This project runs across 39th, 38th, and 37th streets. The wellness of a neighborhood is often apparent in the physical environment - when buildings are not maintained and become dilapidated, property values fall and the general wealth of neighbors falls with it.
Lack of personal wealth may be the largest prohibitive factor to the maintenance of homes in these areas, but there is value beyond material wealth. A healthy neighborhood grows from a strong sense of ownership among neighbors who see value in place as a concept. Ownership is the quality which maintains and nurtures communities. This project proposes that a sense of ownership can be cultivated by the sharing of spaces which are both resources and responsibilities. Sharing becomes the driver of architecture - designing physical space to produce immaterial value, to encourage sharing as a basis for a sustainable community. To make this more understandable, I've chosen to focus on the aspect of food. Given that the neighborhood is lacking in good, healthy options and knowledge of nutrition, this project may fill two needs. But more importantly, food is something we all need and a shared meal has always been a symbol for the best of times. Environmental justice, as a greater topic, seeks to involve all people in regards to the condition and equity of their environments. Food justice advocates that all people have a right to an equal access to quality food. In this neighborhood, providing another grocery store can't overcome more complicated issues that have evolved over time, so the answer must be somewhat more involved, like this project. On an empty lot, there goes a garden, an orchard, a pavilion - In an empty house goes a commercial kitchen, to incubate culinary business, to share the food grown and to celebrate. These are all resources, services, and responsibilities. The responsibility of the neighbors produces a shared ownership for these places, which extends beyond immediate property into
unowned spaces - maintaining the community’s social and physical well-being. |
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