The Crossroads : An Affordable Housing Project

THE CROSSROADS an affordable housing project

zach billings

jesse burton

roger clark

erinn engle

james jones

jubilee kao

keylee kohlmeier

erik loya

adam pelfrey

gwen pitts

DESIGN+MAKE STUDIO 2019-2020 kansas state university + el dorado inc arch 805 + arch 806 fall 2019

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yanjun sun

julia switlik

yao wang

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CONTENTS

PROGRAMMING

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DESIGN PROPOSAL ONE

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DESIGN PROPOSAL TWO

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CONCLUSION

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PROGRAMMING

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PROGRAMMING INTRODUCTION THE CROSSROADS ABOUT OUR SITE AFFORDABLE DESIGN TECHNIQUES CLIENT VISION

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INTRODUCTION Our focus as thirteen graduate-level students at Kansas State University has been on defining the issue of affordable housing and determining solutions through architectural means. To begin, the definition of affordable housing and its troubled past: from public housing to social housing, inclusionary housing to mixed-income, the definitions seem to be endless. As such, it seemed to be our task to develop a definition to encompass the reality and dignity of the situation, as affordable housing should be attainable in every market. However, affordability is measured based on income, which varies greatly from individual to individual and city to city. The federal definition of an affordable dwelling is one toward which an individual need not designate more than 30% of their income. Beyond this definition is understanding that incomes are generally categorized into groups of those who make higher than 80% of the Average Median Income (AMI) and those

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who make less than this. The second of these categories can break down even further, which is imperative later in our understanding of how to mix incomes within a design proposal. With the facts established, it is time to realize the definition of our subject, project, and our goal: that affordable housing, though often misunderstood, is something powerful. If our housing is affordable, our lives are more manageable, more developed, and more successful. To design affordable housing has more depth than to simply provide residence for those who need it; it fosters possibility and potential in people from all backgrounds, incomes and circumstances in a truly meaningful and impacting way. Through direction from instructors David Dowell and Lawrence Scarpa, client Diane Botwin, and study of successful built work, we have worked to embody this definition through design.

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Š Erinn Engle

URBAN ISOLATION Despite technological advances that keep us constantly connected and densifying urban areas, people are feeling drastically more isolated than ever before. According to the Kaiser study, one in five U.S. adults claim to feel this isolation, and the same study that found no answers as to why this is or how we can begin to solve it. Our studio believes the answer lies in creating a connected community, and designing a neighborhood within the building that helps against urban isolation.

“More than a fifth of adults in the United States say they often or always feel lonely, that they lack companionship, feel left out, or isolated from others. Many of them say their loneliness has had a negative impact on various aspects of their life.

People experiencing loneliness disproportionately report lower incomes and debilitating health or mental conditions.”

- Kaiser Family Foundation, “Loneliness and Social Isolation: An International Survey”

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IDENTITY OF THE CROSSROADS As the name implies, the Crossroads district acts a crossroad for a diverse amount of people to experience what Kansas City’s culture has to offer. As the city densifies, cost of living increases and popular areas like this arts district can start to experience a loss of identity. We hope to embrace and maintain the Crossroads’ identity by creating living situations for a variety of people who work in and enjoy the crossroads. Choosing to focus on the uniqueness of the area gives us a chance to design something meaningful and true to place.

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The Crossroads is an arts district, but also serves as much more than that. It’s historic, it weaves together the diverse cultures and people that live throughout Kansas City into a cultural fabric unique to the neighborhood. It acts as the heart of Kansas City for these people to be entertained, to put forth their artistic and cultural works. It has developed an identity that we want to protect from the negative effects of gentrification and the growing high-income barrier forming in the area. We want to hold onto this identity, in order to retain the integrity of this place.

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MODULAR AFFORDABILITY “Writers dream up worlds in which object, houses, cities, people, are cloned, with endlessly repeated versions of the same thing. The effect is often calculated to frighten, as if the loss of [heroic] individuality were at stake.

Yet without similarity, we cannot know difference. And repetition is simply comforting.”

- John Pawson, ‘Minimum’

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Providing affordability has been a goal from the start, and inspiration from the firm Brooks + Scarpa has opened our eyes to modularity as a means of affordability. Our goal is to design for individuality while still providing affordable living options. This allows for the people who work and play in the crossroads to live there. The looming highincome barrier can be combated in this way, as well as the achievement of our design goal: to create inclusiveness for all of these people.

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“AMIDST FORMER ABANDONED WAREHOUSES AND HISTORIC BUILDINGS ON KANSAS CITY’S FAMOUS FILM ROW, ONE NOW FINDS CUTTING EDGE ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES, CONTEMPORARY OFFICE SPACES AND MODERN EVENT SPACES.” - CROSSROADS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION © reddit

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THE CROSSROADS ARTS DISTRICT The Crossroads Arts District is a neighborhood within the Greater Downtown of Kansas City, Missouri. Major highways (I-670 to the north, Route 71 to the east and I-35 to the west), border the neighborhood and connect it greater Kansas City. Known for its vibrant art community, the Crossroads is home to more than 400 local artists and 100 independent studios. Other amenities include an abundance of boutiques, restaurants and bars, architectural and design firms, and advertising businesses. Many of these businesses are placed in renovated warehouses or industrial buildings.

The Crossroads district hasn’t always been Kansas City’s main arts district. In the 1930’s, the film industry chose a four block area in the Crossroads, dubbed “Film Row”, for a geographically central distribution point in the U.S.

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Major studios on Film Row included Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and Paramount. At its height, it had one of the largest concentration of film studios and is now one of the most intact Film Row districts in the United States.

When the need for film distribution centers diminished in the 1960s, buildings in the Crossroads were neglected and essentially abandoned. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the rebirth of the Crossroads began, inciting the vibrant culture of today. During a search for an area in which a community of artists could both live and display their work, Kansas City Art Institute professor Jim Leedy prompted the neighborhood’s transformation. Leedy purchased, renovated, and sold previously vacant back to artists at purchase price, leading to an influx of culturally diverse people in the Crossroads.

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HISTORY OF THE CROSSROADS

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FILM ROW - 1920S TO 1960S Major Hollywood film studios populated the current Crossroads neighborhood, creating a Film Row.

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© Susan Budge

LEEDY-VOULKOS ART GALLERY OPENS - 1985 Jim Leedy opened his gallery in the Crossroads, beginning the transformation into an arts district.

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FIRST FRIDAYS BEGINS - 2001 A small gathering the first Friday of some months has become one of the Crossroads’ main attractions.

© Kansas City Daily Photo

BUILDING RENOVATIONS - 2004 Renovated warehouses and industrial buildings bring in new residents to the neighborhood.

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KAUFFMAN CENTER OPENS - 2012 KC STREETCAR OPENS - 2016 The Performing Arts Center is home to the Kansas City The two mile route connects the River Market to Symphony, Kansas City Ballet and the Lyric Opera.

Union Station/Crown Center with 16 stops between.

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WHO LIVES HERE? Much of our program depends on knowing the demographics of the Crossroads district. At just under one square mile of land, this neighborhood is home to a little over 1,500 people. The demographics of this neighborhood are racially homogeneous, with 92% Caucasian residents, and only 5% African American. Males make up 60% of the inhabitants, with a high concentration of those between the ages of 25 and 34 years old (50%). Much of this information seems straightforward on its own, but when applied to the topic of affordable housing, some relevant facts are found. For example, there are 859 households in the Crossroads, with 57% being one-person households and 39% two-person. This indicates that much of the population would likely rent a one bedroom or studio apartment, informing our design decisions for a residential project. The map to the right shows the concentrations of

residences according to census blocks in the tract. The cost of rent is also something of importance when it comes to affordable housing. For single person households, $55,700 is the average median income. This number increases with the size of the family, as a two-person family earns an average of $89,000 and a three person family $175,000.

On an individual level, 40% earn less than $50,000 while 34% earn more than $75,000 annually. This helps us to determine the income levels for which we should design.

The last major data to gather indicates job sectors in which the people of the Crossroads work. These jobs are not necessarily in the neighborhood of the Crossroads, rather, they are the occupations of its residents. 24% of people work in Professional and Scientific fields, while another 24% work in Education & Healthcare. The remaining largest percentile belongs to Hotel, Food, and Arts sectors at 10%.

site 88-170 people 38-87 people 12-37 people 3-11 people

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WHO WORKS HERE? Although the residents of the Crossroads neighborhood are arguably the most important to understand, the relevance of those who work here should not be underestimated.

Demographics are similar to those of the residents, with a fairly even split between the sexes (Male 55%, Female 45%), a similar age breakdown with 82% under the age of 55, and even a similar income, with most (54%) earning more than $40,000 a year. Jobs split comparably, with 30% in the Professional and Scientific fields, and 14% in Hotel, Food, and Arts. Retail services make up an additional 16%, a number not seen in the statistics for the residents of the crossroads.

As we recall, our client spoke of her desire to provide housing for those that work in the Crossroads, making this information valuable to us as designers. To know the audience for which we design is crucial, and to understand the basic parameters of their lives helps us to create informed design. The map on the right indicates the concentration of jobs around our site. This reveals a strong connection between our location and the ability for potential residents to walk to work and a strong network of employment within the neighborhood.

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WHO LIVES AND WORKS HERE? of their day, they take with them their spending money, grocery money, social interactions, and business. These are what encourage a community to thrive and what helps to establish a sense of greater neighborliness.

“For local governments that derive a portion of their revenues from the area’s commercial and industrial tax base, proximity to jobs can influence local fiscal health and the quality of public services. For residents, proximity can affect access to private services, like retail.”

- Brookings Metropolitan Program

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We have come to understand the basic demographics of those who live in the Crossroads, as well as those who work there. However, focusing again on our client’s goal of creating housing for those who work in the Crossroads, the people who keep the vitality of the neighborhood what it is, the number of people who live and work in the Crossroads is an important number. Of the 8,018 people who work in the neighborhood, a mere 74 are also its residents. This means less than 1% of the people employed in the Crossroads live in the same area. Since this district is surrounded on three sides by major interstates and highways, over 70% of the 1,030 who live in the Crossroads and work elsewhere travel alone and by car. This causes not only a sustainability issue, but has potentially negative impacts on both the social and economic health of the area.

When 93% of an area’s residents leave for the majority

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FIRST FRIDAYS

First Fridays is a neighborhoodwide event that occurs the first Friday of every month, all year long. Essentially a large “block party”, it consists of gallery open houses, art vendors, displays by local businesses and live music.

From its beginning as a small gathering the first Friday of some months, it has become one of the Crossroads’ main attractions, with thousands of participants. Our site, identified in white on the facing map, indicates our location within this network.

© City Scene KC

© Kansas City Art Institute

© Crossroads Arts District

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KANSAS CITY STREETCAR Public transportation is growing in Kansas City. The rideKC streetcar runs through the heart of downtown and connects the to buses at the 10th & Main Transit Center, the end of the route. This was the first step in a long-range plan to create a regional, integrated transit system, connecting the Greater Kansas City area in an unprecedented way. The streetcar is a means to encourage a more vibrant, connected, and livable urban center by attracting new residents, businesses, and workforce with an improved and efficient travel option.

The vision is that the downtown KC streetcar starter line will bring new investment and increase property values, in turn increasing the economic vitality of the neighborhood, both during construction and after. Within one year of completion, the streetcar completed 2 million trips, doubling in its second year, and as of September 2018, over 5 million trips have run.

Kansas City’s Streetcar runs along main street, with its district encompassing everything two blocks to the east and west.

Being located in this district, our site requires no parking due to its relationship with public transit. Diverse uses are included in the streetcar district, including residential developments, financial districts, coffee shops, and the central library. The proximity of these amenities, being within a fifteen minute streetcar ride of our site, means our location is rich in context. Green space and groceries are lacking nearby, but it’s likely that as residential development grows, the demand will likely be met. Unfortunately, the same can not be assumed for large green spaces, meaning green space could be important to implement on our site.

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© Eric Bowles Photoblog

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NEAREST AMENITIES When determining the potential for affordable housing at this location, one of the most telling factors relates to available amenities within a short walk. The orange line indicates a realistic fifteen-minute walk from our site (the orange rectangle in the middle of the image). The layered gray rings indicated a radius of one, three, and five minute walks radiating from our site, encompassing many amenities, such as banks, coffee shops, public transportation stops, groceries and even parking garages. Each point on the map represents the closest of its kind, meaning nearly everything one could need on a daily basis exists within 5 minutes walk of our location. These are things that make living in a city so desirable, and to have a large quantity so close gives us ample reason to believe housing of any sort would be successful in this location.

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SITE PHOTOS Already under construction, it’s easy to witness the scale of effect that Reverb will have on our site. Regardless, strong views to downtown exist to the North, and our site abuts a public alley way to the East. Behind the UMB bank to the East, there is a historic seven-story building, the City Bank Building. This site is uniquely located in-between two murals, on the North and the South of the site. In the distant Northwest we have a view of the famous ‘KC Loves’ mural.

This shows we are in the middle of the crossroads district and in the heart of its identity.

NORTH BUILDING MURAL

SOUTH MURAL / REVERB DEVELOPMENT

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© Erinn Engle

© Jesse Burton

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NORTHWEST CORNER VIEW

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NORTH VIEW CORRIDOR

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SITE CONTEXT The Crossroads is a unique district because it has many historic preservation, renovated historic buildings, and new modern developments. The Kauffman center, being one of the newest modern developments, was added to the crossroads in 2011. Union Station, although a historic building, received major modern renovations in recent history. Many new residential elements have added to the skyline, as well as renovations to old building to provide more housing options. This district is also well-located near the World War II museum and other local attractions. The Crossroads’ rich historical context is being punctuated by new, modern buildings, enriching the area.

HISTORICAL RENOVATION AND RESIDENTIAL RE-USE

WESTERN AUTO SIGNAGE

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RISING RESIDENTIAL SKYLINE

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NATIONAL WORLD WAR ONE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL

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KAUFFMAN CENTER

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WHY HOUSING ON THIS SITE? So, wat about our location makes housing possible? 1801 Walnut is in the perfect location, with every amenity that a resident may need only a 10-15 minute walk away.

Many jobs are located in the district and many more can be easily commuted to via public transit. Access to the streetcar is a just over a block away, connecting much of Northern and Southern Kansas City to our site. Further connections throughout the greater Kansas city area are made through the use of the rideKC city bus that has a stop less than a block from our site.

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The identity of the Crossroads is one that accepts differences and welcomes free-thinkers, such as artists and musicians, in hopes of continuing the diversification of the neighborhood. The site is in a prime location to become home to one of the many First Friday’s activities that take over the Crossroads every month.

TRANSIT

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IDENTITY

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AMENITIES

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AFFORDABLE DESIGN

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Designing with affordability in mind from the beginning can introduce interesting design techniques with the potential to lower the overall building cost. Our studio began the semester researching modularity and the implications it can have on both the budget and overall building design. Other ways to achieve affordability come from alternative design, a concept that uses things like shared amenities to reduce cost. Units can be designed to have private and public spaces, with private spaces (such as the bedroom) retained for the specific renter, while the public spaces (bathroom, kitchen, living space) are shared among many. Construction costs within Kansas City are high and over the course of time developers have combated this with the introduction of units that are smaller than the national average.

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MODULARITY Step Up on 5th by Brooks & Scarpa in Santa Monica, CA is a precedent for both the design of affordable housing and the affordability of modularity.

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SHARED AMENITIES Occupants of the spaces only pay full rent on the portions of the space that they individually use, and each pay partial rent for the shared amenities.

KANSAS CITY’S UNITS Construction costs can be lowered through the introduction of smaller units, and Kansas City residents are accustomed to spaces smaller than the National average.

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CLIENT VISION

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Diane Botwin is a developer in the Greater Kansas City area. For generations her family has played an instrumental role in the development of Kansas City. Diane is philanthropic and in pursuit of creating spaces within the city that everyone can call home. She has watched as the people that keep the Crossroads running have slowly been priced out of their homes.

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Diane envisions a home for the people of the Crossroads; the nurses that work at the hospitals, the teachers that teach at the schools, and the employees of the restaurants and bars. Initially, when she presented the site to our class she spoke of a two to three-story structure on stilts to provide the maximum amount of parking. Over time, the lack of strict height regulations has opened her to the idea of a much larger building. Throughout the entire process Diane’s vision of mixing income levels within the building has stayed consistent; with a mix of affordable units, market rate units, and even larger units oriented toward a higher income level. At the beginning, parking was one of Diane’s primary objectives, as the site is currently parking for one of her other buildings. With the current and future growth of the Crossroads, Diane was concerned about the over crowding of street parking. She initially envisioned 1 spot for every unit, but after careful analysis of the sites proximity to transit, amenities, inclusion of affordable units, and the future of ride sharing, Diane worked with us to reduce parking to one spot per every two or four units. © Jesse Burton

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DESIGN PROPOSAL ONE

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DESIGN PROPOSAL ONE PROCESS CONCEPT GROUND FLOOR OVERALL BUILDING MODULAR UNIT UNIT FINISHES FLOOR PLANS RENDERS

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PROCESS During the process, we created a “Test Fit One” where we extrapolated the information from Robin Dunbar’s research and created micro-communities based upon degrees of intimacy. The building is broken down into a repeated 3 floor micro-community structure based around supporting these possible relationships. Each “micro-community” contains one economic floor and two floors with mixed market-rate and economic units, creating a unified and mixed user base. Interspered between these units are open-air community spaces that include a small garden and one “program addition.” These additions would be programs that foster a healthy community: yoga studio, study room, day care, and library were all tested examples to help bring like-minded residents together and spark new relationships with neighbors.

On the ground floor, retail, lofted parking and lobby make up the bulk of the progam, with smaller allocations for an art gallery, mail room, and bike racks. Because the Crossroads has become more expensive to live in, artists are struggling to maintain residency, making it crucial to the city’s identity to build spaces for them to work and live affordably. We dedicated the second floor to these artists and created a collaborative studio space, as well as private studios and gallery in hopes of keeping this aspect of the Crossroads alive and thriving. From this iteration we were able to reorganize our circulation and more efficiently lay out the units to keep the idea of these community spaces and varying degrees of intimacy for the users in the future iteration.

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CONCEPT While the Crossroads is a vibrant community of artists and creative professionals, it is also a lively business district with a wide variety of restaurants, storefronts, and performing arts venues. Our client, Diane, realized the need to accommodate the workforce that makes the Crossroads what it is today, and to provide housing more suited to the economic lifestyle of these individuals without sacrificing their quality of life. Through our affordable housing proposal, we intend to realize Diane’s vision of a housing project that is affordable, sustainable, and above all livable. Keeping these core principles in mind, our proposal will address the issues that are most concerning for urban development and urban living in the 21st century -- specifically Kansas City.

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As previously addressed in the Kaiser Family study, 1 in 5 people living in dense environments struggle with urban isolation and loneliness. It was for this reason that our proposal’s core intent was to solve this social epidemic.

By studying the theory of anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar, we were able to conceptually organize the living environment of our proposal’s residents by the levels of intimacy the average person is capable of maintaining. Locating these groups around various elements throughout the building increases their sense of community and belonging. For example, a shared micro garden, or the “living room” areas for interaction are located in common spaces, connecting residents in their daily live.

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GROUND FLOOR

OPTIONAL SETBACK An imposed Southern setback increases sun and wind exposure for the future program. This aspect is alloos the South facade of building full exposure to the sun and allows for passive systems to be developed.

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CENTRAL CORE

VERTICAL PARKING

GREEN SPACE

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BASE PROGRAM

A central core encourages efficient crculation and imposes an organizational structure.

Vertical parking accommodates 58 spots, accomodating up to 50% parking for residents. Our vertical parking solution can be easily removed and retrofitted for the future.

A integrated park extends into the public to offer green space for the Crossroads district. Although this is a diverse community, it lacks in available green space for its people.

Community gathering space creates visual connections to the street corner. The second floor is a community gathering space which provides additional resident interaction by connecting it to most of the building’s social and daily functions.

The Crossroads is a district full of entertainment, food, and diverse amenities, so it was important to take advantage of this and minimize amenities to the essentials, in order to encourage residents to be a part of crossroads community.

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OVERALL BUILDING

CONNECT Central core connects circulation and living rooms to help encourage interactions. The height of the ground floor was determined by the contextual language of the building, height restrictions from the vertical parking, and the location of the central service core.

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MODULAR UNITS Modular units reduce on-site cost by maximizing site dimensions and integrated circulation. Taking advantage of this maximum constraint allowed for efficient logistical concerns, integrated circulation between the units, and less on-site connections between the modules.

MICRO-NEIGHBORHOOD Shift in module height creates more variety within the micro-neighborhoods, attracting diverse user typologies. Robin Dunbar’s theory suggests that social behavior is genetically rooted and our social interactions are based on the levels of intimacy that best provide for meaningful relationships and vibrant communities.

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Micro-gardens give residents the opportunity to maintain a collective sense of ownership within the neighborhoods. This proposal encourages community involvement.

Module shifts creates balconies off of the shared living rooms for the co-living units, giving an additional amenity to tenants who share other elements.

The building engages diverse levels of intimacy for social interaction while maintaining a high-standard of living. The shared living arrangements of 3-8 people provide a more affordable solution to both the tenants and the developer during construction.

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MODULAR UNIT

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MODULAR FRAME

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The unit modules primarily consist of 64’ and 35’ long steel chassis’ that surround the core. The maximum dimensions allowed for transport with a permit is 68’ long, 16’ wide and 16’ tall.

The module has the circulation integrated between two units, which minimizes site work and on-site connections.

By limiting the location of the services to the side of the unit, which is the most efficient design strategy, the assembly of the modules is streamlined and more affordable.

Efficient location of services allows some financial resources to be reallocated to the user experience and diversity within the modules.

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UNIT FINISHES

DEFINING PROGRAM Optional elevation changes within the unit framework act as spatial dividers and create spatial diversity.

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INTEGRATED STORAGE The raised floor gives access to additional storage needed for a unit of this size. The deep storage wall can double as shelving and is customizable to the tenants’ needs.

JEFFERSON STAIR Collapsible Jefferson stairs are integrated into the storage wall and can be interchanged with a ladder option at the user’s preference.

LADDER The ladder on a track leads to the lofted bedroom and is utilized to access storage in the otherwise unreachable heights of the apartment.

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FLOOR PLANS

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SECTION: LOFTED STUDIO UNIT

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GARDEN

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DESIGN PROPOSAL TWO PROBLEM OVERVIEW JIM LEEDY / CROSSROADS WHO / WHAT PROCESS GROUND FLOOR MICRO-COMMUNITY UNIT TYPOLOGY OVERALL BUILDING

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THE LIVING BUILDING

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PROBLEM OVERVIEW In the Crossroads today, there is a dire need to provide housing for those who work in the Crossroads. It is imperative as architects and designers that we find a solution to accomodate those currently unable to work close to home and/or find affordable rent due to the high marketrate pressures of downtown.

The Crossroads is a growing and ever-expanding part of Kansas City. This growth will only continue to flourish if there is appropriate, dignified, and affordable housing that is made available to all those who wish to reside within this thriving district.

We feel this issue is one that affects those not just those within the Crossroads, but those throughout Kansas City and the United States. Affordable housing in the Crossroads needs a solution that provides workers, families, and residents of Kansas City the amenities and resources to be a part of the Crossroads and invest their community as a whole.

This unique piece of downtown’s vibrant history and culture has established a place that people want to experience and live in. Our goal is to provide a solution that can meet this need and provide a connection to the Crossroads in a way that encourages a heightened sense of community.

There are currently 13,607 people waiting for some form of affordable housing in the Greater Kansas City area - KHSB Kansas City

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A place to live and call home is a necessity that we are projected to lose. This isn’t an issue of social class, but an issue of humanity.

Because Kansas City is a developing city, we can utilize this potential as a catalyst for fostering affordable housing, eventually changing the connotation of affordable housing.

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JIM LEEDY/CROSSROADS The foundation of the Crossroads was built by artist Jim Leedy, a Kansas City Art Institute professor in the 1960s.

Alone, he started the neighborhood’s transformation from ghost town to arts destination. During his time as a professor, he noticed a lack of opportunity and affordable living spaces for his graduating students in the downtown Kansas City area. He started renovating warehouses and renting out studio spaces to his students.

Jim Leedy’s investment in the crossroads became a catalyst for the community. Because of him, artists were able to get a foothold in the Crossroads. The impact affordable housing could have on the community is tremendous and has endless potentials, as illustrated by the success of the Crossroads founder. By continuing his foundation or “gridwork” in the Crossroads, we can also create opportunities.

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QUALITY OF LIFE BEGINS AT HOME - IT’S IN YOUR STREET, AROUND YOUR COMMUNITY...

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WHO/WHAT With the Crossroad’s demographic in mind, this proposal provides contrasts from a typical developer’s apartment model. Dividing the building into appropriately sized micro-communities provides a well-rounded connection within one’s living experience. These micro-communities accommodate more ‘local’ interactions. Amenities would include a community garden, open kitchen, meeting rooms, children’s center, a library, and more. This allows an opportunity for connection to the Crossroads’ community and the residents within.

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MICRO COMMUNITY - ASPECT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD

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Often, social relationships in low- and midrise buildings are better than those in high-rise buildings. Dividing the building up into “MicroNeighborhoods” of 15-20 units can help to bring the scale of interaction down to a level that can foster community.

QUALITY OF LIFE - SOCIAL AND LIVING EXPERIENCE

ENGAGE THE BUILDING WITH THE CROSSROADS

Establish more meaningful moments alongside opportunities for local interaction throughout the building, enhancing the experience of the life within.

Engagement at three levels: within the micro neighborhood, within the building community through resident accessed amenities, and within the neighborhood as a whole, through an active ground floor and public-oriented program.

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PROCESS The thinking behind the progression of the building center themselves around values of community, sustainability, affordability, and resilient/flexible design. The site response that makes up the base program allows for an architecture of diverse activity and welcomes much needed green space into the lives of the residents and workers of the Kansas City Crossroads.

To instill values of community, spatial experience, & biophilic design, a gradient of shared spaces is present within the micro-community through a living atrium and communal pocket. The micro-community model is then replicated twice over to bring the building density to above 200 du/acre, establishing the building as a staple for housing density in pair with communal values.

RECEDE Pushing the building back allows for a green alley and space for residential units above.

INFORM

PARKING/RESILIENCE

CONGREGATE

BASE PROGRAM

Taking cues from the street to establish public and residential entries.

Using vertical parking to accomodate site restrictions, keeping resiliency in mind.

Establishing the second floor as a flexible interstice for both residents and the public.

DIVERSIFY/INTERLOCK

COMMUNAL PORCH

COMMUNITY POCKETS

COMPLETE PROGRAM

Creating secondary micro-community

The building manifestation of community ideals in a modular design.

The complete program of the ground floor. Establishing the building’s connecting point to the crossroads.

The upper program of the building starts with the idea of the three-floor micro-community that stems from an economically viable model of stacked modular construction, combining this with the efficient double-loaded corridor of residential design.

ECONOMIC LANGUAGE Starting with a formal idea geared towards the strengths of stacked modularity and site dimensions.

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Arranging and interlocking unit typologies provide a greater variety and heighten spatial experience within the units.

Creation of a multi-story atrium that houses community amenities and builds user experience.

pockets that add flexible amenities.

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GROUND FLOOR The interaction between residents of the building and the public is crucial to how this building identifies itself within the Crossroads. This interaction is primarily accomplished through the ground floor and second floor of the building.

Space for commercial or retail use on the ground floor provides continuous interaction with the community, while the juxtaposition of residential and commercial within the Crossroads allows for many user groups to interact.

North Facade

LEVEL TWO

The green alley along the south façade of the building provides much needed green space in the Crossroads. This space is envisioned as a farmer’s market during the week.

The green alley would be a place to further the First Friday’s network within the Crossroads, a prominent piece to the Crossroads identity.

The second floor of this building brings different businesses and events up into the building, creating interactions between the residents and the public. This furthers the building’s sense of identity in the Crossroads’ community.

LEVEL ONE 0’

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20’

GREEN ALLEY/RESIDENTIAL ENTRY

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MICRO-COMMUNITY While the ground floor and second floor integrate the building into the overall community of the Crossroads, the micro-communities within the building create a sense of community within the residential spaces of the building. The micro-community is a grouping of units contained to three floors that provides amenities and spaces for interactions between neighbors and others within the building in hopes of creating close bonds between residents of these floors. The community spaces and amenities are located next to the vertical circulation of the building, providing a direct connection to all floors within the individual microcommunities. In doing this, passive connection to one another has the potential to be active interaction in the hopes of providing better overall life within the lives of all residents occupying the building.

GREEN ALLEY : FARMERS’ MARKET MICRO-COMMUNITY: LEVEL THREE

MICRO COMMUNITY: LEVEL TWO

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5’

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COMMUNITY POCKET : CHILDREN’S SPACE

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1 bed type1 DN

1 bed type2 level21 bed type2 level2

1 bed type3 & 4

1 bed type3 & 4 DN

share unit type2 level2

In order to provide the maximum square footage for affordable, prefabricated units, the size of each modular unit was determined to be 14.5’ by 29’. This size fits efficiently within the site parameters while keeping the module sizes constrained to an practical size during manufacturing and transportation. While designing the micro-units, the service elements (kitchens, bathrooms and storage) are organized together to be efficient. All bathrooms were laid out in the same location allowing for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and sprinkler chases to line up vertically through the building.

studio type2

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bed type3 11bed type3 & 4 & 4 level2

share unit type2 level2 share unit type2 level2

1 bed type2 level2

Through hierarchical unities, elements are designed efficiently, providing flexible space for resident determined uses. Using this strategy, we have developed three typical plan types: thickened walls, nook, and spatial intricacy.

The thickened walls increase the storage area, leaving living share unit type1 level2 spaces open and free and creating a defining wall of the space. The nooks use the same principle of compression, but rather than converting into a wall, they become compact 1 bed type3 & 4 level2 elements within the module that acts as an integrated balcony. Spatial intricacy defines the space of dwellings with moments & cues that match the lives of its users. This intricacy is continued vertically, adding a lively dimension to the flatness of typical housing. Each of our microcommunities includes six modular studios, six one-bedroom, one two-bedroom, and two shared units for a total of 81 units within the building.

DN

share unit type2 level2

bedtype1 type2 level2 1 bed1 type2 level2 21bed bed type2 bed type1 1 bed type1 1 bed1 type1 1 bed type2 level2 1 bed type2 level2 DN

share unit type2 level2 1 bed type1 1 bed type1 2 bed type1 bed type2 1 bed type21level2

s

2 bed type1

DN

DN

studio type1

2 bed type1 1 bed type2 1 bed type3 & 4

1 bed type2

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1 bed type3 & 4

share unit type1 level2

share unit type2 level2 type2 studio type2 type1 type1 share unit type1studio level2 2 MODULAR 1 BED 2studio MODULAR / LOFT share unit type1 level2 /studio 2 MODULAR / 2 BED share unit type1 studio type2 studio type1 1 bed type3 & 4 level2 share unit type1 1 bed type3 & 1 4 bed level2 type3 & 4 level2 studio type2 studio type1 studio type2 studio type1

1 bed type3 & 4 level2

share unit type1

1 bed type3 & 4 level2

studio type2 type1 1.5 MODULAR / 1 BED studio 1 MODULAR / STUDIO 1 bed type3 & 4

1 bed type3 & 4

share unit type2 level2 share unit type1 2 bed type1

1 bed type2

share unit type2 level2 share unit type2 level2

2 bed type1 1 bed type3 & 4

share unit 2 MODULAR / type2 1 BED 1 bed type3 & 4

1 bed type3 & 41 bed type3 & 41 bed type3 & 4

MODULAR 12 bed type3 & 4

/ 1 BED

unit type1 level2 share6share unit type2 MODULAR / 8 BED

share unit type2

share unit type2 level2

share unit share type2 level2 unit type2 share level2 unit type2 level2

share unit type2 level2

share unit type1 level2

share unit type1 level2

1 bed type1 studio studio type2 studiotype2 type1

1 bed type3 & 4 level2 1 bed type3 & 4 level2

2 bed type1

2 bed type1 2 bed1type1 bed type2 2 bed1type1 bed type2 1 bed type2

2ND LEVEL 1 bed type2 2 bed type1 1 bed type2

2ND LEVEL

share unit type1 share level2 unit type1 level2 share unit type1 level2 share unit type1

2 1bed bed type1 type2

1 bed type2

4 MODULAR / 4 BED

share unit type2

share unit type1 share unit type1 level2

share unit type1 level2 share unit type1 level2

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studio type2

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1 bed type3 & 4 level2

UNIT TYPOLOGY In dealing with the rigidity of modular design and microunits, it was vital that the units were infused with strong principles and values that could heighten the experience past that of a furniture-filled box and towards that of a home.

1 bed type1

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1 bed type2

share unit type1

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2ND LEVEL

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UNIT DEFINITION

CONCENTRATED PODS

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SPACE DEFINING ELEMENTS

SMART STORAGE / THICK WALLS

SPATIAL INTRICACY AND DEFINITION

INTEGRATED BALCONY / NOOK

ACCESS TO AIR / INTERNAL VIEWS

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2 modular loft studio bedroom

2 modular 1 one

6 modular 8 shared bed

UNIT TYPOLOGY

2 modular 1 one 1.5 modular 1 one

1modular studio 2 MODULAR / 1 BED

6 MODULAR / 8 BED

The interlocked one-bedroom unit was formed by two separated modular units, which are stacked vertically with a 90-degree turn. By arranging the service elements, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and storage all on the first level, more free space is provided on the second level for residents.

The shared bedroom was formed in two parts: two individual modular units stacked vertically in the middle as the core of shared living, and an additional modular unit containing two bedrooms located on both sides of the core.

By adding more modular units, four, six, or eight-bedroom shared unit are formed.

6 modular 8 shared bed

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OVERALL BUILDING The building completes itself in the unification of the diverse order of spaces, adding to the quality of life within.

Continuing the values of the Crossroads, this proposal establishes itself as a model for both affordable housing and community living. This proposal’s values will only proceed to grow in need and importance with the increasing demand for dignified, affordable housing within the Crossroads.

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In conclusion, this proposal looks not only on issues of affordable housing, but issues of humanity. Quality of life starts at home, & for many living in downtown Kansas City, that home can be a dreary, overpriced and isolating apartment building. This proposal shifts these ‘accepted’ values by introducing a rigid, yet variable modularity combined with principles of community, spatial experience, & biophilic design.

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ID E N T I T Y IS NOT CONNECTED O T THE B UILD I NGS WE BU ILD. IT ’S A L L IN THE POWER OF SY N T H E SIS. B UILD I NGS SHOULD R E F L E C T LIFE ITSEL. F

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CONCLUSION

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STUDIO CONCLUSION

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MODULAR DESIGN Designing affordable housing by stacking modules helps to maintain the affordability portion of the design and paves the way for making modular construction more common and attainable in the future. Stretching the limits of the 60’ x 16’ x 12’ module to comprise of units, hallways, and amenities is the ultimate goal to allow for ease of construction.

QUALITY UNITS Some may associate “affordable housing” with lesserquality, cramped, and bare apartments. Giving quality space to those who live in these apartments is vital, as we know how much quality of life can improve when a quality home is provided. Scale and proportion are costless. They are two important factors in making units that provide quality living.

INCLUSIVENESS In creating a micro urban neighborhood, it is important to include the variety of people who work and play in the Crossroads. This means avoiding a building that contains only one income-type and instead, incorporating a diverse range. Creating a building that is integrated into the district and inclusive to various incomes is essential to being viable in the Crossroads.

MICRO URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD Creating a community and neighborhood within the building helps to build a strong identity for the Crossroads, as well as encourage interaction between people in dense urban fabrics.

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© Jubilee Kao

APPENDIX

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SOURCE

PAGE NUMBER

“About the Crossroads Arts District.” Crossroads Arts District. Accessed December 12, 2019. https://kccrossroads.org/about/.

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“Film History of the Crossroads Arts District.” Visit KC, October 16, 2019. https://www.visitkc.com/filmtourism/self-guided-tour/crossroads.

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“History.” Crossroads Arts District. Accessed December 12, 2019. https://kccrossroads.org/about/history

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Kaufmann, Gina. “How Kansas City’s Crossroads Became An Arts District, And The Story Behind First Fridays.” KCUR. Accessed December 12, 2019. https://www.kcur.org/post/how-kansascitys-crossroads-became-arts-district-and-story-behind-first-fridays#stream/0

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“Crossroads District Parking Map.” Visit KC, November 1, 2019. https://www.visitkc.com/visitors/getting-around/maps/crossroads-district-parking-map.

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“OT1.” Snazzy Maps. Accessed December 13, 2019. https://snazzymaps.com/style/219030/ot1.

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“Subtle Greyscale Map.” Snazzy Maps. Accessed December 12, 2019. https://snazzymaps.com/style/55/subtle-greyscale-map.

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“FY 2019 Income Limits Documentation System.” FY 2019 Income Limits Documentation System Summary. Accessed December 13, 2019. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/ il2019/2019summary.odn.

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CONTINUED

SOURCE

PAGE NUMBER

“First Fridays.” Crossroads Arts District. Accessed December 12, 2019. https://kccrossroads.org/first-fridays/.

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“About KC Streetcar: Free to Ride: Connecting Downtown Neighborhoods.” About KC Streetcar Comments.

Accessed December 13, 2019. http://kcstreetcar.org/about-streetcar/.

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Collins, Andrew. “Gay-Friendly KC: A Weekend in the City of Fountains.” Visit KC, November 27, 2019. https://www.visitkc.com/visitors/things-do/trip-ideas/gay-friendly-kc-weekend-cityfountains?cid=18490

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“Where to Eat, Live, and Be Entertained in the Crossroads KC.” Leasing KC, May 1, 2019. https://www.leasingkc.com/news/where-to-eat-live-and-be-entertained-in-the-crossroads-kc-theall-in-one-guide/

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“First Fridays: Crossroads Arts District.” 21c Kansas City, July 2, 2019. https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/ kansascity/event/first-fridays-crossroads-arts-district/2019-12-06/

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“Brooks Scarpa: Step Up on 5th.” arthitectural.com Brooks Scarpa Step Up on 5th Comments. Accessed December 12, 2019. https://www.arthitectural.com/brooks-scarpa-step-up-on-5th/

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“Find Free Vectors, Stock Photos, PSD and Icons.” Freepik, 14 Nov. 2019, www.freepik.com/

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“LVAC: Wecome to the Heart of the Crossroads.” Leedy, www.leedy-voulkos.com/

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