Content

1. Premise

2. Preface

3. Presentation Objectives

Premise

Urbanism has mostly adhered to logic and hierarchy that revolves around elements such as connectivity, walkability, usage/typologies, resource proximity, densities, etc. The consideration of these elements allows the ecosystems of cities to successfully function on a larger scale. However, considerations at the human scale are sometimes neglected and the needs of the individuals that inhabit the city aren’t always taken into consideration.

Preface

Urban Proxy started with the intent of devising a scheme that resisted a static nature in search of a proposal that could be primarily flexible as an attempt to fight against unaccommodating environments. The idea of flexibility sparked a desire to devise a plan to produce both programmatic and architectural elements that were freed from shackles. Change occurs more frequently than ever before, and as society (thus the city) changes, more should be expected from our environments.

My research pursuits led me to “Always Building: The Programmable Environment” from Herman Miller’s creative office. The writing questioned if we could use information as building material, if environments could adapt after being built, and overall, could environments become programmable? Much like a digital realm or space, could changes occur on the spot? Could the ‘code’ be edited? Code, in this case, referring to the elements that compose the framework for architecture. The concept of programmability later pushed me in the direction of Cedric Price’s “Fun Palace”, Archigram’s “Instant City”, and another proposal known as “Project Ara” (unrelated to architecture) – all projects utilizing improvisation in real-time.

I believe improvisation is the equivalent of programmability in architecture, allowing access to the ‘code’ to be altered. To truly understand improvisation in space, I began to look more closely at the users – individual versus generalization. Typically when conjuring a set program for a space, generalizations are made to make the process more straightforward. We use these generalizations to conveniently encompass a set of design criteria necessary for a beginning template of sorts. On an individual level, space becomes a lot more personalized, and to personalize, one may have to improvise. To reject generalizations and attempt to focus on the individual, I began to think of various characters.

I asked myself, “What characters may seem as if they don’t belong?”. If I found individuals who didn’t fit within the accepted public etiquette, I could see those that improvised the most. I used myself as a starting point, as I often feel I am “breaking the rules” within the city. I run, climb, and vault many physical elements of the built environment for my enjoyment. Using these elements is my way of improvising in an organized space, a way to experience the environment in new tactile ways as opposed to merely walking through it. Usually, I feel guilt afterward knowing that the people observing often look at me as if I’m doing something wrong and sometimes speak up to tell me so. They would feel I am acting out of the norm.

With these feelings of guilt and unusual behavior in mind, a series of baseline characters were eventually created – a skater, a traceur, a dancer, a tagger, and a chef. Each character utilized the built environment in various unique ways that resided outside of the realm of the norm or, in some cases, what was accepted. Each character used their settings physically in ways they weren’t designed for. They had become accustomed to improvising, and this had become the foundation of the Urban Proxy proposal. As the intent for the Urban Proxy proposal grew, it began to include characters from any walk of life who felt they didn’t have access to a space that could accommodate their livelihood. Urban Proxy acts as a “middle man” between disconnected users and the city. The term “proxy” is used to describe the intermediary solutions that provide a means for the individual to experience space where improvisation becomes the norm and isn’t forced.

Presentation Objectives

Although experimental, Urban Proxy was presented in a narrative form as an attempt to provide a who, why, and what. The story behind the solution is just as important, and I wanted to emphasize that. In addition to providing supplemental context for the reasoning behind the approach, I also wanted to use the comic medium to break down complex ideas with the hope that they’d be better understood.