Collaborative Strength
From Blueprint to Footprint: Envisioning Carbon-Positive, Resilient Coastal Urban Environments through Collaborative Design Practices View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Thomas Spiegelhalter
This research, funded by the US National Science Foundation and the EU Belmont Forum and conducted by our Carbon-Positive Research Design Studio from 2018 to 2024, tackles the deficiencies in current traditional master planning strategies for low-lying coastal subtropical urban development. Aiming for carbon positivity, resilience, and operational city climate adaptability, this 5-years research project is a critical component of the Climate Resilient Urban Nexus Choices initiative. It focuses on integrating sharing practices within open-access climate change resilient urban frameworks and Integrated Decision Support Systems (IDSS) tools, thereby reducing climate disruptions and vulnerability via the adaptable food, water, and renewable energy nexus implementation strategies. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the project utilises generative AI-SynBio digital twin scenario tools and workflows alongside data-driven urban planning strategies in four cities. It pioneers a participatory Urban Living Lab approach to boost community engagement and collaborative decision-making. The methodology encompasses a thorough gap analysis, pinpointing city-specific needs, creating data-driven tools, and validating resilient scenarios projected up to 2100. The research uncovers the pivotal role of sharing practices in diminishing urban environmental impacts, bolstering community ties, and fostering economic inclusivity. It offers a comprehensive framework for policymakers and urban planners to merge sharing economies with urban development strategies, creating sustainable, resilient, and holistic urban spaces. In essence, our findings advocate a participatory, integrated urban planning approach to reconciling sustainability objectives with community well-being. They offer a strategic blueprint for future subtropical coastal urban landscapes prioritising environmental resource management, blue-green infrastructure and transportation networks, and societal equity.
Living and Learning for Equitable Futures: Reconsidering the Design of Public High Schools in the United States
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Amy Trick
The founders of the United States in the 18th century believed that the maintenance of their young democracy would require competent citizens by way of an educated population. These early leaders proposed the development of the public education system that, by way of public schools and public charter schools, instructs 90% of youth in the United States as of 2024. However, funding of the public school system has dramatically declined in the last decades following the recession in the early 2000’s. The political landscape with Donald Trump’s victory for the US presidency in 2024 also sets up the potential dismantling of the Department of Education and further immobilizing of the public school system. Given the difficult circumstances facing public education in the United States, it is an opportune moment to consider how reimagining the programmatic and architectural design of education models can equip youth for imminent challenges. Increasing financial support to improve facilities, retain excellent teachers, and reduce class sizes are proven reforms that improve the quality of education for students – but what if the particular strengths and site features of a specific context and the subsequently responsive architectures could positively influence education? Given this, students within the Clemson University School of Architecture proposed design solutions for urban, public boarding high schools, programmatically and architecturally tailored to diverse locations across the country. The case studies produced show how site-specific architecture and programming can suggest alternative futures for education and enhance public life through design and integration into city fabrics.
Inhabiting Infrastructure: Four Typologies
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Christopher Domin
The integration of infrastructure and human engagement in density urbanized settlements is a significant factor in the developing character of cities worldwide. Large-scale public works such as freeways, bridges, and utility grids typically serve starkly functional purposes and can engender a groundswell of community conflict. In recent years, there has been increased interest in reimagining urban infrastructure to better serve the needs of their inhabitants. This paper explores the intersection between new architectural interventions from the scale of urban acupuncture to larger multiuse public works which allow existing infrastructural networks to move beyond the monoculture of their inception to become catalysts for the creation of transformative and resilient urban shared and sharing spaces. Inhabiting Infrastructure involves rethinking traditional approaches architectural typologies, employing new material technologies, and design inputs, to create more resilient solutions. The proposed infrastructural hybrid typologies encompass not only physical changes but also a shift in mindset towards incorporating more wide-ranging social and environmental considerations into infrastructure planning. With advancements in technology and construction methods, architects now have the tools to design structures that are not only urbanistically relevant but also highly functional at the scale of the individual. By reimagining urban infrastructure through the lens of four new typologies, we endeavor to create more resilient urban environments and in turn reduce carbon emissions, enhance public health and promote economic growth. By incorporating social and environmental considerations into multifunctional infrastructural intersectional planning, we can create more inclusive communities by integrating local needs with place-based solutions.
