| dc.description.abstract | Industrial buildings are all too often forgotten in the world of design and urban planning. Pockets of industry buildings break up well design urban neighborhoods with their large, monolithic walls, usually set back from street faces behind huge parking lots. The buildings themselves serve only their industrial, manufacturing, or warehousing functions with the biggest priority being budget, rather than serving the people who work inside of them. This thesis explores solutions to these problems. Through research and design prototypes for an industrial site in St. Paul, Minnesota, new ideas are generated to promote a more sustainable solution to industrial buildings and their integration into an urban setting.
The project design will have a focus on the idea of “transparency.” This is more than just the inclusion of glazing systems within the building. The existing industrial buildings create a large separation between what goes on within and the world outside, and there is a divide between industrial workers and the workers who inhabit the beautiful modern and contemporary glass towers only a few miles away. Industrial workers are undervalued within our communities, and isolated from the perks their downtown counterparts have. Creating a “transparent” industrial building will help celebrate industry and help to bridge the gap between these groups.
The research behind this thesis project is conducted through a hybrid of three research methods: descriptive research, evaluative research, and design research. The descriptive and evaluative research are primarily done in the predesign phase, through beginning with research into what is meant by sustainable urban design, and ways it can be implemented within existing neighborhoods. This is followed by information on industrial buildings and on public transit within the chosen site. The design research portion helps explore different ways the structure, spaces, materials, and circulation can aid in the success of providing a “transparent” industrial building. | en_US |
