The intent of this studio is to assist Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA) and Riverkeeper, both non-profit environmental organizations and clean water advocates, to imagine the future of the industrial/manufacturing workplace along New York’s city waterways.
The project will include a Creek Interpretive Center, Public Open Space and Catalyst Facility to attract new sustainable manufacturing businesses. The City-owned site is located at the northern edge of Brooklyn. The land was previously used for waste management and fronts Newtown Creek, a superfund clean-up site. The Interpretive Center will highlight river edge ecology, city infrastructure and history. It will also offer open space that will build on a small park to the east across the inlet and include a dock and boat launch to facilitate movement of goods, workers and recreational use along the waterways.
Studio work includes three overlapping tasks which will be undertaken in groups or individually:
-Topic research: introduction to the history and future of manufacturing, fabrication and labor; overview of the relationship between water and industry.
-Digital Fabrication: design of a building/display component that highlights both sustainable practices and contemporary fabrication strategies.
-Building and open space design: site analysis, program refinement, building (150,000 sf) and open space (200,000 sf).
Site Visit and travel week
Site Visit: Work will begin with construction of a site model, topic research, site analysis and fabrication parameters and includes a site visit on January 22 with Riverkeeper and NCA. On that day we will also visit NYC architecture/engineering studios working on waterfront projects.
Travel: The Studio trip will start in Rotterdam and end in Zurich and visit industrial waterfront and state of the art fabrication facilities. The exact itinerary will be posted early in the New Year.
Studio Organization
Studio availability:
Julie will be in town for work sessions including pin-ups and desk crits as follows:
· Lottery: Thursday, January 11 and Friday, January 12
· Monday, Jan 22 (NYC from 9am-6pm)
· Travel week: (February 12-17 exact dates to be provided)
· Monday, February 26 and Tuesday, February 27
· Midterm: Thursday, March 8 and Friday, March 9
· Open House: Thursday, April 5 and Friday, April 6
· Monday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 16
· Review: Wednesday, May 2 and Thursday, May 3
Julie will also be available to review work remotely between in-person sessions.
Amina will be in studio every Monday and Thursday afternoon.
Deliverables: a complete description of deliverables (with due dates) will be available early in the new year. Each deliverable will be issued with evaluation criteria.
Background material, program and site info, and reading list: will be posted early in the new year.