ARC 561R / ARC 696
The studio's agenda is centered on exploring the transformative potential of urban ecologies, circular design strategies, and decarbonization while emphasizing the design of marketplaces as vibrant open programs. With a strong focus on circular design strategies, students delve into creating marketplaces that serve as dynamic hubs for multiple programmatic interactions, inviting a diverse range of lifestyles. The studio aims to offer innovative typologies for sustainable and socially conscious urban spaces.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
We want to envision marketplaces as open programs, adaptable and inviting a variety of programmatic interactions that cater to diverse lifestyles. We seek innovative ways to integrate marketplaces harmoniously into the urban landscape. Circular programmatic setups will be the key focus, allowing for dynamic and inclusive spaces that foster social interactions and promote community engagement. The program will encompass mixed-use areas, food park zones, aquaponic and aeroponic gardens, microgardens, coworking spaces, parks, and other elements inspired by ecological principles.
The studio will center its attention on several disinvested communities in proximity to Austin, Texas. These underdeveloped areas often suffer from a lack of green spaces, dominant concrete structures, and nonfunctioning large shopping buildings with extensive parking lots. The selection of these sites aims to explore how ecological elements and marketplaces can positively impact and revitalize such neglected neighborhoods. By integrating marketplaces into these sites, students will aim to create vibrant, inclusive, and ecologically conscious urban environments.
The studio's project, program, and site focus on empowering students to reimagine the potential of marketplaces as transformative agents in urban ecologies. With an interdisciplinary approach, this studio will equip students with the skills and knowledge to craft sustainable, socially vibrant, and economically viable urban spaces through research by design