Community centres are a relatively new type of institution in the British Columbia recreational picture. The history of Sunset Memorial Centre was chosen for this study because it is an exceptionally interesting one, and because it is an excellent example of the community organization process. This study traces community endeavour to organize recreation in South Vancouver from its inception, about twenty years ago, through to the formation of the Sunset Community Association in 1945. The activities of the Association in its five-year campaign to provide a centre are covered. The first five months of operation of the Centre, from its opening in September, 1950, are analysed. Material for this study was gathered primarily from the records and publications of the Sunset Community Association, from newspaper articles and from the writer’s interviews with association members and other people in the community. A community survey was made to obtain background material. This study graphically illustrates the tremendous potentiality of a local association to discover and to meet community needs. It also clearly shows that for such an Association to realize fully its possibilities, it must have professional guidance. Pointed up, too, is the great need for a lay group in community organizations to be aware that in providing a facility it must also make plans for its operation. If adequate plans are not made, the community effort may, to a large extent, be wasted. The record of the many problems faced by the Association and its successful and unsuccessful attempts to solve them should be of particular value to other community associations. As the development of the present unsatisfactory arrangement between the Park Board and the Community Association, for the operation of the Centre, is covered in detail, and the implications of the operational agreement are discussed, this study may be helpful in the evaluation of the current confused state of the Vancouver Community Centre movement. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

Division is everywhere in our culture. We are divided by races, economic level, political affiliations, religion, nationality, and the list goes on, and on. Everywhere we turn we are faced with things that divide us, but we are rarely brought together. There are very few things in the world that allow us to set aside our differences and come together. Unfortunately public housing complexes in the U.S. have far too often served as a dividing factor in our society. As many public housing complexes have become synonymous with violence, neglect, and criminal activity, residents have been forced to avoid the public spaces, allowing them to become deserted community wastelands. But we can reverse the trend. This thesis will show that by creating spaces that encourage interaction between people, such as community centers, public parks, and retail nodes, we can begin to restore social housing complexes. By removing some of the barriers from our society we can help people reconnect with their neighbors and become more involved with their communities. This thesis will show that the removal of barriers from our public life also highlights the importance of reinforcing barriers in our private lives. This thesis will also demonstrate that bringing together different groups can not be accomplished by a single building but is most effective when accomplished by a group of buildings working in conjunction with each other. This thesis will show that careful planning and architecture can serve as the catalyst for bringing together people and communities. / Master of Architecture

The “Rose Herbert Community Center” is the culmination of a project questioning how a building can be restored to its original integrity when its initial function has become extinct. This thesis considers the Broad Street Station in Richmond, Virginia and explores the options and implications of returning the building to a hub of interaction within the community. Concepts such as functionally malleable spaces, the transition from a very public environment to a more private area, and the creation of intentional interaction versus coexistence are explored.

In the progress of city development What's your positon in a city What's an architecture's position in a city What's the condition of the city's edge / Master of Architecture

The Chinese government has long assumed that families will bear the social and health care burden of the older population. However, this is becoming increasingly difficult and is hardly a model of care that can be sustained with the projected growth of the older demographic. Since the late 1970s, China has successfully controlled the population growth by applying the One-Child Policy. However, its byproduct, the “4-2-1 problem”, along with the unavoidable trends of globalization and migration, means that older generations must often rely on themselves, and not their children or grandchildren, for care and support. To prepare for this challenge – the weakening of traditional filial piety – this proposal of an active retirement community centre for calligraphy art reflects a desire for a new way of living during the second half of life. Instead of viewing old age as a residual period, this proposal sets the stage for older adults to continue their contributions as they age. Calligraphy performance as a traditional cultural activity offers older adults a great balance between activity and leisure, caring for the body and caring for the soul. Additionally, the artistic quality of calligraphy art is used to express and convey ideas for the design process.

The Chinese government has long assumed that families will bear the social and health care burden of the older population. However, this is becoming increasingly difficult and is hardly a model of care that can be sustained with the projected growth of the older demographic. Since the late 1970s, China has successfully controlled the population growth by applying the One-Child Policy. However, its byproduct, the “4-2-1 problem”, along with the unavoidable trends of globalization and migration, means that older generations must often rely on themselves, and not their children or grandchildren, for care and support. To prepare for this challenge – the weakening of traditional filial piety – this proposal of an active retirement community centre for calligraphy art reflects a desire for a new way of living during the second half of life. Instead of viewing old age as a residual period, this proposal sets the stage for older adults to continue their contributions as they age. Calligraphy performance as a traditional cultural activity offers older adults a great balance between activity and leisure, caring for the body and caring for the soul. Additionally, the artistic quality of calligraphy art is used to express and convey ideas for the design process.

Emerging more than 3000 years ago - an era of hermit culture in China - private gardens played an important role in the development of Chinese culture. In this thesis, the essence of Chinese private gardens, especially the principles of their spatial organization, is used to direct the design. In a Chinese garden, the aim of spatial design was to create an experience of variety and change in a highly limited space. Gardens normally were made up of a series of spatial units, each with its own function and distinguishing characteristics through skilled manipulation of spaces, materials and plants. This Chinese Community Center was designed for the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars, the largest international organization on the campus of Virginia Tech. As the joining of the eastern and western culture, the building was designed by syncretizing the spatial organization of Chinese gardens and the form and material of western modern architecture. In my design, three units were introduced into the building. As to the spatial layout of the building, the garden was an open space; the exhibition area was enclosed; and the entrance corridor unit was partly open and partly enclosed as a transition. Three units organized the inter-penetrative spaces, integrating spatial units of different types and forms, and achieving diversity, contrast and harmony. Perforated aluminum panels with Chinese patterns were introduced into the entrance area to create a semi-open space, which gave the impression of Chinese architecture and culture identity. The method of the borrowing of scenery was also introduced in this unit. From the framed gate at the entrance, the balcony at the end of the building was connected visually with the beginning. At this point, the perforated panels contrasted with the solid concrete wall, symbolizing the contrast between tradition and modernity in time and space. Also, following the principle of Chinese gardens, two choices of touring the building were provided to visitors at the entrance: by entering the hall of the building or by going down to the garden directly by way of the wood stairs. The enclosed concrete unit served as the exhibition area, introducing Chinese culture and architecture to visitors. An interior bamboo garden was arranged in the middle of the unit, connecting the lower and upper levels. The color and the fragrance of bamboo were borrowed from the nature, being the focus of the whole unit. The two-story high tea area faced the trianglar bamboo garden outside, conveying a quiet feeling. Staying in the modern space with traditional Chinese culture and plants will be a great feeling for visitors, touching the spirits of antiquity and today at the same time. The open garden space in the center connected and separated the enclosed unit and semi-open unit. Because water in a garden was the artistic simulation of natural lakes in the basic concepts of Chinese gardens, a shallow water pond was arranged in the garden close to the main hall of the building, occupying one corner in the garden. A trianglar bamboo garden occupied another corner, leaving the central part for activities. Looking at the design as a whole, the paradox is that the three units were spatial divisions on the one hand, and at the same time spatial linkages on the other. Out of this complexity, the visitors will be delighted by the changing views as they stroll from one part of the building to another. / Master of Architecture

No description available.

The project and the idea of combining a community center with a biogasplant took shape in the first project of the year. In that group assignment we investigated a chosen area above Lista church in Eskilstuna from the perspective of FNs goal "water and sanity for all". We chose the place because of its particular watercourses and it turned out to be an old drained lake. After more research we became aware of the bad influence a drained lake has on the environment. Morasses and lakes are extremely important for the purification of water, and they its a must for a healthy water ecology. Not to mention all the different species that are dependent on the biotope, swamps actually have an even greater bio-diversity than a rainforest. Because of this our group decided to recreate the lake that once existed there. With this background I think it's a good idea to combine a community center with a biogas plant in this location. The education and exhibitions that take place there are supposed to teach the populus about the importance of healthy water sources, and the perks of having biogas plants. It's also suitable to place a biogas plant next to a swamp because you can release the spill-water into nature and take advantage of natures own purifying effects. The building has its entry on a hill overlooking the plant and the swamp, from where you slowly move downward to the different functions. The main idea of the building is to be an onlooker of the plant, to make the industry an attraction for the people, for spatial effect and education. / Projektet och anledningen till att kombinera folkets hus med ett biogasverk tog avstamp i det föregående arbetet. I den grupp-uppgiften undersökte vi området ovanför Lista Kyrka gentemot FN:s delmål “vatten och sanitet för alla”. Platsen vi valde på grund av sina speciella vattendrag visade sig vara en gammal utdikad sjö. Efter mer efterforskning blev vi varse om hur dåligt för miljön och ekosystemen det är att torrlägga sjöar. Sankmarker och sjöar är otroligt viktiga för rening av vattnet och är ett krav för hälsosamma vattendrag och vattentäkter. För att inte nämna alla arter som använder sankmarken för olika ändamål, sankmark har tillochmed en större artrikedom än regnskogar. Därför valde vi som grupp att återskapa den våtmark som en gång låg på platsen. Med denna bakgrund tycker jag det passar bra att kombinera folkets hus med biogasverk. Tanken är att utställningarna och föreläsningarna ska lära ut om biogasverk och hur man tar hand om sitt avfall till fördel för miljön. Det passar också väldigt bra att placera ett biogasverk intill en sankmark då man kan släppa ut spillvattnet och dra nytta av naturens egen vattenrening. Huset utgår från en höjd ovanför sankmarken varifrån man sakta rör sig neråt in till husets olika funktioner. Grundtanken med projektet är att åskåda biogasverksamheten, att göra industrin till en attraktion för folket, för rumslig effekt och utbildning.

Last semester we worked in groups on the UN’s sustainability goals. My group had a focus on sustainable consumption and production. Local knowledge and resources to overcome this problem will give the school an important relevance. By gathering the interest in sustainable consumption and production under one roof, this is a way to create a local identity for Eskilstuna. The building is located oon a site between two neighborhoods. Today, there are cycle and walking paths around parts of Borsöknasjön and an extension of them will make the building accessible from all directions. Today, there is forest on the plot and 11.1 hectares of agricultural land. My project is a hybrid of a Community center and a Center for youths, specializing in sustainable agriculture and lifestyle. The vision for this project is to create an educational institution for local youth, that wants a gapyear between high school and further education or working life. A school where they can develop interests and invest time to acquire knowledge and skills for working towards a sustainable future. The school will receive about sixty students anually. During their stay the students will work systematically with organic farming, processing of the raw materials produced and innovation linked to agriculture and sustainability. / Su+Stayin school, som er mitt kandidatprosjekt. Dette er en hybrid av en folkehøyskole for holdbar odling- og livsstil, i kombinasjon med Folkets hus. Jeg har ønsket å skape et sosialt bygg som retter seg mot flere. Skape en plass hvor både studentene, personalet, lokale og besøkende skal trives. Skolen kommer til å ta i mot omtrent seksti studenter som sammen med personalet skal drifte odlingsmarken omkring.  Programmet omfatter program for studenter og besøkende. Det er en ide om at workshops og aktiviteter som foregår på skolen også skal invitere inn besøkende.   Planløsningen handlet mye om å tilrettelegge for en dynamisk og fleksibel bruk av bygget. Skape rom som gir bygget gode sosiale rom og som tilfører både plassen og de som skal bruke bygget noe. Samtidig har det vært viktig å bruke materialer som tåler bruk og som har en viss robusthet. Kombinasjonen av tre og glass som føles naturlig for plassen og som blir en moderne variant av  det omkringliggende.