Rather than create one structure to represent a multi-family, mixed-use concept, this project incorporates a variety of building forms at a range of scales to establish community, energy, and possibility. The shipping container can be incorporated effectively within such a project design because its basic materials and components can complement, not detract from, other materials introduced; as a unit or module it can serve as a humane enclosure within the context of a broad array of applications; and its utilitarian nature need not detract from its use in a community that must remember the importance of industry while embracing renewal and opportunities allowed by the site.
Some of the structures provided meet the needs of students and young professionals that commute to academic and business institutions in Newark and New York, accessible via the Broad Street Station. More established professionals and their families are accommodated by condominiums and semi-detached housing. Other structures serve to stimulate economic opportunities, for startups and established businesses, benefiting both the local Broad Street community and Newark at large. A vertical parking structure mitigates the need for curbside parking or parking lots.
Passive and active energy technologies introduced on site will generate energy that can be put back into Newark’s power grid; these geothermal, wind turbine, and photovoltaic applications also celebrate the diversity of these energy systems by informing the different design concepts. Along with the integration of the shipping containers, industry and technology are combined to provide a sense of flexibility, energy, whimsy and progress. |
