This thesis will examine this concept of how the public school system will operate when more accessible community features are integrated within the design. The generator for this prototype will be a new design of Wilmington High School which serves ninth through twelfth grade students. This program will support a variety of activities for multiple age groups, helping to build a center piece for community life. A community based approach will enable this age group to become leaders in the community and further strengthen their capabilities to function successfully outside of the educational environment.

The definitive goal of the sustainability movement, or what I at least think it should be, is the creation of an environmentally friendly society. The widespread use of sustainable architectural design practices has been a great step forward, but if this movement is to be successful, I feel we must focus equally on the relationship between people and their physical environments. Ultimately, the sustainability movement depends less on the architectural environments that we create, and more on the cooperation of the people who occupy those environments.

Holyoke is a small mill city in western Massachusetts whose fortunes peaked in the early twentieth century and today struggles with decaying buildings and infrastructure, high unemployment, and significant poverty. The city also has many strengths, including relatively inexpensive hydro-electric power, sturdy adaptable mill buildings, an excellent location, strong neighborhood and civic pride, and a rich history on which to build. The city’s boosters feel that it is ripe for a renaissance already being driven by industry, the creative economy, telecommuters escaping the region’s major cities, and tourism.

This research component of this thesis will explore:

• Current and historical demographic, industrial, and commercial context of the city and its passenger rail service, including usage projections, connections with various parts of the city, and Transit Oriented Design implications
• The needs of the adjacent Flats neighborhood for basic services and community space; strategies for attracting more consistent use of the station throughout its hours of operation by meeting the neighborhood residents’ needs
• Potential requirements for a station’s future capacity and adaptability – it will consider strategies for creating a flexible and adaptable building so as to meet the needs of the station and city as it changes over time
• Precedents that include rail stations and public buildings – it will investigate strategies used by effective public buildings

The design component of this thesis incorporates the above research in developing site and program plans with a specific focus on design strategies that address accessibility, wayfinding, relevant services, and creating a welcoming gateway into the residential, industrial, and commercial heart of the city.

This thesis aims to design a framework to be used in the redevelopment of existing suburban communities. Using an existing low-density suburban community in Simi Valley, CA, as a site, I have explored compact infill housing as a method of densifying the neighborhood and broadening the housing base. Prefabrication and deconstructable building components ensure minimal waste and a flexible housing system that can adapt to mimic the evolution of a family. Accessible open space serves to draw the community together and provide usable outdoor spaces. In this way the suburban community can begin to operate in a more efficient manner and adequately address the needs of a broader range of residents.

To promote sustainable awareness and participation among vocational students in Holyoke, a new campus located in the downtown neighborhood will be introduced to the school system. In this new green vocational school, students from multiple disciplines will come together to engage in the sustainable practice of their trade. Given the decaying state of the downtown neighborhoods, the urban landscape will serve as a canvas for new ideas and projects. Through the collaboration of these vocations, students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge addressing real projects while contributing to the social and physical revitalization of downtown Holyoke.

The goal of the Grow Pods Project is to transform the negative of vacant urban lots into an opportunity for improving health, building community, and encouraging positive growth.

As a tool for integrating the food system directly into the urban context, this project addresses the need for innovative solutions to the complex issues of city land use. Grow Pods aim to help communities redirect a trajectory of decline toward a future that is focused on the health and wellbeing of the urban environment and the people who live in it. Transformation and transportability are intrinsic features of the design, in acknowledgement of the necessity for any component of a contemporary city in flux to be dynamic enough to reinvent itself within its evolving context.

The Grow Pod project is focused on the South End Neighborhood of Springfield, MA, a city whose population and industrial base has decreased since much of its infrastructure was designed. Located in the fertile Connecticut River Valley, it is also in a region with a rich agricultural history.