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Our built and unbuilt environment is confronted with the homogenizing effects of globalization, necessitating a transformative response. This reflection paper explores the pressing need for a care-taking approach to space, considering the paradoxical coexistence of vacant spaces and grand real estate projects, as well as the diminishing presence of nature in urban areas. By challenging the predetermined and embracing uncertainties, can we uncover latent potentials and envision alternative futures? This requires active participation, the appreciation of unintentional qualities, and a rejection of finality (embracing of unfinishedness). Showcasing these qualities, we can reshape our environments as political instruments that reflect and challenge social hierarchies. This reflection aims to question how we can leave a positive imprint on the world.

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This research is focus in the Streetscape Territory of Red Hook. A neighborhood located on a peninsula in the southwestern Brooklyn, New York. This thesis deal with three main key issues observed during the first visit on the site. The first impression was the great amount of vacant properties around Red Hook, second was how the spaces were configured and how limit the accessibility was to those spaces in different scales and the different identities that shape the neighborhood. The research was developed with the first impressions and what we could see on our visits, understanding and living Red Hook. It starts by researching the existing conditions of the neighborhood and the historical background of how the change in the economic activities modified and influence the development of Red Hook from one of the busiest port to a deteriorated neighborhood. During the 60s when many manufacturing companies and residents left the situation was critical no jobs with an increasing levels of criminality. Many vacant properties are a result of an interrupted growth and a decline economy. The research explores the positive and negatives consequences of having vacant lots in different levels from a neighborhood to the whole city, New York. And most important what vacancy represent in Red Hook and how is different from others neighborhoods. The analysis made was distinguished different categories according to their current uses. The following part is the limited accessibility that shape and modifies how inhabitants navigate the neighborhood. There are many factors that can contribute to this limitation as spatial delimitations, spatial mechanisms, payment requirement, gender, age, ethnicity, etc. In Red Hook many spaces are fenced or are accessible until certain point. The other topic explores the different identities and groups than influence how Red Hook is. There are residents how have lived many years or new residents moving in, the same with businesses that now are modifying the future development of the neighborhood. The result of the research end up showing the importance of manufacturing in a city, especially in Red Hook that half of the neighborhood has industrial and manufacturing zoning. The reinforcement of these activities will put Red Hook in a greater level that will generate a new kind of economic growth. The architectural intervention answers the problematic of how to deal with vacant properties and the accessibility to those spaces that allow different users in different levels making a livable neighborhood reconfiguring a block through systematic repetitions of platforms that connect the surroundings with the project and the inner spaces of manufacturing blocks.

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Cincinnati is a city that developed in the 19th century, and that saw further growth followed by disinvestment in the 20th century. In the 21st century, Cincinnati seeks to re-establish itself as a model of a thriving urban city. The city saw its fastest growth during the Industrial Revolution, when business and manufacturing increased in size and in scale, taking advantage of come with size. At the same time, the USA nation began to expand. Over the past century, urbanization have catapult, translating that concept
to everything, including entire communities – roads, schools, buildings, and houses. Over the past half-century in particular, the development patterns, even in cities, have largely been driven by suburban models and guided by regulations that encourage a suburban form. This includes separation of uses, lower residential densities, and a reliance on the automobile
to get from place to place. The Over The Rhine community is located in the heart of the City of Cincinnati, north of the Central Business District and is surrounded by the West End, Mt. Auburn and Clifton Heights neighborhoods. It is symbolic of many inner cities’ challenges - ravaged by economic dis- investment, crime and poverty. The disinvestment in OTR is characterized by a significant population loss from the neighborhood’s peak population year (1900). This drop in population is partially the result of the movement of population away from the inner city due to modern transportation, social and economic patterns. Within the last few decades, the decrease can be attributed to the disinvestment in the neighborhood. Another significant change was race. During the 1960s and 1970s, although OTR’s population declined, the African American population began to increase. This increase is perceived by many as a result of African Americans being displaced from the West End and Queensgate communities due to the construction of I-75, which began in the late 1950s. The problematic of Liberty Street as a 7 lanes connector cutting the O.T.R was the start point of the urban strategy and the Architectural intervention. The depth configuration of the existing urban fabric makes Liberty Street a place where people do not want stay, the lack of vibrant places and common spaces can define the failure of such important place for Cincinnatians. In 2015, Cincinnati Local Authority launches a planning application to review the necessity of a 7-lane road with the new Interchange Highway on the North of Cincinnati to be completed in 2016. For that reason the existing and the proposal infrastructure of Liberty street could contribute for a design that could add quality and increase the level of collectivity and productivity in the area. The lack of livability across the street and the neglect of the owners and local residents to the area was an important characteristic for this design approach. For the Urban Strategy, Liberty Street will become a 4 lanes vehicular way with the addition of cycle lane that will be linked with the existing North and South cycle way path designated route. For the Architectural intervention, the proposal will be focus in the West part of Liberty Street and Central Parkway, The interventions will consist in a refurbishment of existing 4 buildings (that are currently vacant or not in the fully capacity of use) and a design for a new building, as part of the new key area and Landmark environment that could be achieved in the area in the next few years.

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The main approach of this proposal is increasing the sense of home for immigrants by offering partial self-build house in Brussels. Brussels Community Land Trust as a non profit organization is active in providing affordable housing for people in Brussels. Since, around 85% of its member are non-Belgian, so it is good opportunity for practicing the idea of self-construction. It is tried to simplify the self-build process, therefore, exact program and construction details is defined by author.

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This master dissertation focuses on the conception and development of a new way of making a Brutal Building. A building that aims to represent the Renaissance of Brutalism. The Transformation Project is the opportunity to take an under-appreciated and threatened building as the Madou Center and reconnect it with the users, the context and the brutal language itself in an open and engaging way. Originally constructed in 1976, today the Madou Center is poorly integrated into the city-life, with most inhabitants unaware of the brut architectural value of the modern giant. Therefore, the proposal for the building transformation aims to introduce a new way to brutalist architecture and to evoke and conceive strength from the building. The design is respectful of its existing qualities while taking a sharp approach to its drawbacks, with increasing the building’s value and comfort being a key objective. Through the design strategies proposed: the addition of the inner court, extension of the building by a crown, and creation of extra interior and exterior functional spaces, exposed materials and structure, and building’s comfort, among others. The subtraction of the middle zone and addition of an inner court aims to provide the Building with daylight filled spaces, and to reduce energy consumption. This inner court represents a common space and gathering point that integrates the building with its immediate context, and that works as a public interested gallery with commercial activities around. It also allows visual and spatial connections along the building and encourage interactions. The defined architecture of the external facades finds its equivalence in the inside facade conception. The new inner facade composition consists of a rhythm of frames made of modeled sanded concrete elements, that will cover the building structure all around the court. Furthermore, the Project proposes the creation of a collective terrace and extra functional spaces for co-working, meetings and team lounge in the roof top. A high space that everybody can use at any moment in the day, in contrast to the 2.60 m high interior offices spaces in the 6 levels below. Likewise, the Design creates profitable areas in the basement such as art galleries and auditorium by transforming the 2 former unnecessary levels for parking. Finally, the projects aims to expose the natural materiality of concrete on facades and in the structure, integrating the technical systems with the structural and skin system, in order to meet the fire safety regulations, and provide the building with comfort regarding insulation, heating and ventilation solutions.