Click image to download PDF

The city can revitalize and enrich its neighborhoods through the preservation of existing urban fabric and the simultaneous creation of new buildings in the under-utilized volumes of the city.

NewRenewal describes a strategy which revitalizes the city through building within and in between existing urban fabric. As defined now, a building envelope is the maximum three dimensional volume above a lot that a building is confined to. Many of the buildings in the city do not fill their entire envelope therefore causing inefficiencies in development of the city. By transferring development rights, and collectively using the development rights of other lots, a new type of building can exist.

With a rethinking of urban renewal, we can avoid demolition and displacement. Since there is little to no demolition, the amount of waste created is minimal. The strategy appeals to community groups that cherish existing street conditions and historic buildings, and to developers that save on land costs. A combination of public and commercial program keeps the building active throughout the day and increases the overall revenue of the building and the city.

By finding the underutilized volumes in the city, and building in unused development rights, a building can exist in harmony with its surroundings without disruption. The proposal becomes a new kind of building - one that exists adjacent to and hovering over existing buildings. Design intentions can vary, but the aesthetics of this proposal represents this change in relation to context. It is a symbol of the virtual manmade lines of the city – plot lines and building height restrictions.