A building system for active settlement : development of live-work dwellings in Central Square, Cambridge

Abstract

Advances in technology, such as more powerful affordable computers and flexible communication, along with social and economical changes have led to the decentralization of the workplace and have made it possible for, and in some cases have forced, more professionals to work at home. With greater and varied demands on the home, people will require more control over their environments to accommodate multiple uses, including those of professional work. A dwelling for living and working, therefore, must be adaptable. Architecturally this suggests a building that may support a range of programs and ownership. A means of achieving this is to provide a framework in which physical issues of structure, the delivery of services, along with architectural issues of circulation, transition, and context are addressed. My investigation is inspired by urban housing types that have proven adaptable in use and ownership, while maintaining a clear identity, such as the row houses of Boston's Back Bay and the small number of nineteenth century dwelling types used in Cambridge, and most American cities. Because of their density and clear diagrams these urban dwellings may be easily subdivided or combined to support many uses without dramatic alteration. The use of simple available systems allow these dwellings to mediate between built and assembled elements. The built elements represents the framework or more fixed elements of construction, while the assemblies are those elements that can be altered with relative ease in the interest of renewal or adaptation for live-work dwellings and future uses.