Jacob Volanski

TOWARD

A REDEMPTIVE ARCHITECTURE:

EXPLORATIONS OF PAST, PLACE, + COMMUNITY

AN ARCHITECTURAL THESIS

BY JACOB VOLANSKI

ADVISOR: JON CODDINGTON

SITE I chose the site of Eastern State Penitentiary in the Fairmont Neighborhood of Philadelphia because of its proximity to my home, availability of data and resources, and because of its rich and complicated history.

PROGRAM The program was something that was in a state of continual evolution over the course of this project. The idea here is that the site should inform me of what ought to take place there rather than me imposing something onto the site. after months of flipping back and forth between different notions of what the opposite of the penitentiary might be, I ended on a primary program of transitional housing for formerly incarcerated and homeless philadelphians accompanied by complementary social infrastructure and community oriented program including: a library, gymnasium, fitness center, health clinic, counseling center, community kitchen, maker’s space, studio spaces, productive gardens, and parking.

PRECEDENTS The precedents that I referenced while conceiving this project were those that dealt with issues of architectural leacy, society’s relationship with the past, and how form shape and material can articulate these relationships.

RESEARCH I originally had intended on interveneing in the penitentiary’s architecture directly, but as I learned more about the historic site, it seemed that I had no right to touch it, even in an imaginary project, as our society still has much to learn from the failres of esp.

Legend Construction date unknown Phase 1: Struggle for Idealism

Phase 2: Decline of the Separate System

Phase 3: Challenges Continue

Phase 2a: 1865-1871

Phase 3a:1913-1922 (no new construction)

Phase 2b: 1871-1881

Phase 1a: 1823-1829

Phase 2c: 1881-1900

Phase 1b: 1829-1836

Phase 2d: 1900-1913

Phase 3b: 1922-1941 Phase 3c: 1941-1953 Phase 4: Bureau of Corrections

Phase 1c: 1836-1865

Phase 4: 1953-1971

ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION CHRONOLOGY - Ground Floor Eastern State Penitentiary Master Plan ATKIN OLSHIN SCHADE ARCHITECTS

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11.1 1 November 2011

PROCESS These select sketches show the long and diverse string of conceptual frameworks that I used to compose the project. Many ideas rose and fell over the course of the year before I settled on the idea of designing the “inverse� of the penitentiary as a critique and affirmation of its failures and besti intentions

PROCESS

JANUARY DESIGN REVIEW

JANUARY DESIGN REVIEW

MARCH TECH. REVIEW

MARCH TECH. REVIEW

FINAL REVIEW

Architecture = environment + our relationship to it ‘of’ the environment, not ‘on’ the environment

architecture is environment is collective

architecture is just sculpted environment

human flourishing

society, economies

art, culture

the built and natural environment

the ideal is not reality.

(if you build it, they may or may not come)

Architect = steward to the environment and our way of relating to it

FINAL REVIEW

FINAL REVIEW

FINAL REVIEW

FINAL REVIEW

FINAL REVIEW

FINAL REVIEW

FINAL REVIEW

REFLECTIONS

At the end of the day, I was not able to fully flesh out all of the design as I had intended. My presentation revolved around my mental processes and conceptual frameworks that gave me trouble along the way, but above all, I understand my work from this year as a process of becoming acquainted with my own set of professional values. It seems to me that the best way to make great architecture is to first learn how to be a good person and then design up from there.

I reflect on stewardship being the key element here. If we all took on a greater sense of ownership for our environments, then the whole system would run more effectively. To the left is my backyard, and I ended my presentation with this image because it is essential to me that architecture is understood as a participatory act, as a process, and as such, there is always work to be done.