The fabric of cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore are made up primarily of rowhouses. These low-rise buildings on narrow lots dominate the neighborhoods physically and capture the imaginations of nostalgic city residents. City codes and policies reflect this nostalgic state of mind: it is difficult to convince neighborhoods to tear down existing rowhouses even if they are not functioning well, and zoning codes often maintain the low-rise height limit and narrow parcel divisions of historic rowhouse planning.
When the rowhouse had its heyday, the mode of living was entirely different. Take the Back Bay for instance: one family owned one parcel, and maybe 4 - 6 floors total. The bottom and top floors were reserved for household servants, and the parlor level and intermediate floors were devoted to formal entertainment and dining. Everyday living occurred mostly in the bedrooms. Rooms were designed to be entirely closed off, in order to conserve heat.
Needless to say, our lives have changed. We live in smaller spaces, and have no need for servants’ quarters. And there is a universal focus now on principles of sustainability and innovation. Initiatives like Boston’s Innovation District along with other similar districts worldwide like 22@Barcelona and the Pearl District in Portland, OR are encouraging a new way of working and living. The idea is that space should be flexible, and entrepreneurs should be able to easily use their living space to also grow their business.
The line between private and public becomes blurred in entrepreneurial live/work spaces, and that blurry distinction is the focus of this research project. This conceptual rowhouse prototype reorganizes the interior spaces for a live/work mode of living The resulting building has a very normative structure and a facade and footprint that fit the historic zoning framework, helping to create and maintain the dense urban fabric of rowhouse neighbords.
When the rowhouse had its heyday, the mode of living was entirely different. Take the Back Bay for instance: one family owned one parcel, and maybe 4 - 6 floors total. The bottom and top floors were reserved for household servants, and the parlor level and intermediate floors were devoted to formal entertainment and dining. Everyday living occurred mostly in the bedrooms. Rooms were designed to be entirely closed off, in order to conserve heat.
Needless to say, our lives have changed. We live in smaller spaces, and have no need for servants’ quarters. And there is a universal focus now on principles of sustainability and innovation. Initiatives like Boston’s Innovation District along with other similar districts worldwide like 22@Barcelona and the Pearl District in Portland, OR are encouraging a new way of working and living. The idea is that space should be flexible, and entrepreneurs should be able to easily use their living space to also grow their business.
The line between private and public becomes blurred in entrepreneurial live/work spaces, and that blurry distinction is the focus of this research project. This conceptual rowhouse prototype reorganizes the interior spaces for a live/work mode of living The resulting building has a very normative structure and a facade and footprint that fit the historic zoning framework, helping to create and maintain the dense urban fabric of rowhouse neighbords.
