Vieniq Romero
This one-story building is on Ellsworth Road in Ypsilanti, and is a 7-11. The walls are of concrete block, brick, and concrete. The front facade has storefront window and a sliding door, facing the parking lot. Both sides and the front facade display 7-11 signage.
The interior only has two walls, one running north-south further along the left side, and another running east-west along the back side. Lights and panels are held up by tracks spanning the entire ceiling. Linoleum tile covers the floor.
This diagram shows the building as a kit-of-parts including two door colors, ceiling lights and tracks, 7-11 signage, the drain pipe, and the various bricks and textures that constitute the interior and exterior of the building.
The map is split in two halves discussing trading/bartering and community gardens, and meets where they both interact with the topics of financial insecurity, waste, and community support. After exploring what dynamics they have, it became more apparent that gardening has more of a need for physical space, and from there I decided to run with gardening as the important theme to run with for filling the building. Research into how to develop a garden to best serve a community showed that aquaponics is a very self sustaining method that will help feed people.
My design has clearly sectioned-off areas for growing plants, the fish, composting, and tables in the event they are needed, as executed via vertical objects creating columns in a gridded layout, partitioned with added skylights. Comfortable circulation spacing determined the distance between fixtures. The walls have been removed to improve flow.
Inside this now one room building are pipes that would connect the plants to the fish and that also serve as the columns hosting said things. The fixtures have two tiers, one set to a more comfortable level for average height people that prefer to stand, and a lower level for those who might be shorter, wheelchair bound, or prefer to be closer to the ground. Compost bins are available for those who wish to dispose of food waste or who might need good soil. Tables are for anyone that might need to set down objects or for gathering.
Compost bins are located along the rear of the building, which is the north side of the building. In front of that are several layers of the fish tanks and planters, alternating through the space. Tables are along the north and west walls, and skylights running east-west cut through the layers of the building, but look like one from the front.
The spacial experience is defined by a grid, that at the center leaves one encapsulated by selective natural elements. Bright colors and expansive skylights, in combination with lengthy white and grow lights, create a very airy and light sense of space. Despite the density, fears of claustrophobia are mitigated by the amount of space between fixtures, enabling an easier flow of circulation. A multitude of planters and fish ensure various species can occupy the space and be swapped in or out as needed.