Carchitecture v4

Carchitecture

Cars, architecture and the American way

Consider the typical suburban home. It front is dominated by the driveway and the garage!

Thesis

The automobile culture of the past century was a driving force behind many architectural developments, specifically suburban sprawl and all the elements that came with it: the suburban home dominated by the driveway and garage, isolated residential communities, commuter office parks, and shopping malls. Burgeoning environmental and socio-economic pressures have primed Americans for a shift toward Existence Minimum.

Theme

The Existence Minimum movement of the early 20th century, was almost exclusively a European phenomenon. I propose that a re-examination and furthur development of its theories will make it applicable in [AWS1] the [W2] United States. The new Existence Minimum will encompass more than the most efficient living in the smallest space possible: it will be highlighted by a move toward making a smaller imprint environmentally.

This issue needs to be addressed not only on the organizational scale, but also on the urban[W3] scale [AWS4] — how can urbanists and city planners begin to think in a way that is less about sprawl and more about infill and effiecient use of already developed land; and on an architectural scale — based on developments in materials and methods that allows architecture to make a minimal impact on the environment.

I will pursue three major urban ideas: urban infill, suburban infill, and nomadic[W5] architecture.

The effect of the automobile in this discussion cannot be ignored. The automobile is an omnipresent element in American society, culture, and economics — so pervasive that its impact is often overlooked not only by the average American, but often by civic leaders and city planners. It is a factor that must not be ignored, but recognized as an essential component of American history and culture… and that could potentially lead to further advances in Existence Minimum theory and[W6] application[AWS7] . The urban ideas will be investigated primarily in theory, as the majority of the application of the work will be invested in organizational and architectural[W8] studies[AWS9] .

Vehicle

A series of small projects will be pursued to test the needs and limitations of this lifestyle as well as to establish potential cultural implications. Three types of buildings will be developed: residential (single family and bachelor living), retail (cafes, clothing stores, etc), and business. In addition to architecture based on site, a portion of the investigation will be dedicated to mobile architecture. I will pursue two types of [W10] investigation[AWS11] . The primary one will be a re-thinking of the traditional RV. The second will center on the manipulation and renovation of existing vehicles (cars, trucks, and[W12] SUVs[AWS13] ).

Site

Sites will be chosen from various locations across America to get varied data based on climate, culture, and traditional building types associated with the various areas. The urban sites will be from Boston, MA; Denver, CO[AWS14] ; and New Orleans, LA. The suburban sites will be Somerdale, NJ; Aurora, CO[AWS15] ; and Metarie, LA[AWS16] .

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[AWS1]And accepted? Do we care?

[W2]accepted? bah! the proletariat cannot even understand let alone appreciate the complexities of architectural mumbo jumbo.

i'm not sure. i think that a series of interviews of people would help establish whether it would be a reasonable thing to ask of contemporary americans. i don't even know if i would be prepared to live in a truly existence minimum lifestyle. we'll see. i'll burn that bridge when i get to it.

[W3]urban scale: the biggest scale. grand sweeping hand gestures. the scale of a city or a neighborhood. organizational scale: the scale of a block. the way buildings relate to each other. how a space is organized. floor plans and sections of the buildings. architectural scale: how it looks. primarily aesthetics, but at the existence minimum scale this would be a major consideration. ex: how storage is handled specifically. how furniture would be handled (what type of furniture, and maybe some of where it would go though furniture placement falls on the border between organizational and architectural).

from what i can tell these are fairly well understood concepts in the profession, but i'm going to define them so that there is absolutely no confusion.

[AWS4] Tell me what is entailed at the organizational, urban, and architectural scales. Are these terms of the craft that your reviewers understand?

[W5]i found this in one of my sketch book notes and liked the sound of nomadic architecture better.

[W6]I agree. A substantial portion of my research has to be dedicated to a serious look into "Autormobile Minimum utopia". i might quote you on that.

[AWS7]You hint at a grand scheme, where the automobile could become a vehicle of change [sorry, couldn’t resist!] toward Existence Minimum. Can you back it up? I think you need to make a fairly brief foray into Automobile Minimum utopia, from an architectural perspective – and acknowledge that the non-architectural challenges will have to be dealt with in tandem.

[W8]I am definately wussing out. I think I'll propose that the urban issues will vary so widely from place to place that a set of generalized rules backed up by investigation into the level of detail that actually concerns architects is the best way to operate. That and I'm not interested in urban design.

[AWS9]You presume to tackle an [broad, sweeping gestures] urban design challenge… then wuss out. Do you dare acknowledge that architecture doesn’t always lead the way – but certainly can shape and steer the path?

[W10]i like that idea a lot and it's being experiemented with in europe. taking your home with you when you move.

[AWS11]Leverage existing resources: Big, efficient trucking companies load trailers on railroad flat beds for long-hauls, then hitch them to trucks for pinpoint delivery. Imagine an RV doing the same – or a modular home that can be relocated by similar means.

[W12]SUV planters. i like it!

[AWS13] Turn them into planters? Recycle as building materials?

[AWS14]Best of/ Worst of/ Local hopes for the future?

[AWS15] Real world example of Existence Minimum: Heather Gardens; Liight Rail

[AWS16]Acknowledge special nature of NOLA: lower ratio of cars to people (is this true?), strong European influence, (local anomaly?), Katrina impact. I suspect the urban/suburban relationship between urban New Orleans and suburban Metarie will mirror the national experience.

Thesis Proposal v2

Thesis

The automobile culture that has developed over the past century combined with environmental and socio-economic pressures has primed Americans for a shift toward existence minimum.

Theme

The existence minimum movement of the early 20th century remained almost soley in Europe. I propose that a re-examination and furthur development of the theories will make it applicable in the United States. The new existence minimum will encompass more than simply efficient living in the smallest space possible. It will be highlighted by a move toward making a smaller imprint environmentally and economically. This issue needs to be address not only on the organizational scale, but also on the urban scale (how can urbanists and city planners begin to think in a way that is less about sprawl and more about infill and effiecient use of already developed land) and on an architectural scale (based on developments in materials and methods that allows architecture to make a minimal impact on the environment). I will pursue three major urban ideas: urban infill, suburban infill, and “wireless” architecture. The effect of the automobile in this discussion cannot be ignored. The automobile has become an omnipresent element in American society and culture. But it should not simply be addressed as a problem to be ignored, but as an essential piece in American history and culture that would potentially lead to furthur advances in existence minimum theory and application. The urban ideas will be investigated primarily in theory, as the majority of the application of the work will be invested in organizational and architectural studies.

Vehicle

A series of small projects will be pursued to test the needs and limitations of this lifestyle as well as to establish potential cultural implications. Three types of buildings will be developed: residential (single family and bachelor living), retail (cafes, clothing stores, etc), and business. In addition to architecture based on site, a portion of the investigation will be dedicated to mobile architecture. I will pursue two types of investigation. The primary one will be a re-thinking of the traditional RV. The second will center on the manipulation and renovation of existing vehicles (cars, trucks, and SUVs).

Site

Sites will be chosen from various locations across American to get various data based on climate, culture, and traditional building types associated with the various areas. The urban sites will be from Boston, MA; Denver, CO; and New Orleans, LA. The suburban sites will be from Somerdale, NJ; Aurora, CO; and Metarie, LA.

Boston, Massachusetts:

Camridge boasts a population density of 24.6 people/acre. It is across the Charles River from Boston proper. Harvard Square in Cambridge is a lively mixed use area. It is adjacent to Harvard University and Harvard Yard. Because it is mixed use it is a prime candidate for continued infill. Winthrope Park is very close to the center of the area and is very close to the subway station and many restaurants (it is bounded by at least 3). But there is very little residential directly adjacent to the square. I have identified 3 sites for potential development. [will be marked on map in furture]

Thesis proposal v1

Thesis

The automobile culture that has developed over the past century combined with environmental and socio-economic pressures has primed Americans for a shift toward existence minimum.

Thesis topic outline

Theme

My investigation will involve an exploration of the history, as well as contemporary applications of existence minimum movements outside of the United States. This will be tied back into the American lifestyle through research into changing attitudes toward living spaces with a discussion of the impact of the automobile on American culture as well as the growing concerns over environmentalism and socio-economic trends. I will pursue three major urban ideas: urban infill, suburban infill, and “wireless” architecture. The urban ideas will be investigated primarily in theory, as the majority of the application of the work will be invested in organizational and architectural studies.

Vehicle

In order to ascertain whether or not existence minimum is a probably trend, a series of small projects will be pursued to test the needs and limitations of this lifestyle. Three types of buildings will be developed: residential (single family and apartments style living), retail (cafes, clothing stores, etc), and business. In addition to architecture based on site, a portion of the investigation will be dedicated to mobile architecture. I will pursue two types of investigation. The primary one will be a re-thinking of the traditional RV. The second will center on the manipulation and renovation of existing vehicles (cars, trucks, and SUVs).

Types of infill

Urban Infill
urban infill
common in older cities
was a way to maximize the use of the land and access to amenities
see Manhattan, New Orleans French Quarter, etc
I will be pursuing sites in New York City (modern urban), Boston MA (historical urban), and New Orleans (distaster urban)
Suburban Infill
commercial/community infill mixed with residential infill
inserting needed infastructure that was missing in initial developement of suburbia
cultural backlash?
could potential help mitigate the issues developing in inner suburbs that are decaying in population like inner cities were 50 years ago but lack the infastructure to support a rebirth
zoning questions would arise and should be addressed
single use zoning has proven unsuccessful
I will be pursuing sites in New Jersey, Aurora CO, and the suburbs of New Orleans (especially problems arrising from the moving of tax dollars outside of orleans parish borders)
Commuter Infill
perpetual commuters
nomadic infill
wireless architecture

Early notes and questions

The car and how we live:
how much time fo we spend in out car
where do cars spend most ofd their time? parked? driving?
how much do we spend on out car/home/work/play?
what role has the car taken/will take in america with gas out of reach of most? what is out of reach?
-> bad inner cities?
-> mass transit?
-> alternative energies?
-> living in ourcars?
where do you park?
mobile living?
subtract ownership of home and put that $ into car
pets?
families?
end of architecture? or focus on public architecture
->existence minimum
eating at home? cooking? eating out?
school? internet? electronics? libraries?
non-urban/neo-urban planning?
machines for travel vs. machines for living
how many cars in the us?
how many parking spaces?
how many miles of roads, highways, streets?
how many parking garages?
how many driveways?
how many new homes/office towers/apt bldgs?
how many buildings?
Thoreau's Walden pond
bums sleeping on the bus
flop houses in NYC
growth in sales of RVs
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
American and European culture: where we diverged
commuting? how far is too far?
broken down cars
recycling of cars?
road rage linked to sprawl?
the great american ROAD TRIP!

Mobile and changable architecture:
evolving buildings: double shotgun; sips construction
commuting?
white/black flight
migration of human species
average american moves every 6 years
raising a house enough to provide a parking space (costs roughly $100,000) can increase the value of the lot by 70%


Architecture and the decay of social interaction:
buildings as tourist traps
paintings of Thomas Cole
Paintings of Edward Hooper
"not just housing but viable places to live"

road trip

notes from road trip:

exisiting infastructural biases: road system in place leads to a natural tendency to think in terms of the commuter and the car.

existing cultural biases: the American Dream picture still consists of 2.5 kids in a suburban home with 2 cars and a white picket fence. please note that the white picket fence thing seems to be nearly impossible to find in the whole of New Jersey (the worlds largest suburb...)

existing zoning biases: favoring single use zoning. no mixed use areas. separation of living and working and play and everything

funding for public transportation: the Metro in DC has no funding base. it is continually asking for more money but gets no continuous support.

potential pieces: urban infill; suburban infill; nomadic architecture

Population Density comparison

Manhattan, NY: 25846 people/km sq
Brooklyn, NY: 14215.4 people/km sq
Somerville, MA: 7278.4 people/km sq
Boston, MA: 4640 people/km sq
Yonkers, NY: 4211 people/km sq
Los Angelos, CA: 3165 people/km sq
New Orleans, LA: 534.3 people/km sq

Monaco: 16329 people/km sq
more millionares per capita than any other country
Tokyo, Japan: 13333 people/km sq
Male, Maldives: 48007 people/km sq
Levallois-Perret, France: 25934 people/km sq




List of selected cities by population density
List of countries by population density