SPRING 2010

Northeastern University School of Architecture

ARCH 5110 Housing and Aggregation Studio

ROWHOUSES
SPRING 2010
ROWHOUSES
Northeastern University School of Architecture
ARCH 5110 Housing and Aggregation Studio
EDITOR
SAM CHOI
STUDENT EDITORS
JACKIE MOSSMAN
SHAWN BOLANOS
SPRING 2010
ROWHOUSES
ARCH 5110 HOUSING AND AGGREGATION STUDIO
Northeastern University
School of Architecture
360 Huntington Avenue
151 Ryder Hall
Boston, MA 02115
617.373.8959
www.architecture.neu.edu
Copyright 2011 School of Architecture
Northeastern University
Designed by Paste in Place
Printed by Lulu
The work contained within this publication is drawn from the Spring 2010
Northeastern University School of Architecture ARCH 5110 Housing and Aggrega-
tion Studio. All work was produced by fth year architecture students, for whom the
focus of the semester was inll courtyard housing in metropolitan Boston.
STUDIO COORDINATORS
Tim Love and Sam Choi
FACULTY
Sam Choi, Michael Grogan, David Hacin, Alyson Tanguay
STUDENTS
Alexander Davis, Allison Browne, Ashley Hartshorn, Ashley Hopwood, Assia
Belguedj, Benjamin Hochberg, Bryan Allen, Chris Freda, Dan Adams, Dan Artiges,
Dan Belknap, Darien Fortier, Dennis Greenwood, Diana Lattari, Erica LeLievre, Julien
Jalbert, Lindsey Deschenes, Lucas Carriere, Nicole Fichera, Pamela Andrade, Samuel
Clement, Sara Laporte, Tim Loranger, Whitney Chicoine
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Nicole Fichera
SPLIT ROWHOUSE
Dan Belknap, Julien Jalbert, Pamela Andrade
SKINNY ROWHOUSE
Assia Belguedj, Dan Adams, Darien Fortier, Lucas Carriere, Bryan Allen
PUSH-PULL ROWHOUSE
Chris Freda, Dan Artiges, Whitney Chicoine, Tim Loranger
STACKED DUPLEXES
Alexander Davis, Benjamin Hochberg, Sara Laporte
2 DUPLEXES OVER FLAT
Ashley Hopwood, Dennis Greenwood, Erica LeLievre, Nicole Fichera,
Samuel Clement
INTERLOCKING ROWHOUSE
Allison Browne, Diana Lattari
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INTERLOCKING
SPLIT
PUSH-PULL
TWO DUPLEXES OVER FLAT
STACKED DUPLEXES
THREE SKINNY
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INTRODUCTION
NICOLE FICHERA
Northeastern University School of Architecture housing studio
focuses on a different type of housing every year, from courtyard
housing to high-rise multi-family buildings. When our instructors
told us that wed be designing rowhouses, I was excited. As
students in Boston, we know rowhouses: we have all lived in
them, walked by them, partied in them, chatted on their stoops
and relaxed on their rooftops. Architecture studios so often deal
with big buildings and large-scale urban plansthis presented
a chance to think on a smaller scale, something tangible and
intimate. Design of housing focuses on something we all do every
day: live. We all live, and we all want to live well.
As students, this was our charge: to reinterpret the rowhouse for
modern urban life.
At the onset of the semester, our instructors presented six basic
diagrams for our rowhouse prototypes. Based on a parcel size of
20 x 60, the diagrams established a basic framework for interior
spatial organization and the adjacent parcels in relation to one
another.
Push/Pull required the deformation of the party wall between
two parcels, allowing units to expand and contract laterally to
create wider spaces. Interlocking rowhouses broke down the
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initial parcel division almost completely, allowing interior spaces to
wrap around each other and create complex spatial sequences.
The Split condition mandated a solution with spaces around
a central courtyard for light and air. The aptly named Skinny
rowhouse was formed from three narrowhouses sandwiched
into the width of two parcels.
The two following propositions seemed the most viable in the
context of todays market in that they pack three or four slightly
smaller residences into the designated parcels. Two Duplexes
over Flat proposed two vertical units sitting on top of one at
unit at street level, and Stacked Duplex rowhouses were created
by two duplex units stacked on top of each other, for a total of
four units.
Each of these organizing concepts presented challenges and
opportunities. Some prototypes were ingrained with spatial
richness; others adapted easily to retail and accessibility issues;
and many had strict space constraints that required rigorous
planning and innovative thinking.
We began the studio with an in-depth analysis of rowhouse
precedents, with examples ranging from the highly conceptual
work of MVRDV in Amsterdams Borneo Sporenburg to high-end
rowhouse residences both new and renovated. We looked at
critical issues of core and stair placement, scale of living spaces,
development of the entry sequence, and relationships with
parking and the street.
To begin design we rst developed a prototype of adjacent
parcels forming a single component. We then aggregated
components across an alley as four parcels, developing a section
that cut across a block from street front to street front, with a
service alley in between. Subsequently we repeated the long
sections to form an entire block, and invented corner conditions
for the idealized block created. At one point during the process
we exchanged units between peers, and aggregated both
sectional types together, rst at the scale of a single block, then
as a nine-block grid. After designing these permutations in a
vacuum, we were ultimately asked to deploy our block strategy
on an actual site.
The site assigned was a large swath of underused, fragmented
blocks along Melnea Cass Boulevard. As a fringe condition
surrounded by gentried South End rowhouse neighborhoods,
industrial mega-blocks, a fast moving multi-lane road, hospital
campus buildings, and low-income housingthe site was highly
variable and required adaptive responses. Our urban strategies
had to negotiate this varied context, while maintaining the spatial
logic of our original two-parcel prototype. Our idealized block
plans deformed, and spacious units were condensed to integrate
ground level retail zones.
Thus the work produced at the precinct scale, block scale, and
unit scale was endlessly varied.
Although the process was trying and unusual, this was an
important project as students learning about housing and
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the ways in which cities struggle to move forward within the
constraints of the past. In cities such as Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, and Baltimore, rowhouses are commonplace.
Multiple generations of people love them. They make
neighborhoods feel unied and urban, create a comfortable sense
of human scale, and express the individuality of a single home.
Historically rowhouses signied progress and momentum
forward. In Bostons Back Bay and South End neighborhoods,
rowhouse builders were pioneers on land lled sea. Now
antique facades seem solid, placid, full of untold stories from a
genteel past. Rowhouses have been so often subdivided and
readapted to modern living that their rhythmic, uniform facades
hardly reect their diverse and heterogeneous innards. But these
neighborhood relics are not always perfectly preserved and have
adapted to accommodate change over time.
It is essential to acknowledge that diversity exists within
rowhouses. Recognizing the natural evolution of living spaces
couldand shouldhave major implications in the creation of
new housing today.
As an individual expression in a cohesive urban framework,
the rowhouse gives us both a sense of collective and a place
to call our own. In a city such as Boston, the reinterpretation
of this multi-generational precedent results in the creation of
new housing types, ones that are undeniably modern, but also
intrinsically rooted in Boston.
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SPLIT
ROWHOUSE
DAN BELKNAP
JULIEN JALBERT
PAMELA ANDRADE
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SPLIT LIGHT HOUSE
The split rowhouse typology is a single family unit on a
single parcel, in which the indroduction of a courtyard denes
the type. The principle organizational strategy involved a
tectonically solid base to house service program and garage,
a heavily glazed public zone, and volume of private program
suspended above. A strict agenda of light was maintained
throughout the massing strategy.
DAN BELKNAP
INSTRUCTOR
DAVID HACIN
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Fourth Floor Plan
Unit Section Unit Section
Third Floor Plan
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Second Floor Plan First Floor Plan
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Front Elevation Side Elevation Side Elevation
Street Elevation
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10 Master Plan
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The precinct exists on a crucial point of connection
between the transit hubs of Ruggles Station, Dudley
Square, and Boston Medical Center. The amount of
bus trafc on each road was heavily considered in the
positioning of retail and scale of streets scapes.
Figure/Ground Diagram Urban Scale Response
Urban Transit Lines
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Interior View
Natural Light Diagram Corner Porch View
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Interior View
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Perspective
Typical Block Plan
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Solid block apartment type presents
problems regarding natural light,
ventilation and urban scale in a row
house neighborhood.
Split row house type is introduced.
Natural light and ventilation is improved
for upper stories but courtyard is dark
and cold. Facade also remains massive
in scale.
Masses are staggered in section and
rear mass is compressed. Light and
ventilation is brought further into
building and courtyard. Facade is
broken and entry porch is articulated.
Vertical circulation is placed around
courtyard and slab cuts bring light
further into building and basement.
Visual and acoustic connections are
created sectionally.
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Perspective
Site Section
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Aerial Perspective
Site Section
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ADAPTABLE LIVING
Upon rst designing a siteless rowhouse, this scheme placed
the public program towards the more active street, and the
private program towards the alley. An outdoor space was
placed in between the program, and the circulation was
situated around the void created. Once a site was given, the
overall parti of the design was modied to accommodate solar
orientation, where north-facing units would reorient public
program toward the rear. Public alley gardens were also placed
adjacent to the north-facing units on the block, which also
facilitated the reorientation of public vs. private program.
JULIEN JALBERT
INSTRUCTOR
ALYSON TANGUAY
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The design looks to create open (green) spaces at
three different scales that work in unison in order
to create an engaging urban residential site. First,
at the small scale of the unit, courtyards are either
shared between units or individualized for the row
house, allowing for more privatized exterior space for
inhabitants. Second, at the intermediate public scale,
contained gardens for each individual block, allows
for a sense of community within the block. Lastly the
large scale open space for the general public create
liveliness within a urban setting.
Figure/Ground Diagram Existing Green Space
Existing Urban Conditions and Zones
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Aerial Perspective
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Block Section
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Unit Section 2 Unit Section 1
First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
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21 Third Floor Plan
Interior Perspective Interior Perspective
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CORES AS OBJECTS
The primary idea behind this design centered around
perceiving the cores as objects that one moves around once
inside. The cores attach themselves to a circulation bar
and oat within three types of spaces: public, private, and
courtyard. Material is used to call out the cores so they can
be understood as a system within the rowhouse. The rooms
therefore read as transparent layers with sufcient glass to
emphasize this idea. The facade expresses the circulation bar
in wood that then catches the projected bay, meant to read as
the volume of the courtyard being pushed out to the street.
PAMELA ANDRADE
INSTRUCTOR
SAM CHOI
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Block Section Elevation
Block Perspective
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Block Perspective
Block Elevation
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26 Site Analysis
Figure/Ground Diagram
At the urban scale, the blocks are designed as exten-
sions of the existing fabric. The periphery green
spaces function as buffers to heavy vehicular trafc.
A central greenspace with plaza extends out to the
other two block precincts in the form of green medi-
ans and landscaping to unify the entire site.
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Aerial Perspective
Street Section
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Interior Perspective - Kitchen Interior Perspective - Bedroom
Building Section Building Section
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Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
Fourth Floor Plan
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Programmatic Axon
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SKINNY
ROWHOUSE
ASSIA BELGUEDJ
DAN ADAMS
DARIEN FORTIER
LUCAS CARRIERE
BRYAN ALLEN
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COURTYARD VARIETY
The skinny row house type accommodates a single family in
a typical urban condition of the South End neighborhood in
Boston, Massachusetts. Although a single unit is to function
as a single-family home, the typical unit type was designed
around a central courtyard privatizing the discovery and
experience of the living spaces towards the interior. Only at
two specic living spaces, does the house connect directly
with the public: on the roof courtyard and in the main living
room space. The organization of the unit around a central
courtyard allows for exibility of unit types, where two units
can easily be paired to create a large center courtyard while still
maintaining an identity for a single unit type.
ASSIA BELGUEDJ
INSTRUCTOR
DAVID HACIN
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Unit Type A Unit Type B Unit Type C Unit Type D
Building Section Building Section
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Fourth Floor Plan
Roof Plan
Third Floor Plan
Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Sectional Perspective
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Site Diagrams
Site analysis of the existing urban conditions of the
neighborhood in regards to transportation (public and
private), land use and distribution of green spaces
gave for a particular aggregation strategy across
the entire site. The site is divided into three larger
blocks containing smaller and more intimate blocks
within them. The aggregation within the three blocks
is to encourage a sense of community amongst the
residents, with placement of public spaces for leisure
and recreation across the many smaller blocks.
Figure/Ground Diagram
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Aerial Perspective
Block Sectional Perspective
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URBAN SUBURB
The inspiration for this design came from the phenomena of
the suburban lifestyle. Freedom of the outdoors and access
to exterior living space lead to the question of how to make
this possible in an urban setting. The most logical answer
was to utilize space on the roof which typically goes unused.
Combining the Skinny Rowhouse typology with a centralized
stair core and access to the roof resulted in a balanced
programmatic distribution of space. The stair simultaneously
maintains privacy along the vertical axis for the bedrooms on
either side and brings guests to the public space on the top
oors.
DAN ADAMS
INSTRUCTOR
MICHAEL GROGAN
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Site Diagram - Green Space
The urban aggregation strategy is based upon two
main goalscreating density and encouraging urban
neighbors. By providing rooftop yards, residents will
have the same opportunity to develop relationships
with neighbors just as residents do in a suburban
context. This is made possible by providing a high
level of dense aggregation.
The existing bike path remains to be used as a
termination point for pedestrian walkways. Two formal
green spaces were also added in order to balance
density with open green spaces.
Site Diagram - Major/Minor Axis
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Aerial Perspective
Street Elevation
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Street View Perspective
Figure/Ground Diagram
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Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
Fourth Floor Plan
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Master Bedroom Perspective
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Zones Bedrooms/Private Space Core Space Public Space
Building Section Building Section
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Interior Perspective
Interior Perspective - Living Space
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BLURRING BOUNDARIES
The organization of the skinny rowhouse unit aims to address
the challenges of lighting the center of the unit and creating an
appropriate connection between exterior and interior. Therefore,
private bedrooms were placed into two boxes, both opening
outward to enjoy light and views from either end of the unit.
The negative space between the two boxes became the
public space.
Two unit variations resulted from ipping the orientation of
the unit from back to front. One unit type had a 2 story street
front while the other had a 3 story street front allowing for a
distinction in composition between major and minor streets
and streets bordering green spaces. The major streets were
composed of the taller units repeated rhythmically with the
facade designed in a way to excentuate the skinny quality and
height of the unit. Minor streets and those bordering southern
green spaces were arranged with an AB pattern that allows
light to penetrate deeper into the site.
DARIEN FORTIER
INSTRUCTOR
MICHAEL GROGAN
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Aerial Perspective
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Street Perspective
Street Section
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Unit A Section
Unit B Section
Concept Diagram
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Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Unit B
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Third Floor Plan
Unit A
Third Floor Plan
Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Unit A Axonometric
Unit B Axonometric
52 Figure/Ground Diagram
The overall site strategy was meant to extend the
South End quality into Roxbury and provide a buffer
between the residents and the noise from Melnea
Cass Ave. Therefore the block strategy of the south
was repeated throughout the site, a green belt was
enhanced bordering Melnea Cass, and the block
oretation of the eastern end of the site was ipped to
divert attention away from the large obtrusive existing
buildings to the east, and instead create an axis that
makes the hospital tower and new park focal points of
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Site Analysis
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Site Plan
Street Elevation
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MIXED INCOME
The Roxbury site, unique in both its typology and
socioeconomic class became an area of architectural and
cultural resolution in this proposed site planning strategy. The
presence of lower income/authority housing was addressed
both at the level of the site plan and at the scale of the single
unit. A varying number of units across the site, a mixture
of moderate and luxury, as well as retail all conjoin in
an appropriately buffered and scaled resolution, one that is
architecturally conscience through a common facade and
massing strategy. A landscape element (both greenery and
hardscaping features) intersects the blocks at their highest
density as an urban relief. At their smaller scale, these spaces
become shared, uniting, private, and public elements.
LUCAS CARRIERE
INSTRUCTOR
ALYSON TANGUAY
56
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Site Plan
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Aerial View
Block Section
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58 Site Concept Diagram Figure/Ground Diagram
In the adjacent comparison between existing
conditions and proposed conditions; both levels of
the site strategy are illustrated. The site plan, coding
the differing unit types, reinforces this strategy at the
scale of the block and the individual housing unit.
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Aerial Perspective
Existing Low Income Proposed Green Space Existing Row Houses Proposed Housing
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Elevations (Moderate 1) Elevations (Luxury 1) Elevations (Luxury 3)
Building Section (Luxury 3) Building Section (Moderate 1)
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Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Second Floor Plan
(Luxury 3)
(Luxury 3)
(Moderate 1)
(Moderate 1)
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LIVING IN DIFFERENT WAYS
No two apartments are lived in the same way, but in a row-
house development an architect/urban planner must rely on
some amount of repetition. This scheme attempted to adapt
three identical "skinny" parcels for two types of residents
singles and families. The "skinny" parcel were combined with
a duplex to create a variety of unit types including ats, family
duplex, family "skinny" and "bachlor/bachelorette. This project
aims to develop units for different modes of living Flat,
Family and Bachelor/Bachelorette.
BRYAN ALLEN
INSTRUCTOR
SAM CHOI
64 Unit Section
First Floor Plans
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Alley Elevation
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Master Plan
Sectional Elevation
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When we began to aggregate the units across the site,
it was helpful to analyze the local area to determine
important patterns and thoroughfares.
After the rst version of the masterplan (top right), the
second version begins to address the rift in the urban
fabric created by Melnea Cass Blvd (see bottom left).
Figure Ground/Site Specic Analysis Urban Site Analysis
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Unit Interior View - in Stair-wall
Unit Interior View - From Bedroom to Living
Unit Interior View - Living Room
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Block Study - Ground Plan
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Unit Axons
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Block Study Long Elevation
Block Study Perspective
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Master Plan Aerial Perspective
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73
PUSH-PULL
ROWHOUSE
CHRIS FREDA
DAN ARTIGES
WHITNEY CHICOINE
TIM LORANGER
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MAXIMUM EXPOSURE
The interlocking rowhouse strategy provided me with an
opportunity to explore a different type of living experience.
The nature of the interlocking typology allows units distinct
advantages over the typical rowhouse typology. First,
rowhouses are not bound to the typical front-to-back layout
which minimizes facade exposure and limits oor plan layout.
Interlocking units can push and pull in various ways to allow for
a more comfortable living arrangment while maximizing facade
exposure. Second, the interlocking strategy allows for units
and their occupants to interact in ways otherwise not possible.
The interlocking of units creates overlapping of volumes and
opportunity for visual and physical access to shared spaces.
CHRIS FREDA
INSTRUCTOR
DAVID HACIN
76
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Aerial Perspective
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Block Plan
Street Elevation
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78 Concept Diagram Mixed Use Units
The logic of shared space and interactivity from
the interlocking townhouse unit was amplied and
applied throughout the site. This presented many op-
portunities for different qualities and sizes of spaces
utilized by residents of the units, blocks, develop-
ment and city as a whole.
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Site Trafc
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Block Perspective
Street Elevation
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First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
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Third Floor Plan
Unit Section Courtyard Elevation Front Elevation
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PUSHED PARTY WALL
The Push-Pull Unit is based on the lateral movement of the
party wall separating two parcels. The strategy for this design
began with two extended service cores. The party wall wraps
around these cores creating large living spaces at the center
of the parcels. The push of this volume is accentuated within
the adjacent unit by negative space produced from the oor
pulling away from the extending volume. Each unit in a pair of
parcels is given a larger extended living space.
DAN ARTIGES
INSTRUCTOR
SAM CHOI
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Concept Diagram
85
Site Plan
Sectional Model
The strategy for the site was to create a green envelope
for the aggregated units that connects the two large
park spaces while surrounding and separating the
neighborhood of aggregated units from the major streets
surrounding the site.
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Parti-walls and cores First Floor Second Floor Facade
Building Section
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Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
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FLEXIBLE PARTYWALL
The nature of the push-pull rowhouse type allows for the
designer to take advantage of a exible party wall. In my
design, there is a shared zone between two row houses
where the party wall undulates back and forth. This provides
the opportunity for certain rooms to get larger where they
need to, and for the circulation space to take up less space in
the individual units, by sharing one zone. It also provides an
opportunity for a shared light well to bring natural daylight into
the center of the units. The party wall is thus semi-transparent
at points to allow for natural light to penetrate into both
units, from above and from the front and rear facades, while
maintaining proper privacy between the units.
WHITNEY CHICOINE
INSTRUCTOR
ALYSON TANGUAY
90
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Concept Diagram
First Floor Plan Basement Floor Plan
91
Building Section
Second Floor Plan Third Floor Plan
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Site Plan Site Diagram
The site design is centered around the two main streets,
Washington Street and Harrison Avenue. These streets
are treated separately, Washington representing the
commercial center of the area, and Harrison as a green-
way-type boulevard. The bike path is spread through the
site, and various parks widen the path.
Block Elevation
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Typical Block Plan
Street Section
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DOUBLE FRONT BLOCK
The push/pull typology allows the designer to create unusually
large rooms for a rowhouse by having the ability to shift and
abstract the normally straight parti wall. In doing so this unit
became volumetrically symmetrical. The living room was on
the front for one unit, while on the back for the other and so
forth for each room in the unit. The only aspect which was
not symetrical was the entry sequence. Each unit had a main
entry in the front with a car port in the rear. Because of this
double front situation the ally was widened and turned into a
pedestrian pathway with a large island running the length of
each block in the middle of the parking lanes. This creates a
gure ground contrary to that of the existing street condition on
the opposite side of the proposed line of the rowhouse.
TIM LORANGER
INSTRUCTOR
SAM CHOI
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First Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
Second Floor Plan
Fourth Floor Plan
97
Push/Pull Front Elevation Skinny Elevation
Block A Street Section
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Push/Pull Back Elevation
98 Master Plan
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Washington Street is the primary retail center on the
site and this was continued with the placement of
most retail units along Washington. Harrison is a less
traveled resedential street which becomes a spine for
the residential streets to branch off of. The park was
moved from one end of the site to the other so that it
was closer to the exisiting school and the bulk of the
resedential units on site.
Site Analysis Site Analysis
Site Analysis
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Model Perspective
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Model Perspective
Model Perspective
Model Perspective
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Perspective
Block B Elevation
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Terrace (Roof) Perspective
Block A Section
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Street Perspective
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STACKED
DUPLEXES
ALEXANDER DAVIS
BENJAMIN HOCHBERG
SARA LAPORTE
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DEVIANT ROWHOUSE
What is a Rowhouse?
Does it repeat over and over again?
Does it share a constant parti wall?
Does it keep a constant street edge?
Throughout the development of this project, at both unit and
site scales, there was a constant idea to test the boundaries
of what a neighborhood of rowhouses should and can be.
Although the design scale varies throughout, the concept
remains the same. At both unit and site scales, the pedestrian
travels along a threading circulation path that stitches spaces
together (apartments or blocks). This resulting corridor ends
in either an exterior terrace or large recreational area. The
resulting design, although deviant from normal Rowhouse
design, explores the possibilities of the rowhouse archetype.
ALEXANDER DAVIS
INSTRUCTOR
MICHAEL GROGAN
108
At the site scale, the varying blocks are treated very
similar to the various apartment units at the unit
scale. A pedestrian corridor threads its way through
the site much like the main staircase threads through
each rowhouse. This pedestrian corridor meanders
through the site connecting each block with impor-
tant existing buildings, proposed commercial space
and large recreational areas. As this corridor passes
through blocks, open spaces are created that allow for
various social and recreational activities to take place.
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Site Plan
Street Perspective Street Perspective
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Section Model with Pedestrian Corridor
Street Section
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Block Plan
Stitched Open Space Threaded Pedestrian Corridor Automobile Trafc Hierarchy
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Unit Section 2 Unit Section 1
First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
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113 Fourth Floor Plan Third Floor Plan
Unit Section 4 Unit Section 3
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PENETRATING MASS
The row house is designed for the mass to interact with
exterior space. The mass is penetrated by exterior spaces to
allow both the ground oor and upper oor apartments their
own front door and access from both the alley and the
street.
Portions of the building volume protrude to allow for private
exterior spaces. When these spaces interact with their
environment on the buildings facade, it results in shadow.
Futhermore, when they interact with street level, they create
a mediating zone between the sidewalk and the semi-private
entry.
BENJAMIN HOCHBERG
INSTRUCTOR
ALYSON TANGUAY
116
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Building Types Diagram Urban Concept Diagram - Two sides joined with a pin
The site has three conditions of street: a long busy
street that acts as a barrier, main South End streets,
and smaller interior streets. The three types of
buildings respond to each of these conditions. Tying
them together and uniting the new development with
the urban fabric is a border park.
Public Space
Live/work Duplex Over Retail
Duplex Over Retail Flat
Stacked Duplexes
117
Detail Block Plan
Street Elevation
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Street Section
First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
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119 Fourth Floor Plan Third Floor Plan
Street Elevation
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"L" SECTION
The stacked duplex unit type incorporates four distinct units
over a 40 x 60 parcel. While typically the units are stacked
above one another, this design takes advantage of an
L-shaped section to accommodate circulation requirements
and organize program spaces within the unit. To reach the top
units one enters through a thick central core. This zone houses
both the circulation for each unit as well as the service spaces,
and modulates the living spaces for each unit. Upon entering
each unit one arrives in an informal living area, and passes
through the kitchen and dining areas to reach the formal
living area on an upper level. The bedrooms are located on the
upper oors.
SARA LAPORTE
INSTRUCTOR
SAM CHOI
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Sectional Perspective
Site Plan
123
Typical Block Plan
Block Perspective Elevation
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124 Figure/Ground Diagram
As the site lies at the intersection of several
programmatic zones including a residential zone
to the north, institutional to the east, and primarily
industrial to the south and southwest the question
of edges was important. A landscaped buffer
was placed along Melnea Cass, while the typical
block plan was altered to avoid creating additional
intersections along Melnea Cass. Because of its
location, the site is also surrounded by irregular
geometries. Where these geometries are reconciled,
pocket parks are placed that relate to the
neighborhood on a smaller scale, while the existing
park to the north relates to the larger community.
Stacked duplexes are placed along the main
thoroughfares, while interlocking units are placed
along the north to south connecting one way streets.
To help keep trafc off of these streets, a two way
north-south connector is located on the eastern end
of the site.
Commercial program lls the southern most blocks to
relate to their industrial and commercial context.
Existing Vehicular Circulation Proposed Vehicular Circulation
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Existing Green Space Proposed Green Space
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Unit Aggregation Diagram
Sectional Perspective
STACKED DUPLEX:
ONE PARCEL: 2 UNITS
INTERLOCKING:
TYPICAL UNIT: 2 UNITS
STACKED DUPLEX:
RETAIL UNIT: 3 UNITS / RETAIL
STACKED DUPLEX:
TYPICAL UNIT: 4 UNITS
AGGREGATION UNIT TYPES
EXISTING BUILDINGS
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126 Third Floor Plan
Programmatic Diagram
First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
Unit Concept Diagram
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127 Fourth Floor Plan
Unit Circulation and Spatial Separation
Fifth Floor Plan Unit Perspectives
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Unit Perspectives
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2 DUPLEXES
OVER FLAT
ASHLEY HOPWOOD
DENNIS GREENWOOD
ERICA LELIEVRE
NICOLE FICHERA
SAMUEL CLEMENT
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BLENDING TYPES
The idea for my unit and master plan is to blend families
and working singles. The unit plan, while balanced in square
footage, has more bedrooms with less living space for the
working singles, and fewer bedrooms and more living space
for the families.
The blocks on the North edge of the site feature the family
units, blocks on the South edge of the site feature multi-tenant
units, and the blocks in between feature combination units.
Live work units line the blocks along Melnea Cass.
The green space on the site is a combination of two large
parks, one for families and one for working singles, and a buffer
zone between housing and the busy Melnea Cass Boulevard.
ASHLEY HOPWOOD
INSTRUCTOR
ALYSON TANGUAY
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Aerial Perspective
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Perspective - Family Park
View From Second Floor Balcony
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View From Third Floor Balcony
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Concept Diagram - Housing Types
The master plan is arranged according to major
thoroughfares and existing neighborhoods. Family
housing is close to the housing developments in the
Northwest edge of the site while multi-tenant housing
is close to the major businesses and commercial
areas lining the site. Major pedestrian roads respond
to the parks and retail areas of the site.
Family Units Multi-tenant Units Live Work Units
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135
Perspective of Multi-Tenant Park
Site Analysis - Vehicular Trafc Site Analysis - Pedestrian Trafc
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136 Section through Alley
First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
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137
Third Floor Plan
Street Perspective from Melnea Cass Boulevard.
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VOID + WEDGE
The project explores the typology of the rowhouse (specically
duplexes over a at) by removing party walls, a typically
dening characteristic. A void replaces the party wall and
becomes an exterior zone of pushing and pulling private
spaces. This creates a reciprocal relationship between the units
while allowing light and ventilation to reach the at below.
This void space then becomes a exible zone in the
rowhouse as it can be manipulated to adjust to site
geometries. A wedge shaped variation of the design allows
a strip of rowhouses to curve along the block. In a similar
approach, wedge shaped greenspaces are used on the larger
urban scale to regulate city block geometries.
DENNIS GREENWOOD
INSTRUCTOR
ALLYSON TANGUAY
140
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Aerial Perspective
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Street Perspective
Block Section
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142
Site Diagram
The site seeks to bridge the divide created by
Washington Street while providing a buffer from the
Melnea Cass thoroughfare. First oor retail units line
pedestrian friendly Washington Street and a bike path
and row of streetside trees skirt Melnea Cass.
Rowhouse variations were created to satisfy the needs
of the site and the principles of the design. The
greenspaces are designed to regulate the city blocks,
while creating a focal point within the site.
Residential
(3 Units per Parcel)
Retail Residential
53 Mixed Units
Commercial
Approx. 200,000 SF
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143
Concept Diagram
Street Perspective Street Perspective
Wedge Shaped Unit Variation
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144
Street Perspective
Block Section
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Street Perspective
Block Elevation
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146
Unit Section 1
First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
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147 Third Floor Plan
Unit Section 2 Sectional Diagram Unit Elevation
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DOUBLE WIDE
The ground oor unit is a at that takes up two parcels, and
so becomes 40 foot wide. Above it are two duplexes, each
20 wide. These three units share a 14 wide central core that
holds all of the bathrooms, kitchens, and closet spaces. The
residual spaces on either side hold the living spaces, such as
the bedrooms and living rooms.
ERICA LELIEVRE
INSTRUCTOR
MICHAEL GROGAN
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Section Model
Block Elevation
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Zoning Diagram
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The site is split into three different zones, each of which has its own interior
community open space.
Retail space is spread throughout the site in two different ways. The rst, which
can be seen along Washington street, is the exterior facing retail meant for the
general public. Here the retail would be located on the rst oor with duplexes
above. The second type of retail is the interior facing retail which is located
inside each of the zones. This would be community space for the people who live in
the area. This interior facing retail has two different unit types. In the rst type the
retail is on the ground oor with the duplex units above. In the second type, seen
on the corners, community space happens on all three oors.
Figure Ground Diagram Unit Types Diagram
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Street Section
Street Perspective Street Perspective
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The interior-facing retail space has a large buffer zone between the street and the
open space that becomes a walking arcade. This connects all of the retail space
and also becomes a part of the pathways that connect the corner community
spaces.
154
Perspective
Section Type 2
The open spaces inside
the zones also become
program. In this example
the playground is sunken
into the ground, eliminating
the need for fencing.
Section Type 1
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Perspective
Block Diagram or Unit Diagram
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Section Type 2
Section Type 1
156
Longitudinal Section Lateral Section
First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
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157 Third Floor Plan
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Interior Perspective
Corner Elevation Front Elevation
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THICK ZONE CORE
This project is based on a basic unit type of two duplexes
over a at. The main concept is the expansion of the party
wall between the two vertical duplex units into a thick zone,
which contains all of the closed poche functions for the entire
building: primarily circulation, bathrooms, kitchens, closets,
laundry, et cetera.
Attached to the thick zone on each side are closed bedroom
boxes, offset at split levels. Thus, all of the private functions of
the units (service and sleeping) occur in the closed volumes
of the bedrooms and the thick central core. The public living
spaces (kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms) are then
formed by the open interstitial spaces between these closed
elements.
NICOLE FICHERA
INSTRUCTOR
SAM CHOI
160
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Edge Block Elevation Axonometric
Thick Zone Applied to Block Facade
The diagram at right depicts the unit concept
as applied to the block. The central thick zone
within the unit is conceived as something which is
experientialyou are required at all times to interact
with it and pass through it to get from space to
space. By applying that concept to the front of the
aggregated block, a thick facade zone is formed
which mediates between the private world of the unit
interior and the public life of the street.
The elevation is conceived in terms of the block as a
series of carved layers and frames with a projecting
living room volume. The layers make the thick zone
inhabitable in the same way as the core.
On a larger scale, the concept of a thick zone is used
to form a plan based on superblocks. The size of
the blocks responds to the character of the site. It
is a part of the South End, which has a ne-grained
rowhouse texture, but it is additionaly a fringe
condition, surrounded by strips of industrial and
medical buildings. Thus, a modied version of the
block elevation incorporates a block-size unifying
frame element, and has less projections (which serve
to break down scale). Thus, the edge walls of the
super-block are unied and read as larger scale, and
the interiors of the blocks respond to the residential,
individual rowhouses.
161
Site Plan
Block Elevation Street Perspective
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Section Option 2: PACKED CENTRAL CORE
thickened party wall containing poche spaces [wet +
dry], leaving side spaces as public rooms
Section Option 1: SPLIT LEVEL
increased spatial complexity and depth, diagonal
relationship of public and private
HYBRID RESULT
thickened party wall containing poche spaces; private
and public spaces offset
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Organizational Concept Diagram
163 Axonometric Diagram
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Unit Section
First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
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The inhabitable core is modied by a series of additive and subtractive operations.
Spaces are carved out of the thick zone for spaces such as bathrooms, kitchens,
and circulation. In other cases, the core expands, sticking out into the room with
balconies and replaces. The nature of a rowhouse is to have long, narrow spaces;
by making the core inhabitable and letting it divide spaces by pushing out, the
rooms can be divided into more appropriate proportional dimensions. In the at
unit, the core breaks off into smaller pieces, allowing a kitchen space in the center.
In all three units, the user constantly moves in and out of the core, using it as
circulation and inhabitable space. Gaps in the third oor allow the core to read
as an uninterrupted wall rising through the space. The separation of the bedroom
volumes on each end creates a dramatic open vertical space above the dining room,
bringing light into the middle of the unit with a skylight.
165 Fourth Floor Plan Third Floor Plan
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Exploded Axon
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THE MISSING LINK
The goal of the housing project was to create an ultra
pedestrian friendly master plan that would draw pedestrians
from the Boston Medical Center west of the site as well as
pedestrians from the apartment complexes to the north.
In order to do this a hierarchy of open spaces is arranged
to tempt public use. To draw users from the apartments a
baseball/recreational eld was placed at the Northern most
edge of the site. Likewise a vast stretch of landscape tempts
the Mass Ave travelers to enter the south west portion of
the site. These open spaces are attached to a single road
going through the site about which smaller open spaces are
arranged to encourage travel to the commercial center along
Harrison Ave.
SAMUEL CLEMENT
INSTRUCTOR
ALYSON TANGUAY
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Aerial Perspective
169
Block Plan
Block Elevation
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170
Building Section
Building Section
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Unit Concept Diagram
171
Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
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172
Concept Diagram Building Types Diagram
The pedestrians paths of movement along the center
road and the bike path along Melnea Cass draw trav-
elers to rows of commercial development (grey) along
Washington St. and Harrison Ave. Staggered blocks
are generated to widen the alley as a second row
house type (Gate Unit, in black) negotiates this shift.
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Street Perspective
Street Section
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175
INTERLOCKING
ROWHOUSE
ALLISON BROWNE
DIANA LATTARI
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GREEN CORRIDORS
At the unit scale the architecture take the attitude that one
can design with specic lifestyles in mind. At the block scale
yards are dened by sectional variation in order to create
thresholds into the different apartments. Raised green space
is given over to the street creating more private outdoor spaces
behind. At the scale of the city three green corridors are main
throughfares and retail is introduced to respond to specic
conditions on the site, such as the institutions surrounding it.
ALLISON BROWNE
INSTRUCTOR
ALYSON TANGUAY
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Site Plan
Block Elevation
179 Concept Diagram
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Site Analysis - Land Use Zoning and Regulating Lines
Building Section Building Section
Our site sits on a transitionary area in the urban fabric. It is bordered by Melnea
Cass Boulevard which acts as a division between regular and irregular road types.
It is also at a place where many different types of zoning come together.
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181
Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
Fourth Floor Plan
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TWO WIDE
The interlocking prototype of row housing consists of two
units that share one parcel. The units interlock volumetrically,
wrapping around each other across the parcel and each
consisting of three volumes. The dynamic shift in shape
and size of the volumes changes in response to the parcel
dimensions. The top volume holds private program, the middle
public, and the ground a mix of both. All circulation through
the units is located in the center of the parcel along the party
wall that separates the two units. Additionally, each unit has
an entrance from the street as well as access to a back alley,
which also accomodates parking for each unit.
DIANA LATTARI
INSTRUCTOR
SAM CHOI
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Fourth Floor Plan
PLAN
Unit Section 2 Unit Section 1
First Floor Plan
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Second Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
185
Typical Unit Front Elevation Corner Unit Front Elevation Corner Unit Side Elevation
Sectional Model Through Typical Interlocking Units
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186 Typical Block Parti Diagram
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Street Perspective
187
The site is bound by prominent existing roads. By extending
these roads through the site, I was able to create a grid,
broken into three zones, within which I placed the city
blocks. The size and shape of these blocks picks up on
nearby existing urban fabric patterning. A belt of greenspace
acts as a buffer along Melnea Cass Boulevard in each of the
zones.
Figure/Ground Diagram Site Analysis: Hierarchy of Greenspace
Site Analysis: Major and Minor Streets
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188
There are two different unit types included in my aggregation: the interlocking unit type (below) and the stacked duplex unit
type (right). These types yielded multiple unit variations, some accomodating retail space on the ground oor or adjusting to
meet a block corner condition. The varying unit types were then used to create patterning in the block schemes as well as
the overall site aggregation.
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189
In addition to identifying each dif-
ferent unit used in the aggregation,
these diagrams also discuss the
program of each layout as well as
public and private areas, with green
representing the most private of
spaces and yellow representing the
most public.
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190 Site Section Through Typical Interlocking Units
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Block Plan
191 Site Section Through Corner Interlocking Units
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192
ROWHOUSES
ARCH 5110 HOUSING AND AGGREGATION
SPRING 2010
The projects in this volume were designed
as prototypical residential types and city
block plans by fourth-year students in the
undergradu ate architecture program at
Northeastern University in Boston.