Redeveloping Marie Reed Community Learning Center: A Study in Community-Based Design
Redeveloping Marie Reed Community Learning Center: A Study in Community-Based Design
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Date
2005-12-20
Authors
McKevitz, Mark J
Advisor
Wortham, Brooke
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Abstract
The recent redevelopment of the Adams-Morgan neighborhood, in Washington, D.C. is astounding.
The district has gone from an underground arts center, to an immigrant quarter to a wealthy,
desirable urban area in about 30 years. The Marie Reed Community Learning Center anchors the
south end of the district. The building is more than a school: it also houses a community pool and
recreation center, and a low-cost health clinic.
In this thesis, I will explore the idea of true community design and development by using the skills
and knowledge I have acquired in my studies to assist the Adams Morgan residents generate
proposals for redevelopment of this site. Thus, this thesis will be as much about the process as it
is about the product. I will borrow and adapt the methodology of Walter Hood, Maurice Cox, and
others - implementing design by observation and with the assistance of the community.