KNIT
KNIT, a comprehensive group project, allows those who are experiencing grief related to the implications of war, the means to foster social and emotional exchanges between unique demographics. This is done by supporting the process of grief and is achieved by providing spaces which enable both social and individual grieving opportunities; allowing users to experience the building on their own terms.
The ground floor was designed to extend the public realm into the site and encourage socialization within the central courtyard. The courtyard acts as the core of the building and utilizes many natural elements to create opportunities for reflection, while striving to increase the mental health of occupants through the implementation of biophilic elements. Through the use of operable doors, the courtyard can be transformed from a social space to a private space. This allows the building to adjust to its occupants desired and caters to the many unique needs of grief. In a similar fashion to the north side of the building, the project aims to engage the public realm and activate the underside of the overpass. This is done through the strategic location of creative programmatic functions which interact and engage with pedestrians.
The second floor contains programmatic functions which desired less connection to the public realm. This floor continues the theme of occupant socialization and looks to provide spaces for both private and social individuals. Using changing floor elevations and operable walls, the plan provides pockets of private space throughout the open floor plan. The north wing contains operable doors which, when open, provide a continuous open space for socialization. When the doors are closed, more intimate and private spaces are created for those going through a more individualized process of grief. The south wing contains an information lounge which provides both physical and digital resources for those going through the process of grief. In this information lounge, pockets of privacy are created using floor elevation changes and casework design. These quiet spaces are surrounded by social spaces which foster more social interaction between occupants. Finally, the north corner acts as a larger exhibition hall or lecture hall for larger group gatherings and social events. The entirety of this floor aims to utilize the connections between unique demographics to help guide each other through the process of grief.
The facade of the project was designed to provide agency and control to the occupants, while representing the process of grief. Due to the process of griefs abnormality and nonlinear process, the façade contains operable louvers which rotate in a gradient. This gradient ensures that all views and angles of the building are seen differently and represents the unique process of grief. As the needs of the users and building changes, the façade can be adjusted. As this adjustment takes place, the building begins to transform and takes visual queues from the desires of its users.
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