CREJ

March 2020 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 21 Delivering SMALL TOWN ETHICS BIG CITY SOPHISTICATION AND NATIONAL ACCLAIM since 1962. COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER - TOWNOFWINDSOR, COLORADO In the Details interaction is a challenge. The pedestrian zone needs pro- tected spaces for entering and exiting porches, stoops and stoas. Bases need openings between the inside and outside, shaded areas and protection from the rain – actual human scale, rather than glass display cases. Deep bases use the technology of the day to create thoughtful places for peo- ple to hang out and talk, they turn toward their context. The challenging reality hidden behind most ground lev- els is the math of cars. The theory of a deep base confronts the reality of an efficient, functional deck of interior park- ing (at grade, above grade or below grade) that requires a depth of 120 feet. Most lots in Denver (and other cities) are 125 feet deep (123 feet effectively) leaving only 3 feet to create this critical base zone. Today, there is no discourse about the base of buildings because it is so often dominat- ed by a single technology. If we want to rethink the base – the civic component of buildings – then we have to rethink the footprint and impact of cars. Are we building for what might come next? Whenwe look to the sky, we find that when buildings are short enough to relate to the street, the top is a boundary layer between the confines of the urban and the expansive- ness of the sky. This zone was a key component in the char- acter of many historic cities. When buildings are too tall to relate to the street, the tops are often forgotten blank spac- es. Increasingly however, the tops of buildings demonstrate the lengths we will go to in search of green space. Since the ground plane is controlled by cars, we have retreated to the rooftops in search of gardens, picnics and trees. Trees are, of course, happiest when they grow in the earth, but we are planting them on the tops of buildings to meet our need for green space and connection to nature. This, in essence, pulls focus from defining the character of our streetscapes below and inherently excludes the pedestrian by moving nature to an elite and expensive area above. Base, middle, top: a basic architectural idea that could and should be all about the intangible, the human factors, but is overly driven by technological advancements; over- whelmingly, the influence of the car. We like to think that it is construction technology that influences our buildings, but buildings are products of their age. Today, as we move from the dominant technology of the car to the dominant technology of the app, we will once again be reshaping our buildings and our cities. We may get lost in our tiny screens and ignore each other evenmore. Alternately, mobility apps may give us the space to create depth in the base of our buildings; space to connect with and relate to one another. Other digital tools are bound to emerge that will reshape our buildings. Hopefully we will learn from the lessons of the past and pause before allowing another technology to dominate our design, remembering to connect people and nature as we continue to design our urban landscape. \\