Manhattanville Recycling Center
Samantha Massey
Professor: Jóse Ibarra
Semester: Fall 2021
Type: Semester Project
This project called for the introduction of a Manhattan Earth Forum design revolving around the study of “Building, Cities and Climate”. Given a site immersed within a dense, urban environment in Manhattan’s upper west side a block from the Hudson River, I was challenged to define the buildings form and environmental position simultaneously. With an interesting site of 77,000 SF nestled between two elevated structures, I was limited spatially and in orientation. From studying case studies in the pretenses to this project, I determined I was interested in maintaining the existing structures on the site, two annex buildings for Fairway Market, and using their structural logics along with the rest of the surround infrastructure through a method of renewal to begin the concepts for my design. I was inspired by recycling the existing built environment of the site thus to continue this concept through my climate investigations as well.
After studying the waste production of the community locally and throughout the Hudson River as well as using the Sims Municipal Recycling Center in close proximity as a guide, I began imagining my earth forum as a recycling education center for the Manhattanville community. Through a study of planes, lines and solids, I found recycling the ground plane of the site into a meandering form to be the most harmonious method of learning from the recycling process. Similar to SIMS, but on a more local scale, I designed a plant that renewed a small portion of the waste materials from its connection to the Hudson through a method of education that community members could begin spreading the message of the climate. The recycled materials then would go directly back to the community through the production of reusable grocery bags given to the members of the area at the grocery stores I intend on reopening with the addition of an outdoor market in the warm months.
A new addition of the folding surface echoed the meandering method of recycling as the circulation of the plastics and that of the visitors aligned and unaligned throughout the site for a learning experience like no other.
The experience of the site will become dynamic as visitors meander toward the Hudson to highlight the truth behind climate change in real life. People can see the waste being harvested from the river, collected, sorted and transformed into recycled products throughout the site. This creates a variety of views and experiences people are directed to by the form of the sloping skin. Now, without the need for lecture halls or classrooms, people are free to indulge themselves in the experience however they choose.
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Below Ground
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Above Ground
Fluidity of the process is maintained through a seamless connection of forms all reused from what was already provided on the site. The result is an engaging circulation and education of the recycling process. But more importantly, gets community members involved in the environmental processes of their community. As each step of the sequence pertains to the next, people are encouraged to discuss the ways we can help in the global effort of renewal.
Iterative work
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Climate Crisis Collage
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Precedent Climate Study
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Precedent Sun Study
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Initial Massing
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Iterative Planar Models
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Sketch Sections
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The system in itself stands for this idea of reuse, renew and recycle in its entirety. Though a small effort, my hope would be the significance a forum like this one creates can aid in the education of the public on the issue, while creating an atmosphere where the community can come together to learn the ways they can contribute.