NEW PHILADELPHIA MASTER PLAN
NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO | MASTERS THESIS | 2017-2018
Struggling to adapt to new economic realities, this thesis explores the re-invention of small towns theories were presented, this project studied the unique character of New Philadelphia to apply the theoretical
2017-2018
towns as places of culture, diversity, and a friendly, slow-paced lifestyle. Each small town is unique. While general concepts and theoretical research to generate a unique, hand-crafted response to the local condition.
PLAN
HISTORICAL AND REGIONAL ANALYSIS
New Philadelphia is included the “Steel Valley,” a term given to the post-industrual region rooted by Pittsburgh where much of the nation’s steel was produced. The rapid expansion of the steel industry led to rapid growth in Pittsburgh. However, the rugged landscape of the region meant a shortage of land on which to build new mills and factories. The construction of the railroads enabled decentralization of industry into many of Pittsburgh’s surrounding
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small towns, including New Philadelphia. This shift in industry, which started as a close-knit, entrepreneurial, agrarian society, greatly benefitted the small town, and fostered much growth.
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Located on a small tributary River, New Philadelphia relied on the Ohio-Erie Canal for trade and Industry.
DEATH OF MAINSTREET
Forces that came in the form of new technologies would ultimately undermine the communal foundations of New Philadelphia. Single-use zoning, the construction of highways, and the commoditization of the automobile spread thin the urban fabric. A reduction in contact between people led to a degeneration of local culture. Shifts in commerce to non-locally owned establishments, such as “big box” stores and chains at regional malls, continued
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Historic Photograph
to undermine the local economy and erode the precious inter-connected web of social capital that existed in locally owned establishments. New-deal era government subsidies encouraged small towns to “modernize” their historic storefronts as a sign of coming prosperity. Looking more like a disfigurement, most modernization efforts backfired.
Historic Photograph
RESTORED STOREFRONTS: SELLING THE DREAM OF MAIN ST.
Restoring historic storefronts can be used to sell a lifestyle. Across the United States, suburban “lifestyle centers,” mixed-use commercial developments in the image of historic downtowns, are already selling the “dream” of the urban center. However, these “lifestyle centers” are not truly the centers of anything, meanwhile genuine downtowns such as New Philadelphia’s are suffering from a lack of a consistent image.
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Mixed Use Zoning
In addition to selling a lifestyle, restoring consistency to the historic architecture can create a shopping experience that sets stores up for success against regional malls and big box stores. By conceiving of the storefronts as a “horizontal department store,” where each storefront is a specialty shop as opposed to a variety store, the downtown can collectively be taken as a viable competitor with larger stores.
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Retail Law of Gravitation
RESTORED STOREFRONTS: SELLING THE DREAM OF MAIN ST.
Restoring the historic storefronts of downtown buildings will unify the hodge podge of buildings that have been modified over the years. Restoring the storefronts will create a consistent image and sell the warm nostalgia of life on main street. Large storefront windows will create a dialogue between the insides and the outsides of the buildings,
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fostering life in the public realm of the sidewalk. A variety of locally owned specialty shops, restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs will be stronger considered together to compete against automobile oriented commercial centers. In harnessing the communal spirit of small town life, the more “specialty” departments that are filled, the stronger the effect will be.
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Fire Escapes Balconies
‘Ad Hoc’ Elements
‘AD-HOC’ VERNACULAR OF BACK ADDITIONS
Most of the buildings in downtown New Philadelphia all have additions on the back of their buildings. Built primarily to service the public-serving functions of the atores, restaurants, and pubs that filled the fronts of the
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Downspouts and Electrical Conduits
Sloped Roofs and One Story vs. Flat Roofs and Two Story
buildings, these back additions were built in an ‘ad-hoc” manner, meaning without consideration of wider application. The system of back alleyways and lots in new Philadelphia presents an opportunity for new public spaces.
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THE BACK: OPENING UP NEW SOCIAL SPACES
While the fronts of the buildings nod to the past, the buildings present an opportunity for a modern architectural intervention. Over time, “ad-hoc” additions to the rear of New Philadelphia’s buildings have primarily servied utilitarian purposes. This project accepts the “junky” elements of fire escapes, balconies, sloped roofs, electrical conduits, and downspouts as an architectural vernacular. Purposefully exaggerating these elements informs new
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possibilities for the backs of New Philadelphia’s buildings to act as a catalyst for future development. Just as a dialogue between the inside and outside is important in the front, it is also true for the back. Opening up the back can catalyze the development of New Philadelphia’s back alleyways as public space.
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BACK LOTS AS PUBLIC SPACE
New Philadelphia has a unique system of back alleyways and parking lots behind downtown buildings. Simple interventions such as repaving the asphalt lots with richer materiality can improve the experience of these places. In this project, the materiality of the ground plane regulates space while providing flexibility for multiple use of the back lot as public space. Opportunities include music venue, farmers market, art festivals, food trucks, or simply hanging out and
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Food Trucks
Art Festivals
Farmers Market
Versatile Paving Demarcates Space
Hanging Out and Socializing Holds Corner
Live Performances ‘Loggia’ Concept
people watching.
Holding the corner of the lot is a public “loggia,” which serves as civic infrastructure where people can sit and hang out, or can be used as a performance stage.
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BACK LOTS AS PUBLIC SPACE
New Philadelphia has a unique system of back alleyways and parking lots behind downtown buildings. Simple interventions such as repaving the asphalt lots with richer materiality can improve the experience of these places. In this project, the materiality of the ground plane regulates space while providing flexibility for multiple use of the back lot as public space. Opportunities include music venue, farmers market, art festivals, food trucks, or simply hanging out and
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people watching.
Holding the corner of the lot is a public “loggia,” which serves as civic infrastructure where people can sit and hang out, or can be used as a performance stage.
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Harvest
OFlexible-Replicable; Water Collection, Filtration, & Harvesting System
Our design project tends to cease opportunities out of the most difficult season in Dharavi; the monsoon season. The main concept is to design water collection, filtration, and harvesting system, using local and recyclable materials that are widely available and easily accessible for most of Kumbharwada’s inhabitants. It is a learning experiment that stemmed from within the Dharavian lived experience, which they could easily and flexibly adapt, replicate, improve, and change.
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1 Family 15,000 2,600 mm 1 Tap/Day - 2 Hours $ 1 Billion 990 mm Family / Water Tap Ratio Annual Revenue: Plastic & Metal Industry Average Annual Precipitation
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1. Local Materials
Since the plastic recycling and metal industries are considered to be some of the major industries in Dharavi, and since there are several allocated factories close by Kumbharwada that provide wide range of plastic and metal products, the chosen materials for the proposed design are locally produced by these factories which make it relatively inexpensive, widely available and easily accessible to the most of Kumbharwada’s residents. The main components of our design will be as following:
• Primary Structure [metal] - tube and coupler scaffolding system
• Envelope [plastic sheet good] - recycled clear plastic corrugated panels
• Water Filtration - larger recycled plastic pipes w/integrated sedimentary filtering system
• Water Harvesting - large recycled plastic totes, stackable and manageable by slum dwellers
2. Filtration & Collection System
The primary framework of the project comprises of a tube and coupler scaffolding system. Using the flexible metal components of this system, one can manipulate forms and parts to fit their needs. The assembly is durable, simple and intuitive for ease of user engagement. Polycarbonate panels cover the structure and divert the water to vertical pipes, which integrate a sedimentary filtration system, that cleans the water from hazardous bacteria before it stored in larger plastic tanks.
3. Harvesting & Stacking System
Since the lack of living spaces is a shared quality that can be seen clearly in most of Dharavi houses, the plastic stackable totes, which will harvest water for long period of time after monsoon, could be easily stacked together as standardized units. These units could be organized and re-organized by different households in different spatial configurations creating different furniture and architectural elements. The different inhabitants will decide and design how these elements are stacked and used, depends on their different spatial needs.
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I.T. SOLUTIONS CENTER
CINCINNATI, OHIO | METROLAB DESIGN-BUILD STUDIO
The information technology solutions center (ITSC) sought an upgrade of their office space to parametric design to brand their office to reflect their dedication to innovation.
to better reflect their mission of innovation. This goal of this graduate design/build was to renovate the on-campus ITSC, utilizing
STUDIO | 2016
EXISTING CONDITIONS
The project began with a analysis of the needs and wants of the ITSC and their employees. The nature of the work requires the students to sit behind a desk for hours at a time, with no other options for modes of working. The office also lacks any central gathering space for team meetings, and nowhere to have their lunch. Many students were concerned for their health, and wanted to be able to work with a laptop while standing up.
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Piano Hinges Plywood
Concept Plan
The existing materiality featured vinyl walls and carpet and steel furniture and very little views to the outside. There was also no sense of brand identity for the ITSC, an office that is dedicated to innovation, and sought to create an environment that the office could identify with and resonate with visiting clients.
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A) Panel Walls B) Partitions C) Standing Desk
D) Conference Table
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
The project began with an analysis of the needs and wants of the ITSC and their employees. The nature of the work requires the students to sit behind a desk for hours at a time. The office lacks any central gathering space for team meetings, and nowhere to have their lunch. Many students were concerned for their health, and wanted to be able to work with a laptop while standing up.
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Fold Flip Initial
Final
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Fasten
Massing
Polygon Table
Stretch
The office is housed in a trailer. The materiality of the environment features vinyl walls and carpet and steel furniture and very little views to the outside. There was also no sense of brand identity for the ITSC, an office that is dedicated to innovation, and sought to create an environment that the office could identify with and resonate with visiting clients.
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PROTOTYPING
Prototyping enabled the team to test the concept and uncover issues that had not been considered during the concept phase. It also forced us to think realistically about how the standing desk was going to be constructed. The prototype took one weekend to build, and another week add, remove, cut, and paint different finishes on the plywood.
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Paper Concept Model
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Grasshopper Script
Digital Model
Full-Scale Prototype
Using the prototype revealed that the initial height that we chose was uncomfortable for some people, which led us to adjust the height. The initial prototype was also extremely unstable, and would wobble when writing, typing, or operating a wireless mouse.
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DETAILS
Limited by the standard 4’x8’ size of plywood board, the long table was bound to have joints. Rather than try to conceal the joints, the team decided to embrace them as a design feature. The layers of the table were designed in such a way as to overlap and bolt together. Hardware was left exposed through milled holes, and a 1/4” CNC Route around the perimeter of the table celebrated the edge and the hardware that held the two layers together.
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Assembly Diagram
Foot Detail Conceptual Sketch
Threaded Rod
Top Bolt
Washer
CNC Plywood Panels
Layered Plywood Foot
Screw
Wood Glue
Bottom Bolt
Standing Desk Foot Final Detail
DETAILS
Due to the limitations of the CNC mill, the feet of the standing desk were milled out in two separate layers, and then glued together. The feet of the initial prototype were held together by piano hinges. This was one reason for the instability, and something stronger was needed to keep the plywood panels from twisting around. Screws were drilled into the plywood feet which allowed for greater stability.
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Construction
Foot Final Detail
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DETAILS
The initial concept was to allow the plywood panels to also be the structure of the table. This concept was not going to work if the table was to be structurally sound. Metal rods were cut to fasten to the feet and hold the top of the table in place. During the prototype phase, the rods acted in compression, holding the top of the table up. The table could not bear on the pkywood walls of the legs without them buckling. To fix this, the team designed
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Detail Sketches Section
Interior Construction
inner plywood rings that would reinforce the walls of the plywood table. With this, we were able to have the rods act in tension, holding the table top down into the plywood legs and the laminated feet. This method also tied all components of the table together and made transportation easier.
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CONSTRUCTION
The CNC Router was used to mill the plywood to the desired dimensions and shape. Digital files were prepared in Rhino that specified the dimensions of the raw material, and the final dimensions of the different layers of the
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standing desk. Hardware was chosen after experiencing the prototype. Holes were milled out to hold the nuts and bolts, and a carved line around the border to “celebrate” the edge.
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CONSTRUCTION
Construction also involved the use of the wood and metal shops. In order to cut the threaded rods down to size, the circular saw was used. The wood shop was used to finish the wooden components of the standing desk. To achieve the desired thickness of the top surface, two panels were laminated together using wood glue and clamps. Careful craftsmanship was required to line up all of the edges and holes. The surface of the tabletops were sanded
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using fine grit sandpaper and an orbital sander.
Bowing of the wood made laminating the middle of the large surface a challenge. Drilling short screws into the bottom kept the two wooden surfaces in contact while the wood glue dried. Careful consideration was given to the size of the screw used so that it would not poke through to the finished side. This was an unplanned modification.
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COMPLETION
Final installation took one week.. Working in the office outside of the operating hours of the ITSC, the wall team worked to assemble and install the different clusters of the tesselated panel wall, while the furniture team carried and assembled the various components over to the ITSC.
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The final design was unveiled to the ITSC office on the last day of the summer semester. They thoroughly enjoy their new standing desk. The final photographs were lit using a combination of direct and diffuse lighting to enhance the topography of the panel wall.
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