Maria ROSS

GROWING COMMUNITY A FOOD FOCUSED COMMUNITY CENTER IN PITTSBURGH, PA

Maria Ross Bachelor of Architecture, Thesis 2018 Drexel University, Westphal College of Media Arts & Design Rachel S. Schade, Advisor

CLIENTS & USERS

Growing Community is a food focused community center for immigrants and refugees from various countries and for

S IT IMPORTANT? existing localPOLITICAL residents located in a residential neighborhoodWHO in Pittsburgh PA.FOR? This project overall is meant to last through IS IT GROWTH AND CLIMATE

/ STATISTICS manyIScrises, but PROJECT? right now, the immediate one is for Syria.PROJECT There areUSERS over 11 million on the run at the moment and alWHAT THE

PROJECT BACKGROUND

most 14 million still seeking assistance.

YEAR: LOCATION: CLIENT:

1

Mercy Corps / 2017

2025 Pittsburgh, PA Mercy Corps

Existing Neighborhood Residents

2

New Settling Immigrant Families

3

Worker

WHO IS IT FOR?

PROJECT USERS / STATISTICS

Sproutfung.org / 2016

Rescue.org / 2017

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Twitter / 2017

NEW REFUGEES 1 Existing Neighborhood Residents

2

Sproutfung.org / 2016

Rescue.org / 2017

New Set

Mercy Corps / 2017

Mercy Corps / 2017 THE CITY’S GROWTH AND POLITICAL CLIMATE THE CITY’S GROWTH AND POLITICAL CLIMATE

MERCY CORP

WHO IS IT FOR?

PROJECT USERS / STATISTICS

1

Existing Neighborhood Residents

2

New Settling Immigrant Families Mercy Corps / 2017

EXISTING RESIDENTS

3

Workers and Volunteers

Mercy Corps / 2017

Pittsburgh Tribune Times,

Sproutfung.org / 2016

THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH

Rescue.org / 2017

Sources: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune Times,

Twitter / 2017

Mercy Corps / 2017

LOCAL VOLUNTEERS

THE REFUGEE PROCESS

BEFORE AMERICA WHOAMERICA IS IT FOR? BEFORE PROJECT USERS / STATISTICS DAY 1 YEAR 3 YEAR 3.75 Apply for refuge through regisRound one of three interviews Prepare for Travel tering with1 the United Nations. begin, each a3 month apart DAY YEAR YEAR 3.75 Existing Neighborhood Residents New Settling Immigrant Families

1

Apply for refuge through regisrefers for resettlement tering with the UN United Nations.

UN refers for resettlement Interview with the UN

Processes Applications

Interview with the UN

Processes Applications

LIVING IN AMERICA LIVING IN AMERICA

2

Round one of three interviews Cultural Orientation Prepare for Travel Fingerprint begin, each a month apart screenings Classes Fingerprint Cultural Orientation screenings Classes Matched with a resettlement Refugee vetting & Medical security screenings Screenings agency Matched with a resettlement Refugee vetting & Medical security screenings Screenings agency

DAY 1 Resettlement agency welcomes the new family1 as new client DAY Resettlement agency/ welcomes the Sproutfung.org 2016 new family as new client

This topic is very relevant in the city of Pittsburgh right now and these promises are not made up. There has been a huge shift in the political climate in the city in the past decade or so, becoming much more liberal with Mayor Peduto making a pledge of taking on 500 refugees per year, and many politicians fighting to become a sanctuary city. Also, the overall economy has been growing based on things like jobs, affordability, and overall livability.

Rescue.org / 2017

Sources: Rescue.org, CARR Sources: Rescue.org, CARR

Mercy Corps / 2017

YEAR 4 Arrive in America YEARWorkers 4 and

3

Arrive in America

DAY 90 DAY 90

Resettlement agency says good bye to the family Resettlement agency Twitter / says 2017 good bye to the family

SITE SITE INFORMATION INFORMATION

THE THE CITY CITY OFOF PITTSBURGH: PITTSBURGH: SIZE SIZE COMPARISON COMPARISON

SITE INFORMATION

SITE INFORMATION

PITTSBURGH, PITTSBURGH, PA PA

THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

PHILADELPHIA, PHILADELPHIA, PA PA

SITE LOCATION

THE NORTH SHORE (SPORTS ARENAS) THE STRIP DISTRICT

MAIN DOWNTOWN

SITE INFORMATION

SITE INFORMATION

THE NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD: SIZE COMPARISON OAKLAND (THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH)

THE NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD: SIZE COMPARISON

CITY COMPARISON: PITTSBURGH & PHILADELPHIA

POWELTON VILLAGE & MANTUA BOUNDARIES

CENTRAL NORTHSIDE & FINEVIEW BOUNDARIES

MANTUA

POWELTON VILLAGE & MANTUA BOUNDARIES

MANTUA

FINEVIEW

EAST CARSON STREET, SOUTHSIDE

CENTRAL NORTHSIDE & F

POWELTON

POWELTON NORTHSIDE

SITE INFORMATION

SCALE:

PHOTOGRAPHS THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH

0 300 600

0 300 600

NEIGHBORHOOD COMPARISON: PITTSBURGH & PHILADELPHIA SCALE:

SCALE:

0 300 600

SCALE:

Pittsburgh is known as the City of Bridges, which are highlighted in yellow. The downtown area is in the center, which is surrounded by the three rivers Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny. To compare in scale, Pittsburgh is on the left and Philadelphia is on the right, at the same scale. Also highlighted are the neighborhoods which my project will mainly be serving and their relationship to downtown, along with Mantua and Powelton neighborhoods highlighted in relation to Philadelphia. You can get another sense of the neighborhoods of my site versus Mantua and Powelton. The neighborhoods have a somewhat similar nature, being bound communities, both by natural landscape and by infrastructure. In the past, these aspects have kept the areas from being favorable to be developed, but now has become more desirable with the large boom SITE INFORMATION SITE in people moving back into the city. There is INFORMATION an existing 3 story factory building from 1920 that used to manufacture dyes.

PHOTOGRAPHS PHOTOGRAPHS SITE APPROACH FROM WEST ON FOUNTAIN

CLOSEUP OF EXISTING BUILDING ON SITE

SITE APPROACH FROM ON FOUNTAIN FROM WEST ONWEST FOUNTAIN PANORAMAVIEW FROM GRAIB (REAR OFLOTS SITE) PANORAMIC OF THE SITE,STREET INCLUDING VACANT TO THE NORTH SITE AND APPROACH WEST

VIEW FROM EAST ON FOUNTAIN

CLOSEUP OF EXISTING BUILDING ON SITE (FRONT CLOSEUPPHOTOS OF EXISTING BUILDING ON SITESTREET FROM FOUNTAIN

VIEW FROM EAST ON FOUNTAIN FROM EAST ON FOUNTAIN OF VIEW SITE)

0 300 600

PHILADELPHIA PROGRAM STUDIES

CITY KITCHEN AT READING TERMINAL MARKET COMMUNITY KITCHEN, TEACHING KITCHEN

EAT CAFE NON PROFIT NEIGHBORHOOD CAFE

GREENSGROW WEST COMMUNITY FARM AND MARKET

In order to figure out what types of program elements to incorporate, I got hands on experience with food focused community efforts in Philadelphia.

City Kitchen is located in Reading Terminal Market. Typically, it is a teaching kitchen that holds events that you can buy tickets to and have a night out learning how to make a new meal. They also lend out their kitchen to volunteers during the day, like the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia. Philly students after school learn how to make different recipes, partnering with different vendors from the market to get the ingredients donated.

EAT Cafe in West Philly, which stands for Everyone At the Table, is a nonprofit, pay-what-you-can cafe. It collaborates with different organizations in Philly, including Drexel, and employs people only living in the neighborhood. Their goal is to provide nutritious meals and build their business model is one that hopes when someone can’t pay the suggested price, someone can pay above that and it ultimately evens out.

Greensgrow West would not exist without the effort of community. It was entirely built from the few people that created it, partnering with Drexel students and other students to design it and build it. It is the second Greensgrow farm, with the main being in Kensington where they do most of the actual farming. The main farm is part of a program called Growing Home Garden where refugees in Philly plant and farm their own food, native to their homes and sell it at a farmer’s stand for their own profit.

DESIGN PROCESS

During the design process, I created collages. The first, representing site and topography.The topography of the site is what makes it so interesting. Like you saw from the very first photo of the presentation, the site has amazing views of the city. You can see one of the Three Sister bridges and the iconic Pittsburgh yellow steel. The second collage is the ode to the city’s history of being literally built by immigrants coming from other countries, which created the culture and beauty of the city. I also created a photograph collage depicting hands acting out words from my original narrative.

INSPIRATION COLLAGES

BUILDING FORM & PLACEMENT DIAGRAMS ACCESS, DEVELOPMENT, & APPROACH DRIVERS OF FORM & PLACEMENT: neighboring buildings + access from trails

DRIVERS OF FORM & PLACEMENT: future development + funding RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR AT A RAPID PACE. IN ORDER TO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS BUILDING, THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE TEETH IN SURROUNDING ROWS.

SITE BOUNDARIES

INFILLING

THE MISSING

EXISTING BUILDING FOOTPRINT

EXISTING FINEVIEW FITNESS TRAILS - PROVIDES PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN.

AREAS OF NEW EXCAVATION

DRIVERS OF FORM & PLACEMENT: approach + views

DRIVERS OF FORM & PLACEMENT: approach + views EXISTING CORNER OF FACADE IS ALREADY POINT OF INTEREST ON THE STREET.

SOCIAL STAIR BECOMES ILLUMINATED POINT OF ENTRY.

STREET IS ONE WAY ARRIVING FROM WEST.

STREET IS ONE WAY ARRIVING FROM WEST. PEDESTRIANS ARRIVING FROM FITNESS TRAILS HERE.

PEDESTRIANS ARRIVING FROM FITNESS TRAILS HERE.

FALL QUARTER REVIEW PROGRESS

SCHEMATIC DESIGN

ITE PLAN AND AXON 䘀䤀一䔀嘀䤀䔀圀 䘀䤀吀一䔀匀匀 吀刀䄀䤀䰀匀

SCHEMATIC DESIGN SECTION CUT THROUGH CITY SITE PLAN AND AXON 䘀䤀一䔀嘀䤀䔀圀 䘀䤀吀一䔀匀匀 吀刀䄀䤀䰀匀

SCALE: N.T.S.

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PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN SCALE: N.T.S.

BUILDING ACCESS AXON SCALE: N.T.S.

PRIVATE GREEN PUBLIC GREEN

PRIVATE PROGRAM (LABS, OFFICES, CLASSROOMS)

PUBLIC PROGRAM FOOD BASED (COMMUNITY KITCHENS, DINING)

RETAIL (PHARMACY/CLINIC)

GROUND

+1

PUBLIC PROGRAM RECREATION BASED (GYM, LOCKER ROOM, EXERCISE ROOM)

+2

MULTIPURPOSE SPACE

PUBLIC GREEN

+3

PRIVATE GREEN

+4

PRELIMINARY FLOOR PLANS SCALE: N.T.S.

STUDY MODEL - FORM & SCALE SCALE: 1:50 - Staples, copper wire, metal mesh

STUDY MODEL - SITE & TOPOGRAPHY SCALE: 1:50 - Terracotta, modeling clay

SUN STUDIES & M ATERIALITY SPRING EQUINOX 9AM

12PM

5PM

SHADOW STUDIES SCALE: N.T.S.

SUMMER SOLSTICE

FALL EQUINOX

WINTER SOLSTICE

In order to provide openness and brightness while paying mind to natural sunlight, I had to find materials that would make this work. My building uses the baguette sunscreen system. It come in many different custom shapes and profiles. I am using these four selected colors in a pattern ascending up the slope. The earthy, terra cotta tones are to represent not only the cores of the earth and alude to the steep topography on the site, but are also inspired from the colors of the former factory building building on the site as a reminder of where the building came from; symbolism to the mission of the project of where users came from.

I also needed a material to achieve the glow of the beacon portion of the model that regular glass wouldn’t accomplish. I decided on a channel glass system. Insulation is available for this system. For example, you would be able to see a person walking past, but you wouldn’t be able to see the person exactly.

MATERIAL BOARD (PHOTOGRAPH)

BUILDING SYSTEMS

EXPLODED AXON DIAGRAM SCALE: N.T.S.

Another material that plays a large role in the site that seems simple would be the farm terraces. They will be built as cast in place concrete, using aggregate from salvaged stone, brick and concrete from what was demolished on the site. They have two simple reveals for some added dimension and a simple recess for a strip LED light to go along the entire length of the wall. The dimensions vary from plant to plant, but the 3’ in the back stays consistent for the pathway of permeable paving, which all sloeps back leading to a drain.

The top of the wall is sloped as well, so water all goes to the drain, ultimately leading to the pond on the site which also collects water from the various green roofs on the site.

The building will be steel construction, which is fitting being in Pittsburgh. It will be exposed in select areas around the main stair and painted to match to Pittsburgh yellow of the three sister bridges seen from views across the neighborhood. In other areas of the building, the steel will be concealed.

Stormwater management is an issue the city of Pittsburgh requires you to handle, and a site this large with so much land and drastic change in topography needs to have a strategy to deal with it. The best way to take advantage of the great downhill slope would be to collect the water at the lowest point on my site. The terraced farming has a 20 foot setback which allows for the opportunity for a water collection pond along the street level, which can provide fantastic landscaping and public space.

CHANNEL GLASS BEYOND

7' - 0"

3' - 6"

GREEN ROOF ABOVE

ROOF TERRACE CANOPY CONSTRUCTED OF BAGUETTES

ENTRY DOOR

GUARD RAIL

15' - 0"

SLOPE TOP OF WALL- AWAY FROM PLANTER 1" CHAMFER

8' - 0"

12" REINFORCED CONCRETE WALL W/ RECYCLED AGGREGATE

3' - 6"

REVEAL IN CONCRETE RECESSED LED STRIP LIGHTING

3' - 0"

3'-0"

PLANTING MEDIUM DRAIN SLOPED TO WATER COLLECTION AREA

8' - 0"

PERMEABLE PAVING

5'-0"

3'-0" 8'-0" 58' - 6"

20' - 0"

2X6 METAL STUD WALL W/ FIBER CEMENT PANELS; COLOR TO MATCH BAUGETTES

SET BACK BALCONY 42" GUARDRAIL

3' - 6"

7' - 0"

10'-0"

2' - 0"

MECHANICAL SPACE ABOVE BALCONY

1" GAP FOR DRAINAGE FLASHING CONCRETE FLOOR METAL DECKING STEEL BEAM

7' - 0"

CEILING

3' - 0"

7'-0"

FLOOR SLOPED AT BALCONY

3' - 0"

20' - 0"

SHILDAN BAUGETTE SUNSCREEN SYSTEM

ENTRY OVERHANG

4" STOREFRONT ENTRY

ENCLOSED STEEL COLUMN 6" FLOOR BASE 7' - 0"

6' - 0"

4" SLAB ON GRADE

SLOPED SIDEWALK WATERPROOFING

SUBSOIL DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOOTING

PLANTER WALL DETAIL SCALE: N.T.S.

SOUTH FACING WALL SECTION SCALE: N.T.S.

FINAL PLANS

PARKING

TRASH & COMPOST

TRASH

MECHANICAL

GREEN ROOF

SERVICE STAIR

STORAGE / PREP OUTDOOR MARKET

OUTDOOR LOUNGE

KITCHEN

INDOOR LOUNGE PERFORMANCE AREA

GREEN ROOF

CAFE DINING STORAGE MAIN STAIR

TEACHING KITCHEN

MULTIPURPOSE ROOM

GREEN ROOF

MAIN STAIR GREEN ROOF

DINING AREA

CAFE BAR

MARKET ENTRY RECIPE LIBRARY

FIRST FLOOR PLAN SCALE: N.T.S.

SECOND FLOOR PLAN SCALE: N.T.S.

OUTDOOR TERRACE BALCONY

THIRD FLOOR PLAN SCALE: N.T.S.

ROOF FLOOR PLAN SCALE: N.T.S.

AERIAL VIEW

FINAL

IMAGES

APPROACH FROM FITNESS TRAIL As farm and community are the main goals of the building, the main approach shows these first. The terraced farm lines the street and the now relocated fitness trail, with the corner of the building acts as a glowing beacon of hope that can be seen from all over the neighborhood.

SECTION PERSPECTIVE EAST The spaces of the building work with the 50’ change in grade from front to back of the building. An open communicating stair connects the floors, which flows into large seating steps to look upon the performance area that can be opened to the cafe dining room. All the of the service spaces are in the rear basement area.

FINAL INTERIOR IMAGES

These images show the major program elements occuring. In the cafe, people are eating while watching the student performance that is going on. People in the upstairs lounge are listening in on the excitement while enjoying the breeze from the outside, using the glass sliding doors. Families are sharing a recipe in the kitchen. Many spaces can be active simultaneously.

In order the optimize the views from the building, the roof terrace provides shade and a space to go enjoy free time.

The outdoor market is most popular during the summer which is the best for shade, and this is the perfect shady spot behind the tall rear retaining wall.

ROOF TERRACE

SEASONAL MARKET

SECTION PERSPECTIVE NORTH

G A R D E N BPERSIAN A S CUCUMBERS KET

GRAPES CUCUMBERS PERSIAN

“When so much is unfamiliar, when the3 language is new, the urban enviYIELD: lbs SPACING: Plants 8”-12” ronment is so different, The people surrounding you are not your family and apart, Rows 36” apart friends but strangers, To be ableSYRIAN to cook a familiar dish you haven’t cooked RECIPE: in so long, Not only do memoriesLaban come flooding back, but your new home bikhyar salad) begins to feel a bit more like that(cucumber - h o yogurt m e.”

Again, Growing Community is meant to last through many crises, but right now, the immediate one is for Syria. Here, I have one pound of nine (creeping vine) different native plants to Syrian culture as examples of what will be grown in the farm. Each has a tag with information on growing the plant.

YIELD: 315-20 lbs lbs (varies) Vines 6’-10’ SPACING: Plants 8”-12”apart SYRIANRows RECIPE: apart, 36” apart Yebrat RECIPE: SYRIAN (stuffedbikhyar grape leaves) Laban (cucumber yogurt salad) (tree)vine) (creeping

FAVA BEANS

POMEGRANATE FAVA BEANS

YIELD: ~3/4 lb SPACING: Plants 4”-5” apart, Rows 18”-30” apart SYRIAN RECIPE: Arabic bean salad (Warm beans with garlic, tomatoes and lemon dressing)

YIELD: 22-66 ~3/4 lblbs SPACING: Trees Plants 10’-15’ 4”-5” apart, apart, Rows 15’-20’ Rows 18”-30” apart apart SYRIAN RECIPE: Kebab Arabic karaz bean salad (lamb w/ garlic, cher- to(Warmmeatballs beans with ries, pineandnuts, sugar, matoes lemon dressing) pomegranates, molasses) (stiffly(tree) erect plant)

(stiffly erect plant) GARBANZO BEANS

TOMATOES GARBANZO BEANS

YIELD: 3-6 lbs SPACING: Plants 3”-6” APART, Rows 24”-30” apart SYRIAN RECIPE: Falafel (fried ball of spiced garbanzo beans)

YIELD: 8-20 3-6 lbslbs SPACING: Plants 42” 3”-6”apart, Rows apart APART,40”-50” Rows 24”-30” apart SYRIAN RECIPE: Siniyah Falafel kebab (minced w/ chiligarbanzo pep(fried balllamb of spiced per, onion, and tomato beans) (bush-type plant)

(vine or bush) (bush-type plant)

FINAL CRIT

REFLECTION Growing Community was a fantastic experience. The lectures I attended and the volunteer opportunities I participated in are moments I will always remember and gave me motivation throughout this project. If I were to do it again, I would try to integrate those moments more clearly throughout the design process, but I am very pleased with the outcome overall.