Program Statement

Arch 282 Architecture Design Studio III Section 2, Matthew Bietz
Community Action Space

The art of Social Practice emphasizes community engagement through non-studio creative activities executed in the field. These encounters will be reinforced through an architectural expression that offers an understanding and consciousness that is embodied in the built structure. This engagement will be evidenced through the materials & opportunities for spaces that support the Social Practice movement and the PSU Social Practice Master of Fine Arts program.

Site: A 5,000 sq ft lot in the Alberta Arts District will temporarily accommodate the activities of the Social Practice Program. The design of the structure should thus embrace the idea of temporality in response to changing situations and functions; and must be reusable in multiple locations.

Program:

(3) Zones:

Interior: warm, dry, and environmentally responsive to climate; secure, but also inviting.
2 independent, yet related zones: one devoted to community interaction and gathering – which could include classes, conversations, yoga and group meals; and one for the social practioner(s) to use as a work space.

Intermediate: A permeable space(s) for cooking and gathering.

Exterior: Garden space, accommodation for bicycles, and a threshold or series of thresholds that embody the spirit of the engagements at the sight.

Here are the client expectation statements:

If anything were possible, what conceptual message would you want your building to convey?

I would like our building to convey the possibility of the improbable.

I would like our building to convey a radical, creative, and comfortable exploration of domestic and community life in the neighborhood that surrounds it.

"I would like our building to convey fun, and a welcoming openness to diverse groups of people"

I would like our portable classroom to invite and inspire conversation, creativity, and community.

I would like our building to convey the message of unconditional positive regard.

A learning place where we can be responsive to the neighborhood

I would like the building to convey and inspire curiosity.