BETTER LIVING THROUGH ARCHITECTURE

Brian Chappel
Practicum Research
Fall Semester 2004
Part of the practicum experience includes a research project. The project can
cover any topic selected by the student although preference is given to a subject
matter of mutual interest to both the student and the practicum firm. From the
beginning my intention was that this project would lay the groundwork for my
senior research which will be a two semester endeavor. Well, perhaps "lay the
groundwork" might be a bit too decisive. I simply hoped that any explorations
this semester would help guide my selection of a topic; lead me to a subject of
sufficient interest anddepth to develop next year. At my most ambitious I dreamed
that the research would spawn an architectural manifesto, or a definitive Hawai-
ian style of architecture for the new millennium, and at the very least, and more
realistically, I thought my work would prove a valuable cross-section of ideas
from which I could select a topic.
Interestingly, during this semester FCA has completed the renovation of the Ha-
waii Theatre marquee in downtown Honolulu, and held the grand opening for the
NELHA gateway project just south of the Kona Airport on the "Big Island" of
Hawaii. Each project addressed a different aspect of sustainability. The Hawaii
Theatre project contributed to the ongoing historic restoration of the theatre that
helped save the old venerable structure from ruin. The gateway project, on the
other hand, involved a completely new structure that uses an experimental sus-
tainable cooling systemusing deep sea water. The concept of sustainability spans
a wide spectrum-from the renovation ofexistingbuilding stock to the construc-
tionofnewexperimental buildings. Basedonthis broad definition ofsustainability
BETTER LIVING THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
FOREWORD
inspiredby these projects, I thought to investigate various aspects ofsustainability.
I finally focused on "adaptive reuse" as a topic with the hopes of also identifying
a building in Honolulu with the potential to be developed into a future model of
adaptive reuse strategies. The research soon lead me to other related areas.
My research project often times more closely resembled an exercise in process or
a survey of ideas, than a definitive examination of adaptive reuse. I ended up
touching on many different aspects of sustainability, some related only tangen-
tially, and getting a general understanding of a few different topics. The work
presented here reflects these academic wanderings in the field of sustainability
and adaptive reuse over the course of the semester. I believe the success of this
process and the final product lies in the useful body of knowledge collected, and
more specifically how it will lend itselfto an intendedfinal design project regard-
ing the adaptive reuse of a building in Honolulu.
Image above: The Hawari Theatre ....,th new marquee lights. [hawautheatreoom]
3
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INTRODUCTION
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This is the earth-home to approximately 6 billion people.
And it is on its way to an eight million person population by 2020 (United Na-
tions figures). This ever growing population produces an ever growing amount
oftrash and requires an ever growing amount ofenergy to fuel its needs. Much of
that demand can be accounted for by the world-wide building industry. The con-
struction and operation ofbuildings devour 40% of global energy, 40% of annual
raw materials (mined, harvested or dredged) and 16% of the annual fresh water
consumption. The industry in turn produces 20-40% of trash world-wide, and
interestingly more than 50% of that trash is considered "clean" waste-unused
scraps of material. Architects and the building industry clearly contribute sig-
nificantly to the growing problem of where to dispose of waste, and how to man-
age an ever dwindling supply of finite resources.
Hawaii may provide a microcosmofthese future world-wide dilemmas. On Oahu
alone residential, commercial and industrial sources produce 1.6 million tons of
waste each year. [September 22,2004 Honolulu Advertiser] About 600,000 of
that is burned at the H-power plant (supplying 5% of the island's electricity)
while half of the remaining is recycled and the other half goes to the landfilP .
Unfortunately the current landfill will soon reach capacity and there is no real
viable place on such a small islandfor another site. The highly publicized debate
of what to do with this trash demonstrates the size and impact of this problemon
everyone in the community. The city council trying to respond to public outcries
only recently "solved" this problemby extending the size and life ofthe existing
landfill, but thereby breaking a political promise to close the dump by May 2008.
The hope being that trash will have somehow solved itself between now and the
time the dump has been filled seems to be an article of faith.
Oahu must also contend with a near complete reliance on outside sources for its
energy. With no local sources of fossil fuels, Hawaii currently imports approxi-
mately 90% of our energy needs in the form of oil and coal. Various groups
frequently call on the state to reduce our reliance on imported energy and move
toward independence, but action has been slow and limited. In fact, Hawaii's
Governor recently noted that the percentage of energy generate by alternative
sources has actually shrunk in the past decade. On a larger scale the rest of the
world faces the same political, economic and environmental issues attached to a
dependency on finite energy sources. Given that we live on a world of limited
resources, the more things we burn or put in the landfill the fewer resources
available. Considering the role architects have in the building industry and its
use of raw materials and fuel, they must be among the most fervent advocates for
a more sustainable built environment.
I Tedmically, constmctiOll debris goes to a private landfill as opposed to Waimanalo Gulch.
Image above: dJg>taJ. typhoon.olg
Chart obove: "Honolulu Advertiser- Monday. October 25, 2004
r
INTRODUCTION
Every bUilding exists within an environmental context upon which it not o n ~ v acts but which also has an impact upon the building... no bUilding can be constructed as
a microcosm. Every building must consider the impact it will have on the environment into which it will be placed, locally and globally.
-Ross Spiegel, Green BUilding Materials: A Guide to Product Selection & Specification.
Architecture should always be consideredwithinthe context ofthe site. Environ-
mental factors, such as the sun, the wind and views, and the built environment,
including neighboring buildings and infrastructure, playa large part in the ulti-
mate orientation and design of the building. Essentially no building should or
can be a monument unto itself. More frequently these days this idea ofcontext is
expanded to encompass the lifetime impact of the building on a world-wide level
in terms of its materials and energy consumption. The construction, renovation
or demolition of a building will have ripple effects on its visual, physical and
social environment. Native Americans famously state that the impact of all deci-
sions onthe next seven generations must be considered, and perhaps that is direc-
tion the construction industry ought to be headed. According to this precept,
architects today have high standard to meet in designing buildings that strive to
be not only structurally sound, aesthetically pleasing and functional but also
sustainable... and ultimately moral?
These issues and the following strategies to deal with them are nothing new. My
explorations cover well-trod territory. Much ofthe following discussion has been
summarized nicely by Randy Croxton, principal of the Croxton Collaborative:
1: Look for ways not to build.
2: Minimize in design and detail by using assemblies of re-
sources that can be retrieved and reused at the highest value.
3: Facilitate disassembly.
BETTER LIVING THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
I simply hope to expound upon these ideas and apply them to specific circum-
stances here in Hawaii. Some of these ideas can be grouped under Sustainability,
Adaptive Reuse, etc., but they basically provide modern terms for traditional ways
of living and designing. Taken as a whole, correctly understood and applied
these ideas could help strip away some ofthe ego and money that drives the more
wasteful aspects of the profession, and begin to reframe Architecture as an ap-
proach to living and a process for better living.
5
Could we simply stop building?
On December 5, 2004 an entire house with all its furniture was leveled to make
way for a new house and a pool. All of this was done in 5 days. All of this was
done without an architect. All of this was done for the pleasure of a national
televisionaudience and it happens every week Oneachepisode Extreme Makeover
Home Edition selects a "deserving" family and sends them on a vacation while
the program documents the destruction of their house and furniture, and con-
struction ofa new house completely furnished. The family returns shedding tears
ofjoy for the new retractable plasma screen, swimming pool, walk-in closets and
themed kitchens. Although the previous house and its contents may have been a
little older and worn, was there need for a complete overhaul of the property?
"Renovation and remodeling make up the lion:S share of that
huge volume ofC&D waste. According to some EPA statistics
from 1996, demolition and renovation constitute 92 percent of
construction waste. " [Knecht]
Considering the enormous amount of refuse createdby renovations in general the
show sets a bad precedent. A brand new house with all new appliances should
not be the bar for living well. A common catchphrase of the eco-friendly is
"reduce, reuse, recycle". This phrase should be more frequently applied to the
practice of architecture. The first step in reducing waste generated by the build-
BETTER LIVING THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
MINIMIZATION
ing industry is to ask ifnewconstruction is needin the first place. Randy Croxton
of the Croxton Collaborative states that the first step in their design process is:
Lookfor ways not to build; [ask if] the programmatic reqUire-
ments demand afully enclosed, energy consuming space. [Knecht]
A current example can be found in an unusual and high profile adaptive reuse
project involving an old abandoned elevated train tracks in New York City know
as the highline. The highline is 30ft high, 30ft wide and nearly a mile and a half
long located in West Side Manhattan. Over the years it has fell into disrepair and
a lush bed of wild native grasses and flower have sprung up along its length,
creating an elevated linear park. People have worked to preserve the structure
and a recent international competition (700 entries from 36 countries) looks to
develop the highline and the area around it. The highline presents a perfect
opportunity to reflect on the idea broached by Randy Croxton: "Is a building or
any new construction is even required?" The highline has developedfor years on
its own into a natural park with a unique character (all without professional de-
sign intervention) suggesting that any further intervention take a subtle approach
and let the highline speak for itself. Yet, of the four final designs selected only
one did not propose substantial construction; focusing on simply putting in a
walkway and developing points of access. Does the highline need to become a
super multi-media mall center? Does it even need a shelter? Do we need to
build? Do we need to build new?
Image opposrte. ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edrtion www.abc.oom Photo above; "FnelJd:, ofthe HIghline- at thelughhne.org
7
PRESERVATION
There is no art as impermanent as architecture. All that solid brick and stone mean
nothing. Concrete is as evanescent as air. The monuments ofour civilization stand.
usually. on negotiable real estate; their value goes down as land value goes up.
-Ada Louise Huxtable.
Death and Life ofGreat American Cities
One ofa city's most valuable, and surprisingly fluid, assets is its existing building
stock. During the Japanese economic bubble of the late 20
th
century, relatively
newbuildings in Tokyo often succumbed to the overwhelmingfinancial pressures
of skyrocketing land value and inevitably larger projects. [Brand] 1 Tokyo is not
alone as this shortened building cycle frequently occurs in quickly growing urban
centers. In the hopes of maintaining and stabilizing their tumultuous built envi-
ronment, many cities and regions champion the idea of "preservation". Legisla-
tion, tax incentives, increasing social value attached to old buildings, rising con-
struction costs and the failings of modernist architecture [powell] do make pres-
ervation an increasingly appealing architectural option. Saving the existing build-
ing stock also just makes good sense in terms of conserving the energy and mate-
rials used to construct the building in the first place, commonly known as "em-
bodied energy conservation". The value of this "embody energy" is likely to
increase along with the rise in fuel and material prices meaning that the initial
investment in the construction pays off more each year. The building then starts
to create what Brand refers to as "Intergenerational Equity". [Brand] However,
the recognized value of the buildings does not only rest in the materials of the
structurebut also inthe historythey contain. As architectural critic Lewis Mumford
once stated, "In the city time becomes visible", and indeed in the design, patinas
and fabric of the buildings we find stored our collective histories. And so as a
method to ensure the survival of existing building stock as well as secure the
heritage of a community, preservation certainly succeeds, but it often must be
weighed against progress and the development of an area.
BETTER LIVING THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
Many developers, building owners and cities bemoan the restrictions used to con-
serve the historical nature of a building or district. The "Historical" distinction,
as it often severly limits the development potential of a site, is not always wel-
come. Honolulu's Chinatown currently struggles with this dilemma as various
groups work to balance the integrity and vitality ofthe neighborhood. Landown-
ers within the district often find it difficult to sustain the financial viability of
their property while abiding by the guidelines of the district. One building cur-
rently at this impasse is the C.Q. Yee Hop Warehouse, a two-story structure built
of local "blue rock" and located in the Chinatown Special District of Honolulu.
Built in 1919, the structure operated for decades with cold storage on the ground
floor and boarding rooms on the second floor. Now, vacant for years and with a
quarter of its roof caved-in, the building represents a neighborhood on the verge
of resurgence while coming to terms with its historical designation. The owners
want to demolish the building and redevelop the site, but the State Historic Pres-
ervation Division would like the building retained for its historical and architec-
tural significance. The owners state that rehabilitating the building would not be
cost effective and have requested a compromise that would require saving only a
portion of the building. No agreement appears close, but how this conflict con-
cludes will likely impact the redevelopment of other sites in Chinatown. The
preservation movement has done much to reconsider the importance ofold build-
ings, but in some cases could jeopardize future development and construction.
lmage opposite: PreservatIOn a plece &1a tIme. TIID SamU<lson photo U1 Lost Buildings. Photo above: "Blue Rock" Building
9
'Saving' old buildings is no longer
enough. The aim is not preservation but
transformation, an architectural, rather
than a sentimental or historicist approach
to creating newform out ofoldfabric.
-Kenneth Powell, Architecture Reborn
ADAPTIVE REUSE
Somewhere between minimization and preservation is adaptive reusl;}-transform-
ing the current fabrics and forms of an area for a newpurpose. Adaptive reuse or
the idea of adapting a building for a new use is not a novel one. Old buildings
may often outlive their original purpose and can be put towards a different use.
ATrain Track becomes a Park
AChurch becomes a Mosque
ATrain Station becomes a Museum
AGrain Silo becomes a Hotel
An Industrial Factory becomes a Residential Loft
Change is the only constant. This can be seen in architecture as with anything
else. In previous periods of history construction was closer to a "closed-loop"
environmental system-"one where every material has an ongoing useful life and
waste is diverted from landfills." [Knecht] The actual building materials of an-
cient civilizations such as the Romans might very well be found today still sup-
porting structures on other continents. [Knecht] Recycling building components
and entire structures have enormous advantages beyond the conservation of "em-
bodied energy" and heritage particularly for an island state such as Hawaii that
needs to import nearly all of our construction materials and energy. Adaptive
reuse relieves some of this pressure by relying more heavily on local resources
such as manpower.
Adaptive reuse of historic buildings requires fewer construc-
tion materials but often requires more time in labor. This means
that dollar for dollar, a renovation project will provide more
funds to the local workforce than a new construction project.
[Thaler]
Adaptively reusing a building means that most of the investment required is in
terms of manpower not materials imported from out of state which keeps more
money in Hawaii. This method of construction invests in the state. But this
system has to a degree fallen out of fashion during the second half of the 20
th
century. Approximately 200,000 buildings come down every year, and unfortu-
nately much of that material becomes landfill. [Knecht]
Today, houses throughout the u.s. contain the recycled lumber
ofdismantled structures. It is only in the last halfcentury that
this country abandoned the art of recovery and reuse for the
expediency, predictability, and standardization resulting from
complete demolition and new construction. [Knecht]
And the truth of the matter is people like to demolition old buildings. TV shows
are constructed around this premise and audiences gather to watch building demo-
litions. For every masterpiece of architecture that people will picket to preserve,
there are a hundred humble, unknown buildings that are considered disposable
BETTER LIVING THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
lmage opposite: Prom trams to art at Musee D'Orsay. tiger.lowson.edu Photos above: (I) PIcketing for a Sullivan building. [Thn
Samuelson Lost Buildmgs. Ware.] (r) A fiee show. repderno.oom
11
ADAPTIVE REUSE
and demolished due to fashion or finance. Adaptive reuse can be most effective
on those buildings not considered historically significant. While preservation is
concerned with the restoration of the building, adaptive reuse is focused on reno-
vations that transformthe building for a new purpose; giving a building newlife.
A closer look needs to be given to a wider range of buildings as potential for
architectural transformations.
Cities needed old buildings... By old buildings I mean not mu-
seum-piece oldbuildings... but also alot ofplain, ordinary, low-
value old buildings, including some rundown old buildings.
-Jane Jacobs
The problem is that buildings, unlike wide ties and Jefferson
Airplane albums, can t be put in storagefor decades while their
owners hope they become fashionable again. [BernsteinJ
Amajor ongoing debate involves the buildings of the 60s. While older buildings
are being preserved, those from the 1960's are frequently tom down in favor of
new construction. Granted, buildings from this era frequently have expensive
problems. Many 60s era buildings suffer "leaky roofs, inadequate heating sys-
tems, flimsy with low ceilings, unopenable windows, highly energy inefficient
[and furthermore they are] generally disliked [and cost] more money to update
than to tear down and rebuild" [Bernstein). Structures of the era also typically
involved hulking, masses of rough concrete that would liberally use air-eondi-
tioning and fluorescent light in place of natural ventilation and light. These
problems largely resulted from the circumstances of the times, namely extremely
cheap energy, material experimentation and an interest in the Brutalist style of
architecture. Interestingly, the Baby Boomers growing up during 60s are the
primary ones knocking these buildings down while the younger 20-something set
[Bernstein] are the ones working to preserve the buildings suggesting perhaps
that it is mostly an issue of style. Applying adaptive reuse for these buildings
could allow others to see their value and make them functioning and increase
their valuable. There are numerous examples of adaptive reuse rejuvenating a
building or even entire areas of a city. While there are many buildings that could
be set apart for their amazing transformation (many of themmuseums such as the
Tate Gallery in the Bankside Power Station), perhaps no other adaptive reuse
\genre has had such an impact as the residential loft. The large open flexible
spaces ofvacated factories located in abandoned industrial districts provided the
perfect spaces for an agglomeration of artists on the cheap. As the concentration
of artists bring in more people and businesses interests in the area as a place to
live swells. The first artists to take over the factories started as illegal squatters in
the mid-20
th
century, but today cities try to encourage and harness the gentrifying
powers of the artist loft. Areas in nearly every major metropolis from New York
to London to Berlin have experienced the phenomenon. 1 In New York alone the
experience swept through SoHo, Chelsea, the Meatpacking District and Dumbo.
The vitality and livelihood of these areas thrive on continuous adaptive reuse-
evolving from low cost factory space to abandoned neighborhood to artist com-
munity to residential neighborhood with all the accoutrements including coffee
shops, restaurants, bakeries, grocers etc. The Chinatown Special District may be
poised for its own transformation. On August 11, 2004 the Honolulu City Coun-
cil approved the bill that allows for loft apartments. This change combined with
a recent revival in galleries and artist venues in Chinatown suggest that the area
will undergo a dramatic transformation in the next few years.
Other major cities abroad and in the US continue to rejuvenate themselves by
transforming areas with careful development of existing resources. Barcelona
has been set apart as a model due to recent resurgence particularly in the area
around its waterfront. The strategies utilized by the city have collectively been
called the "Barcelona Model" [Ingersoll] and was described as, "... recuperation
of a run-down area through the pragmatic use of architectural & cultural
resources... avoid insensitive demolitions, conserving the urban grain of the ex-
isting blocks... there has been no attempt to induce architectural masterpieceS;-
but instead to create incentives for synergy betweenworkplaces, schools and hous-
ing." While newarchitectural works were commissionedand have receivedpraise,
the focus of much of the work has been to maintain the existing character of the
neighborhoods, and integrate the new and the old. Barcelona has thus proven the
practicality of many adaptive reuse ideas on an entire city section. In the US,
Philadelphia, Detroit and Denver (in some way the model for Honolulu
Chinatown's bill) have seen resurgence with new developments complementing
BETTER LIVING THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
ADAPTIVE REUSE
the existing building stock. On both the building and city level, adaptive reuse
applies a sustainable vision of transformation of existing resources.
1 As an interesting side note, the popularity of industrial lofts has reached sudl a point that an entire
suburb recently opened in the US with homes designed to resemble abandoned factories. And ofcourse
all fronted by a green lawn.
Photo opposite: Orange County Government Center (Goshen, NY) typiJies 60s era brutalism rrony Cenioola. NYT Oct 31, 2004].
Photos above: (I) Edward Durell Stone's New York Culturnl Center. (r) Adaptive abuse is arisk. [Moore]
13
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DISASSEMBLY DESIGN
If a building doesn t support change and re-
use, you have illusion ofsustainability.
lou may have excellent building orientation
andother energy-savingsystems, but the build-
ing just also be able to be flexible to meet a
change in curriculum. -Randy Croxton,
Croxton Collaborative architecture group.
Today's new buildings become tomorrow's building stock. Therefore it makes
sense that new structures shouldbe designed with an eye on transforming a build-
ing for a new function. Adaptive reuse often occurs without great fanfare and
actually represents the most significant part (70%) [powell] of American archi-
tecture work. Unfortunately, reuse is not given the same level of consideration as
new construction and as a result reuse contributes greatly to the nation's land-
fills
l
. For the US change, buildings need to be consciously designed for reuse and
eventual disassembly. One approach proposed by William McDonough requires
that all buildings be built with residential space as the primary unit thereby al-
lowing all structures to easily adapt to a residential use. The idea of course being
that building types may come and go, but people will always need a place to live.
The ubiquity of the residential loft speaks to the potential of this idea. Other
people are starting to again design buildings for eventual deconstruction/disas-
sembly. At one time, buildings could be easily dismantled into basic component
parts. Mortis and tenon connections made for easy disassembly and the solid
materials that the buildings start with contributed to their value.
2
Today's con-
struction techniques demand use of a wrecking ball or explosives and the dust
released (oftenfilled with asbestos and lead
3
) by this process often creates a health
hazard.
The combined architecture teamofCroxton Collaborative and GouldEvans worked
to design Rinker Hall at the University ofFlorida for eventual disassembly. Strat-
egies used on this builing did not genearlly require sophisticated techniques or
new technologies. To facilitate the design process they created a disassembly
matrix identifying materials to use and howreadily they can be retrievedfrom the
building. Based on this analysis, they employed sprinklers in the design to leave
materials exposed and eliminate the multiple layers of materials for fireproofing
the steel that complicate the disassembly process. EHDD of San Francisco ap-
proached a school project in a similar way. The design of their windows incorpo-
rated mechanical fasteners to ensure they could be easily fixed when needed and
ultimately be taken apart at the end of the building's life. Most modern windows
are encased in cement plaster that has to be destroyed in renovations or simple
replacement. This type of approach applies to the roof as well; allowing for easy
separation of the infrastructure from other components. Dismantling a roof is
also made safer when large sections can be taken down intact for further disas-
sembly. [Knecht] The total elimination of certain materials such as drywall also
/ reduces waste since the material is completely unusable after disassembly. In
addition, some firms have proposed making "deconstruction drawings" a stan-
dard part of the "construction documents" and also incorporating
"deconstructability" reviews into the demolition process. [Knecht]
Other firms (e.g. MF Technologies) see afuture using CADsystems (e.g. MasterFit)
to eliminate waste from construction and facilitate deconstruction. These CAD
systems typically allow for precisely cut pieces of engineered wood individually
created for each project. The pieces are packaged like a kit with each piece la-
beled for quick identification and assembly. In the case of MF Technologies
houses, the pieces are assembled using mechanical systems such as pegs and
plates. MF Technologies" ... tout the sytem's frugal use of materials (2-5% less
lumber than a typical stick-frame house)" [Brown], which makes for less factory
waste, as well as its ability to produce tighter frames and shells, reduce produc-
tion and assembly time and simplify labor requirements." Panels are then at-
tached to the frame with nails and screws. In addition to assisting construction,
this technique also means that deconstruction is easier as well. Also, use of
engineered lumber offers a couple of distinct advantages. The lumber is stronger
than standard [Brown] and the wood used grows back quickly. Even with a
change in design and construction, the disassembly of buildings will remain a
complicated endeavor as the disassembly process is often costly and the reuse
network is still underdeveloped. Design for dissassembly will require an indus-
try-wide effort and coordination.
I "Renovation and remodeling make up the lion's share ofthat huge volume of C&D waste. According
to some EPA statistics from 1996, demolition and renovation constitute 92 percent of construaion
waste."[Knecht] Interestingly, the etherlands tedmically has no construction waste as law requires all
its material be recycled.
BETTER LIVING THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
DISASSEMBLY DESIGN
2 Mountain Lumber (Ruckersville, Vrrginia) purchases Chinese Elmtimbers that had been dismantled
from ancient Ming D)nasty structures over 400 years old. Thetimbers oould be disassembled because
they had been put together using mortise andtenon technology. The lumber was eventually milled into
floor planks. Mountain Lumber has also imported traditional wood vats from cider mills in England
that were upgradingto modem metal barrels.
3 Elementary schools in Hawaii were closed in October 2004 due to asbestos found under the paint.
Sdlool officials said that the asbestos will be removednow that it has been dttected. However, officials
also stated that the chemical does n ~ pose a threat unless released into the air as a powder, as in the case
of building demolition. -Shapiro
Table opposite: Disassembly matrix based on Cro.xton Collaborabve wod for Rmker Hall Image> above: (I) Connection plate.
(r) Completed house. [MFTcorp.oom]
15
We should not live in a bright shining newfuture, any more
than we should hide in a comfortable pastiche ofthe past.
We must inhabit an ever-evolving present, motivated by the
possibility ofchange, restricted by the baggage ofmemory
and experience. -David Chipperfield, Architect
Current architectural design and construction strategies can have a negative im-
pact on our natural and social environment. In an ever shrinking world excessive
consumption of energy and raw materials impacts everyone's welfare. As a lead
representative of the building industry, Architects have direct influence over our
built environment and the responsibility to consider the building's impact on the
community. The effects ofan architectural design can reverberate past abuilding's
lifetime in the form of landfill waste, pollution and broken social fabric. The
ideas outlined here address these issues by viewing architecture as first a spatial
approach to problem solving applied over time, not simply an exercise in con-
struction.
If a structure is required, existing buildings provide an exciting opportunity to
add another layer of history, create a denser social fabric and enrich the built
environment. Architecture is not the result of an individual act, but a process;
adaptively reusing a building continues this process of maturation and evolution
in the building, neighborhood and city. In the case that a newbuilding is needed,
BETTER LIVING THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
CONCLUSION
the architect should consider the context of time, as well as environment, and the
future lifetimes of the building. Future uses of a building need not be precisely
anticipated, but the design and construction should lend readily to alternative
uses and eventual disassembly. The focus though should not be simply refining
the objects in our built environment, or the process of design and construction.
The ultimate prize is better living through architecture for all peoples ofall time.
16
Bernstein, Fred A. "Baby Boomers are taking revenge on the blocky, Brutalist
buildings of their youth", New York Times, October 31, 2004.
Brown, Ted Smalley. "Tech Briefs: From balloon frame to CAD-tailored: Japa-
nese precut framing technologycomes to the U.S.", Architectural Record,
October 2004, p 191.
Brand, Stewart, HowBuildings Learn: What Happens After They Are Built, Pen-
guin Group, Penguin Books USA Inc., 375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014,
1994.
Busch, Akiko. "An Argument for Seasonal Architecture", Metropolis, October
2004, pp 90-91.
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tive", http://www.architectureink.com/l0-2000/sitespeci:ficnarrative.htm.
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Way We Make Things, North Point Press, 19 Union Square, New York
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BIBLIOGRAPHY & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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BETTER LIVING THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
I would like to thank and acknowledge all those individuals in the community
who I spoke with regarding my research. Their knowledge and insights helped
greatly in the completion of this semester project. Included among them are:
Chris Smith, local architect
Christy Vicari-Coito, Chinatown property owner and Realtor
Duc, local restauranteer
Gelareh Khoie, tenant
James Lynch, UH architecture student
Scott Cheever, local historian and author
Stephen Chun, Chinatown property representative
and everyone else not listed who lent a hand or an ear...thank you.
I would like to take this time to thank and acknowledge everyone at Ferraro Choi
and Associates. Their support, assistance and tasty snacks helped me immensely
over the course of this semester, and without them this report would not have
been completed.
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