More than just a school : an exploration in tractable neighborhood building stock

Abstract

Shortages in land and resources are stiffling new construction and forcing the pursuit of alternate means to satisfy society's space needs within the existing building stock. Most existing buildings were not designed for alternate use, however, and an enormous price is being paid to convert these buildings to new functions. Architects and builders need to transcend what has proven to be a shortsighted preoccupation with short term, single function buildings and establish a more protracted outlook on new building design. By incorporating multi-use (over time as well as space) characteristics into building design we can expand the potential uses of the available building stock and provide a solid basis for future growth. The objective of this thesis is to provide a preliminary investigation into these types of multi-use buildings. Housing is explored as an alternate use for educational facilities in an attempt to develop a piece of versatile neighborhood building stock which can respond to the needs of the community. An initial investigation of issues is made through a series of design explorations employing an existing school facility as a study vehicle. The information and insight gathered in the study is then used to develop the spatial characteristics of a building framework which could accommodate a variety of housing and education use patterns.