ARCHITECTURE X MOBILITY

Setting the Stage

Project Methodology

To explore the intersection of architecture and mobility—and how the coming together of those worlds might help people engage with each other and cities—we assembled a multidisciplinary group of diverse thinkers from across Designworks and Gensler.

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Through a series of in-person and virtual work sessions we:

01_context_duo

Established the context and defined the existing paradigms.

02_frame_duo

Reframed our understanding to identify areas of opportunity and develop initial provocations.

03_document_duo

Created design briefs on three themes—Nth Spaces, Blurred Boundaries, and Fluid Nodes—and organized relevant working groups.

04_group_duo

Iterated as working groups on potential design opportunities and implications.

05_share_duo

Finalized our thinking and reported out.

As parking infrastructure becomes charging infrastructure, electric energy will be available everywhere.

How will people behave when electric energy is accessible across the city?

Cars are designed for driving, but on average they're parked 23 hours a day.

What would cars look like if they were designed for 23 hours of parking?

Emissions-free vehicles enable mobility inside of buildings.

How will buildings be used if there is no border between the street and building?

Covid-19 Impact & Implications

This project began before the outbreak of Covid-19. As health and safety restrictions emerged, the teams quickly shifted from in-person meetings to virtual sessions. With the help of collaborative digital tools and interactions, we kept making progress safely and efficiently. This process has been so successful that we plan to extend remote collaborations into the post-Covid era.

The pandemic forced our examination of pre-existing topics to take on a new urgency thanks to the emergence of the so-called “new normal.” As the implications of Covid-19 continue to develop, we will carry on with the study of key issues—such as working from home, dispersion into urbanicity, sustainability, circular economies and cities, and homelessness—and adjust our thinking as situations evolve.

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