Architecture

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    Rocking the Suburbs: Suburban Renewal
    (2010) Bowley, Sarah Rose; Kelly, Brian P; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Many Americans prefer to live in the suburbs with their own house and yard. However, the inner suburbs are aging and deteriorating, effectively pushing those who wish to live in the suburbs further and further out from the metropolitan centers, which is not sustainable. This pattern provides an opportunity to rethink the existing inner suburb and single-family residence so that it might become more attractive and competitive compared to new suburban development. The chosen location is the neighborhood of Harundale, which is a typical American suburb --a placeless development that could be located outside of any American city. Therefore, experimentation in this location is potentially applicable across the country. Developed in the late 1950's, Harundale houses hold historical value as mass-produced postwar design and construction, while the Harundale mall was the first enclosed air-conditioned mall east of the Mississippi River. This was once the "happening place to be", but over time the area has declined. This thesis proposes the use of existing infrastructure as a springboard for rethinking the function and image of the suburbs.
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    Regenerative Place-Making at Benning Road Metro Station: Architecture as a Determinant of Identity in the 21st Century
    (2004-05-20) Way, Michael A.; Bowden, Gary; Sachs, Stephen F; Architecture
    Where "placelessness" occurs, inhabitants' potential for finding an existential foothold is compromised. Residents' identities are existentially dispossessed. The effect of such dispossession generates a spectrum of unfavorable behavior patterns, ranging from apathetic malaise to criminal activity. "Regenerative Place-Making" will explore design in a viable but overlooked urban environment. Located near a Metro Station at East Capitol Street and Benning Road, the site is the geographic center of Eastern Washington and is a potential gateway intersection for the district. The urban design will investigate exterior space issues, mixture of uses, and transit-oriented development as stimulus for surrounding neighborhoods. The architectural design will address creation of a landmark, to set character and programmatically anchor the intervention. Character will be rationalized by mnemonic and tectonic aesthetics. Approached holistically, "Regenerative Place-Making" can revitalize neighborhoods, individual identities, and community pride, all of which can reduce crime and raise the median quality of life.