Inclusion & Neighborhood Resilience [v 2.0] Designing for Equity in Metamorphic Cities

In this spring 2019 options studio, assistant professor Catalina Freixas led a group of graduate architecture students in developing interventions that explored spaces for neighborhood revitalization and mixed-income housing. The site was a vacant lot across from Fox Park and adjacent to a new development to house Rung for Women, a non-profit organization that empowers women. Their new space will provide coordinated and co-located educational, professional, and financial resources to women.

Students worked in partnership with DeSales Community Development. Through DeSales, they were connected with community stakeholders including 6th Ward Alderwoman Christina Ingrassia, the SouthSide Early Childhood Center, KIPP Wisdom Academy, Lona’s Lil Eats restaurant, the Fox Park Park Committee, Fox Park Historic Standards Committee, Messiah Community Center, and Rung for Women. Students interviewed stakeholders to understand the history, context, and opportunities in the neighborhood. These interviews were transcribed and documented in their final book.

The studio started with a focus on research through mapping and diagramming, and continued with program development and design intentions from these studies. Finally, the students created proposals for the site that were both responsive and sensitive to the Fox Park community. The final work was compiled into a book and was presented to the community stakeholders in an exhibition at the Messiah Community Center in the neighborhood. Final proposals included:
- Megan Folkmann, Live-Li-Hood: Pulse of the Community
- Carmen Chee, Stage Sets: Groundscapes for Play
- Sofia Aguirre, Bridging the Gap: A Path for a Growing Community
- Erin Socha, Viewpoints: A Common Ground for Community and Conversation
- Dylan Draves, Dwell(in) Field: Constructing the Void
- Mason Redford, Roots: Urban Growth
- Haokun Wang, Growing Community: Learning Environments
- Molly Meyer, GroundScapes: Campus for Wellness
- Kyle Kapaun, Framework: Networks for Change
- Larissa Sattler, Pivot Point: Live, Learn, Train
- Rachel Bennett, Walk+Roll: Activating Communities

Partners DeSales Community Development

Support from CityStudioSTL Studio Grant