Presentation Slides

ReFoc

Architecture and Recession: A study of the fluctuating factors that affect architectural proposals throughout periods of drastic change.

Architectural proposals are born out of the analysis of context and content. These factors are inherently interdependent as well as constantly fluctuating, especially in times of recessions. Careful consideration must be given to both context and content throughout the project, in order to ensure that the relationships of a piece of architecture can withstand the effects of a looming recession. In the case of Xanadu, a 2 billion dollar commercial project, developers focused solely on content.

Xanadu was conceived of at a time when threats of a recession were looming. The proposal was a winning entry of a competition where projects were assessed based on bottom line numbers. Programs were developed with an emphasis on bringing people to Xanadu and keeping them there through the integration of hotels, business, shopping, entertainment, and recreation. Meanwhile, there was no consideration given to the larger elements of context. Neighboring downtowns, needs for transportation, requirements of affordable public housing, buildings on the immediate site, and environmental concerns were all ignored. Furthermore the public as well as government officials and other public figures were constantly kept in the dark. These injustices were not limited to this specific project, but rather symptoms of ideals that represent the general approach to building in the late 20th century. Ultimately this disregard of context in favor of content led to the collapse of projects like Xanadu. Currently, as we are pulling ourselves out of economic depression, a new emphasis has been placed on balancing the content and context. Now we must evaluate these failed projects and adapt already developed content so that it may respond to context as well.

Table of Methodology

ARCHITECTURE: BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A RECESSION

1. PREFACE

1.1. BUILDINGS AS A SYMPTOM OF THE STATE OF ARCHITECTURE

1.2. THE STATE OF ARCHITECTURE AS A VICTIM OF THE RECESSION

1.3. THE RECESSION AS A MEDIUM FOR CHANGE

2. BEFORE

2.1. ARCHITECTURE AS THE MANIFESTATION OF PUBLICLY EMBRACED IDEALS

2.2. PUBLICLY EMBRACED IDEALS AS THE PRECURSOR FOR RECESSION

2.3. RECESSION AS THE RESULT OF IMPLEMENTATION

3. DURING

3.1. THE RECESSION AS AN EMERGENCY BREAK

3.2. AN EMERGENCY BREAK AS FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF EVALUATION

3.3. EVALUATION AS THE CREATOR OF REVOLUTION

4. AFTER

4.1. CHANGE AS THE SPARK THAT INGNITES A FLAME

4.2. THE FLAME AS THE HEAT THAT REVIVES ARCHITECTURE

4.3. ARCHITECTURE AS THE CULMINATION OF RECESSION

5. EPILOGE

5.1. XANADU AS THE BEFORE

5.2. RECESSION AS THE DURING

5.3. THESIS PROJECT AS THE AFTER

The Process

Prove the Underlying Assumptions

Recessions represent periods of rapid change where society must adapt quickly and often times drastically in order to resolve the ailments of a struggling economy.

The professions that suffer the most during these times are those related to building. Thus, many projects conceived before economic downturns are stalled.

While studies are done and past behaviors are corrected to pull society out of the recession, building projects that have been stalled are pushed to completion based on now irrelevant thought processes. These buildings will fail.

Develop the Parameters

Work within the constraints of the current recession to identify ideals (based on building) prior to the recession, how they were re-evaluated during the recession, and the reformed ideals after the recession.

Refer to the case study building (Xanadu Project) in order to show how it epitomizes pre-recession ideals.

Map out the progress of the case study building by identifying all the players, the programs, and the project goals, and how their relationships evolve throughout the entire process. Then characterize all the major issues that led to the re-evaluation of the projects initial ideals and its decline.

Lay out the reformed ideals and how they relate to this project. Ultimately, a case should be formed for the transformation of the existing structure based on a newly established ideal set that is the result of the drastic change occurring throughout a recession.

Execute…

Fleshing Out The Idea

Adapting Architecture: A study of the constantly fluctuating factors that cause architectural proposals to adapt throughout initial studies, design, planning, and construction.

Architecture is conceived through a long process of study, design, planning, and construction that often takes years or even decades to complete. The result of this process is design, that at it's inception was appropriate for present, but upon completion is already a relic of the past. This begs the question, how can buildings constantly change to adapt to a world constantly in flux, or even, what if the conditions of society change so drastically that a project is simply unable to be completed?

With the country in the midst of an economical recession, the profession of building is hurting. Large scale developers are finding that more and more of their properties are becoming vacant, putting a hold on new construction due to financial restrictions. Further more, these developers design based on the bottom line, with no consideration for the multitude of fluctuating factors that really determine the success or failure of a project. This leaves their schemes without the ability to adapt as society changes. There is no better example of this than the "Xanadu" project in East Rutherford, NJ. Here a competition was held between three developing companies (Mills Corp., Harts Mountain Industries, and the Westfield Group) with the winning development proposal belonging to the Mills Corp. Judging for the three schemes boiled down to three numbers, cost of construction, yearly revenue, and jobs created, of which the Mills Corp. claimed "Xanadu" would cost $1.3 billion (and destroy the East Rutherford's downtown), produce $2.29 billion dollars a year (not counting the revenue it would steal from East Rutherford's downtown), and create 19,498 permanent jobs (not counting the jobs it would destroy in East Rutherford's Downtown). The project broke ground in 2004 and was set for its grand opening in 2007, yet by 2007 only the parking garages had been constructed. Come 2009, lenders were pulling out of the project as construction came to a complete halt with the exteriors of the building completely finished, interiors completely empty, no money remaining for construction, and an increasing anti-Xanadu attitude taking hold of the public. Currently, governor Christie has been making plans to pour government money into the project and complete it as it was initially proposed. However, does it really make sense to construct a project envisioned 7 years ago and that has already failed once? In my opinion, it does not. Too much has changed and it is time to take what has already been built and transform it into a project that is relevant in the present... with that said I will leave you with an image of the current state of Xanadu (remember the exterior is completed despite how unfinished it may look).