Between public and private : an approach to urban living

Abstract

The city provides work as well as housing to a great number of individuals, couples and families who are dependent on the urban environment for employment or education. Unfortunately urban living in today's cities has become disconnected. The dwelling is not a part of the surrounding community but rather a island in an anonymous environment. As a result, urban communities have deteriorated and become a transient location for people who move on after a short period of time. The community no longer has the commonality of understanding needed for a functioning living environment. To revitalize the city and make it more attractive to a larger variety of people there needs to be a more connected community which provides opportunities to encounter the life and activity in the public realm. There also needs to be a more secluded realm which makes life in the city not only a public experience but also provides the opportunity to retreat from it. This thesis concentrates on creating the connection between the public and the private realm. In addition it addresses the connection to a community courtyard within an urban city block. Exploring these issues in architectural form is an attempt to address the problem. The thesis provides a proposal for an alternative urban living environment which does not represent a complete solution but an investigation of the elements crucial to an urban living environment.