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URBAN UTOPIA A PROTOTYPE FOR SELF-SUFFICIENT NEIGHBOURHOODS

A Study presented to the Faculty of NewSchool of Architecture & Design In Partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Architecture Veena Ravi San Diego, 2017

ABSTRACT Urban Utopia By Veena Ravi NewSchool of Architecture & Design Prof. Mike Stepner, Chair of Architecture Programs Sustainability is an important aspect of design. The world today is facing problems of large energy consumption and this has caused a high rate of depletion of naturally occurring resources in the world. The purpose of this study is to address the challenges and opportunities that cities are facing with respect to large resource consumption due to the advent of the suburbs and sprawl. The study will explore the different causes of sprawl and the effects it has on the current life-styles of human beings. Research studies have indicated that the current United Nations Development Program results for energy consumption in some of the major cities of the world have increased considerably over the last 20 years, and the project Urban Utopia aims at creating sustainable neighborhoods that could sustain human living without excessive energy resource consumption. The thesis is to create pockets of energy-efficient neighborhoods that can be retro-fitted into different urban and suburban scenarios to help reduce energy resource consumption of that community or neighborhood and the city. The various case studies done on the similar sustainable concept theories indicate that there have been attempts to create these communities like the “Twin Oak community” in Virginia and the “Kibbutz” in Israel, and these communities have been successful over the past few years. But the project Urban Utopia is designed to help adopt some of the design principles of these communities and to re-create the communities of today inorder to make it both people friendly and nature friendly. The Challenge was to create these sustainable pocket neighborhoods within the existing suburban scenario. The site that was chosen for a prototype for this project was a neighborhood in Claremont Mesa, San Diego. The site posed many opportunities for re-design or retrofitting, offering opportunities to use the large unused front yards and the back yards of the current development. These front and back yards offer space for additional housing in the area. Research also suggests that the community is looking to increase the density of housing in appropriate areas of the community to help solve the predicted housing crisis in San Diego.

URBAN UTOPIA A PROTOTYPE FOR SELF-SUFFICIENT NEIGHBOURHOODS

URBAN UTOPIA NewSchool of Architecture and Design Veena Ravi

Mike J Stepner, Chair of Architecture Programs, Thesis Instructor

Tatiana Berger, M. Arch., Thesis Research Advisor

I Dedicate this thesis project to my spouse, Sandeep Karthik Lokala, My Friends from Architecture and beyond. My family and parents for all their support, My Fellow Classmates, Prof. Tatiana Berger for her guidance through the project and Prof. Mike J Stepner for being my mentor throughout the course of the thesis project.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who saw me through this book; to all those who provided support, talked things over, read, wrote, offered comments, allowed me to quote their remarks and assisted in the editing, proofreading and design.

CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE 1.1 General introductory paragraph 1.2 Statement ofchallenge 1.3 Background of the challenge 1.4 Importance of challenge 1.5 Thesis Statement 1.6 Method of Investigation 1.7 Pocket Neighbourhoods 1.8 Prototype Development

INTRODUCTION

1- 2 3-4 5-6 7-9 10 11 12 13

CHAPTER TWO 1.1 Theoretical Framework 1.2 Resulting Urban Utopia 2.2 Litrature Review

RESEARCH STUDIES

1 16 17 18-21

CHAPTER THREE CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

3.1 CaseStudies 3.2 Site Introduction 3.3 Clairemont Mesa Transit 3.4 Clairemont Mesa Community Profile 3.5 Scope and Existing Site Plan 3.6 Scope and Purpose of Plan 3.7 Code Analysis

23-35 48 - 50 51 52 53 54 55

3.8 Clairemont Mesa Community Goals 3.9 Achievable 6 Design Principles 3.10 Clairemont Mesa Zoning

56 57 58

CHAPTER FOUR Design Process

4.1 Design Research 4.2 Experimental Design Approach 4.3 Design Process and Proposed Design 4.4 Design Schematic and Existing Site Analysis 4.5 Design Layout and Massing Studies 4.6 Program and Design Schematic Sketches 4.7 Design Development Sketches 4.8 Proposed Housing and Street View 4.9 Site Plan, Elevation, Street Section 4.10 Second Floor Plan 4.10 Proposed Utopian Modules 4.11 Proposed Utopian Alley and Interior View

41-42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50-51 52 53 54

CHAPTER FIVE 5.1 Conclution 5.2 Future Research 5.3 Winter Final Boards 5.4 Spring Final Boards

CONCLUTION

56 57 58 59

APPENDIX 13

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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 14

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1.1 INTRODUCTION

Urbanism is an important aspect of architectural study. It is when all the different elements of architecture come together. The built and the non-built create interactive open spaces bringing about community life, efficient public infrastructure and preserving nature. It is these aspects of a city that draws people from the neighboring towns villages and even nations promising interaction, opportunity and creativity. “City is a place where life comes together, but as we see the urban cities today they have turned unnatural and unhealthy. Urbanism is toxic and has to be regulated in many ways.” As said by Dr Sonia Kathuria in her article on Urbanism in her linked-in page. She said that cities today have indulged themselves so much on industrial growth and development that they have forgotten the importance of healthy urbanism and preserving nature.

In her article, Kathuria writes that even in cities like Delhi the essential features of urbanism are beginning to disappear. She questions, “What is New Urbanism? And what is Urbanism for our era.” It could be defined now as the revitalization of virtual public spaces, incorporating in our designs, the streets, the squares, and neighborhood centers and creating new urban spaces where people can see each other and meet would be the New Urbanism for our era. So now boiling down to the term, “Urban Utopia”. It could be the phenomenon brought about by the amalgamation of sustainable communities designed to also create essential amount of public and private realms making its inhabitants happy and euphoric to achieve their daily needs as well as to live in harmony with their neighbors and enjoy the new community style living.

URBAN UTOPIA

FIG 1 2

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1.2 STATEMENT OF CHALLENGE The costs of sprawl are many and diverse. Some of these costs are counted, meaning they show up on financial statements. Other costs are hidden and they donâ€™t show up on financial statements, but they are real and substantial. They are termed â€œexternalitiesâ€?

As per the UNEP statistics of livability index vs ecological foot printing 2012. Studies suggest that the cities today have been built upon the constant dependence on the consumption of naturally occuring resources such as petroleum, arable land and water. And as the developed countries continue to industrialize and modernize the pressures on naturally occurring resources continues to intensify. The statistical graph for the study indicates that all the cities marked above the red energy resource consumption line are the potential high consumers of natural resources. And that they might face problems of energy crisis soon. There are 2 types of resource constraints. i.e. exogenous and endogenous resource constraints. The Exogenous resource constraints include external renewable resources which comes from outside the cities which is imported to the current economy. And endogenous resource constraints include locally available resources within the community such as arable land, ground water, sunlight, naturally occurring minerals within the city.

FIG 2

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1..3 BACKGROUND OF CHALLENGE

The social progress index Results map of 2015 shows the globally developed index in blue and how they are beginning to diminish in social progress. As the Nationâ€™s develop they begin to consume more and more natural resources.

We see that cities develop and then industrialize and then they get rich and then they get dirty. The cities then get rich enough so, they can afford pollution control. This explains that there is a need for a transition in the economies of cities to green economy and then growth in the direction of green growth. Given the statistical research. Researchers and academiaâ€™s along with industry leaders and governments have concluded that the transition to more sustainable and resilient cities might reflect in the future cost in terms of social wellbeing, the economies of cities and an environmental change. It is said that achieving sustainable, resilient cities would involve a commitment in terms of innovative long-term planning and design, it would involve appropriate regulation by the governments, improving national building codes, and community engagement. These are the things that currently baffle governments in both liberal democracies and the more controlled democracies of the Asian continents and of the world.

FIG 4

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FIG 5 6

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1.4 IMPORTANCE OF CHALLENGE

In the ideal exchange in the marketplace, the full costs of producing a good or services are included in the price. However, in the real world, markets don’t obey theories. For many goods and services, the market price doesn’t tell the full truth about costs. The classic example is a factory producing goods and re- leasing smoke that causes illness to its neighbors. The costs of ill health are not included in the price of the goods; neither the company nor the buyer bears the associated health-care costs. Those costs are said to be “externalized” from the market transaction; they are termed “externalities.”

FIG 6

FIG 7

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SOCIAL COSTS OF SPRAWL

The social costs of sprawl are wide and many, we spend so much time isolated in our cars and suburban homes, that we have very little time or opportunity for social contact or the random meetings that take place while walking along pedestrian friendly streets and around public spaces. Because we spend more and more time stuck in traffic, we have less time for volunteering and getting involved in our communities. In addition, the combination of the form- lessness of the suburbs along with low quality architecture has an alienating effect on us all. At the same time, our cities have been made unlivable by the automobile driven communities and cities at large.

FIG 5

FIG 8

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1.5 THESIS STATEMENT

The thesis topic “Urban Utopia” is to create a prototype to negate the effects of sprawl and to introduce pockets of neighborhoods which are self-sufficient and act as breathing walkable communities within the existing suburban sprawl.

FIG 9

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1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology for the topic would include the study of various aspects of the problems of sprawl and what it has done to the current urban scenario. It can be described, as said by Michael Reynolds in his book earth ship and systems. “They landed in huge vessels and slowly walked out onto the land. They destroyed every human in their path. They moved into cities. Systematically and deliberately, they sought out and consumed men, women and children. Nothing could stop them.” It is said that the above sentence sounds like a typical space invaders movie where the Martians are typically portrayed as the bad guys who come down to conquer the earth and exploit its naturally occurring resources. But now we reconsider the scenario and re-think to see if it is really the Martians exploiting the earth’s resources or us?

An Earth-ship is a kind of system which can generate its own electricity and potable water and have its own sewage treatment plant it also has its own sustainable food production. The aim of the project is to create a sustainable retrofit of a model of an efficient sustainable house upcoming utopian neighborhoods. These sustainable retrofits would involve downsizing the large unused parking lots or sprawling unbought homes in the suburbs, or the failing shopping malls, to help create a community to incorporate man’s daily needs within walkable distances. Thus, this would result in creating a perfect or close to perfect, energy efficient work and home atmosphere for a daily lifestyle change creating Urban utopia in the existing neighborhoods.

FIG 10

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1.7 POCKET NEIGHBOURHOODS Pocket neighborhoods are those neighborhoods that are inserted into the existing urban and suburban settings in-order to retro-fit or re-model the existing dyeing out communities, shopping malls or to re-design the vacant parking lots to in-corporate a more sustainable approach to the city or neighborhood.

The illustration is of a pocket neighborhood designed in the community of Claremont Mesa, San Diego. This example of a pocket neighborhood incorporates within itself housing for single-family and multi-family on two levels, A commercial corner abutting the two main streets Genesee avenue and Claremont mesa boulevard. The community center at the right end of the community and a greenhouse patch at the left corner of the neighborhood is proposed to incorporate and encourage the residents of the community to get hands on and involve in their own sustainable food production within the neighborhood intern contributing to the natural reduction of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. FIG 11

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1.8 PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT

The Big Idea is to retro-fit a neighbourhood to make it self-sufficient within the vast expanses of current suburban sprawl. These prototypes would be modified per the individual needs of the community it would be retro-fitted into, but with an overall common goal of high density sustainable community style living spaces. These spaces would incorporate mixed use retail cum living spaces, so that the residents of the community can experience walkable communities leading to conserving energy and improvement to the health of the neighbourhood residents.

As opposed to the current car dependent suburbs puncturing and inserting the Mixed use livable communities into the existing suburbs seems to be the best solution for the suburban sprawl.

FIG 12

FIG 13

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CHAPTER TWO RESEARCH STUDIES 14

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2.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The theoretical framework for the research of urban utopia revolves around 3 major aspects 1.) The social-ecological systems and how they relate to its people and nature. 2.) The metabolic flows and how they affect the quality of life and its urban fabric. 3.) Adaptive governance, which is to design in times of natural disasters. This topic involves inl earning and studying how planning is affected in times of uncertainty and natural disasters. Metabolic Flows. All the urban inhabitants and land users depend on flows of resources, whether internal or external. For example communities depend on various flows of energy, water, material goods,and non-material services, that help sustain mankind and the urban quality of life. These sustainable goods that help sustain the inhabitants of the communities must be brought in from other cities. So, every city and its urban landscape depends on an integrated global network of production, supply, consumption, and disposal. Socialâ€“ecological Systems. The study for designing resilient cities involves engaging the social and ecological aspects of a community or neighborhood. A community that gives back as much as it has consumed in terms of resources and landuses, is deemed mores stainable and resilient for the near future. In terms of social aspects of a community,engaging social activities and people into the neighborhoods through parks, greenspaces, plazas and greenroofs enhances the ecological systems of the community.This, brings about a balance between social and ecological systems in neighborhoods of large cities.

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Adaptive Governance involves learning and planning under situations of uncertainty. Cities today are built around the adaptive principles of consumption and satisfying the materialistic needs of its inhabitants. This has paved the path to less resilient cities in the current developing nations of the world.If the eco-system of one country collapses it is seen to affect the rest of the cities that are interdependent on it. Hence it is essential that we study the consumption and production against the energy resource availability charts of the world and come up with necessary precautions to avoid possible collapses in the ecosystems that could harm mankind in the near future.

3- AsPECTS OF RESEARCH

FIG 14

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2.2 RESULTING URBAN UTOPIA Thus, the result of the variables involved in the theoretical framework would result in urban utopia. i.e. bringing the socialecological systems, the metabolic flows into the cities and studying the adaptive governances of the city would bring about â€œUrban Utopiaâ€?. FIG 15

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2.3 LITERATURE REVIEW

Much has been written about suburbs and sprawl. How is retrofitting the best way to create an urban utopia? There is a need for change and an atmosphere very different from what we have seen so far. The goal is bringing people together, and creating people- friendly neighborhoods. Being able to work, shop, live, and entertain in the same neighborhood is the primary goal of the project. Having done so, it would eliminate or cut down usage of cars and limits the use of natural renewable resources. These neighborhoods would help create walkable and congregation-friendly communities, balancing out the green and non-green, built and not built, renewable and non-renewable resources and help bringing about a perfect efficient workable community style living.

The thesis topic urban utopia involves studying different techniques and methodologies for re-design and to check if retro fitting the urban scenario into the suburban is the solution to urban sprawl. The project proposed to create pocket neighborhoods that are sustainable. The project would involve exploring different methods of energy conserving techniques and self-sufficiency, and to also explore the ideals of earth ships. These methods of selfsufficiency if incorporated into the current modern home scenarios would lead to sustainable homes creating sustainable communities and efficient cities. These cities would in turn help reduce global warming, carbon foot printing, and it would help reduce climate change issues for the near future.

URBAN UTOPIA

These are the images that run through our minds when we think of sustainable cities and successful urban design but then again, we see that some good aspects of these neighborhood designs are adopted in some of the cities and some are not. Having bike lanes within the urban environment would be one solution to help reduce carbon emissions and carbon foot printing in some cities. Having good train and metro systems to connecting various parts of the cities to reduce its peopleâ€™s dependence on cars and help easy commute is another possible way of making a city sustainable.

FIG 18

FIG 19

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CHAPTER THREE

CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS 22

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3.1 CASE STUDIES There were some case studies done to draw inspirations from communities that have already been built on the concepts of complete self-sufficiency and sustainability to add it to the pocket neighborhoods design. Those are; 1. The Twin Oakes community, In Virginia. 2. The Kibbutz, In Israel. 3. Earthships and individual homes, Designed my Michael Reynolds, In New Mexico. 4. Belmar, The Re-Designed Mixed-use Mall, In Lakewood Colorado. 5.

The Spectrum, Kearny Mesa, In San Diego California.

FIG 20

1.Twin Oakes Community a. Project name: Twin oaks community b. Location: Louisa county, Virginia c. Years built: 1967 onwards d. Brief Description: - Area: built on a 450-acre plot - Basic organization: it is an eco-village built for a 100 people - Client or client type: Built for the community - Architect: Built by the community and sustained by the community - Special features: The people of the community live work and produce their own food in the same community. Opting to live a sustainable eco-friendly lifestyle.

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e. Sources: Internet Website, The twin oaks community page at; http://www.twinoaks.org/about-twinoaks-community Book references, Fosket. J and Mamo. L (2009) Living Green: communities that sustain. Philadelphia, PA: New Society Publishers. f. Recognition/ Rationale: The Twin Oaks community has come up with a way of life based on values of cooperation, sharing, non-violence, equality and ecology. Its residents live by self-governance, collective responsibility, income sharing and an ethic of self-sufficiency. The site design of the twin oaks community involves a radial pattern of urban design. The central core forming the industrial and agricultural lands and the around it is the housing systems and behind these is lush dense naturally occurring forest acting as a source for natural resources within the community boundaries. b.

Plan concept: The Twin Oaks community in Virginia has laid out an approach to sustainable living that links land,

community and social ideals.

FIG 22

FIG 21

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2.Kibbutz a. Project name: Kibbutz b. Location: Community in Israel

FIG 23

The 3 main programs involved to support the community would include: 1. Production- Includes farm lands and major textile and energy production industries for the community 2. Housing- Providing shelter and a family concept for the residents of the twin oaks community 3. Resources collection- Would involve gathering of naturally occurring green and wood for the necessary activities and for the production industries within the communities

c. Years built: 20th Century d. Brief Description: - Area: It started out as a movement in the 20th century and by the end of 2010 there were 270 kibbutzim in Israel - Basic organization: A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally built on agriculture - Client or client type: Built for the community - Architect: Built by the community and sustained by the community - Special features: Most kibbutz members are said to work in some section of the kibbutz economy: such as orchards, factory, dairy, fishponds, or in one of its maintenance units. When too few members are available for a job, outside workers are hired and are paid wages or they receive room and board on the kibbutz.

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e. Sources: Internet Website, The kibbutz community page at; http://kibbutzprogramcenter.org/about-kibbutz/

FIG 24

d. Recognition/ Rationale: Kibbutz means group in Hebrew. It was a name given to the group of people who live and work together in a community style living on a noncompetitive basis. The first Kibbutzim started in the 20th century when idealistic young Zionists came to Palestine in Israel. Their goal was to not just settle the land but to build a whole new kind of society. a. Plan concept: The first kibbutzim (plural of kibbutz) were organized by idealistic young Zionists who came to Palestine in the beginning of the 20th Century. Their dream was not just to settle the land it, but to build a whole new kind of society. Despite many hardships, they succeeded in creating a social system and a way of life which has played a crucial role in the development of the State of Israel both culturally and politically.

FIG 25

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3. Earthships Of New Mexico a. Project name: Earthships

FIG 26

b. Location: Taos, New Mexico c. Years built: 2001 d. Brief Description: - Area: - Basic organization: A single residence project on site - Client or client type: Eco-Homes - Architect: Michael Reynolds - Special features: The example of the earth ship built by Michael Reynolds, in New Mexico just outside of Taos is an off-the grid living community home that is built to exploit natural resources as much as it can to blend with the natural environment of New Mexico. e. Sources: Internet Website, Earthship biotecture website; http://earthship.com/blogs/2015/04/ earthships-self-sufficient-homes-in-new-mexico/ Book references, Reynolds.M. (1992). Earthships: Volume 3 Evolution beyond economics. Taos, NM: Solar Survival Architecture. April 1992. Recognition/ Rationale: It also reduces consumption of natural renewable resources. The idea of Earthships was first studied by Michael Reynolds. The concept of self-sufficiency is largely implemented in his designs of earthships in New Mexico and other parts of the world. These ideas if incorporated successfully in the current individual homes, if not completely but to a certain extent like having concepts of solar powering homes, recycling used water and having small scale food production.

FIG 27 27

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4. The North Parker. North Park, San Diego a.

Project name: The North Parker

Location: North Park

Years built: 2015

FIG 28

d. Brief Description: - Area: About 550-acres - Basic organization: A mixed use residential cum commercial project - Client or client type: Built for the community - Architect: Jonothan Segal - Special features: The most prominent feature of the Northparker is the urban design aspect of the project. Which involves multi-level housing units intertwined amongst public and private spaces. Also, houses commercial complexes within the same community area e. Sources: Internet Website, Residential developerâ€™s webpages in the area; http://www. avionatspectrum.com/ https://www.luxurysocalrealty. com/promenade-at-spectrum-kearny-mesa/

f. Recognition/ Rationale: The North Parker is a mixed-use corner residential cum commercial property that has been built based on the current community style living FIG 29 28

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5. The Spectrum. Kearny Mesa, San Diego a.

Project name: The Spectrum

Location: Kearny Mesa

Years built: Recent 21th Century

FIG 30

d. Brief Description: - Area: About 550-acres - Basic organization: A mixed use residential cum commercial project - Client or client type: Built for the community - Architect: Built by multiple developers and Architects - Special features: The most prominent feature of the spectrum is the urban design aspect of the project. Which involves multi-level housing units intertwined amongst public and private spaces. Also, houses commercial complexes within the same community area e. Sources: Internet Website, Residential developerâ€™s webpages in the area; http://www.avionatspectrum. com/ https://www.luxurysocalrealty.com/ promenade-at-spectrum-kearny-mesa/ f. Recognition/ Rationale: The spectrum in Kearny Mesa is a residential complex designed to incorporate within its design common green outdoor congregational spaces

FIG 31

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6. Belmar, Lakewood Colorado a. Project name: Belmar b. Location: Lakewood, Colorado c. Years built: 2004 d. Brief Description: - Area: 22 square city blocks - Basic organization: A mixed use residential cum commercial project - Client or client type: Built for the community of Lakewood Colorado - Architect: Owned and Built by Starwood Capitol - Special features: Belmar is said to be a district themed reinvention of downtown Lakewood Colorado that evokes the ambience of an old town village center. It is said to have a central plaza around which is the ringed with cafes that hosts concerts every summer and which turns into skating rinks in the winter e. Sources: Internet Website, Residential developerâ€™s webpages in the area; http://www.denver.org/about-denver/ neighborhood-guides/belmar-lakewood/ Recognition/ Rationale: The Belmar Lakewood town center was designed to incorporate an open mall concept, shopping center with open public realms. The commercial, banking offices cafĂŠ and plaza type setting catches the eye of any designer. The complex is also said to have a livable residential complex in the near proximity to the town center, slowly integrating the public and private realms.

FIG 32

FIG 34

FIG 33

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The site is a mixed use re-developed mall to retro fit more activity to the Belmar town center. By adding both commercial and residential complexes in between. The area in the diagram highlighted in orange depicts lower or multi-level commercial complexes. The area in red depicts the centrally located restaurants and food joints within the community complex and the brown area on the far-left corner indicates the multi-level parking for the users of the complex. FIG 35 31

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4.1 SITE INTRODUCTION LOCATION

The Clairemont Mesa community, encompassing approximately 13.3 sq. miles, lies south of state Route 52, west of Interstate 805, north of the Linda Vista community, and east of Interstate 5.

HISTORY AND AREA

Clairemont Mesa is one of the first post-World War II suburban developments in the City of San Diego, with many of its homes built in the 1950s and 1960s. The area is largely defined by its prominent topography. Developed areas of Clairemont Mesa sit primarily atop mesas punctured by several major canyon systems, with San Clemente Canyon to the north and Tecolote Canyon weaving through the center of the community. Many of the neighborhoods in the western portion of the community enjoy views of Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

FIG 36

FIG 37 32

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4.2 CLAIREMONT MESA TRANSIT ANALYSIS TRANSIT CONNECTIONS: Several significant commercial centers serve Clairemont Mesa and are located at the intersections of major transportation corridors, such as Clairemont Drive and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, as well as Balboa Avenue and Genesee Avenue. Smaller pockets of commercial development are interspersed throughout the community and along Morena Boulevard. Transit service currently consists of several local and express bus lines, however, the Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) is in the process of improving further service to the Mid-Coast corridor.

FIG 38 33

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4.3 CLAIREMONT MESA COMMUINITY PROFILE Clairemont Mesa is an urbanized community with several shopping centers, parks and recreational facilities and educational opportunities. The community has well-established singlefamily neighborhoods with streetscape parkways. To protect some of the views into the Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean, the West Clairemont Height Limitation Overlay Zone was adopted in 1972. The multifamily areas in Clairemont Mesa are traditionally located along major transportation corridors, such as on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Clairemont Drive, Genesee Avenue, Balboa Avenue and around shopping centers. There are four suburban shopping centers in Clairemont Mesa that include Clairemont Square, Clairemont village, Balboa Mesa and Genesee Plaza. These shopping centers that where built in the mid-1950s and early 1960s have been refurbished over the years and are conveniently located throughout the community.

FIG 39 34

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4.4 SCOPE AND EXISTING SITE PLAN

EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS Clairemont Mesa is an attractive place to live, work and play because of the community’s many attributes. The visual aesthetics of the nearby canyons in an urban environment, for example, has contributed to the community’s sense of place, diversity and of distinction from other areas of San Diego. This Plan identifies Clairemont Mesa’s distinctive image, and how this image can be preserved and translated into the built environment. Recommendations have been incorporated throughout the Plan that address how planning, design and the development of the physical environment will be compatible with the community’s

FIG 40 35

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4.5 SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF PLAN

The Clairemont Mesa Community Plan (Plan) includes a series of recommendations and proposals designed to guide development in the community for the next ten to 15 years. The Clairemont Mesa Planning Committee, the officially recognized citizen planning organization, has participated in the formulation of this Plan through regular meetings with the planning Department staff. This Plan contains a series of goals and objectives established by the residents, property owners and business owners of the Clairemont Mesa Community, and are also consistent with the citywide policies. Once this Plan is adopted, any amendments will require public hearings held by the Planning Commission and City Council, as were required in the initial adoption of this Plan. While this document sets forth development proposals, it does not establish new regulations or legislation, nor does it rezone property. Recommended rezoning will occur simultaneously with the Planning adoption, and any recommended actions relative to subdivision, transportation, building construction, public improvements and any other development related activities must be enacted separately as part of an implementation program. This Plan should not be considered a static document. It is intended to provide guidance for the orderly growth of the Clairemont Mesa Community. However, to respond to the dynamics of the city growth and unanticipated changes in environmental, social, or economic conditions, the Plan must be continually monitored and amended, as necessary, in order to remain updated and relevant to community and citywide needs.

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4.6 CODE ANALYSIS

Building Zoning Codes 1. Zone: RM 1-1 RM 1-2 (b) The RM zones are differentiated based on the uses allowed and the permitted density as follows: (1) The following zones permit lower density multiple dwelling units with some characteristics of single dwelling units: • RM-1-1 permits a maximum density of 1 dwelling unit for each 3,000 square feet of lot area • RM-1-2 permits a maximum density of 1 dwelling unit for each 2,500 square feet of lot area (Refer Appendix 1 for Zoning Map) 2. Setbacks: Min Front Set Back 5M from main streets Min Rear Set Back 3M from secondary streets 3. Height Limitation: Max. 40’ High in the industrial and retail zones. Residential height limit 30’ 4. Allowable Coverage: 60% 5.

FAR: 1

Parking Requirement: 2 car parks per 1000sft

7. Overlay Zones: CV 1-1 for Retail (Refer Appendix 1 for Zoning Map)

Code Research for Claremont Mesa, San Diego 1. -

Use & Occupancy Residential (R) along Clairemont Mesa Boulevard

2. Construction Type - Type IV - V Construction -Allowable floor area: 23,200 SQM - Allowable structural building materials: Light wood Frame Structure 3. General Building Limitations: -Design around existing Residences on site - Building Height: 30’ Allowable Limit 4. Maximum no of stories: 4 Stories for Commercial + Residential 3 Stories for Purely Residential 5. Fire Sprinklers: Yes 6. Fire Barriers: Wall Seperators and Fire Exits 5. Accessibility: -Make the site 60% accessible as per building code wherever necessary 6. The proposed housing module incorporates 2 housing units in place of one acre land use for one suburban house

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4.7 CLAIREMONT MESA COMMUNITY GOALS

FIG 41

PRIMARY GOALS FOR RESIDENTIAL 1 Provide density of housing options in selected locations of the community. 2 Locate higher desity of housing near commercial areas and along major transportation corridors. 3 Provide adequate off street parking

PRIMARY GOALS FOR COMMERCIAL 1. Develop the community core as a town center with a unique architectural, sign and landscaping theme with pedestrian walkways and bikeways. 2. Ensure the availability of adequate commercial facilities within the community core to meet the needs of the existing and projected residential population of Clairemont Mesa. 3. Require commercial development to incorporate landscaping which will help to integrate commercial development into the surrounding neighbourhood. 4. Design commercial areas to utilize the existing transportation system and provide pedestrian linkages to and within commercial development as well as connections to adjacent uses.

FIG 42 38

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4.8 ACHIVABLE 6 DESIGN PRINCIPLES

1. High density of housing centrally located and placed closer together. 2. The proposed site plan allows for community spaces within the individual housing premises 3. Provides work+ live environments for its residents 4. Allows for a centrally located bike path within the community block 5. Accommodates basic retail stores to satisfy daily needs of its residents 6. The design allows for community gardens and community corners which help promote outdoor gatherings and congregation.

4.9 CLAIREMONT MESA ZONING

One of Clairemont Mesa’s attributes are the well-established single family neighbourhoods with houses on the mesa. This Plan preserves neighbourhoods by maintaining existing single-family zoning and by recomending a Planned Infill Residential Development (PIRD) permit for the development of new units in those neighbourhoods when variations of the development will be compatible with the existing surrounding development, in terms of site design, architecture and density. The existing low-scale character of the community asa well as vistas from the Bay Park to Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean will be preserved by mainatining a 30-foot height limit throughout the majority of the community. Another distinctive feature of neighbourhoods in Clairemont Mesa is the low-density resisdential development adjacent to canyons and parks, and local streets with a parkway setting. Clairemont Mesa’s canyon system and the low-density development have given the community a “rural” image while being located in the urban environment.

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CHAPTER FOUR DESIGN PROCESS 40

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4.10 DESIGN RESEARCH

EXPERIMENTATION PHASE-1 The initial attempt for retro-fitting the concept of pocket neighborhoods was undertaken on the site by if the residential sites where completely demo’d to see if the concepts of sustainability and creating fresh new neighborhoods would be one method of creating these sustainable communities or to achieve “Urban Utopia”. But it was found that doing this would affect the cost of construction and this would lead to the destruction of the current homes on the site and the cost of buying and convincing the whole community to trade their current homes for these sustainable livable communities, the risk in doing this would be high and a challenge bigger than designing the sustainable communities itself. Figure 34, indicates a trial model for the re-designed sustainable community considering the existing site is a clean site. The achievable no. of hosing was seen to be abt twice as much with the closely designed open and built residential spaces as opposed to the existing 25 largely spaced residences on the site.

FIG 42 41

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4.11 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN APPROACH Hence, the initial design draft consisted of quadruple housing with multi-level duplex homes front and back with individual driveways from Clairemont mesa boulevard and the alley at the back.

FIG 44

The rendered images for the experimental design shows the commercial and green corner along the edge of balboa avenue and Clairemont mesa boulevard. And the image on the right top shows the individual layout designed for the quadruple housing. The perspective below depicts the entire community designed as a whole with the common community spaces at the edges and with access from the adjacent main streets.

FIG 45

FIG 46 43

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4.12 DESIGN PROCESS AND PROPOSED DESIGN

FIG 47

Research for the design process of urban utopia indicates that, to solve the current energy crisis and suburban sprawl issues retrofitting and redesigning to add more desity for housing and retail in a sustainable way would be the direction to take to achieve â€œUrban Utopiaâ€? within the current scenarios. FIG 48

FIG 49 44

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4.13 DESIGN SCHEMATIC AND EXISTING SITE ANALYSIS The design schematic for the site was designed around the existing site conditions that denoted a central private space with less vehicular activity and more privacy for the project. And the corners where identified as the more public and retail centers for the project.

FIG 50

Fig 51 also denotes the proposed layout for the site for alterations along the alley and the existing commercial corner along Clairemont Mesa boulevard and Genessee Avenue.

FIG 51 45

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4.14 DESIGN LAYOUT AND MASSING STUDIES

PROCESS MASSING MODEL FIG 53

FIG 52

PROPOSED SITE MASSING MODEL The design process for the design schematic for the utopian pocket neighbourhood involves studying the existing massing modules of the site. FIG 54 shows the analysis of the existing site module with the cleared out alley in the middle and the garages at the back. Similarly FIGâ€™S 52 and 53 show the process of the addititional housing added at the back of the existing site module as well as FIG 53 depicts the adding of the 2nd floor to the existing 1st floor housing footprint.

FIG 54

EXISTING SITE MASSING MODEL

URBAN UTOPIA

4.15 PROGRAM AND DESIGN SCHEMATIC SKETCHES

The program for the site was designed along the existing zoning codes of the city. The main purpose of the project was to provide for housing along the existing housing layout and to also incorporate additional housing to create high density housing within the limitations of the existing city codes.

FIG 55

The design schematic sketch for the induvidual housing layout denotes the added frontal Retail or shop-front for the induvidual homes. These retail shop-fronts where added on the existing frontyards of the homes to help activate the spaces along Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. This design proposal was also made in order to promote trade and commerce and more community activity along the main street.

FIG 56

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4.16 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT SKETCHES

FIG 59

The design was also developed to create common green spaces along the existing alleyway and the backyards of the housing projects . This promotes comunity collaboration and it was studied to also promote healthy living. These designed outdoor spaces would encourage people to involve in outdoor activities such as walking or biking. FIG 60 48

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FIG 61

4.17 PROPOSED HOUSING AND STREET VIEW 49

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FIG 62

FIG 63 FIG 65

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FIG 64

4.18 SITE PLAN, ELEWATION AND STREET SECTION

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4.19 SECOND FLOOR PLAN

BEDROOM 430 SFT

BATH 160 SFT

DRAWING ROOM 572 SFT

BEDROOM 340 SFT

18 17

9 12

8 7

DRAWING ROOM 368 SFT

6 5 4 3 2 1

1' 1' 25'-4"

15'-6" 1'

BATH 150 SFT

BEDROOM 375 SFT

25'-4"

15'-6"

15'-6" 1'

1' BEDROOM 375 SFT

25'-4"

15'-6"

POWDER ROOM 100 SFT

4 3

6 5

8 7

POWDER ROOM 100 SFT DRAWING ROOM 368 SFT

2 1

BEDROOM 340 SFT

FAMILY ROOM / HOME THEATRE 470 SFT

25'-4"

BEDROOM 375 SFT

FAMILY ROOM / HOME THEATRE 470 SFT

BATH 150 SFT

DRAWING ROOM 368 SFT

5 4

7 6

BEDROOM 340 SFT

POWDER ROOM 100 SFT

9 8

2 1

5 4 3

7 6

9 8

POWDER ROOM 100 SFT DRAWING ROOM 368 SFT

BEDROOM 340 SFT

FAMILY ROOM / HOME THEATRE 470 SFT

BEDROOM 340 SFT

DRAWING ROOM 572 SFT

BEDROOM 340 SFT

BATH 160 SFT

DRAWING ROOM 572 SFT

BATH 160 SFT

BEDROOM 430 SFT

BEDROOM 375 SFT

BATH 150 SFT

FIG 66

The design proposal for adding the second floor layout on top of the existing floor plan of the residential housing is denoted in the figure above. Fig 66 denotes a typical housing floor plan desaigned to accomodate and provide for duplex housing housing 2 such duplexes on the site. The site was also seen to provide for to accomodate 2 duplex housing houses in place of one existing suburban home, this was done by re-vitilising or re-using the front and the backyards to accomodate for the same.

URBAN UTOPIA

4.20 PROPOSED UTOPIAN MODULES

The Reference image studied and referenced out of the National Association of City Transportation Officials Website, was found to have a web publication on the Urban Street Design Guide. The guide is seen to have published similar ideas on the designing around people friendly spaces for the community. Similarly the Figure 68 denotes a possible street intersection design for a proposed community. Which could probably be adopted in the case of Clairmont community plan design for the Clairemont Mesa and Genesee Avenue Intersections.

FIG 67

FIG 68

Figure 67 Denotes the retail shop-fronts also published in the Urban Street Design Guide, which could be incorporated for the retail shopfronts designed on the frontyards along Clairemont Mesa Boulevard to help activate and revitalize the main street.

URBAN UTOPIA

4.20 PROPOSED UTOPIAN ALLEY AND INTERIOR VIEW

Figure 68 Denotes the Street design proposal for re-vitilizing the alleys in the Urban Street Design Guide. These concepts could also be retro- fited in order to ful fill the needs for revitilizing the alley in the porposed pocket neighbourhoods idea for the project.

Figure 70 Is a design generated module for the interior housing layout for the existing ground level housing and the added 2nd level duplexes in order to increase the density of housing in accordance with the Clairemont Mesa community plan goals for the community. FIG 69

FIG 70

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CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION 55

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5.1 CONCLUSION This thesis explores designing in a built suburban environment in San Diego California, with the aim of creating sustainable pocket neighborhoods, within the current existing urban context. The concept behind the idea of pocket neighborhoods is retro-fit the sustainable aspects of design in the current housing module. This idea of including additional housing in the existing single-family housing module to achieve sustainability and the aspect of energy and resource consumption reduction is the main basis of the thesisâ€™s research and exploration. Based on the statistics of the current United Nations Development Program, it indicates that there is a major increase in the levels of energy consumption in most of the developed cities of the world. Thus, the developed module for the prototype explores different options for energy conservation as well as results in the increased use of arable land, water and existing mineral and energy resources to add additional housing and utility to the current suburban housing modules. The economic and social values of the existing site was also taken into consideration and being unsure of how this concept might manifest architecturally, two other aspects of site where also investigated and it was found that altering the street fronts of the existing row housing on the main street Claremont Mesa Boulevard and adding social utility to the existing unused and abandoned alleys of the community would enhance the social and economic value of the site individually and the neighborhood as a whole. The authenticity and validity of the outcome defines the achievement of the project where one design approach was taken considering a clean slate of the existing design and the re-design resulted in a quadruple system of housing with entrances garages and courtyards from the main street on the front and the alleys at the back. This method of design approach challenges the aspect of sustainability as having a clean slate of the existing housing module would involve further destruction of the existing residences and its land use. Hence a second and more promiscuous approach was taken to design around the existing shell of the house and using the front yardsâ€™ back yards and the alleys instead to arrive at the most efficient sustainable design for the project Urban Utopia. 56

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5.2 FUTURE RESEARCH

Future research for the project Urban Utopia would involve investigating how the different modules of sustainability and zoning codes would allow adopting the principles, that are explored in this module. These principles of sustainability and pocket neighborhoods if retro-fitted into the various other suburban scenarios in some of the major Cities of the world would considerably keep a check on the energy resource consumptions of the world. It is also necessary to keep track of the growing United Nations Development Programs charts for increased energy consumptions for the developing cities of the future and how modifying or adopting these principles of pocket neighborhoods might help considerably save the naturally occurring resources of the world and help step into a sustainable future despite the growing needs of Cities and developments.

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5.3 WINTER FINAL BOARDS

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5.4 SPRING FINAL BOARDS

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GLOSSARY 60

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REFERENCES BOOK; Gauze-Muller.Dominique. (2002). Sustainable architecture and urbanism. Italy: Publishers for Architecture. 2002. Reynolds.M. (1990). Earthships: Volume 1 Build your own. Taos, NM: Solar Survival Architecture. September 1990. Reynolds.M. (1991). Earthships: Volume 2 Systems and Components. Taos, NM: Solar Survival Architecture. November 1991. Reynolds.M. (1992). Earthships: Volume 3 Evolution beyond economics. Taos, NM: Solar Survival Architecture. April 1992. The Urban Design Associates, Gindorz. R, Robinson. R, Ostergaard. P, Connor. Maggie. (2003). The Urban Design Handbook. London: W.W Norton and Company. 2003 Morrish. R, Brown. R, Catherine, Robinson. M, Quimby. C, Braun. S and Peirce. N. (2000). Planning to stay: Learning to see the physical features of your neighborhood. Minneapolis, MN. 2000 Jacobs, J.M. (1981). The Death and life of great American cities. Random House. Doherty. P 2013; Resilient Sustainable Cities, A future. NY: Routledge. 2014 Fosket. J and Mamo. L (2009) Living Green: communities that sustain. Philadelphia, PA: New Society Publishers.

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Lalani, N. Alternative Treatments For At-Grade Pedestrian Crossings. 1st ed. Washington, DC: Institute of Transportation Engineers, 2001. Print. Lennard, Suzanne H. Crowhurst. Livable Cities Observed. 1st ed. Carmel, CA: Gondolier Press, 1995. Print. JOURNALS AND THESIS BOOKS; Edward. Brian (1944) “Green Architecture” London. Willey-Academy. 2001 Symmank K. Tobin (2001) “A Sustainable Urban mid-rise mixed-use multi-family residential project” San Diego. New School of Architecture and Design. 2001 INTERNET REFERENCES; Sustainable communities. Available at: https://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/ Kibbutiz Program Centre. Available at: https://lifeexaminations.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/kibbutzim-and-communism/ Twin Oaks Community. Available at: http://www.twinoaks.org/about-twinoaks-community/more-about-twin-oaks Earthships of New Mexico. Available at: http://justseeds.org/new-mexico-1-earthships/ City of San Diego community plans. Available at: https://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/clairemontmesa/plan 62

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NON-ARCHITECTURAL ARTICLES; Cheever.F “Principles of environmental Laws” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Article. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-urbanism-sonia-kathuria http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21586581-economist-asks-provocative-questions-about-futuresocial-mobility-american/

List of Figures COVER IMAGE : https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7IAqmL2pU_8/maxresdefault.jpg

FIG 1 : https://whitmanecon101.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/urban-sprawl.jpg FIG 2 : City livability and resource consumption circa 2010. Source: Newton(2012) FIG 3 : https://transitiontownpaysondotnet.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/urban-sprawl-by-christoph-gielen-arizona.jpg FIG 4 : Human Development Index 2011 Source: UNDP (2011) FIG 5 : http://le-cartographe.net/images/stories/blog/hs_arizona-deer-crest-california.jpg FIG 6 : http://rodrigonietogomez.blogspot.com FIG 7 : http://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/posts/2015/03/Screen_Shot_2015_03_23_at_10.44.08_PM/97b4950d3.png FIG 8 : http://thenextturn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/sprawl.png FIG 9 : https://assets.rbl.ms/6467036/980x.jpg FIG 10 : http://www.ecowatch.com/40-incredible-photos-show-why-earthships-make-the-perfect-home-1882045152.html FIG 11 : Diagram by author FIG 12 : explanatory image modified by author FIG 13 : explanatory image modified by author FIG 14 : study diagram by author FIG 15 : study diagram by author FIG 16 : https://davidwachsmuth.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/tianjing.jpg FIG 17 : http://cf2.foodista.com/sites/default/files/styles/featured/public/field/image/Urban-Food-Jungle-690-537x276.jpg FIG 18 : http://pics.uvic.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/sustainable-communities.jpg FIG 19 : https://davidwachsmuth.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/tianjing.jpg FIG 20 : http://www.twinoaks.org/about-twinoaks-community/more-about-twin-oaks FIG 21 : http://www.twinoaks.org/about-twinoaks-community/more-about-twin-oaks 63

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FIG 22 : study diagram by author FIG 23 : study diagram by author FIG 24 : http://kibbutzprogramcenter.org/about-kibbutz/ FIG 25 : http://kibbutzprogramcenter.org/about-kibbutz/ FIG 26 : http://justseeds.org/new-mexico-1-earthships/ FIG 27 : http://justseeds.org/new-mexico-1-earthships/ FIG 28 : http://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5667/3abb/e58e/ce20/b400/0668/slideshow/AD-5.jpg?1449605806 FIG 29 : http://www.sandiegostreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/20140430_north_parker_002.jpg FIG 30 : https://d1fi354x6xaxra.cloudfront.net/589291a70c150c44e023db94d7af71f3_large.jpg FIG 31 : https://d1fi354x6xaxra.cloudfront.net/589291a70c150c44e023db94d7af71f3_large.jpg FIG 32 : http://www.lakewood.org/uploadedImages/Images/City_Manager/Economic_Development/Belmar%20sidewalk.JPG?n=4077 FIG 33 : https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tU-94GUBh60/maxresdefault.jpg FIG 34 : http://www.storagelocations.com/cityimages/lakewood.jpg FIG 35 ; google maps image modified by author FIG 36 : google EARTH image modified by author FIG 37 : google EARTH image modified by author FIG 38 : https://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/clairemontmesa/plan FIG 39 : https://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/clairemontmesa/plan FIG 40 : google EARTH image modified by author FIG 41 : EXISTING SITE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY AUTHOR FIG 42 : EXISTING SITE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY AUTHOR FIG 43 : google EARTH image modified by author FIG 44 : created by author FIG 45 : created by author FIG 46 : created by author FIG 47 : google EARTH image modified by author FIG 48 : EXISTING SITE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY AUTHOR FIG 49 : EXISTING SITE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY AUTHOR FIG 50 : created by author FIG 51 : created by author FIG 52 : created by author FIG 53 : created by author FIG 54 : created by author FIG 55 : created by author FIG 56 : created by author FIG 57 : created by author FIG 58 : created by author 64

URBAN UTOPIA

FIG 59 ;

created by author

FIG 60 :; created by author FIG 61 : created by author FIG 62 : created by author FIG 63 : created by author FIG 64 : created by author FIG 65 : created by author FIG 66 : created by author FIG 67 : https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/streets/ FIG 68 ; https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/streets/Retail/ FIG 69 : https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/streets/green-alley/ FIG 70 : created by author

GLOSSARY OF TERMS URBAN:

adjective: urban 1. in, relating to, or characteristic of a city or town. “the urban population” synonyms: town, city, municipal, civic, metropolitan, built-up, inner-city, downtown, suburban; More antonyms: rural

UTOPIA:

noun noun: Utopia; plural noun: Utopias; noun: utopia; plural noun: utopias an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. The word was first used in the book Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More.

PROTOTYPE:

noun noun: prototype; plural noun: prototypes 1. a first, typical or preliminary model of something, especially a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied.

EARTHSHIP: An Earthship is a type of passive solar house that is made of both natural and upcycled materials such as earth-packed tires, pioneered by the architect Michael Reynolds. ... Earthships are intended to be “off-the-grid ready” homes, with minimal reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels.

POCKET NEIGHBOURHOODS: A pocket neighborhood is a type of planned community that consists of a grouping of smaller residences, often around a courtyard or common garden, designed to promote a close knit sense of community and neighborliness with an increased level of contact.

URBAN UTOPIA

BIOGRAPHY

BIO: VEENA RAVI A Talented and results oriented Designer with strong passion and appreciation for design and detail. Track record of achievement in managing complex architectural and construction projects from inception to completion. Expertise lies in commercial, residential, health care, and public projects. With a Fair knowledge in sustainable design techniques, applications and construction codes. Brings in Design ideas from home country India and believes that architecture is the art and science of creating spaces.

URBAN UTOPIA