The Commonwealth of Chelsea: Locality & Society

Project Description

The city of New York is oftentimes referred to as the capital of the world. All of the amenities one could dream of, readily available to all of the inhabitants of the Big Apple, thus making it one of the most desirable places on the globe. This however, adversely affects the city as a whole. With the major increase in population and density, the demand for food steadily increases, as well as the need for additional housing.

The aim of this project is to meet the needs of all mentioned above. This is to be achieved through the implementation two main entities, the vertical urban farm and housing units, integrated into a single, multi-use midrise, adjacent to the highline within the neighborhood of Chelsea. The interaction between both entities allows for a symbiotic relationship between the separate environments, all within the same building enclosure, alluding to much healthier lifestyles and living environments. On the lower levels, the program is structured to foster the idea of a community, opening up the space to more social interactions, essentially creating an access point to the highline as well as a destination for various shopping and communal activities.

Deriving the form from the environment, both micro and macro, the exterior skin responds to exterior stimuli, while the interior responds to the programmatic requirements set forth in the spirit of community and society.

Through the implementation of this project, the neighborhood of Chelsea gains not only a new source of food and additional, much needed housing, but they also gain a more defined community and a new destination for not only the inhabitants, but for the surrounding community as well.