Monday, January 19, 2015 6:30 pm
-
6:30 pm
EST (GMT -05:00)
Of
the
thesis
entitled: Adaptive
Balconies: An
Open
Design
System
for
Housing
Tower
Renewal
at
545-565
Sherbourne
Street,
Toronto
Abstract:
This investigation is based on the renovation and reconsideration of residential tower neighbourhoods, and speculates an open design system as an alternative to current practices prevalent across the city of Toronto. The thesis imagines the future of dense built environments as a mediation between planning and emergence, and speculates a design system that can be adaptable and responsive to the needs of individual units.
This investigation is based on the renovation and reconsideration of residential tower neighbourhoods, and speculates an open design system as an alternative to current practices prevalent across the city of Toronto. The thesis imagines the future of dense built environments as a mediation between planning and emergence, and speculates a design system that can be adaptable and responsive to the needs of individual units.
The
design
research
is
focused
on
the
balcony—defined
as
the
extended
threshold
of
each
individual
unit—within
the
context
of
urban
residential
neighbourhoods.
Specifically,
the
balconies
of
the
1970s
and
2010
rental
housing
development
at
545-565
Sherbourne
Street
in
Toronto
and
their
occupancy
are
studied.
In
addition,
the
varying
demographics,
living
conditions
and
informal
programs
within
the
site
are
explored.
In
this
study,
the
importance
of
the
balcony
is
highlighted
as
a
platform
for
participation
of
the
individual
within
the
urban
collective,
and
the
relevance
of
a
flexible
exterior
space
is
presented.
The
studies
in
this
research
position
a
need
for
attending
to
the
significant
role
of
the
balcony
in
shaping
urban
form,
for
a
reconsideration
of
its
detachment
to
interior
spaces
and
for
addressing
its
rigidity
in
responding
to
the
demanding
needs
of
the
units.
In
order
to
position
the
design
investigation,
the
idea
of
a
small-scale
and
collaborative
design
strategy
is
studied
through
the
analysis
of
informal
cities
and
structures.
Instances
of
un-intended
informality
formed
through
time
in
residential
contexts—Ramot
Housing
in
Jerusalem—and
intended
platforms
for
informality—such
as
the
Quinta
Monroy
housing
in
Chile—are
studied
amongst
others.
The
potentials
of
vertical
connectivity
and
communication,
between
expanded
and
connected
exterior
spaces
of
residential
towers,
are
also
investigated
through
a
series
of
case
studies.
Within
the
design
synthesis,
strategies
are
proposed
that
will
primarily
address
the
structural
and
energy
requirements
of
the
balconies
under
study.
These
are
accompanied
by
strategies
that
will
serve
as
the
infrastructure
for
forming
adaptive
balconies.
Secondly,
the
design
proposal
introduces
structural
modules
for
incremental
expansions
of
exterior
spaces
of
each
unit.
Lastly,
a
range
of
adaptive
and
interchangeable
screen
modules—that
can
begin
to
modulate
and
mediate
the
balcony
spaces—are
investigated.
The examining committee is as follows:
Supervisor:
Committee Members:
Philip Beesley, University of Waterloo
Ila
Berman,
University
of
Waterloo
Maya
Przybylski,
University
of
Waterloo
External Reader:
Rolf Seifert
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Monday
January
19,
2015
6:30PM
Architecture Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.