Whitehall Junction explores how renovation can create a bridge between present and future occupants by serving, rather than displacing, the existing community. The proposed Eat-Dance-Live complex includes a renovation of and addition onto a US Post Office building from around the 1960s, which has seen multiple alterations over the years and currently houses eight apartments and several businesses including two dance studios, a t-shirt studio, and a boxing studio, on Whitehall Street, between the neighborhoods of Castleberry Hill and Mechanicsville in central Atlanta.
Whitehall Junction proposes to add, to amplify and to alter, instead of replacing the existing facility and its programming. Rather than displaying a distinct binary between the three provisions and between past and present, Whitehall Provision embraces the rough edges and boundaries. Specifically, the new roof structure interweaves through the windows of the existing shell, rather than encompass them. Glass bricks are interpenetrated into the existing brick facade to blur the boundaries between the two contrasting materials. The existing bricks that are replaced by glass bricks are redistributed for the construction of the ground-up living provision. Pops of colors, mimicking the characteristic bright colors of houses in the neighborhood of Mechanicsville, can also be found on structure supports, frames, and railing throughout the building, connecting the many pieces together.
Mechanicsville is known to be a food desert. There are very few restaurants within the neighborhood. The closest area with prepared food is in Castleberry Hill. The building’s owner and residents are eager to see more restaurants and other dining options that are easily accessible by foot.
The proposed Eat-Dance-Live complex, located on the west end of street, includes a renovation of and addition onto a US Post Office building from around the 1960s, which has seen multiple alterations over the years
The current facade facing Whitehall Street encloses the building with brick and small windows, creating the image of a private building rather than a welcoming and activated space with many activities.
Mechanicsville
past, 1980s
current
The building currently houses eight apartments and several businesses including two dance studios, a t-shirt studio, and a boxing studio
“EAT” adds a market-style food hall for local restaurants to provide easily accessible prepared foods to the community
“DANCE” amplifies the currently active spaces of the building by using the underdeveloped spaces inside the building and its rooftop to provide larger performance venues.
“LIVE” amplifies the current units and adds more living units in various sizes to accommodate the existing demographic’s needs
The current building has a steep ramp, once used by US Postal Service trucks, that will be transformed into an inhabitable staircase and extended to the east side of the building. This key element allows for accessibility and connectivity to the street and across the whole site.
In order to open up the facade for a more inviting experience, glass is introduced for more transparency and to bring natural light into the interior – creating a storefront and street access for the T-shirt studio and salon. Glass brick is also interwoven into the existing facade, allowing for light to penetrate but still maintaining privacy. A large roof structure covers part of the existing building and the empty shell to unify the two parts of the building—the market space and outdoor seating area.
Proposed Facade
Current Facade
LOFT LOFT LOFT LOFT
2BED 2BED 2BED
residents have their own green house, courtyard, and easy access to all the facilities on the site
Pops of colors, mimicking the characteristically bright colors of houses in the neighborhood of Mechanicsville, can also be found on structure supports, opening frames, and railing throughout the building, connecting the many pieces together.
Whitehall Junction embraces the rough edges and boundaries, rather than displaying a distinct binary between the past and the present and between the three provisions (activity, eatery, and residential)
UNIFYING ATMOSPHERE
Institution of Environmental and Cultural Equity Midtown Atlanta, Georgia Frederick Pearsall
This institution bridges and transitions the existing sites that are divided by North Ave, thus blurring the boundaries and creating new atmospheres that span through the whole site. Tech tower lawn houses the circular plaza where users can experience a sense of community within the area with fresh produce and local goods at the market and gain cultural knowledge through the art gallery. To transition into the indoor spaces, users will encounter the beauty of dichroic glass phenomenal that reacts to the surrounding atmospheric condition of light and weather. The spine goes from the north to the south of the entire parking deck, splitting the indoor functions into 2 conditions: interactive and private. Exhibition space and experience room allow users to be more interactive and exposed to the current climate and cultural condition of Atlanta, while the climate lab allows for more specific research concerning the topic. Users can also continue to learn in a more private and quiet space from resources in the library. Throughout the site, there are outdoor seating areas for gatherings, dining, and studying, waiting for conversation to happen.
ATMOSPHERE AS ______________
Research Partner: Brooke Ulmanis
Exploring and documenting the existing conditions of the given site, Tech Tower Lawn, with the cross cutting issue of atmosphere in mind, each of the mapping focuses on the different definition of the atmosphere on the level of human experiences along with nature and culture.
Atmosphere as Pressure: A function of human motion and mobility on site, showing the pressure that people put on the site at different locations during different times of the week.
Weekdays
Weekends
Atmosphere as Tone: The multitude of activities occurring on the site have the ability to change the atmosphere, while most activities occur in the state of
DICHROIC PHENOMENAL
site work of art
Although sunrise and sunset happen daily, the time that they happen always change. This artwork reacts and responds to the surrounding atmospheric condition of light, in terms of time and weather. The light phenomenal of color refraction and reflection is created with the dichroic glass panels that are up above ground. The frosted glass panels on ground also create perception and shadow of those that are on the bridge.
By thinking about the use of materials and how humans and nature integrate, an inspiring artwork was created to allows for natural light to shine and blurs the boundaries between outside and inside.
Paving the tech tower lawn for more inhabitable space, allows for gathering space, art gallery, and outdoor market.
dichroic phenomenal panels on renovated bridge
interior of library space - exterior glass walls
RESPONSIVE TECTONICS
Ghana Agriculture Center
Mampong, Ghana
Daniel Baerlecken
The Ghana Agriculture Center was created with the initial knowledge of the existing architectures in Mampong to understand the site, local community, climate conditions and social context, along with studying the concept of Kirigami - the art of folding and cutting. As entering into the site, you will be greeted with walls of corn drying racks, a local method of drying harvested corn. Spaces with different functions are placed throughout the whole site, giving the users an opportunity to explore the outdoor environment and enjoy the sight of corn fields, while moving from one place to the other. The largest space on the site, surrounded by corn drying racks, is a place where the locals can store their corn and other harvesting equipment. This space connects directly to the main road for easy transportation and loading of corn. Visitors will be able to learn about the production of Kenta in the workshop space, The chevron shape of these spaces allow for the courtyard to form. Additionally, a shaded pavilion serves as an educational space for children to learn more about their local resources. Visitor housings can also be found toward the back of the site, where community gathering and farming are encouraged. Lastly, by implementing chevrons pattern on the ground, users will experience changes of ground materials throughout the site.
KIRIGAMI
Kirigami is an origami technique that involves cutting as well as folding - creating 3 dimensional objects with voids through small connections. A simple chevron cell can be scaled and multiplied to create smaller cells with more rigid structures. This exercise, using auxetic materials, shows some of the endless combinations that these cells can create.
Layering by wedging multiple cells together
Layering with simple small connection
Layering by alternating different cell patterns
DIGITAL FABRICATION LAB
Translating kirigami patterns into a sunscreen; made by bending metal rods and welded the ends together to create the frame for each panels.
wall of corn drying racks
2 storage space; 3D print
3 educational space; 3D print
CARAVANSERAI
Tactile Urban Interventions
Marathon, Texas
Charles Di Piazza
This caravanserai was developed and derived from a careful analysis of the existing architecture, materials and the demographic of Marathon, Texas. One of the first insights was the noticeable discrepancy in property values and overall status between the north and south sides of the site. Positioned along the railroad tracks, the site sat between these two zones, making it a natural point of intersection. Given the location, the design aimed to act as a middle ground; a place where the community could come together, bridging the gap between the north and south, while also offering a welcoming space where visitors could interact with the locals.
To achieve this, the site was divided into three distinct sections or ‘bars,’ each mirroring the three different zones: the north side, the south side, and the railroad track. The central portion of the design featured an expanded and deepened swale, which was transformed into an inviting outdoor gathering space. This central feature served not only as a physical connection between the two zones but also as a communal area where people could engage in social and recreational activities. One of the bars on the north side was strategically positioned to house a variety of social functions, such as a brewery, an event space, a food hall, and residential units, each offering different experiences and opportunities for interaction. The other was a train depot , placed adjacent to the existing railway. This addition not only served a practical purpose by adding a stop for travelers but also acted as a gateway to the town, encouraging tourists to visit and fostering a deeper connection between the locals and visitors.
Marathon, Texas
studio collaboration on background research
Established in 1882 with the arrival of the railroad, Marathon initially served as a shipping and supply point for area ranchers. Over time, it became a railhead for silver ore coming up from Mexico. The town’s fortunes have been closely tied to local industries such as mining and wax production. The establishment of Big Bend National Park positioned Marathon as the closest gateway town to the park, making it a popular stop for visitors.
Marathon is located in a broad basin between the Glass Mountains to the north and the Del NorteSantiago range to the south. This area serves as a transition zone between higher mountain grasslands and the thorny chaparral of the Chihuahuan Desert.
The word caravanserai is a combination of the Persian word “karvan” (meaning group of travelers) and “sara” (palace or enclosed building) with the additional of “-yi” a Turkish suffix.
Developed alongside the Silk Road through Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa, construction of caravanserais increased as Silk Road traffic increased (starting around the 10th century). They served to protect merchants from the elements as well from bandits who would target caravans along the route. These structures located roughly every 20-25 miles, which equals about one day’s journey in between for merchants with their livestock and goods.
The surrounding buildings are mostly single-story, elongated structures constructed from earthen materials such as adobe, bricks and compressed earth blocks.
