NEXUS GROVE
FOUNDATION STUDIO IV | Instructor: Lucia Phinney | URBAN COMMUNITY CENTER
Located in Blagden Alley, a popular block of Washington D.C., lies the Nexus Grove. Functioning as more than a community center, it is a living embodiment of the circular economy and a hub for reconnection with others, with the environment, and with the material s used and discarded each day. The alley has a pre-exisitng blend of history, art, and innovation. This space will serve as a place to bridge the surrounding communities together, empowering change. Drawing inspiration from the natural cycle of growth and renewal, there is a featured mobile “grove” on the rooftop where students can learn the basics of wood as a material. Starting from the top down, there is a reverse gradation from the grove on the roof down to the classrooms and lecture hall, the workshops, and finally the material delivery and export. As the trees reach a mature age, they are graduated down the elevator and into the greater D.C. metropolitan area. Rooted in sustainability and driven by community, Nexus Grove is where the past meets the future in a cycle of growth and renewal. It serves as a reminder that re-use is not just physical but relational. It offers a model for how other alleys and cities can think of mater ials sustainably, and put the idea of the circular economy into a tangible center where people of all ages and professions can come together to l earn and work towards a common goal.
