Sep '06 - Dec '09
In my endeavors to be more active in my community I took a role to help educate local contractors to be more sensitive to existing structures. At my local surf spot condominiums are being built out of scale. Three story monsters are overshadowing lots that hold 1 to 2 story homes. This neighborhood is one of the few in Virginia Beach that offer high density and a semi-okay urban fabric. Sadly I found out that only a year prior I helped design a pair of condominiums for a contractor that destroyed some of the urban fabric of this community. Even though I don’t live in this part of town I want to compensate for my actions. Since my research began in high-density communities I have been looking for an opportunity to implement some of my ideas. I found out through a neighborhood league wanted to stop these condos from going up via my boss. They wanted to show the contractors that they can still build these condos but at an acceptable scale. My boss and I came up with diagrams to show the contractors what they can build within a certain limit. One that adheres to the existing structures and keeps to the fabric. These styles were used because they speak of the same language that the contractors are used to. We wanted to be a bit more persuasive. So here are our attempts through diagrams. I hope this helps reverse some of the building that I help initiate and also to serve as the catalyst to more opportunities to introduce a better way of building. Now off to New York for some recreation time. It's been a long Spring Break
2 Comments
(i am also known as +i)
im glad to see you're working so hard! it is really difficult to find students at HU who practice what they preach, ie, they actually *are* concerned with architecture outside of architecture school. those are the students who develop passion.
that being said--- i started my thesis out just like your little project right here. i used to surf at the s-turns at sandbridge--- they arent there anymore, and have been replaced with a 6-story 2-phase condo project. hmmmph. yeah, so that started it all... and somehow landed me a publication.
keep at it young one! :)
i would like to have a blog here too. Can u tell me how did you get yours??? I have a lot of stuff to share.
Lucia
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