BARRIO WEST
BARRIO WEST
low income housing
low income housing
location:
menlo park, tucson, arizona
program:
residential
structure:
concrete frame
materials:
concrete + steel
Team:
multidisciplinary team
location:
menlo park, tucson, arizona
program:
residential
structure:
concrete frame
materials:
concrete + steel
Team:
multidisciplinary team
Tucson is a sprawling city that grows outwards rather than upwards. The typical Tucson residence is a single story structure that contributes to Tucson’s ground-hugging nature. The Menlo Park neighborhood is no exception as it is composed of low-rise residences. In order to blend in with the urban context, the majority of the proposal’s buildings is one story, with some units strategically rising up to two stories, the maximum height within the housing complex.
The project focuses on implementing various housing types that fall within the “middle housing” category which is slowly disappearing from the American society. The units include row houses, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes; multiplexes, live/work, and garden homes. Each of these typologies are placed on the site to respond to specific areas surrounding the site.
Tucson is a sprawling city that grows outwards rather than upwards. The typical Tucson residence is a single story structure that contributes to Tucson’s ground-hugging nature. The Menlo Park neighborhood is no exception as it is composed of low-rise residences. In order to blend in with the urban context, the majority of the proposal’s buildings is one story, with some units strategically rising up to two stories, the maximum height within the housing complex.
The project focuses on implementing various housing types that fall within the “middle housing” category which is slowly disappearing from the American society. The units include row houses, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes; multiplexes, live/work, and garden homes. Each of these typologies are placed on the site to respond to specific areas surrounding the site.
KITTITASH CHAIKUNPON
"BEACON" A FUTURE OF PUBLIC SPACE
capstone (graduation) thesis
location:
oretha castle (O.C.) haley boulevard,
new orleans, USA
program:
public space + media art center
structure:
steel frame
materials:
steel
award:
capstone award + design excellence nomination
Public Space Uses
Public Space Problems
The project explores the notion of a future for public space in the digital age where technologies and social medias are more pertinent to everyday life.
New Orleans is well known for its vibrant public spaces where streets, parks, and plazas are filled with musicians, artists, performers, and the ever-persistent vibration of music. However, these characteristics are slowly fading from the urban fabric. The rise of poor design, vandalism, and technology have misguided people into using public spaces in a limited way: only for recreation and tourist attraction.
To contest this injustice to urban design, the beacon is designed as an experiment of a new public space in which technology helps strengthen the O.C Haley neighborhood identity and culture through creating a sense of place, community, belonging, and well-being. The goal is to ensure that heritage is preserved, diversity is protected, and creativity is promoted.
The beacon will be a platform that provides an interaction amongst people by utilizing the architecture that displays local information and data. During the event of a natural disaster, the beacon becomes an emergency center broadcasting updated news and distributing drinking water to civilians.
In summary, the beacon is a machine that allows people to have access to the world beyond the city while engaging with civic participation in the context of O.C Haley and the city of New Orleans.
