This is a project about an old city block. It once housed confectioners, jewelers, restaurateurs, pharmacists, and retailers in street-level parcels with residents in the apartments above. Now, it is home to a barber, a few restaurateurs, and street vendors. Over 200 years of building and development have shaped what is now the north 100 block of E Broad Street and although most of it still stands, it shows the effects of renovations, time, and neglect. This is also a project about paths. As sidewalks move pedestrians along streets they provide paths to retailers, employers, homes, and places to gather and be. Instead of traveling alongside the city block, this project proposes a pedestrian path through it. By stitching together a series of fractured building parcels, the path begins and ends three hundred feet apart at the sidewalks of Broad and Marshall streets. Lastly, this is a project about movement. This bridge between Broad and Marshall Streets serves as a bridge between two different types of places. The collection of parcels that are united in purpose for the sake of this work touch with walls, floors, and ceilings and where they do, create opportunity for passage. Horizontal movement through the city block happens through large volumes defined by planes and program. Vertical movement occurs through perforated shafts and open layers that allow for users to comprehend distance and direction traveled.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:vcu.edu/oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-3797 |
| Date | 27 April 2012 |
| Creators | Smith, Emily |
| Publisher | VCU Scholars Compass |
| Source Sets | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | © The Author |
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