My intention was to design opportunities for both interaction and observation, as well as activity and rest. The program is comprised of three buildings. The largest, sited on the southwest corner, contains offices for the Department of Aging, while the eastern half of the first three levels function as a senior-focused community center. Adjacent is the Food Hall, which features local vendors, as well as a small market and kitchen that sells and uses produce from the connected greenhouse. This collaboration intends to foster relationships through food as well as ecological engagement. In front of the greenhouse, an open field creates opportunity for a variety of uses, such as a recess space for the children at the Peck Slip School, or an extension of the greenhouse that could augment biodiversity in the area. The 3 sets of steps are integral to the site, functioning as public outdoor seating while bridging the spaces between buildings, connecting the site to the sidewalk, and directing attention to various aspects of the program.
CONFLICTING CONTEXTS
Across from St. Margaret's Home, an assisted living complex, and Southbridge Towers, a naturally occurring retirement community, an empty block sits at the intersection of the historic, height restricted South Street Seaport and the brimming Financial District. In a period of rapid and constant change, the environment has become progressively estranged from those who have lived there the longest. The intervention serves as both a refuge for the Seaport's aging community, providing much needed amenities and space, as well as a means to reduce their sense of isolation. The main building serves as a buffer from the traffic and noise pollution from the intersection of Pearl and Fulton, while the front exterior staircase invites Southbridge and St. Margaret's residents into the site. Mirroring its surroundings, the Water Street Facade maintains a more traditional character, while the greenhouse suggests a language similar to the Peck Slip School's glass roof structure.
Peck Slip Street Elevation
Water Street Elevation
Pearl Street Elevation
Beekman Street Elevation