Over time the role of architecture in our lives has evolved, just as we have. Beginning with the simple need for shelter, architecture now influences every aspect of our lives. Once about survival architecture is now about experience. It allows us to enter manipulated environments of comfort, beauty, and discovery which enhance our lives, from learning to resting, to interacting. Through design of spaces, materiality, adjacencies and connections architecture is able to set the stage for these experiences.

Shared economy’s relation to architecture is extensive, as it fosters connections, interaction, and sharing of space. In his article, NihanAkyelken explains that shared economy came about as a solution to utilize unused sources1, decreasing environmental impacts and enhancing dense urban development. Although AirBnB, Uber, car clubs and other shared economy resources are helping to solve some of these utilization and efficiency problems, they do cause new issues dealing with economics and existing infrastructure. Because this shared economy model is meant to be easy and convenient for its users, it allows people to surpass regulations, giving those looking to exploit its issues an opportunity to make quick and easy money.

Although it has its flaws, I feel the shared economy model is good for our world of growing population density, affordability driven economy, and appreciation for cultural experiences. Shared economy allows people to make use of their owned property, when underutilized at times, to allow someone to make use of it for that period of time. This not only gives opportunity to someone searching for a ride, place to stay, or office space, but also decreases the use of resources, as people are sharing their unused property. This also directly leads to affordability and efficiency. It allows property owners to make a small income for what they fail to make use of. It also gives temporary users an affordable, unique experience by staying in or using another’s resources, rather than renting a car or staying in a hotel. This option of using someone else’s property also brings new opportunity of connection and cultural experience. For example, taking an Uber allows those who would never meet, to sit and socialize, while traveling to a new destination. They are able to share stories, give recommendations, and exchange experiences. It is all these benefits which greatly outweigh the issues shared economy brings.

As urban density continues to increase in major cities, urban design and ecology are becoming more important. Not only to maintain livability and connection, but also to decrease environmental impacts. Although places of increased activity, human connection, and superb opportunity, cities can also be dangerous, smog engulfed, and stress full places. Major issues such as these, can all be solved through innovative urban strategies. Reinventing the ways we think about blocks, streets, and buildings can create new opportunity while solving major problems. Finding ways to promote pedestrian, bike and public transportation can reduce car usage and traffic. Providing public plazas and parks gives people places to play and much needed space within density. Building sustainable infrastructure of mixed use and well design architecture allows the city to make use of its space, while creating human activity.

In Barcelona, the development of ‘superblocks’ is an attempt to reduce car infrastructure, while enhancing pedestrian and bike safety and usage. These larger blocks, a grouping of smaller ones, are redesigned to push heavy vehicular traffic to the exterior, while reducing interior streets to one-way, single lane roads. The excess street space left over is for pedestrian and bike traffic only, with intersections left as plaza space. In the New York Times article, “What New York Can Learn From Barcelona’s ‘Superblocks’,” deputy mayor of Barcelona, Janet Sanz Cid describes the experiment as, “winning back the streets for the people.”2 This rethinking of city streets reminds me of a street model I studied in the past called woonerfs or ‘living streets.’ Much like the superblock inner streets, a living street is about giving space back to the pedestrian. These streets have little if any separation of sidewalk and street paving, blurring the separation of car and pedestrian. They also make use of reduced speeds and street obstructions, increasing pedestrian and bike safety by placing all transportation modes on the same playing field. By providing pedestrian/bike space, these streets bring space and safety to healthier forms of transportation, while reducing dangerous car traffic.

Workspace design is an ever-changing realm of architecture, as designers are constantly looking for ways to improve worker productivity, while balancing budgets, efficiency, and human health. When employers want to design a new office of startup space, they look for enhancement of productivity at a cheap price. In contemporary times, we now know about the relationship of employee health to productivity. If an employee is happy and healthy, their production quality and efficiency increases. This has thus become the focus for innovative office designs. This balance of health and price both can be solved through the shared economy model. This combination of price and office quality is also a way to improve entrepreneurship. These entrepreneurs who take enormous risks to have a shot at running a company, are given opportunity in a cheaper, networking oriented work environment.

Shared economy and its relation to workspace and business startup is one of opportunity and enhancement. The shared economy model in the workspace is beneficial for two main reasons. One, it can make better use of office resources and productivity by preventing wasting of space and underutilization of particular resources at certain times. This can lead to cheaper operation costs for businesses and more efficient production. Second, it can also lead to a healthier work environment. It can allow companies to provide additional resources they normally couldn’t afford, improving the work environment for employees. Employers can provide traditional amenities of an office while placing a greater emphasis on community and user experience3. It can foster networking and connection between coworkers, placing them in more sociable situations, including with those in other professions.

Shared economy, although still flawed, is a concept of growing potential. Its core ideas can help solve major issues of vastly growing cities, helping to improve health and connection. As a fast growing idea, I am curious how we can implement shared economy over various scales? How can cities begin using the concept to improve life in the public realm? How can it be used to improve the work space? Where can it be used at an entire building scale? Whose lives can it improve? What are its greatest flaws and how can they be eliminated? How can it be used to improve sustainability and resiliency?

These questions are what lead to the extents of my program and project design. I am interested in providing space for multiple offices and workspaces, centered on shared economy. I also would like to explore urban design at a multiple block scale, and how this 75,000 sf building fits within a developing context. I also would like to integrate a level of affordable housing, with possible incentive for live-work use. I am also interested in providing some amount of public community space, whether it be within the building or as part of the surrounding urban development. Structural innovation will also be an integral piece of my design, exploring the use of heavy timber, such as LVL, nail-laminated timber, CLT, Glulam and more, in possible combination with traditional structural systems.

Citations

  1. Akyelken, Nihan. "Unlocking Urban Political Economies through the Sharing Economy."Sustainable Urban Development. University of Oxford, 20 Nov. 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
  2. Hu, Winnie. "What Can New York Learn From Barcelona's 'Superblocks'"New York Times. New York Times, 30 Sept. 2016. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
  3. "Rise Of The Shared Workplace In The Sharing Economy."Reuters. Thomson Reuters, n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.