Date of Submission
Spring 5-9-2023
Degree Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. William Carpenter
Secondary Advisor
Dr. Ermal Shpuza
Abstract
My thesis tests a design approach that combats the urban wound created by the I-75 I-85 connector in the Sweet Auburn District of Atlanta, GA. I propose to energize and reactivate communities that have lost their identity by implementing safety, social cohesion, cultural integration and ultimately achieving economic growth for the area and its locals through a dynamic range of spatial properties of public spaces as an extension to an integrated Interpretive Center. In the 1980s, Bill Hillier, using the powerful social theory of space, developed the concept of Space Syntax as a set of rules and methods for modeling and analyzing cities, using space as the fundamental generator of the city.
The goal is to situate the Interpretive Center within the existing network of Sweet Auburn using the latest tools and technologies to revitalize communities severed by Highway construction so that the program of the building can extend out into the public spaces as an experiential learning circuit of the history and culture of the area. The marriage of architectural and urban scales in this project demonstrates ground-breaking ways to cherish cultural and historical identities, as it emphasizes social interaction, historic preservation, and shared public spaces in historic centers.