The main objective of my thesis is to develop a prototype that investigates the adaptability  and hybridization of residential and non-residential units in order to maximize its functionality and usability. The prototype adjusts to changing living condition, retail use and combination of mixed used residential and commercial units to increase the density and usability of a building . Can a building adapt over time? How can a building be a flexible machine that exceeds its usability to the maximum by adapting within 24 hours? How can a building accommodate a high-rate population growth, the growth within a single family, or the branching out of a family?
-Both residential and non- residential units will have the structural capability of expanding, separating, and joining and combining with other units to adapt to the different needs of the user(s).
    - Some units will be purely adaptable for residential use
    - Some units will be purely adaptable for commercial/retail use
    - Some units will adapt to combine residential with commercial/retail use
Residential units can provide flexibility to accommodate to different living situations in a household, for example: when a family grows, when a family member grows up and requires his/her own space, when an older relative moves in, mixed used  (live-work)typology etc. Retail units will also have the same structural capabilities of change as the residential units, but in this case the adaptation for different functions happens within the shorter period of a day instead of months or years; with the purpose of maximizing the usability of the space and create a constant dynamic environment. By maximizing the use of the retail space, more jobs are generated, rent is more affordable for tenants because the spaces can be rented by the hour, and can change to accomodate different uses throughout the day.
     A flexible modular system is designed to develop the structural capacity and adaptability limitation for both residential and non-residential units
    The modular system is  based on adjacency of units; depending on how these units are arranged and placed next to one another or one of top of the other, negotiation and sharing of programmatic space
       
        Expansion- a double wall unit will be placed adjacent to a private open space, so that this unit can expand out to the open space to provide enclosure for another unit.
        Joining -through strategic placement of units by adjacency, units that were once designed as two separate units can join and become
        one larger unit.
        Separating - other units will have additional walls that can allow units to separate and reduce its size into smaller private units.
   
    Hybridization of residential and commercial will allow the building to have a smoother and blurry vertical transition between public and private spaces.
        Combining- Some units will be designed with lofted spaces that will have an additional stored floor that can be used to separate a retail/office space from a living unit that sits above or below.  
       
         
    The vertical and horizontal distribution of different programmatic units has a tremendous impact on how this prototype can affect an urban site as well as an entire city. It is very important to investigate how this high density building can start to extend different programs at different levels to create dynamic spaces at different levels, providing a solution to the inevitable modern syndrome of the pattern of isolated pristine tall boxes. The transition between different levels of private and public is a desired consequence from the expansion and aggregation of the units over time, generating a new urban pattern of dynamic spaces and different programmatic spaces eventually adding another layer of pedestrian circulation to the urban fabric.