Flexible Prototyping
A prototype is a model that may be tested, replicated, and adapted within a variety of context and conditions. We use the term to propose architectural solutions that may be adapted and replicated under different conditions and in different locations.
Our ideas for architecture as prototypes emerged from work done by architectural scholar N John Habraken. In a article called "The Control of Complexity," Habraken argues that the built environment is a complex fabric (he calls it a field) made up of formal elements. Buildings, walls, doors, porches, roads, and sidewalks are elements or parts that make up a larger whole—the built environment. These parts are put together or organized in an orderly fashion via a syntax or grammar. Students who suggested prototypical solutions began with a careful study of the physical, social and cultural fabric of this neighborhood. They analyzed themes, identified patterns, and examined how individual parts (buildings, residents, activities) produced the larger whole (neighborhood, community, and events). Hillary focused on time as an organizing principle. She argued that there was a unique rhythm to this neighborhood produced by the ebb and flow of daily activities, patterns of breeze and the sun arcing across the sky, the topography of land, and the size and shape of buildings that were constructed or taken down over the span of many years. Her design prototype acknowledges the diversity and complexity of this neighborhood and she shows how her proposed prototype may be adapted in order to accommodate this diversity. Hebah, after a careful study of street corners along Vilet Street, proposed an architectural kit of parts that may be deployed and tweaked in order to produce better street corners. If you have feedback or comments about this strategy please click here. |
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As a UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning graduate student, the experiences I have gained participating in the Washington Park Studio have been incredibly beneficial and inspiring. Having the opportunity to actively engage with community members and discuss their experiences, memories and stories offered a new component within the design process that I had not previously explored. The studio allowed me to collaborate with community members and implement designs that reflected their needs, hopes, desires and dreams. As a result, I have a greater understanding of how architectural design not only has the ability to create beautiful, functional spaces, but has the capacity to generate social change, provide opportunities for positive interaction and promote sustainable communities through independent empowerment.
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The goal of this project is to design in a manner that is culturally responsive, in a way that engages the community. The project consists of two parts, the built edge and the building. The edge is the public boundary where community members engage with each other. I designed a kit of parts consisting of street furnishing and sundry objects that could be arranged in street corners and intersections (in this case N 35th St. and W Vliet St.). This flexible strategy would allow local residents to redesign, reconfigure, or replace the built edge as per their need, with the help of local artists and building professionals. The building proposal consists of a flexible program kit in which interior spaces could be maintained or altered depending on the users' preferences.
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