the kitchen & the dining table | no. 2

The Kitchen& The Dining Table

A thesis by Nicholas Ter Meer

Master of Architecture 2012

by

Nicholas Ter Meer

A thesis presented to the Wentworth

Institute of Technology in fulfillment of

the thesis requirement for the degree of

Masters of Architecture

Boston, Massachusetts, USA 2012

THE KITCHEN & THE DINING TABLE

AUTHOR’S DECLARATION

I hereby declare that I am the sole

author of this thesis. This is a true copy

of the thesis, including any required final

revisions, as excepted by my examiners.

I understand that these writings may be

made to the public.

All images and writings by Nicholas Ter Meer

THESIS ABSTRACT

Cities have changed the way that we live. The

way that we connect with one another; the way

that we engage with neighbors; the way that

we identify ourselves with strangers around us.

The people who surround us create a culture

that we associate ourselves with, so if we can

connect the culture with the subculture, we

can create a different kind of culture within an

urban context.

Nationwide, homelessness has been on the rise

and this is deeply affecting our communities.

There is a disconnect that takes place within a

community where there should be collaboration

and respect for one another. THE KITCHEN

& THE DINING TABLE explores the

ideas of the architect as a civic-engager as well

as designer to provide a connection between

the homeless and homeful by way of food,

allowing there to be an exchange of personal

engagement and investment.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My primary advisor, Dan Hisel

and other advisors Quilian

Riano and Jacob Mathews for

their guidance and support

throughout this process.

All of my classmates at the end

of the hallway.

And my family.

This is an exploration of the social interaction between homeless and homeful around a dining table. The proposed organization is a non-profit or NGO with four functions. There is Housing, The Garden, The Kitchen and The Dining Table. The Garden is tended by the community then cropped by the rehomed residents of the site. Community members tend the garden for membership purposes. The Kitchen is where rehomed residents learn the art of cooking while preparing crops from the garden. The Dining Table is where both homeless and homeful come together to engage in personal investment and share commonalities. The Housing is located above the

This is an exploration of the social interaction between homeless and homeful around a dining table. The proposed organization is a non-profit or NGO with four functions. There is Housing, The Garden, The Kitchen and The Dining Table. The Garden is tended by the community then cropped by the rehomed residents of the site. Community members tend the garden for membership purposes. The Kitchen is where rehomed residents learn the art of cooking while preparing crops from the garden. The Dining Table is where both homeless and homeful come together to engage in personal investment and share commonalities. The Housing is located above the restaurant and is the place where healing, therapy and sleeping take place.

15THE RESEARCH

The Problem

17

Objectives

19

Definitions

21

RESEARCH ESSAY

23

THE OVERLAP

26

39METHODOLOGY

CONVERSATIONS WITH DAVE

41

Mapping

44

Big Picture

57

Be

101

RESULTS

111

113INDEX

About

117

DATUM LINE

73

The Table

74

59DESIGN

Methods

61

On Food

62

PROGRAM

66

DRAWINGS

84

Walk

76

THE RESEARCH

THE PROBLEM

17

Looking at the neighborhood of Alphabet City, NYC, we can see

that there is a very dynamic culture that exists within forty-

four blocks on the lower east side of Manhattan. Nestled in a

nook unreachable by the subway, this neighborhood has taken

on a culture that is different than anywhere else on the island.

The neighborhood as responded with overhauls of vacant land

in order to create community gardens.

This community also harbors a large population of homeless in

their parks and are, for the most part, tolerable of the homeless

living on their doorsteps.

If we critically view the community gardens we can see that

they do not fully function for the community as a whole, but

operate as escape for privileged members. If we can look

at what the garden means for people in the various social

spectrum we can see that food is the necessity for everyone

residing in the community. Therefore if we can gather all

people in one location, we can create opportunities for growth

and stability within the community while aiding the homeless

and feeding the neighborhood with local food.

OBJECTIVES

19

Establish an understanding of the communal role of the architect

Define and reinterpret the underclass community

Decipher the causes to becoming underclassed

Create a table for various aspects of a community to gather

DEFINITIONS

21

CIVIC-ENGAGER

The Act Of Taking Responsibility Of A Communal Role In Order

To Provide For The People Around

HOMEFUL

One having steady shelter

THE KITCHEN

The site where the mixing of spices and foods becomes the place

for the mixing of peoples

THE DINING TABLE

The location where the sharing of food becomes the place for

understanding the significance of each individual

UNDERCLASS

An inadequate experience of connectedness with family or a

communal support group

THE RESEARCH

23

The main focus of this study is to understand how a community of homeless exists within a society, which they are separated from, and attempt to merge the two societies. All too often, there is a patch, or band-aid, that is put on a community of homeless where there needs to be a platform for them to become engaged in their surrounding community. Homelessness is an inadequate experience of connectedness with family or a community. Therefore, the major question is, How can architecture create a table to bring together a community of homeless and homeful centered around communal gardening and eating? There are many segments of society where there are underserved persons in need of design and more importantly, architecture and basic shelter. Authors such as Bryan Bell, John Cary and Kate Stohr identify various instances in society that are in need of architecture and shelter more than others. Both the work of Estudio Teddy Cruz and Recetas Urbanas are examples of practices seeking to recognize neglected sectors of society by building in various, and often peculiar, locations for the underclass. In recent years, there has been and increase in attempts to tackle the issue of social-change architecture through humanitarian and pro-bono design. The greatest humanitarian challenge of today is providing shelter. Disaster relief, on a global scale, is often a place where design is established in order to generate immediate shelters for those in need. Design Like You Give A Damn: Architecture Responses to Humanitarian Crises by Kate Stohr of Architecture for Humanity highlights many design projects that grow out of a response to a specific social, and global, crisis. Pro bono design is a professional form for design firms to provide for underclass citizens and organizations. Titles like Expanding Architecture: Design as Activism by Bryan Bell and The Power of Pro Bono by John Cary showcase designers who have intentionally sought out the underclass to provide design on various scales. Books such as Good Deeds, Good Design: Community Service Through Architecture as well as the writings and work of Samuel Mockbee touch on the notion of architect being a civic-engager and the obligation of the architect as a communal role to provide for the immediate surrounding society. Emergency shelter, or disaster relief, is often a place where design is implemented. Design Like You Give a Damn offers a history of the movement toward socially conscious design, and showcases more than 80 contemporary solutions to such urgent needs as basic shelter, healthcare, education and access to clean water, energy and sanitation.

These projects are intended to enhance the global scale and establish a baseline for humanitarian design. Pro Bono designs, as featured in The Power of Pro Bono, varies in scale from large scale projects as the Greater Boston Food Bank by Chan Krieger Sieniewicz to small-scale projects such as LifeStraw by Vestergaard-Frandsen. On an personal scale, Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio have established a mission statement to enable students to put their educational values to work as citizens of a community. Samuel Mockbee writes,

“If architecture is going to nudge, cajole, and inspire a community to challenge the status quo into making responsible

changes, it will take the subversive leadership of academics and practitioners

who keep reminding students of the profession’s responsibilities.”

His work reflects the communal role of the architect and the responsibly of the designer. Architecture acts as a response to social conditions on a global, professional, and personal scale. Architects are desperately needed in places where they can least be afforded. In Change By Design by IDEO’s Tim Brown, argues that good design does not need to cost more. Design is not only about the beauty of an object, but about the functionality and problems that it solves. The best designers match necessity to utility, constraint to possibility, and need to demand. Sam Davis, in Designing For The Homeless: Architecture That Works, presents a new perspective for underclass design, considering the personal concerns and social costs of homelessness, and organizational and design issues. Davis explores the issues of community fit and site planning, building design and organization, and interior layout, suggesting how to weigh costs and optimize expenditures. Architecture For The Poor:

paraSITE by Michael Rakowitz


24

An Experiment in Rural Egypt by Hassan Fathy argues that architecture can be beautiful as serving its main purpose of shelter. Fathy’s experiment describes plans to build a village in Egypt without the use of modern technology or expensive materials to exemplify that money is not the deciding factor in design. Architecture, as shelter, does not need to have a high monetary value and has the ability to carry a significant role in society. Homelessness has continued to be a concern of social service providers, government officials, and policy professionals since its resurgence among many types of individuals and families. In the United States alone, the government has determined that there are 643,067 sheltered homeless as of January 2009. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there were roughly 1.56 million people who used emergency shelter or transitional housing in 2009. Estimated 3.5 million people experience homelessness in America per year [1]. Forty percent of homeless are families with children; the fastest growing segment. Forty-one percent of homeless are males. Although homelessness has dropped in recent years, the United States Conference of Mayors claims that the main cause for homelessness in their cities is lack of affordable housing [2]. There are four primary causes for homelessness in America: mental illness, high cost of housing, failed social services, and substance abuse. These issues often create an individual who lacks a fixed or regular lifestyle. As a result of the deinstitutionalization movement from the 1950s, the mentally ill were released in order to form a ‘community-based’ treatment rather than a commitment in institutions. Approximately 22 percent of the homeless population is considered to have severe mental illnesses or disabilities. Due to the fact that these individuals have difficulties sustaining a job, they are forced on the streets because of the high cost of living [3]. The cost of housing and living in the U.S. has increased tremendously in recent years; wages are not sufficient causing a large number of individuals to live on the streets. Gentrification and redevelopment in low-income neighborhoods creates a shortage of affordable housing intended for low-income families, elderly, and the disabled. Although 44 percent of homeless report having worked in the recent past, half of the population receives less than $300 per month as income. This has resulted in nearly two-thirds the population panhandling on street corners or prostituting themselves for wages

[4]. The foster care system has also been a cause to many homeless. When released from the foster care system at the age of 18, many children are not suited for life on their own as an adult. Often, they find themselves with inadequate support networks, resulting in homelessness. Thirty-eight percent of the homeless population living on the streets do not have a high school diploma, which is a product of an

unstable support system [4]. Lastly, substance abuse is a major cause of homelessness in the United States. Roughly 30 percent of homeless suffer from substance abuse problems that often lead to chronic homelessness [5]. Ten percent of the homeless population are considered ‘chronic’ and remain without housing for extended periods of time on a frequent basis. This group typically struggles with substance abuse, mental illness, or both. The lack of services to keep these individuals away from their substance is a reason for these people living on the streets. Families across America are utilizing homeless shelters in record numbers. New York City, New York is no exception. Homelessness has declined 15 percent since 2010, according to the New York City Department of Homeless Services. Every year more than 100,000 New Yorkers experience homelessness. Every night, more than 38,000 individuals sleep on a bed in the New York City shelter system. Roughly one-in-twenty New York City residents have experienced homelessness. The nearly 3,000 soup kitchens and pantries in New York serve almost 2 million individuals annually. They will serve 60 million meals this year and avert 2,500 people each day [6]. The estimated total of unsheltered individuals in New York City in the year 2011 is 2,648. Manhattan is home to most of these homeless with an estimated 800 individuals

[7]. After the Tompkins Square Riot of 1874, this park was a symbolic place in the New York labor movement. In the summer of 1988 a group of young people, drug pushers, and homeless, took over the Tompkins Square Park located in the Alphabet City sector of Manhattan, New York. The community was uncooperative of the lack of curfew in the park and began community organizations to discuss what actions should be taken. In late June 1988, the Community Board 3 concluded that a 1am curfew would be instated. On July 11th, police began evicting citizens who refused to abide by the new curfew [8]. This curfew led to a protest campaigning to take the park back for the public use, whether or not it was a de facto homeless shelter. A New York Times article published on August 25, 1988 reads:

“Releasing a detailed final report on the Aug. 6 melee, the Commissioner, Benjamin

Ward, expanded on his preliminary evaluation of two weeks ago, saying

the police actions that night were ‘’not well planned, staffed, supervised or

executed’’ and had resulted in unnecessary confrontations which culminated in a

riot.”

The neighborhood has a surprising turn of events. They began to rally in unison against police brutality. ‘’The police, by acting in the brutal fashion that they did, managed to

THE RESEARCH

25

link a small group of crazies to the legitimate sentiments of opposition to gentrification,’’ said Valerie Oselli in an interview published in the New York Times on August 13, 1988. “ Now the issue has become police brutality, not housing. It’s set everyone back.” [9]

Rethinking Urban Design for a Changing Public Life by Patricia Simones Aelbrecht is a study of the conceptualization of public space and public life. The public sector has always been associated with collective participation and socialization in relation to how people live amongst strangers. This study identifies special, social and experimental conditions that are conducive to social interactions between all types of people creating the fabric of social life. The study shows that society needs to rethink and adapt urban design practices to an increasing changing public life. In Adam Gopnik’s The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food, Gopnik attempts to understand the meaning of the table and the significance of sharing food amongst strangers. He states that food has lost it’s meaning in society and that moreover society has lost sight of the importance of dining communally at a table. He writes,

“Having made food a more fashionable object, we have ended by making eating a smaller subject. When ‘gastronomy’ was on the margins of attention it seemed big because it was an unexpected way to get at everything -- the nature of hunger; the

meaning of appetite; the patterns and traces of desire; tradition, in the way that

recipes are passed mother to son; and history, in the way that spices mix and, in

mixing, mix peoples.”

Generating a setting of a table is the most difficult aspect.

Gopnik concludes that food becomes less important and intimate the more it is made to matter. The more that we focus on the food and the surroundings, the more we forget the cultural significance of the table. Throughout the world, there are outreaches for the underclass that aim to feed and house these individuals. Organizations like Food Bank and various city Missions make a consistent effort to provide for the needs of the underclass. Many of these are religious organizations committed to creating a catalyst that gives youth the character and capacity to connect with the underclass, making a difference in society. Sharing food has always held a position in our society as a place to share and relate to one another. Food is a necessity of life and hunger is what makes us all human. The act of breaking bread has been a part of human society since the beginning of time and, somehow, lost its significance. The goal of this research is to fully comprehend the significance of human interaction and investment in unifying a community of homeless and homeful through the act of eating.

[1] HUD 5th Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress,

June 2010

[2] United States Conference of Mayors, “A Status Report on Hunger

and Homelessness in America’s Cities: a 27-city survey”, December 2001

[3] Vanneman, Reeve, “Main Causes of Homelessness”, University of

Maryland

[4] Urban Institute: Homelessness: Programs and the People They

Serve

[5] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Who

ishomeless?

[6] Youth Service Opportunity Project Statistics. www.ysop.org/

statistics

[7] New Yorck City Department of Homeless Services, The HOPE 2011

Survey.

[8] Purdum, Todd (August 14, 1988). “Melee in Tompkins Sq. Park:

Violence and Its Provocation”. The New York Times: p. A1.

[9] “A Playground ‘Derelicts’ Can’t Enter,” by Todd Purdum, The

New York Times, August 20, 1988, Section 1; Page 31, Column 2; Metropolitan Desk

Tompkins Square Riots, 1988 courtesy of nycgovparks.org


26

Exploring the over lapping of images with a monochromatic scheme and a colored background, I was able to portray two very different images in one image.

THE OVERLAP

30

Continuing with the concept of overlapping images to abstract them both, I began to play with the 3D effect.

The image seems to be one dimension but after using 3D glasses, the image changes drastically.

* 3D glasses needed to view full image capabilities

THE OVERLAP


34

Diagramming the formation of the research conducted as well as where the information fits in with the thesis.

THE RESEARCH

35

How does this thesis relate?

37

How can a table bring together a community of homeless and homeful focused on communal

gardening and eating?

METHODOLOGY

Dave Merritt, or better known as Red, is a resident

of Los Angeles, California and has been in and out

of homelessness for more than 15 years. Red was

more than willing to cooperate with the interviews

and was incredibly helpful during the research of

underclassed peoples.

This is a record of conducted interviews.

METHODOLOGY

41

As I begin to chat with Dave Merritt, or Red, he explains to me about his personal history with homelessness. He has been on and off the streets for years now, trying to figure out ways to just make a buck in order to pay for the minimum essentials of living. Now living in North Hollywood, Red has to work in order to please his parole officer and has had a tough time keeping a job. Red claims that his issues began to grow as a young child. In a home with a father who was a violent alcoholic and a mother who was a drug user and alcoholic, he was forced to grow up at a very young age and raise his two younger brothers. His mother’s drug addiction grew and grew until Red and his younger brothers were taken by the State of California and put into the foster care system. Being separated from his younger siblings, Red battled many different kinds of foster homes, group homes, and holding facilities until, finally, he was given to his grandparents. Because of the complete lack of structure and, weak foundation and an overall unfit environment, he picked up the guitar and began to express himself through music. He realized that he had a natural talent for the guitar and began surrounding himself with other musicians. These other musicians acknowledged his talents and began to encourage him to join a band and tour the local Hollywood scene. He soon joined a band and began doing just that; touring and becoming well known in the local music scene. The feeling of accomplishment and pride is what drove Red. Soon, he began to drink and take part in various drugs, which he claims was the turning point in his life. He became dependent on alcohol and got caught up in the party lifestyle. After leaving his education behind, he became even more dependent on his friends. His only concerns were his friends and whether or not he has a sofa to sleep on for the night. After years of the same routine, his friends grew tired of supporting Red and his lifestyle. On the other hand, he knew that if worse came to worse, he could find a new group of friends because he did not want to leave this lifestyle behind. He did just that; found a new group of friends. These friends did not share the same love of performance and music but they did have the commonality in their love for alcohol. After numerous warnings from close friends, he still chose to surround himself with these people. The real issue was that Red was unable to recognize what true love and compassion was because his parents were unable to show him these traits. His friends warned him, yet

he thought that he knew what was best for him and was able to accept criticism. Red was unable to see what may have been best for him at the moment, but never was able to see what the future held for him. After chatting a little more, Red begins to talk about his experiences as a homeless man on the streets of Los Angeles. It wasn’t until 1997 when Red became officially homeless for about one year. He was caught up in the alcohol and drugs that he pretty much woke up one day with no place to go, and no one to call. Things began to set in that he was, in fact, homeless. He expands on the ‘street smarts’ that essential for living on the streets. He claims that there is a set of rules and a way of life that quickly becomes apparent when living on the streets. He compares the feeling to an animalistic instinct, where one can simply read a passerby and what their role will be in his life at that moment. The way that he was able to read an individual was by their shoes, car, then demeanor in their walk, or simply how they dress. All of these were factors on how a particular individual could be

manipulated for money, a lunch, or a simple blanket. He elaborates on how the most easily controlled and taken advantage of are couples. When a young man and woman are walking down the street, the man always wants to impress the woman by his ability to show compassion, so he will most likely give at least a dollar. Red reiterates that these are not his most proud moments, but it is the way of life at this point. He isn’t proud that he knows exactly how to manipulate people into getting what he needed at the moment. He again, reiterates that it is a skill that is needed, not necessarily wanted. There is a difference between those who simply reside in the community, and

those who take from the community. There are those who simply take from the community and there are those who want to give back. There are those who mind their own business, and those who want to engage in the community. There are those who want to start a conversation, and those who want to start trouble. Red tells about his experiences with both sides of the homeless community. He makes it sound almost as if it is a gang battle; neither side likes the other nor chooses to not associate with one another. On the topic of choosing sides, Red elaborates on the struggle that he has every time that he enters a new community that has homeless. He claims that each group does not want a new member, but does not want the each other to gain another member. He says that he always tries to side with the “chill” group just to hang out in a city for he never knows how long he will be in any given location. We segue into the topic of certain connections of the homeless and the homeful community. When asked how the two communities interact he begins to talk about the shop owners, businesses and city council that are always the first to complain about the homeless community. When store sales

“The sense of pride is something

really important to every person

and it’s not something that

we witness everyday”


42

are doing bad, the first people that the shop owners blame are the homeless because people don’t want to go into a store where homeless are seen. He claims that many homeless feel as though there is a battle between the community and the people who are dependent on the community. I began to ask Red what his thoughts were on connecting the homeless and the homeful. Immediately, as if he has been thinking of ways to do so already, he begins to list off possible events to merge the two societies. Games and physical sports are his first suggestions. “Wouldn’t it be awesome to see a group of homeless dudes beat the police at a game of baseball?” Red says. He claims that any instance where the playing field is leveled is a place to see a mutual respect for one another; that there isn’t much different between the two groups besides the fact that one has a roof over their head every night. Red says, “The sense of pride is something really important to every person and it’s not something that we [homeless] witness everyday”. This sense of pride seems to be an important topic. Red goes on to state that some sort of continual substance abuse meetings should be held which encourage them and build the individuals up. He claims that there is no way that a homeless man is going to want to work or be a part of anything without a “reward system”. Some sort of prize, token, or incentive needs to be a part of program in order to make an impact on the life of a free-spirited homeless person. All too often, excessive change causes a homeless person to revert back to their negative state of mind. If something is going to change the lives of homeless people, it needs to be consistent and structured. Red says, “if something were to help teach people self-discipline, then it would be helpful for everyone.” Red is now living in a shelter in Los Angeles. After a few confrontations with the authorities, he is now in a rehab center for his substance abuse. He is estimated to be out within a few months.

“If something were to help teach people

self-discipline, then it would be helpful for

everyone.”

“If something were to help teach people

self-discipline, then it would be helpful for

everyone.”

44

During a weekend in October of 2011, Nicholas Ter Meer ventured to New York City to generate a working map of the homeless living on the streets.

This is the map generated using geolocation.

Upon analysis, Broadway Ave., Chinatown, and Alphabet City are locations of a high population of homeless.

MAPPING THE HOMELESS

46

Upon further analysis, it was clear to see that Alphabet City was the be the place of intervention. The site is very dynamic with various shops, eateries, and community gardens.

The neighborhood is currently undertaking a large gentrification due to the expansion of New York University. Students moving into the neighborhood making it a young and vibrant community.

MAPPING THE HOMELESS

After diving deeper into the systemactic elements of the neighborhood, an analysis was done attepmting to find where the ideal location for these interventions to take place are.

This is a set of maps dipicting the current state of the neighborhood and the surrounding context.

CONTEXTURAL MAPPING

METHODOLOGY

49

Family Buildings


50

Public Facilities & Institutions

METHODOLOGY

51

Mixed Use / Commercial


52

Industry & Manufacturing

METHODOLOGY

53

Mixed Use / Residential

Looking at the current state of the neighborhood, there many “pocket parks” located in vacant lots. Looking at these vacant lots, we are able to depict the parks from the proposed interventions.

In red, we can see the feeder farms which relate to the larger plots which contain larger aspects of program.

VACANT & GARDENS

THE BIG PICTURE

METHODOLOGY

57

DESIGN

DESIGN METHODS

61

As a sense of pride, the underclass citizens must feel self-importance in cooking and in the overall scheme. Designing for an environment of comfort and progression is essential. The Kitchen should reflect encouragement in every aspect

and should put the citizen in a position of fulfillment.

On the other hand, it is necessary to provide a place for the community to gather and provide an environment to feel comfort in an [sometimes] unpleasant setting. The

community is to feel as though they feel accepted by the surroundings as well as being a part of this architecture.

The space will be conducting an integration, which requires the entire space to be the “common area”. THE KITCHEN & THE DINING TABLE should merge

and not have a barrier. The gardens and the housing are to have these same concepts. If there is place for a boundary

to set hold, then the design is not functioning correctly. The design should provide a space where people can connect

organically and relationships can begin to be the foundation of this built structure.

This design does not solve the issue of homelessness as a whole, but it gives those who no longer want to be homeless

the opportunity for growth. This design establishes the location at which the community aids in the growth of the

homeless and allows for an unprecedented integration.

Hunt’s Point, Bronx

Alphabet City, Manhattan

DESIGN

63

As of now, the current food distribution takes place in a very mundane manner.

Most of the food that is eaten on Manhattan comes from a distribution center in Hunts Point, Bronx. This means that food coming from planes, trains, and trucks all must first stop in a central location before making it’s

way to the place of consumption.

If we look critically at this process, we can notice that the food does not have a positive affect the on the community of Hunt’s Point,

but rather has become just a distribution hub.

We can re-think the way that food is processed on a localized, manageable, and most importantly, human scale. In

this thesis, food is a very important aspect, so it is necessary for the neighborhood to

have an understanding of where the food is coming from, how it is being processed and

where it is being served.


64

Proposed Food Distribution

DESIGN

65

Potential Food Growth


66

The schedule of work is detailed in the image to the right.

As a strategy to comprehend the number of dormitories that will be required to sustain the restaurant, a schedule was established to understand work hours and total operation on the site. The restaurant is open from noon until ten everyday with rush hours highlighted in gray. With a balance of chefs and servers, this schedule allows for there not to be any shift longer than 6 hours, allowing the newly-homed residents [formerly homeless], to have time to work in the garden as well as attend clinics and therapy sessions. Each newly-homed resident is required to work in the restaurant twenty hours per week as well as a minimum of 5 hours in the garden aiding with maintaining the garden alongside the community members. Time in the garden will allow for direct connections to be made between members of the community and the newly-homed members; forcing conversations about food, growth, and process. This, hopefully, will spark a relationship between individuals with the baseline-commonality of food growth.

As the newly-homed residents of the site learn the art of preparing food, they are given the gift of a trade that will prepare them for work outside of the current system. As New York City is filled with restaurants, these residents can be prepared to enter into the working class with a skill set that will propel them forward and aid in getting off the streets. Part of the reason for emphasis on connections and exchanges in the garden is to expose the residents to the community who can assist them in getting jobs outside of the current organization. They are able to share their skill sets with the community. Whether their skill is cooking, serving, communication, or any of the skill that they already have, the resident is displaying these qualities to the people involved in the community. As stated by Red previously, “If something were to help teach people self-discipline, then it would be helpful for everyone”, it is essential that there be a system in place that allows the newly-homed residents to have a sense of stability and growth throughout the process. This growth happens on both parties involved; the newly-homed and the surrounding community members.

DESIGN

67

68

PROGRAM

This program diagram is established in section. The key is that most of the program happens on the ground level, where people converse with one another. The laundry room is located above the kitchen as a neutral zone, or as the most public of private zone. The laundry room is the most public of the private areas and is celebrated from the ground level

The vertical connection from the housing to the kitchen and dining is made by an interjecting shaft which connects the private to the public via vertical views.

KitchenDining Room1,200 sf1,200 sf

Laundry400sf

Clinics100sf each

Meeting Room300 sf

Meeting Room300 sf

Housing[20]350sf each

Reception400sf

Back of House300 sf

70

The diagram to the right represents the angles

of the planting beds on each site.

The garden aspect of the site is divided into

three sections depending on the opportune time

of growth: winter, summer, and equinox. Given

these angles, the planting beds are to abide by

their angles.

The reason for this gesture is to inform as

well as educate which crops grow best in the

given environment. This is also to a establish

a sense of continuity throughout the entire

neighborhood that would inform how each crop

would be located on the site. This strategy is

an indicator of how this functions as a scalar

design throughout the entire neighborhood of

Alphabet City.

When the residents are newly admitted to

the program, they are to learn the process of

growing and preparing food. This is a sign for a

better comprehension of how food is grown and

processed as a whole.

DESIGN

71

Winter

Summer

Equinox

73

The datum line is the level at which human interaction takes place. This is where people connect with one another and engage with the surroundings. Since food is a basic human necessity, The Table is emphasized because it is the place where we all must meet each other. The Table functions as a metaphorical conveyer belt, moving all aspects of a meal along a route where it requires numerous personal engagements. Weaving throughout the entire site, The Table becomes an important aspect of the culture on the site. The Table provides a connectivity of program within the site, shaping the way that people engage with one another. The Table is symbolic of the place where people work as one, as well as a place where people break bread with each other.

THE

TABLE

SPANS

VARIOUS

SCALES

78

SITE PLAN

The site plan shows the relationship between the current urban fabric and the desired locations for this intervention.

81

The weave is to be seen as various scales.

It is a process of connecting various aspects of program on numerous levels of the design.

Connecting food distribution to their end location, local gardens to restaurants, planting beds to kitchen services to The Dining

Table.

82

The table functions as a metaphorical

conveyer belt. Its surface is intended to

be seen from various locations around

the site and used as a beacon to notify

where an individual located is along

the process of gardening to eating. This

sketch is an example of an exploration

of seeing different aspects of the table

from one location. The view is set up

to view people eating, gardening and

cooking along a continuous surface:

THE TABLE

85

Seen in the elevation, there is a

wooden detail that denotes what is

public and what is private. This was

brought into the design as a result of

the long site sections which continually

had a top to the collaged street view.

This is intended to show where is the

area for interaction. This is the level at

which people view their surroundings

on a sidewalk level.

86

In section, notice the ceiling changing

heights which denotes the function

of The Table at that moment. As The

Table moves through the building is

creates different moments which are

reflected in the ceiling creating more

intimate zones and public areas.

The light shaft is also viewed in this

section, which emphasizes the vertical

connection between the communal

actions on the ground level and the

private dormitories above.

89

This section shows the connection from

the building to the garden as well as the

wooden detail, denoting the private and

public areas of the building. This section

also tells how there are certain planting

beds which are raised to create a more

poetic interpretation of all food being

along the datum line.

The vertical circulation is also seen in

this section. The stairs are positioned

against the parti-wall as a gesture that

the vertical components of the site are

more private than the ground level.

90

EXPLODED AXON

93

Taken from the weave diagram, this plan shows the various aspects of

program that are connected by The Table. Planting beds are sufficient

for growth on site.

The Table starts in the top left where it penetrates the building and

making a gesture on the sidewalk. From there, The Table moves through

a set of offices where The Table surface is used as a desk. From there, The

Table moves towards the restaurant where it becomes a casual setting

where the cooking and eating are happening on the same surface. As

The Table progresses through the building it becomes a more formal

dining area, seating upwards of 10-12 people per table. The Table

then moves outside where it becomes a surface to store gardening tools.

While outside, The Table creates an exterior zone that is capable of

spilling into the interior by large garage-style doors, generating a direct

connection from The Dining Room to The Garden. As The Table moves

back outside, it weaves through two of the garden planting sections.

Here, The Table is level with planting beds, creating a poetic moment

where food is grown and moves along the same datum line. When The

Table moves towards this section’s end, again, it penetrates the site

constraints, making an appearance on the sidewalk enticing walkers by

to enter and engage with The Table.

BE

A series of perspectives

RESULTS

111

This thesis explores the conception of human

interaction with one another on a purely social level.

The people involved share no differences and they

indulge in the same foods. Food is what brings the

people together; hunger is a universal language.

Hunger is the driving point to this research, which

has taken the shape of THE KITCHEN & THE

DINING TABLE. The form of this thesis has

developed from the communal role of the architect

to becoming the primary purpose for design to take

place in an urban context. Architecture must provide

a reason for dissembling walls which exist with a

community in order to unite to the underclass with

the homeful.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

113

Aelbrecht, Patricia Simões. “Rethinking Urban Design for

a Changing Public Life.” Journal of Place Management and

Development 3.2 (2010): 113-29. Print.

Patricia Simões Aelbrecht, a PhD graduate of the

Bartlett School of Planning, writes about the nature and

conceptualization of public space and public life have

been always associated with collective participation

and socialization in relation to how people live amongst

strangers. Aelbrecht adopts a participant-observation in

Lisbon, Portugal as the primary case study. This research

identifies a number of spacial, social and experimental

conditions that are conducive to social interactions amongst

strangers. This paper demonstrates the need to rethink and

adapt urban design practices to an increasing changing

public life. The interaction between all types of people

is part of the fabric of social life. This is the first reading

that combines social/spacial and experiential factors in the

observation of social interaction in public spaces. This is

intended to be read by planners and designers alike.

Architecture for Humanity, Kate Stohr. Design Like You Give

A Damn: Architecture Responses to Humanitarian Crises.

Metropolis Books.

Kate Stohr, Managing Director at Architecture For

Humanity and graduate from Columbia University’s

Graduate School of Journalism, argues that too often

architects are desperately needed in places where they can

least be afforded. Design Like You Give A Damn is the first

book to bring the best of humanitarian architecture and

design to the printed page. The book offers a history of the

movement toward socially conscious design, and showcases

more than 80 contemporary solutions to such urgent needs

as basic shelter, healthcare, education and access to clean

water, energy and sanitation. This book is intended to be

read by architects and designers alike and is relevant to

me because it clarifies where architecture is need and how

architect can help shape people’s lives.

Bell, Bryan. Good Deeds, Good Design: Community Service

Through Architecture. Princeton Architectural Press. 2004

Bryan Bell, cofounder of Design Corps, states that architects

realize the need for designers in their local communities and

seek out opportunities for design to change lives in a more

local and social matter. Good Deeds, Good Design presents

the best new thoughts and practices in this emerging

movement toward an architecture that serves the broader

population. In this book, architecture firms, community

design centers, design/build programs, and service-based

organizations offer their plans for buildings for the other

ninety-eight percent. Bell uses works such as Rural Studio

as precedents to this style of work proving that architecture

can be a very powerful tool in changing the lives of the

people around us. Good Deeds, Good Design is relevant

due to the exploration initiative in changing the role of the

architect to help provide for the less fortunate. This was

intended to be read by socially conscious architects and

designers.

Bryan Bell, Katie Wakeford, Steve Badanes, Roberta M.

Feldman, Sergio Palleroni, Katie Swenson, Thomas Fisher,

and John Peterson. Expanding Architecture: Design as Activism.

Metropolis Books. 2008

Bryan Bell, in collaboration with Katie Wakeford,

a Research Associate for the Home Environments Design

Initiative, compiles diverse examples of architectural

projects directed towards a greater public good, in stories

told from the perspective of architects. The stories are

not about themselves, but rather their experiences. This

book is intended to be read by architects and designers to

inspire them to analyze their role as architects and try to

be involved in community development. The actual design

of the book facilitates its use as a valuable reference. It’s

wonderful to have a collection of stories that so strongly

makes this point, by showing the broad array of projects

that are already making a difference, and hopefully

inspiring more like them in the future.

Brown, Tim, and Barry Katz. Change by Design: How Design

Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation.

[New York]: Harper Business, 2009. Print.

Tim Brown, president and CEO of IDEO and frequent


114

writer for Harvard Business Review, The Economist and

other prominent publications, argues that innovation

does not only come from the mind of genius’, but rather

the process of rigorous examination is where great ideas

are developed. This book introduces the idea of design

thinking‚ the collaborative process by which the designer’s

sensibilities and methods are employed to match people’s

needs not only with what is technically feasible and a

viable business strategy. This book is relevant because it

reassures the fact that good design is for everyone. This

is not a book by designers for designers; this is a book for

creative leaders seeking to infuse design thinking into every

level of an organization‚ product‚ or service to drive new

alternatives for business and society.

Busch-Geertsem, Volker. Rehousing Projects for Single

Homeless Persons. Innovative Approaches in Germany.

Rep. Bremen: FEANTS, European Federation of National

Organizations Working with the Homeless, 1998. Print.

Dr. Volker Busch-Geertsem is a PhD in Business and Social

Science and long time fellow of the Society for Innovative

Social Research and Social Planning Association as well as

a national correspondent for the European Observatory

on Homelessness. Since 2009, he has been a co-editor of

the European Journal of Homelessness. In this study, he

analyzes 2 housing environments for the single homeless.

Both schemes have tried new forms of cooperation between

voluntary service providers and commercial housing

enterprises. Both have combined normal housing provision

based on normal and unlimited tenancies for homeless

persons who have great social difficulties with services

of complementary personal care. The National Report

presents the findings of the studies undertaken under this

scheme and also contains a critical assessment of chances

and limitations of the approach underlying the pilot

schemes. This is relevant because it compares two housing

situations in a compare and contrast manner and lays out

the pros and cons to each situation.

Cary, John W., Majora Carter, and John Peterson. The Power of

Pro Bono. Metropolis Books. 2010.

John Cary, President & CEO of Next American City, author,

and former executive of the San Francisco nonprofit, Public

Architecture, gives the architect and client an equal voice in

The Power of Pro Bono. The book highlights 40 pro bono

design projects across the country including community

organizations as well as national and international

nonprofit. This publication is inspired and informed by

the advocacy and design work of Public Architecture. This

book is relevant because it highlights projects similar to

what I would model my thesis after.

Cirugeda, Santiago. Ciudad Prótesis. Barcelona: Editions

ETSAB, 2006. Web.

Santiago Cirugeda, professor at Bogota’s Javeriana School

and founder of Recetas Urbanas, seeks to identify and

highlight some of the items present in ambiguous spaces

still unexplored between legality and illegality. Cirugeda

explores the spaces outside of the traditional spaces

generated by government in attempt to reclaim the urban

space to the people who reside in the close environment.

This is relevant because it questions what public space

really is and attempts to reclaim the public space for the

public. This article is intended to be read by designers who

have an interest in activism.

Davis, Sam. Designing For The Homeless: Architecture That

Works. Berkeley: University of California, 2004. Print.

Sam Davis, principal of Sam Davis Architect which has

been devoted to affordable housing for over 30 years and

professor at University of California, Berkeley, argues for

safe and functional architectural designs and programs

that symbolically reintegrate the homeless into society

in buildings that offer beauty, security and hope to those

in need. Davis presents a new perspective, considering

the personal concerns of the homeless, the social costs of

homelessness, and organizational and design issues. He

examines problems of community fit and site planning,

building design and organization, and interior layout and

suggests how to weigh costs and optimize expenditures.

This is relevant because of his views on architecture for the

homeless and combining the two communities for a greater,

INDEX

115

equal relationship.

Fathy, Hassan. Architecture For The Poor; An Experiment in

Rural Egypt. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1973. Print.

Hassan Fathy, an Egyptian architect, poet, environmentalist

and planner, describes his plan to building a village in

Egypt without the use of modern and expensive materials

such as steel and concrete. He argues that architecture does

not need to be expensive but can still be beautiful and serve

its main purpose: shelter. The book is relevant because

it shows how architecture can be used without needing

expensive materials, but can be used as simple shelter and

can still provide for people in the same way.

Goetz, Edward. “Words Matter: The Importance of Issue Framing

and the Case of Affordable Housing.” Journal of the American

Planning Association 74.2 (2008): 222-29. Print.

This article examines whether or not the words used to

describe a policy make a difference for the level of acceptance

of said policy. A random survey of suburban residents was

conducted in order to answer the question regarding their

support for affordable housing. Others were asked the

same question except the phrase ‘lifecycle housing’ was

proposed in place of ‘affordable housing’. This produced

a difference of 30 percentage points when referred to as

‘lifecycle housing’. This is relevant because under certain

circumstances planners and designers may use different

terminology when referring to social housing. It was also

applicable because it showcases the nature of presenting

this topic and how the public perceives affordable housing.

This was written to be read by psychoanalysis and planners

alike.

Gopnik, Adam. The Table Comes First: Family, France, and The

Meaning Of Food. New York: Knopf, 2011. Print.

Adam Gopnik, a staff writer for the New Yorker, writes

this book on the meaning of food and its importance in

today’s culture. Gopnik’s claim is that we have made food

the reason for secular seeking and transcendence, finding

our heavens in a mouthful, yet we still overlook the true

meaning of food in our lives. Gopnik writes about the first

restaurant and its meaning in society from which traditions

around the world have been carried out. Gopnik is more

concerned with what goes on around the table rather

than on the table; a story of family, friends, lovers coming

together or breaking apart, and all types of individuals for

a conversation. This, ultimately, is who we are.

Klassen, Filiz, and Robert Yunn. Kronenburg. “Transformable

Personal Space within a Communal Setting: Housing for the

Homeless.” Transportable Environments 2. London: Spon,

2003. 59-68. Print.

Filiz Klassen, an artist, researcher and Associate Professor

at Ryerson University, writes about the growing homeless

population in Toronto and how the escalating process must

be addressed. Klassen argues that the shortage of public

funding for has forced non-profit organizations to look

for alternatives for the under-housed groups. Using the

Strachan House in Toronto as a precedent, she claims that

this small community reflects how design can should be

with the homeless people rather than designing for them.

This is applicable because it gives insight on how to allow

the community to be able to speak for themselves in what

they need and how we can design alongside them.

Kweon, Byoung-Suk., W. C. Sullivan, and A. R. Wiley. “Green

Common Spaces and the Social Integration of Inner-City Older

Adults.” Environment and Behavior 30.6 (1998): 832-58. Print.

For older adults, social integration and the strength of

social ties are profoundly important predictors of well-

being and longevity. Can the physical environment be

designed to promote older adults’ social integration with

their neighbors? We examined this possibility by testing the

relationships between varying amount of exposure to green

outdoor common spaces and the strength of ties among

neighbors. Results of interviews with 91 older adults

(between the ages of 64 and 91 years) from one inner-city

neighborhood show that the use of green outdoor common

spaces predicted both the strength of neighborhood social

ties and sense of community. Although the strength of these


116

relationships were modest, the findings suggest that the

characteristics of outdoor common spaces can play a role in

the formation and maintenance of social ties among older

adult residents of inner-city neighborhoods. The results

have implications for designers, managers, and residents of

housing developments.

Lambert, Léopold. “# SMALL /// Santiago Cirugeda.”

Boiteaoutils. Blogspot, 12 Dec. 2008. Web. 7 Oct. 2011. <http://

boiteaoutils.blogspot.com/2008/12/small-santiago-cirugeda.

html>.

Léopold Lambert, activist and graduate of the Master’s of

Science in Architecture from the Pratt Institute, analyzes

the work of Recetas Urbanas and highlights a few projects

explaining the process. He goes into the details of zoning

and explains how each project is merged between legal

and illegal. The relevance lies in the subtleties and the

explanation. Highlighting 4 projects in a blog-style of

writing, we are able to see how these projects came to be and

how they are merged in the grey area of the bureaucratic

system. This was an insight; seeing all of the loop holes in

the system where architecture and public space can exist.

This was intended to be read by urban planners, designers,

and citizens.

Ouroussoff, Nicolai. “Shantytowns as a New Suburban Ideal -

New York Times.” The New York Times - Breaking News, World

News & Multimedia. The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2006. Web.

6 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/arts/

design/12ouro.html?scp=3>.

Nicolai Ouroussoff, writer for the New York Times art

section, writes about the work of Teddy Cruz, San Diego

based architecture activist and founder of Estudio Teddy

Cruz. He highlights the work of Cruz and his involvement

in both the US and Mexico and writes about his involvement

in the Tijuana slums. He states that we, in the US, live so

close to such an impoverished area and turn a blind eye

to them. Cruz has also focused on the border and how it

acts as such a barrier where there shouldn’t be one. This is

relevant to my studies because it touches on poverty as well

as informing people of a certain social condition. This is

intended to be read by activist as well as designers.

Turner, John F. C., and Robert Fichter. Freedom To Build;

Dweller Control of the Housing Process. New York: Macmillan,

1972. Print.

John F. C. Turner, coordinator of the Habitat International

Coalition’s Non-Governmental Organization Habitat

Project and former educator at Harvard, MIT and

University College London, argues that dwellers lose

control over their living environments then shelter becomes

a commodity of decreasing value to the individual and often

an inordinate expense to society. He argues that the user is

in control of their surroundings and that those activities

can begin to achieve their natural expression. This text is

relevant because it shows how dwellers are in control of

design and it questions the governmental system for low-

income housing hoping to provide better living situations

for the less fortunate. This is intended to be read by urban

planners, designer and the socially conscious.

Whiteley, Nigel. Design for Society. London : Reaktion Books

; 1993.

Nigel Whiteley, Professor at the Lancaster Institute for the

Contemporary Arts, author and art researcher, argues that

there is very little understanding to be found in the design

for the general public. Whiteley states that design has been

more about consciousness rather than awareness. The book

focuses on the anti-consumerism standpoint to design and

argues that design needs to be responsible for it’s social

and ecological surroundings. This book hold relevance

because of his stance on the responsibility of architecture

and design as well as it’s designer. This book was intended

to be read by designer in order to challenger their designs

and help make a social change.

117

Nicholas Ter Meer migrated to Massachusetts

from southern California to study Architecture

at the Wentworth Institute of Technology. After

completing his Bachelors of Architecture, Nicholas

was brought onto various non-profit design

teams, such as DSGN AGNC and Architecture

2030, as a designer, researcher, and landscape

visionary. It was during this time that Nicholas

developed a passion for bringing critical social

conditions to light and asking how architecture

can address said issues. This prompt led Nicholas

back to graduate school at the Wentworth

Institute of Technology where he was is a Master’s

of Architecture candidate. Nicholas writes, listens,

designs, draws, and observes with the intention of

propelling and encouraging change.

119

All images and writings

by Nicholas Ter Meer

Wentworth Institute of Technology,

Masters of Architecture candidate

Boston, Massachusetts, USA 2012

Nicholas Ter Meer, MArch 2012

the kitchen & the dining table | no. 2

Documents

dining tablea thesis

rehomed residents

community members

nicholas ter meera thesis

thesis requirement

personal investment

way of food

art of cooking