SCPA
School for the Creative and Performing Arts
Socially Conscious Architecture:
Restoring Faith in an Inner City
Neighborhood through Design
Sarah Catherine Walker
April 2002
Bachelor of Architecture Design
Undergraduate Thesis Report
Department of Architecture
Ball State University
Andy Seager
[Architectural Design Studio Professor]
Rod Underwood
[Architectural Professor _ Thesis Advisor]
c walker 2002
many thanks go to . . .
acknowledgements
acknowledgements
God
Mom + Dad _ for all your support both financially and
emotionally over the past 5 years; thank you, I couldn’t
have done it without you.
Rod _ for always knowing how to motivate and encourage
me. Thanks for making this whole process fun and for
believing in me every step of the way.
Andy _ for helping me to keep things in perspective and
on schedule. Thanks for allowing me to take this thesis
in the direction that I wanted, and for all your guidance
along the way.
Jeff Brokamp [Cincinnati School for the Creative and
Performing Arts]
Mr. Brown [Cleveland School of the Ar ts]
J.C. Reedy [Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville
KY]
My team from NBBJ _ I learned so much from you,
thank you for a wonderful internship experience.
02
CAP classmates and friends _ for all the fun times, laughs
and support these last 5 years, thanks for making the
countless hours spent in studio bareable.
contents
contents
title page
02
03
04
05
acknowledgements
06
07
program
site08
contents
background
research
design intent
location
10
11
site reflection
12
14
conceptual development16
design overview18
site photos
design
24
26
in-depth28
32
site map
site analysis
concepts
floor plans
sections
model
urban thoroughfare
reflection
03
introduction01
background
background
“In the case of architecture, the larger purposes
related not only to building competently, and
fulfilling the wishes of the clients, but to
helping foster through design, more
wholesome neighborhoods, safer streets, more
productive workplaces, a cleaner environment,
and more cohesive communities.”
[Boyer Report, p31]
“Could ‘safety’ include
not only the proper
number of fire exits and
staircases, but the
promotion, through
archtitectural design, of
safe streets and
neighborhoods? Might
‘welfare’ include social
and
economic
opportunity and
s u s t a i n a b l e
communities?”
[Boyer Report p34]
04
“The challenge will be for architecture to directly address
the real problems of our time: homelessness, urban decay
and crime, and the destruction of community.”
[James F. Barker, FAIA, Dean of Clemson University’s
College of Architecture]
The main theme of this thesis exploration is “socially
conscious architecture,” socially conscious meaning exactly
what it implies, designing with the people of a particular
neighborhood or community in mind. While this may
seem obvious, it is surprising how many times this is not
the case. This thesis design seeks to provide a very
troubled and blighted inner city neighborhood with a
building, a place, an experience which enriches the lives
of those whose with whome it engages. The people that
live in this neighborhood deal with crime, poverty,
homelessness, and racial tension every day. Many attempts
to revitalize such neighborhoods fail because the so-called
“solutions” don't address the true problems of the
neighborhood. Instead the solutions seek to cover
up/mask or displace people, activities or problems,
thinking that this will make all the difficulties go away. I
believe that the core of an architect’s responsibility is to
make space that betters people, communities, cities, etc.
The neighborhood choosen for this thesis is called Overthe-Rhine, one of the most historically and architecturally
rich areas of Cincinnati Ohio, but also the most troubled
and distressed. The building type is a new creative and
performing arts high school. I decided upon this
neighborhood and building type because this is a real
project underway in Cincinnati. The SCPA [School for
the Creative and Performing Arts] is building a new facility
to be located in Over-the-Rhine. However, this project
is causing much debate and arguement. The school wants
to move to a block of the neighborhood which would
cause the displacement of many businesses including one
of the busiest homeless shelters in the neighborhood.
The homeless shelter does not want to move; they feel
their location is the reason they have been so influencial
in the neighborhood, helping many people each year to
get their lives back on track. The school argues that they
need to be located on this particular block because of
its close proximity to Music Hall, one of Cincinnati’s fine
performing arts venues. This thesis was sparked by the
many newspaper articles that I read about the school
debate and researching the prelimary design ideas for the
school. It captured my attention and my heart. I was
upset by the proposal for the new school and felt it
disregarded the neighborhood on a number of different
levels. The people of Over-the-Rhine feel negatively
about the school coming in and wiping out blocks of its
businesses and social services. I knew there was a better
solution; this thesis is an exploration into that solution.
and struggles of the neighborhood, as well as articles
pertaining to the new SCPA and the debate surrounding
its proposed location. I made many visits to Over-theRhine and to the site on different days of the week and
at different times of the day to observe and fully
understand the neighborhood and activity of the
neighborhood.
of creative and performing arts schools:
* Research
Visit to Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing
Arts [SCPA]
Cincinnati,Ohio
Visit to Cleveland School for the Arts [CSA]
Cleveland, Ohio
Visit to Youth Performing Arts School [YPAS]
Louisville Kentucky
By visiting the schools, I learned about the ways in which
creative and performing art schools function different
than typical college prepartory high schools. I learned
about the different types of studios and art spaces that
an art-based school should include, as well as the
appropriate sizes they should be. I also got to speak with
the principals about the stuggles that art-based schools
face. The biggest challenge of the art-based school is
the integration between the arts and academics. In all
the schools I visted, this integration was mentioned as
one of the biggest struggles. The academic department
doesn’t know what is happening in the arts department
and vice versa. If collaboration can occur, the curriculum
becomes richer and the students see how the arts can
impact all aspects of learning.
research
research
of Over-the-Rhine:
* Research
I read numerous newspaper articles about the difficulties
of successful urban spaces:
* Research
I wanted to create an urban environment that draws
05
people to and through it, and serves as a source of activity
for the community. I looked to 3rd Street Promenande
in Santa Monica, California as inspiration. I also kept in
mind some of the wonderful European streets and plazas
which add life and vitality to the towns. In particular, the
narrow winding colorful streets of Mykonos, and Santorini
Greece. As you come to an intersection and decide which
way to go, you are pulled in each direction by colorful
animated streets with cafes, seating areas, flowers, trees
and other treasures.
program
program
06
Program Outline:
The School for the Creative and Performing Arts
* School Profile:
grades 9-12
400 students maximum, 100 incoming freshman accepted each year
audition required into desired “major program”
* “Major Programs” offered at SCPA Cincinnati:
Visual Arts [2D + 3D]
photography studio
painting studios
sculpture studios
welding studio
fiber arts studio
art history classroom
Music [instrumental + vocal]
vocal ensemble rehearsal
instrumental rehearsal
woodwind practice room
brass practice room
percussion practice room
strings practice room
jazz rehearsal/recording room
jazz engineering room
jazz instruction r oom
piano lab
piano recital/private lesson room
music composition/theory room
individual practice rooms
instrumental storage
Dance
dance studios
dressing rooms
dance history classroom
Drama
acting labs
break out areas
drama history classroom
Departments
*Academic
Math
classrooms
computer lab
Science
classrooms
science lab
English
classrooms
monologue room
Social Studies
classrooms
Foreign Language
classrooms
language lab
library
academic collection
fine arts collection
media specialist office
A.V. storage
Cafeteria
lunch room
kitchen
Administration
principal office
assistant principal office
artistic director office
secretary stations
waiting area
guidance counselors offices
Health Services
waiting area
nurses office
sick rooms
intent
intent
This school will be open longer than the typical 8am-3pm
school day. It is a place where free art classes are offered
in the evenings, where kids’ camps and events take place
on the weekends. This is a place where anyone in the
community that is interested in creative or performing
arts can come and get involved. From a social aspect, this
school seeks to get the students involved in the community.
The students will travel across the street to the YMCA
building for all the physical education classes, down the
street one block to Music Hall for rehearsals and
performances and across the street to the park for lunch,
classes, etc. More specifically, the design intent happens
on three different levels:
urban , macro-building and micro-building
Micro-building Intent:
That the whole building be a display
for the students, so that they are inspired
by each other
That the building is truly integrated
between the arts and academics
*
*
Macro-building Intent:
That the whole building be on display to the public
“Eyes on the street”, eyes from the street was
implemented to insure the building be welcoming
for the public yet safe for the students
**
Urban Intent:
That the building be connected and integrated into the
neighborhood
That the building be a place of activity for the
community
07
*
*
08
location
locaction
Over-the-Rhine
location
location
*
*
*
Over-the-Rhine
site
09
central business district
site reflection
site reflection
first site visit . . .
a saturday morning, end of september . . . dad wouldn’t
let me go to Over-the-Rhine alone . . .
“It’s just not a part of the city you go to . .
. especially by yourself ”
riots, shootings and drugs plague this neighborhood .
. . . it’s kind of sad, because it is a wonderful
part of Cincinnati . . .
[architecturally and historically speaking]
lived thirteen years in Cincinnati, but never even drove
through the whole neighborhood
. . . until this morning . . .
110 blocks of 19th century housing . . [one of the most
cohesive 19th century neighborhoods left in the country]
however 70 % of the buildings are substandard or vacant
. . . 28% livable but needing
repairs . . . 2% good condition . . every so often a
pocket of rehabilitation appears. . . BMWs out in front
. . . makes you wonder
walking up Elm street, the
rowhouses on one side of the street create great rhythm,
balanced against Washington Park on the other side. But
a closer examination reveals people lying in doorways,
sleeping under cardboard boxes . . . in the park people
are just “hanging out” [not really sure what they are doing]
they look bored . . . same thing on every street corner,
more people just loitering around . . . is there anything
for them to do in the neighborhood? . . a lot of
businesses have left the area . . .
feeling a little uncomfortable now . . . people are staring,
they can tell an outsider . . .
after a quick walk around the area
. . . the perfect site . . .
a huge empty parking lot . . across the street is an eight
story YMCA, and a drop inn shelter . . .Washington
Park borders to the north and just a block up the street
is the famous Music Hall, a beautiful old theater . . . one
of Cincinnati’s architectural treasures . . . and the main
reason for naming this parking lot the perfect site [close
proximity to Music Hall is ideal for a creative and
performing arts high school] . . .
but is this neighborhood really appropriate for a school????
. . . it’s idealistic. . .but possible . . . how can the school
benefit from the neighborhood? . . how can the
neighborhood benefit from the school? . . . how can the
school jumpstart the economy and restore faith back into
the neighborhood? . . .is that even possible for a school
to do? . . . a traditional school won’t do it . . . this thesis
is going to require a shift in the paradigm
surrounding the design of schools
10
. . . for it to be successful.
eet
eenth Str
Washington Park
Elementary
Music Hall
ir
West Th
treet
teenth S
drop inn shelter
Elm Str
eet
Race Str
t
elve Stree
West Tw
eet
Central
Parkway
Washington
Park
site map
site map
urt
West Fo
YMCA
Parkway
N
11
Central
site
site
east
Standing in the middle of the site looking east, one can see the edge
of the taller modern buildings of the central business district
contrasted with the historic row house character of Race street.
12
Standing in the middle of the site looking south, one can see the
edge of Over-the-Rhine contrasted with the central business district.
west
Standing in the middle of the site looking north, Washington Park
borders the site and has a major impact on the site.
south
north
the site
Standing in the middle of the site looking west, one can see the
YMCA building and the drop inn center. The students will travel
from the SCPA to the YMCA for gym classes and other physical
activities.
sitesite
Looking north up Elm Street
Row houses located on north east corner of site, they are a major
design influence for the Elm street facade of the building.
Drop inn shelter
Music Hall, home to the Cincinnati Ballet, and Cincinnati Symphony
Orchestra.
13
The site chosen for this design is located on the
corner of Central Parkway and Elm Street.
Currently, a parking lot for approximately 200 cars
resides on the site. Central Parkway is a six lane
boulevard and a major artery through the
downtown area of Cincinnati. Elm Street is a two
lane, smaller scale street along which Washington
Park and Music Hall are located. There are three
row houses located on the northwest corner of
the site. Across the street from the site is an eight
story YMCA building where the students will take
physical education classes. This site bridges the
gap between the start of Over-the-Rhine and the
Central Business District. The Elm street side of
the site follows the character of the lower row
houses adjacent to it; the south side that fronts
Central Parkway has a grander character that opens
to the wider, busier street and more modern
buildings of the downtown area.
nodes
reet
teenth St
*
Washington Park
Elementary
*
major node: place/attraction
students may travel to
throughout the day
Music Hall
Washington
Park
Street
irteenth
West Th
drop inn shelter
*
ree
Race St
Elm Stree
t
t
elve Stree
West Tw
t
*
Parkway
Central
site analysis
site analysis
ur
West Fo
YMCA
Parkway
Central
N
ur
West Fo
circulation
reet
teenth St
heavy vehicular traffic
moderate vehicular traffic
light vehicular traffic
pedestrian traffic
Washington Park
Elementary
Music Hall
drop inn shelter
Elm Stree
t
t
t
elve Stree
West Tw
Street
irteenth
West Th
ree
Race St
Parkway
Central
Washington
Park
YMCA
14
Parkway
Central
N
ur
West Fo
views within site
views into site
views through site
reet
teenth St
Washington Park
Elementary
Music Hall
Street
irteenth
West Th
drop inn shelter
Elm Stree
t
t
t
elve Stree
West Tw
ree
Race St
Central
Parkway
Washington
Park
site analysis
site analysis
views
YMCA
Parkway
Central
N
land use
ur
West Fo
reet
teenth St
buildings
parking lots, empty lots
green space
Elm Stree
t
t
t
elve Stree
West Tw
ree
Race St
Parkway
Central
N
15
Central
Parkway
Street
irteenth
West Th
concepts
concepts
16
The main concept of the urban thoroughfare
developed after many other solutions were
considered, but I felt these other solutions fell
short of addressing all the issues that needed to
be addressed with regards to the site and
neighborhood. The site brought a number of
problems to the table including safety issues,
the building’s interaction with the people of the
neighborhood, the interaction with the street
and the connection to the park. After many
rolls of trace paper, the urban thoroughfare
materialized. The urban thoroughfare was
created by completely separating the building at
the first level and then linking the east and west
sides of the building on the upper floor through
the use of skywalks [a very prominate pedestrian
transportation element used in Cincinnati]. The
urban thoroughfare allows for the park to be
pulled through the building, thus creating a space
with potential to be a very animated and active
space for the community; a place for both the
community and school to share. Once the initial
concept was developed, I realized there were
many ways in which to develop the urban
thoroughfare. Study one incorporates a rotated
grid [with respect to the city grid] to maximize
the views into the spaces from the urban
thoroughfare. This however produced a jagged
first level facade which I believe is undesirable
for the neighborhood. A facade with clean sight
lines is most desirable so there are not corners
and hidden crevices for people to hide or for
dangerous things to be left unoticed. After
analyzing study one, study two was developed.
I rotated the grid back to parallel to the city grid
and pushed the spaces on display forward. This
minimized the undulations of the first level
facade but didn’t totally eliminate them. While
study two was closer, I still felt it lacked clear
organization and didn’t totally encompass all my
ideas for the site. Study three was the final
concept generated and became my final design
concept. Study three incorporated arcs overlayed
on the basic idea of study two. The arcs serve
as an organizational element for the building
plan and allow for a clean first level facade. The
arc becomes the outside skin of the building on
the first level facade; as it makes its way up
through the building, the spaces “on display”
to the urban thoroughfare are pushed through
the arc. The arc is represented in the upper
floors by a material/floor pattern change, a
ceiling height change or a change programmically
within the space.
concepts
concepts
urban thoroughfare concept diagram
park
street
organizational arcs
*
*
spaces on display
17
*
*
design
design
first floor
Washington Park
row houses
11
drop inn shelter
12
5
row houses
13
6
14
4
7
8
15
16
3
9
parking lot
10
2
17
18
19
1
20
21
YMCA
22
18
1 gallery
2 gift shop
3 cafe
4 kiln room
5 sculpture studio
6 welding studio
7 paint room
8 crit area
9 lounge
10 gallery prep
11 cafeteria
12 kitchen
13 A.V. storage
14 media specialist
15 fine arts library
23
16 academic library
17 teachers lounge
18 teacher training
19 lounget
20 health center
24
25
21 main office
22 principal office
23 assistant principal office
24 conference room
25 artistic director office
proposed
parking
garage
19
design
first floor
gallery
design
second floor
17
16
15
18
3
4
14
5
19
6
2
20
13
12
7
1
21
22
11
8
10
23
24
25
9
27
20
1 painting studio
2 crit area
3 fiber arts studio
4 digital arts computer lab
5 photography studio
6 darkroom
7 painting studio
8 crit area
9 dance studio
10 dance studio
11 acting lab
12 acting lab
13 acting lab
14 english classroom
15 math classroom
16 social studies
17 foreign language
18 drama classroom
19 custodial/mech.
20 english/drama classroom
21 science prep
22 science lab
23 math classroom
24 dance history classroom
25 dressing room
26 dressing room
27 math classroom
26
21
dance studio
design
second floor
design
third floor
9
8
10
7
11
6
5
12
4
22
13
14
3
20
2
15
16
19
21
18
1
17
22
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
instrumental rehearsal room
vocal rehearsal room
vocal rehearsal room
jazz rehearsal/recording room
jazz engineering room
jazz instruction room
music composition/theory room
social studies classroom
english classroom
10 foreign language classroom
11 piano lab
12 instrument storage
13 piano recital/private lesson room
14 percussion practice room
15 brass practice room
16 woodwind practice room
17 strings practice room
18 instrument storage
19 music library
20 practice rooms
21 mezzanine instrumental practice rooms
22 mezzanine vocal practice rooms
23
design
third floor
24
sections
sections
A
A
A
25
sections
sections
26
model
model
27
model
model
28
urban thoroughfare
urban thoroughfare
urban thoroughfare
urban thoroughfare
[pavers] grass and stone
paver system used in
the sculpture garden
[graffiti]four temporary
graffiti walls covered
with a material such as
teflon or silicon so they
can be easily cleaned
annual
april 22-26 2002
Student Art Show
SCPA
29
[information kiosk] displays
upcoming events at the school
and in the neighborhood
urban thoroughfare
urban thoroughfare
30
urban thoroughfare entrance from Elm Street
urban thoroughfare
urban thoroughfare
31
urban thoroughfare entrance from Central Parkway
reflection
reflection
In retrospect . . .
I really enjoyed working on this thesis, I undertook a large
project and it overwhelmed me at times, but in the end I feel
I learned a lot about art based schools, urban revitalization and
myself and what kind of designer I want to be.
The Elm Street facade of the building had great potential to
be a bridging member between the historic presence of Overthe-Rhine and the modern impression of the central business
district. However, I did not get to explore and fully develop this
facade of the building. If I had 6 more months the first thing
I would study would be the Elm Street facade. I had some really
great ideas for this street facade, but they never were completely
realized. One of the main ideas was a double facade; the inner
layer being a curtain wall and the outer layer acting like a stage
set. I envisioned a brightly colored row house rhythm through
which the activities of the school could be showcased. The
three row houses on the northwest corner of the site helped
set the rhythm for the facade with regards to internal planning
and external aesthetics.
I would also would have liked to develop site sections and or
elevations, because I think that way the building fits into the
site is crucial to my concept and at the present moment is under
represented in the final book.
Overall I feel that this project is a success at the conceptual
level, and with some more investigation and development would
have the potential to make a positive impact on this neighborhood
if it were to be actualized.
32
reflec
Elm Street facade
33
. . . the end
reflection
reflection
bibliography
bibliography
Books:
Brown, Catherine R. Building for the Arts. Sante Fe, New Mexico: Western States Arts Federation, 1989
Chewning, John A. Urban Walls: Cincinnati. Carl Solway Gallery, 1976
Clubbe, John. Cincinnati Observed: Architecture and History. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University
Press, 1992
Frieden, Bernard J. and William W. Nash. Shaping an Urban Future. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT
Press, 1969.
Ferguson, Ronald F. and William T. Dickens. Urban Problems and Community Development. Washington
D.C: Brooklings Institution Press, 1999
Marciniak, Ed. Reclaiming the Inner City. Washington D.C: National City for Urban Ethnic Affairs, 1986
Marciniak, Ed. Reviving an Inner City Community. New York: Columbia University Press, 1977
Miller, Zane L. and Bruce Tucker. Changing Plans For America’s Inner Cities, Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine
and Twentieth-Century Urbanism. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press, 1998
Newman, Oscar. Defensible Space; Crime Prevention Through Urban Design. New York, New York: Collier
Books, 1972
Poyner, Barry. Design against Crime; Beyond Defensible Space. London, England: Butterworths, 1983
Stewart, Michael H. American Architecture for the Arts. New York, New York: Handel & Sons Publishing,
Inc., 1978
Warren, John and John Worthington and Sue Taylor. Context: new buildings in historic settings. Oxford:
Architectural Press, 1998
Newspaper Articles:
Clooney, Nick. “SCPA’s dream is doable.” The Cincinnati Post 8 June 2001
Clooney, Nick. “Troubles stem from poverty.” The Cincinnati Post 13 July 2001
DiFilippo, Dana. “Art’s campus plan hits snag on shelter.” The Cincinnati Enquirer 28 January 1999
Ramos, Steve and Rick Pender and John Fox. “Teeing off, Moving Ahead – Movement on several fronts
points to an arts district for downtown and Over-the-Rhine.” CityBeat volume 7, issue 6: December 21,
2000 – January 3, 2001
Magazine Articles:
Arcidi, Philip. “Michael Maltzan’s new arts complex crowns a hillside campus in Los Angeles.” Architecture.
November 1998:143-146
Baillieu, Amada. “The Art of Urban Regeneration.” the architect’s journal. 13 April 1995:
20-21
Bussel, Abby. “The (Social) Art of Architecture.” Progressive Architecture. January 1995:
43-46
Dillon, David. “Buildings for the Arts.” Architecture. November 1996: 85,94-97
Linn, Charles. “Artistic Attraction.” Architectural Record. July 1995:94-97
Nesmith, Lynn. “Street Life.” Architecture. June 1990: 60-63
34
Russell S., James. “Using Art to Revive Cities.” Architectural Record. May 1999: 223-225
Over-the-Rhine Community Web Site. 12 September 2001. <www.overtherhine.org> 2001.
Irine.com website. 2001. Online. 1 November 2001. <www.irhine.com>
Human Resources
Tyler Brown – Architect living in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and involved in numerous
neighborhood committees.
Mr. John Gardner – Artistic Director, Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts
Mr. Paul Brown - Program coordinator, Cleveland School of the Arts
Mr. J.C. Reedy - Assitant Principal, Louisville Youth Performing Arts School
bibliography
bibliography
The Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce/Foundation Homepage. 2001. Online. 12 September 2001.
<www.binarysky.com/otrcc/>
35
Other Resources:
Boyer, Ernest L. and Lee D. Mitgang. Building Community – A New Future For Architecture Education
and Practice. Princeton, New Jersey: The Carnegie Foundation, 1996 (Chapters 1 and 7)