Typology

The goal is to break the preconception about density as something suffocating, undesirable, and unlivable. Density is often a necessity, such as it is in Chinese Urban Villages that are unregulated, swallowed by the city, and forced to grow inward in search of their identity. Density is ugly, beautiful, tasteless, romantic, noir, cyberpunk, artistic, historic, lawless, and peaceful. It is luxury even, such as in NY. It is always dramatic and rich. Never boring.

Stevens Square is a neighborhood with 100 years of history. The street facades are protected. The spacious weathered units are rented to the low-income populations with a deep sense of belonging to the place. The renovation of the units without changing the layout would skyrocket the rent, gentrify the community and displace all the occupants. Without renovation, the buildings will die by fire, water damage, or by falling apart, like many other similar neighboring buildings.

High density, narrow alleys, windows looking into windows, lack of sunlight and views. All the blinds are up, no reason to look outside. People are isolated from one another. The density belongs to no one, is forbidden to touch, and is separated from the occupants who can and want to give it an identity.

Could reduction of the density help? Should we make buildings give up some of their body to the outsides? Make the outside bigger, brighter, more spacious? Is bigger outside more desirable outside? How much mass is too much? How much void is too little?