Micro-Space: An Architectural Response to Micro-Credit
The maturity of a city is related to the manner in which the different scales of inhabiting space are accommodated and fostered. The success of any given city comes from how the different scales are allowed to develop in relation to one another. In the Peter McGill neighbourhood, despite enormous potential, this type of complexity is not currently fostered. Buffered on each side by large institutions and commercial areas which are homogeneous in nature, the city scape of the neighbourhood is not currently able to weave itself into the city at large. Of specific concern is the lack of affordable housing for individuals and families who are currently forced to commute to the city centre for work. In the past, this area was home to many small businesses which were often located on the first floor of a residential building. As the city developed over time, these small businesses were forced out by a combination of skyrocketing property taxes and competition from large scale development. As such, many people lost their source of income and subsequently their homes to larger developments which were primarily commercial in nature. Through this process, the complexity of scales was lost and the neighborhood became largely a place to commute to and park, rather than live and work. The challenge then is how to create the conditions necessary for the re-establishment of a complexity of scales and through this, a mature and thriving neighbourhood.
Using micro-credit as a concept, we sought to set up conditions by which architectural space, both residential and commercial could be arranged to enable those who would use them to raise their standard of living through their own creative potential. It is our belief that this process gives people a sense of pride in their accomplishments, respects their right to determine their own success and creates a community in which people may work, live, and participate in the cultural development of the city.
In our scheme, a hybridization of the traditional small business/family home typology and the large scale commercial space of the underground city are combined to create a new typology which accomplishes two things. First, it enables above ground residential development to be both contextual in nature and self sustaining. Also, it weaves together the small scale residential spaces of the neighbourhood to the network of commercial space within the city, preserving the former's right and ability to exist through the economic capacity of the later. This is accomplished by creating a series of residential buildings at different scales which are directly connected to commercial spaces below ground. Small commercial spaces can then be used for traditional community scale businesses like a barber shop, flower store, vegetable stand or larger enterprises like a child care centre or restaurant.
By creating a system in which live work residences are connected to the scale of the underground city, a complexity of scales is encouraged and through this, a community is developed. In this way, the Peter McGill neighbourhood will become a mature place in which to live, work and enjoy all that the city has to offer.
(Competitor's text)
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