMPTS TO DEFINE, NOT A CITY, BUT A VERTICAL COMMUNITY. BY DEFINITION, A COMMUNITY IS COMPOSED OF PEOPLE LIVING NEAR ONE ANOTHER WITH VARIOUS SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES SUCH AS SCHOOLS, OUTDOOR AREAS, RESIDENTIAL, ASSEMBLY AREAS, RECREATION ACTIVITIES, OFFICES, SHOPS, AND ALL THE ANCILLARY ACTIVITIES THAT COMPRISE URBAN LIFE.

THIS PROJECT IS NOT A FANTASY SKYSCRAPER BUT A VERTICAL ORGANISM COMPRISING ALL OF THE ELEMENTS THAT AN URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD COMPRISE OF, EXCEPT THEY ARE VERTICAL. ADDITIONALLY THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE LIVING SPACES AS WELL AS OFFICE AND OTHER SPACES USING MANUFACTURED HOUSING MODULES IN A VERTICAL SETTING. TO HOUSE PEOPLE IN FUTURE URBAN CONTEXTS, DENSITY AND INNOVATIVE CONSTRUCTION IS THE FUTURE.

THE SUBURBAN MODEL OF SPREADING OUT IN HORIZONTAL EXPANDED MULTIPLICATION WILL NOT TAKE CARE OF THE FUTURE POPULATION NEEDS AS WELL AS THE NEED TO BE IN CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER. WHAT MAKES UP A COMMUNITY IS ALL INTERTWINED INTO THIS PROTOTYPICAL MODEL.

ARCHITECTURE & URBAN DESIGN

RISING FROM A BASE OF RESIDENTIAL FEET, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CLIMBS TO 1,500 FEET WITH AN INTERMIXED DISTRIBUTION OF RESIDENCES, OFFICES, OUTDOOR AREAS, SCHOOLS, WALKING BRIDGES, VISTA AREAS, AND AT THE TOP WITH SWIMMING, PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND AREAS WAITING TO BE DEFINED BY THE REQUIRED USES OF A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD. THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN WAS GENERATED BY THE DENSITY REQUIRED TO DEVELOP THE SITE, THE CONSTRUCTION METHOD AND THE CONFLUENCE OF LIGHT, AIR, SAFETY AND THE INTERACTION OF THE ULTIMATE USERS.

ENERGY, WATER, AND EVACUATION OF WASTES THAT A HORIZONTAL NEIGHBORHOOD REQUIRES IS GATHERED INTO AN EFFICIENT SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS RECYCLING AND A CONSERVATION OF LINEAR DELIVERY SYSTEMS TO A MORE VERTICAL EFFICIENCY.

EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON OUTDOOR GREEN AREAS AT VARIOUS HEIGHTS ALONG THE VERTICAL MASSING. THE RESULT WAS A FRAMEWORK OF PLUG-IN MODULES TO SERVE EVERY ASPECT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD RUNNING ALONG THE VERTICAL FRAMEWORK CARRYING IT.

SELF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY

ABOVE THE SLOPING SKYLIGHT AND ALONG ALL THE VERTICAL COLUMNS AT THE CORNERS ARE SOLAR PANELS RUNNING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE STRUCTURE. THESE PANELS ARE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE MUCH OF THE ELECTRICAL NEEDS FOR THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD

HUMAN GOALS

THE INTENT IS TO ACCOMMODATE AND ENRICH A GROWING POPULATION INTO URBAN CENTERS WITH THE FABRIC OF A VERTICAL COMMUNITY THAT REFLECTS AFFORDABILITY, INTERACTION, STREET LIFE AND A MIXTURE OF NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITIES.   THIS IS NOT A FANTASY BUT A FUTURE REALITY.

PRE FABRICATED MODULES

THIS PROJECT IS ABOUT PROVIDING AFFORDABLE LIVING SPACES AND CREATING A COMMUNITY BY USING A MANUFACTURED HOUSING MODULE THAT PLUGS INTO AN ON-SITE STRUCTURAL GRID WITH COMMUNITY AMENITIES.  HOME USUALLY MEANT SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCES BUT TO HOUSE PEOPLE IN FUTURE URBAN CONTEXTS, DENSITY AND INNOVATIVE CONSTRUCTION IS THE FUTURE.

PUBLIC SPACES

OPEN SPACE AT THE GROUND LEVEL AS WELL AS THE ROOF HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AS ACTIVITY CENTERS, ROOF GARDENS, COMMUNITY GATHERING AREAS, PLAY AREAS, GROUND LEVEL SHOPS, SWIMMING AND EXERCISE AREAS. THE GROUND LEVEL HAS A SMALL AMPHITHEATER FOR ADULT AND CHILDREN’S PLAYS, CHILDREN’S PLAY AREA, AN EXTERIOR EXHIBITION SPACE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULT ART WORK, COURTYARD AND FOUNTAIN WITH SEATING FOR CONVERSATION AND OUTDOOR READING, GARDENS, DOG RUNS AND LANDSCAPING THAT INTERWEAVES WITH THE ACTIVITIES. INCLUDED ARE CHILDCARE, COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS AND STUDIOS ALL INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER BOTH INDOORS AND OUTDOORS TO ENHANCE THE RICHNESS OF CROSS-POLLINATION.

THE ROOF HAS A MAJOR SKYLIGHT OVER THE INTERIOR SPACE. IT IS OPEN ON THE SIDES AS ARE THE INTERMITTENT PARTITIONS SHOWN IN THE VERTICAL GRAPHICS. THIS ALLOWS AIR INTO THE CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY ALLOWING RESIDENTIAL/OFFICE SPACES OPENING TO THE LIGHT AND AIR OF THE INTERIOR.  THE INTERIOR SPACE IS CRISS-CROSSED WITH WALKING BRIDGES LEADING TO GARDEN AREAS AS WELL AS VIEWING PLATFORMS. THESE BRIDGES FORM A LATTICEWORK OF INTERIOR AMENITIES SERVING ALL OF THE FUNCTIONING SPACES AND ENCOURAGE THE INTERACTION OF THE COMMUNITY.