Bonding
Excellent infrastructures make a neighborhood resilient, but tight bonds among residents make it even stronger. The objective of this project was to use architectural and urban design to transform three lots in College Hill, Cincinnati, OH, into a neighborhood business + cultural center, which would significantly vitalize the entire community.
My strategy was to utilize commonalities. And the approach was to design various enticing public spaces where the shared demands of different groups of people living in College Hill would be met. What they have in common brings them together, creating opportunities for them to meet, acquaint, understand, and bond. Besides, in the library design, the building allows the residents to shape many spaces through their joint efforts, gradually transforming itself into a more domestic and familiar place. The library also offers the residents various media to record their meaningful public life. Ultimately, the residents will transform the library into the community's shared living room and memory vault.
Site
Population
# of households
Per capita income
Median age
Ohio
College Hill
Many vacant lots.
The community lacks social life.
The existing library has a little collection of books and is rarely visited.
Very few location name signs lead to a lack of neighborhood identity.
Commercial corridor has no vitality.
Streets are lifeless.
Business is slow
Parking lots along the main corridor take away the energy.
Public spaces are few and of low quality.
Analysis, strategies, and framework plans
4
4
3
3
3
4
4
2
4
2
2
2
2
8
2
7
2
1
4
4
4
4
11
10
5
6
2
1
1
9
10
5
1 Mixed-use building
2 Apartment
3 Multi-family house
4 Single-family house
5 Artists' residence
6 Recreational center
7 Pool
8 Urban agriculture site
9 Community library
10 Art plaza
11 Parking garage
1
1
0
120
240
500 ft
Urban design proposals
The floor area per capital of every community library in the surrounding neighborhoods is undesirably low. To take full advantage of this opportunity to construct a new library, the College Hill branch could be upgraded and become a major regional branch library serving the norther greater Cincinnati. Despite the fact that this proposal may require challenging collaboration among various communities, the new library will undoubtedly be beneficial from the long run.
Architectural proposal - regional library
2
5
10
8
9
9
1
1
7
2
5
2
3
8
2
2
2
5
1
1
6
1 Office
2 Storage
3 Exhibition stand
4 Front desk
5 Children's library
6 Lecture hall
7 Lockers
8 Newsstand + cafeteria
9 Restroom
10 Staff's meeting room
11 Sunken courtyard
6
6
6
11
Floor plans
Sections
Empty Shelves
Sharing + donation
Shelves with books
Memory booth
Vlog
Recording moments
Packed with memories
Photos + clippings + doodles
Memory wall
No job / income / certificate
Lectuires
Self-development
Creating artworks and fun
Residents
Artists
Diagram - Bonding in library
Instructors: Bin Hu, Frank Russell
Independent work