Selected Work
Shreyes Yohan Jos X NEWFORMED / Copyright 2024 / All Rights Reserved
Shreyes Yohan Jos X NEWFORMED / Copyright 2024 / All Rights Reserved
Puncturing a Hermit “City”
Urban Redevelopment, WestwoodHarvard GSD Fall 2023 - Elements of Urban Design
Advisers: Dana McKinney White, Stephen Grey, Peter G. Rowe, Michael Manfredi
Collaborators: Yanpeng Leng + Shreyes Yohan Jos
Designated Site Location
Advisers: Dana McKinney White, Stephen Grey, Peter G. Rowe, Michael Manfredi
Collaborators: Yanpeng Leng + Shreyes Yohan Jos
Westwood is a suburb situated on the southwest fringe of Boston. Its urban form marks a clear distinction between its residential neighborhood and the commercial zone situated adjacent to the Neponset River – whereby they are visually disconnected from one another and physically segregated by arterial roads and green landscapes that cut through this terrain. Through this spatial configuration, the residential neighborhood seems highly insular in terms of its spatial configuration and this project aims to propose an alternative spatial reality for this suburb which is porous in its social, spatial and ecological framework.
Research suggests that there is a pattern of millennials moving into suburban areas within the united states – primarily in search of cheaper housing options that are becoming increasingly difficult to find in metropolitan regions and therefore this intervention is focused on providing residential spaces for this group – along with allied commercial programs to support this demography and also the existing one residing at Westwood.
The project has been envisioned through 3 systems of intervention:
1. Ecology
2. Mobility
3. Habitable Spaces.
1. Ecology As per the FEMA flood lines, there is high susceptibility for the area along the Neponset River to be submerged during heavy rainfall. Part of the land has been relinquished to mitigate this situation – whereby the designated site is subdivided into a series of “island” like parcels intercepted by wetlands with retention ponds that will essentially distribute the rainwater evenly around the parcels to prevent flooding of habitable regions.
During dry periods, the designated wetlands will be activated as a recreational corridor with rain gardens, and this is one of the few ways in which this project hopes to increase public engagement and cohesion within Westwood – as opposed to the currently isolated living conditions it witnesses.
In addition to this, within the main site, a primary vehicular road flows through and tangentially connects to the individual parcels and each parcel has secondary service roads – along with pedestrian footpaths and bicycle pathways running adjacent to it.
3. Habitable Spaces A majority of the existing buildings within the site have been retained as a complimentary element and through adaptable reuse they marry and integrate with the new proposal seamlessly.
These are essentially semi-public spaces interspaced with self-contained cube-like commercial and office units that will cater to the increased demands for jobs and community spaces which will be established through the influx of young individuals into this neighborhood.
The foundation of the existing buildings will be retained and the outer skin or the façade will be replaced to adhere to an overarching visual vocabulary. The roof, however, will be replaced with a semi-permeable glass surface held by a series of trusses – that will provide light for landscaped areas inside, and the negative spaces in between the cube-like units will become communal areas for the community at large – especially during summer and winter – when there is a need for natural sunlight but controlled temperature conditions for comfort and wellbeing.
Extending from the existing buildings, residential units intersect with the community spaces, - which are essentially 4 to 6 story high, and these ultimately interconnect between parcels forming moments within the urban form whereby residential units cross over public spaces and roadways overhead to create an interconnected web of parts that suggests a sense of community and closeness – which is visibly non-existent within the existing neighborhood on the west.
Details Along with the communal spaces inside, public open spaces have been established outside that extend out from the individual large parcels and onto a cluster of smaller ones interconnected by pedestrian bridges and walkways. These spaces, like the mixed developed nature of the built infrastructure, will contain a mixed-use of active and passive recreational areas – consisting of sports facilities, public parks, and event hubs.
Furthermore, as one traverses closer to the railway line, a series of landscaped berms have been placed as a sound barrier for the community from moving passenger and freight trains.
Ultimately, the project aims to synthesize and stitch together systems of ecology, mobility and habitable spaces to bring communities together and more importantly to increase social cohesion – whereby the 3 elements coexist together in a symbiotic relationship of negotiating various boundaries.