Studio Advisor: James Rose
Team: Angela Chen, Nadine Ghezawi
Term: Spring 2022 Integrations
Site: MARTA Arts Center. Atlanta, GA
Program: Mixed use: Market + Community Center + Residential
Honors: BIF Sustainability Award H.M.
Understanding the significance of nature. In today’s urban landscapes, often dominated by concrete and steel, the concept of Reciprocity proposes a shift. It champions timber as a tool to reshape architectural narratives, emphasizing the idea of designing within, not just on the environment.
Reciprocity’s core principle is “give and take.” Like plants absorbing CO2 and releasing O2, this philosophy integrates environmental reciprocity into design. It’s about creating structures that actively benefit the city, environment, and residents, moving beyond aesthetics and closer to function.
Reciprocity in Programs | Timber symbolizes this approach, offering sustainability while enabling buildings to play an active role in the urban ecosystem. They purify the air, provide shelter, and support native ecology. Reciprocity challenges traditional urban design by emphasizing deep connections to nature. It envisions a future where architecture not only looks good but also contributes positively to the city, the environment, and the people living within it, fostering coexistence with our planet and its people. In terms of form, the composition of programs are set with nature in mind as it allows for natural ventilation and energy saving daylighting methods through outdoor rooms, light-wells, and clerestories that begin to define the space. Traveling upwards, PV panels, green roofs and outdoor access begin to draw out the trajectory of the affordable housing spaces allowing for reciprocated work benefits through gardening and handling program activities. In alignment with these systems, the pitched roofs allow for ease of water capture to reuse for gardening in water cisterns on the ground floor. With a timber skeleton, the design is wrapped with standing seam zinc panels that provides vital visual contrast to the overall design aesthetic.
Community + Market Spaces | The community and market space takes inspiration from nature, prioritizing natural ventilation and energy-efficient daylighting methods through the incorporation of outdoor gathering areas, light-wells, and clerestories that define the overall atmosphere. As one moves through the space, one notices the integration of solar panels, lush green roofs, and accessible outdoor spaces, all of which contribute to a vibrant community and market experience. In conjunction with the integration of porous spaces and design strategies, Reciprocity embodies a sense of reciprocity within its residential context. This ethos extends to fulfilling functional, social, and environmental responsibilities within Atlanta. The overarching design aims to address the increasing demand for single-family homes within the city, celebrate and nurture the presence of local art and artists, and imbue the essence of home, both in its form and its function.
Team: Angela Chen, Nadine Ghezawi
Term: Spring 2022 Integrations
Site: MARTA Arts Center. Atlanta, GA
Program: Mixed use: Market + Community Center + Residential
Honors: BIF Sustainability Award H.M.
Understanding the significance of nature. In today’s urban landscapes, often dominated by concrete and steel, the concept of Reciprocity proposes a shift. It champions timber as a tool to reshape architectural narratives, emphasizing the idea of designing within, not just on the environment.
Reciprocity’s core principle is “give and take.” Like plants absorbing CO2 and releasing O2, this philosophy integrates environmental reciprocity into design. It’s about creating structures that actively benefit the city, environment, and residents, moving beyond aesthetics and closer to function.
Reciprocity in Programs | Timber symbolizes this approach, offering sustainability while enabling buildings to play an active role in the urban ecosystem. They purify the air, provide shelter, and support native ecology. Reciprocity challenges traditional urban design by emphasizing deep connections to nature. It envisions a future where architecture not only looks good but also contributes positively to the city, the environment, and the people living within it, fostering coexistence with our planet and its people. In terms of form, the composition of programs are set with nature in mind as it allows for natural ventilation and energy saving daylighting methods through outdoor rooms, light-wells, and clerestories that begin to define the space. Traveling upwards, PV panels, green roofs and outdoor access begin to draw out the trajectory of the affordable housing spaces allowing for reciprocated work benefits through gardening and handling program activities. In alignment with these systems, the pitched roofs allow for ease of water capture to reuse for gardening in water cisterns on the ground floor. With a timber skeleton, the design is wrapped with standing seam zinc panels that provides vital visual contrast to the overall design aesthetic.
Community + Market Spaces | The community and market space takes inspiration from nature, prioritizing natural ventilation and energy-efficient daylighting methods through the incorporation of outdoor gathering areas, light-wells, and clerestories that define the overall atmosphere. As one moves through the space, one notices the integration of solar panels, lush green roofs, and accessible outdoor spaces, all of which contribute to a vibrant community and market experience. In conjunction with the integration of porous spaces and design strategies, Reciprocity embodies a sense of reciprocity within its residential context. This ethos extends to fulfilling functional, social, and environmental responsibilities within Atlanta. The overarching design aims to address the increasing demand for single-family homes within the city, celebrate and nurture the presence of local art and artists, and imbue the essence of home, both in its form and its function.