Restoring the Void

Oct 1

Co-creating inclusive spaces with safety precautions in times of a pandemic

By: Marwa Al-Saqqar and Alexia Mere

COVID-19 has brought many to a stage of desolation. However, it also brought the world a fierce reminder of the importance of community and how it is rooted in our essence. Although social distancing and increased sanitation is an integral part of achieving a resilient society in the face of a pandemic, it is only by maintaining a connected community that we can sustain long-term growth and strength. This is why our design strives to create spaces that do not impact the human inclination to sociability but rather, to find creative ways to organically implement safety precautions related to COVID-19 and future pandemics together with community members..

Our design is a community infrastructure project that works towards people regaining the street and revitalizing the spaces that can act as bridges between different typologies and a diverse set of groups within a city. It is these diverse sets of groups that make up the cultural and built heritage of any main street, as they have shaped the community around it. For example, the studio and office hubs, as well as the alleyway revitalization of James Street North in Hamilton, ON, are heavily dependent on the local artists’ visions and also offer skill-building opportunities to youth facing barriers.

Using the spaces, materials, art, and values of the community already in place was an integral part of our design as it addresses both the need for inclusive spaces and environmentally responsible ones.

Details:

Budget: Approximate cost of each main space (not including future maintenance or major reparations): Office spaces ( $80,000) , Piazza Area ($800,000), Alley revitalization ($12,000 without cost of labour for local artist), Shelter ($110,000), Playground / Community Resource center ($500 000). Approximate Budget total of $1.5 million. This budget is reflective of the importance of large scale changes in community restoration, and it should be noted that it is incomparable to Hamilton’s current year police budget of $171.5 million. With that in mind, the proposal not only advocates for community involvement, but supports the reallocation of police funding towards community revitalization projects, social services, and city infrastructure that truly address the needs of safety in our neighborhoods.

Materials and Fabrication: This is a very large scale project and we are aware of the costs and significant details required in a project of this scale. We wanted to work with what we had available within the city of Hamilton to ensure future sustainability and resiliency in the future. For example, shipping containers are readily available in an industrial sourced city such as Hamilton. Using recycled shipping containers in 3 main spaces of the design was a way to work with local resources and reduce costs. Furthermore, using local materials such as timber for the main focal area of the piazza area was a way to both by environmentally responsible, but also to contrast to the surrounding materiality of James Street North which is heavily brick based.

Installation and Other Services: Because of the nature of the shipping containers, its mass production is feasible and can be effectively installed on site. Through the rise of digital fabrication and computational design, the ease of off site fabrication of the timber canopy can lead to safe and efficient installation as well. Other important details of our design implementation is the collective collaboration with the community around James Street North. We believe that re-engaging with the Main Street will come from having a personal attachment with its growth and history. Engaging with community ideas, local artists, and locally owned businesses will ensure not only a sustainable and effective way of installation and implementation, but also ensure a vibrant and successful main street in the future.