Post Retail Apocalypse. Work by Einat Lubliner, Sushmita Shekar, Hatem Alkhathlan, Chris Zheng​

Recent Masters in Science of Architecture and Urban Design (MSAUD) graduate students of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) aim to redefine the retail model with an emphasis on small businesses and community. A research project initiated by Einat Lubliner, Sushmita Shekar, Hatem Alkhathlan, and Chris Zheng titled Post Retail Apocalypse investigates a new approach for reusing big box stores by implementing design solutions that foster "social interaction and equity." 

According to the group, "With the global transition from traditional shopping to e-commerce and the change in consumer trends, main street retail, Big Box stores, and malls, which were a de facto social space for American small towns, have transformed into redundant infrastructure. The repercussions of this have highly impacted social interaction, local economy, existing infrastructure, jobs and services." Their international world views and backgrounds add to the project's dynamic approach to retail. They also weight in on their project's journey from in-person to online formats and how the pandemic has affected their outlook on the profession.

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extraordinarily challenging year for architecture graduates. Students were displaced as schools shut down, academic communities had to adapt to a new virtual format, end-of-year celebrations were canceled or changed dramatically, and now these students are graduating into an extremely challenging employment market. To support the 2020 class we're launching a summer series of features highlighting the work of thesis students during this unique time of remote learning amid COVID-19. Be sure to follow our 2020 thesis tag to stay up to date as we release new project highlights.

We challenged this trajectory by redefining a new retail model that spurs from a bottom-up approach through main street revival, by establishing a shared collaborative platform for small businesses.

Briefly describe your final project.

With the global transition from traditional shopping to e-commerce and the change in consumer trends, main street retail, Big Box stores, and malls, which were a de facto social space for American small towns, have transformed into redundant infrastructure. The repercussions of this have highly impacted social interaction, local economy, existing infrastructure, jobs, and services. This gives an opportunity to redefine a new retail module that spurs from a bottom-up approach through main street revival and by providing experiences and awareness to consumers along with establishing a shared collaborative platform for small businesses by sharing space, energy, resources, waste management, and storage.

At this moment in time, we should rethink how we
utilize existing infrastructures rather than acquiring more greenfield areas to build new ones over the expanse of an existing ecosystem.

This sharing of assets not only reduces cost and carbon emissions, but also funnels local economy, promotes interaction, elevates jobs, enables social equity, and increases social responsibility and awareness. Our approach focused on street activation by broadening the pedestrian path and activating it with collaborative pop up elements. The street social extension has collaborative consumption components for reusing and sharing materials and goods in relation to the Co-op. For example, in a textile co-op the remnant fabric can be available for community use.

To address this transformation into a holistic sustainable system, we re-shape Big Boxes and malls as local distribution and recycling centers. At this moment in time, we should rethink how we utilize existing infrastructures rather than acquiring more greenfield areas to build new ones over the expanse of an existing ecosystem. The public realm should be also take into account those transformations as an anchor point for social interaction and equity.

As an international group of designers; from Israel, India and Saudi Arabia, within an American studio framework, we had rich discussion with a wide range of perspectives which led to a fruitful collaboration, where each of us could contribute from their own point of view.

How did your project change as studios transitioned to remote learning?

Re-defining Capital is a project we developed as a group in Spring, 2020 as a part of the Masters of Science in Architecture and Urban Design program at Columbia University. We had the opportunity to travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia just before the lockdown, and experienced its unique culture and complexity in terms of social, ecological, and economic challenges. As an international group of designers; from Israel, India, and Saudi Arabia, within an American studio framework, we had rich discussion with a wide range of perspectives which led to a fruitful collaboration, where each of us could contribute from their own point of view.

While developing the project, as much as the situation challenged us to adapt to online classes quickly, it opened up numerous possibilities of sharing ideas and resources via many learning management systems like: Concept board for brainstorming, Google slides for presenting ideas and Zoom Whiteboard helped to get feedback from faculty and external critiques. Due to today’s hyper connected technologies, we had the possibility to attend multiple discourses and juries, and benefited from diverse international critiques for the final review. Although we managed to achieve a fruitful outcome, the culture of a design studio and personal interaction with colleagues and faculty will always be valued.

This new era we are stepping in to, makes us radically question and envision new possibilities of equitable, sustainable and healthier cities.

As graduate students experiencing the direct effects of the pandemic and its effects, how do you feel about the architecture industry right now and job prospects? 

Graduating at a time of pandemic was very unusual. As fresh graduates, it is a challenging situation to enter the professional realm, when a global crisis affects our day to day interaction. On the other hand, this moment in time gives us a unique opportunity to rethink and reshape how we live in our cities. This new era we are stepping in to makes us radically question and envision new possibilities of equitable, sustainable, and healthier cities. Our experience has opened up numerous possibilities for collaborative working in the future and empowers us to communicate and work efficiently with partners across the globe.