Date of Award
Spring 5-30-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Architecture (MArch)
Department
Architecture
First Advisor
Erik Carver
Second Advisor
Aaron Forrest
Third Advisor
Jonathan Knowles
Abstract
“The time-lapse fluctuation of our societal floor plan has accelerated. Now you can almost watch the walls go up and down in real time.” -Rem Koolhaas, Elements
There is an efficient and beneficial way to collectively consume resources, but our houses and apartments do not function this way. The commons still exist, but their locations are sparse and specific. What if we established communal spaces that connect private dwellings and blur the lines between them? What new responsibilities and freedoms would arise? If we establish new commons and new abilities to share spaces and resources, we can help alleviate the pressing problems of housing today. Such as; insufficiency of income, environmental harm, and social alienation.
I will develop an architecture that will be collectively consumed for the benefit of a diverse group of users. To do this, I will create a kit of parts that challenges the assumptions of the North American dwelling.
Alexander D’hooghe of ORG for Permanent Modernity argues that the flexible and durable building types put forth by John Habraken could offer a possible shift. Habraken argued that the conventional building template consists of a tower (a steel or wood frame structured) sitting atop a podium (for parking, cultural amenities, or storage). Unlike the tower/ podium archetype of the past, “open” buildings could offer increased flexibility and adaptability for the future. This system will be deployed in Oakland CA. where there is a rich history of communalism and dissent, that is presently being challenged by safety concerns, and a rapidly inflating housing market. These factors make the area ripe for an alternative approach to the housing problem.
Recommended Citation
Rochman, Zachary, "Collective consumption : a game for living" (2017). Masters Theses. 206.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/206
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