The Townlet Algorithm in Iambic Pentameter

Storm Townlet

Katrina, Northern Japan and Sandy have shown the challenges faced by those who live in areas vulnerable to floods.  We used to think that design for the 100 year flood was adequate. Unfortunately, the old standard is overly optimistic.  The reality is that we should follow the Dutch lead and prepare for the 10,000 year flood, as modeled from historical data.  Well, maybe the 500 year flood is more realistic.  Prevention is infinitely more economical and humane than disaster recovery.  Recovery will often take decades for those who can afford it.  Many never recover.

Major approaches to flood prevention include:

Massive public works as in the flood barriers of New Orleans or the giant movable barriers in Holland are very expensive and make require decades to complete.

Small scale local interventions as in flood-proof subway and garage entrances are relatively inexpensive and can be constructed quickly.

Neither approach is without risk as shown in the failure of seawalls in northern Japan and lower Manhattan.  Hurricane Sandy would have devastated the areas exposed to the Atlantic even if the giant movable barriers had been in place at the mouths of the three estuaries in New Jersey and New York.

The individual homeowner needs to be very wealthy to rebuild with adequate flood prevention infrastructure in a storm vulnerable location, especially with the predicted  increase in severity and frequency of storms.  Insurance and financing may not be available even with the highest credit rating.  Small scale local interventions may be affordable and insurable for compact developments that distribute costs amongst many homeowners.

The Townlet is an option for those who want to live by the sea.  Its compact footprint greatly reduces the cost of required storm damage prevention infrastructure.  Architects and engineers can design for the strongest predicted storms and highest storm surge with building, mechanical, electrical and communications systems that function during and after the weather event.  A possible major advantage can be that all utilities may be generated and processed within The Townlet footprint.  The flood damage prevention infrastructure cost is shared by hundreds of owners.  The design is compact enough that models and mock ups can to be tested in established labs to optimize form, material use and detail, significant cost savings measures. 

IKEA Townlet / Target Townlet

It is interesting to speculate on the integration of other big box retailers with The Townlet.  Each company's business practices and values are different, but I think they may share many of the same challenges.  The effects of the digital retail revolution and access to urban markets may be mitigated by an IKEA Townlet or a Target Townlet.

IKEA is an international big box retailer who has started developing real estate. IKEA and The Townlet share many values and ideals.  Great design, affordability, spatial efficiency, prefabrication and simplicity make the IKEA Townlet a logical extension of IKEA business lines.  It is technically feasible to design an entire Townlet as “prefabricated flatpack” that is trucked onto the site and erected by semi-skilled workmen.  Obviously, furnishings would be provided by IKEA.  A typical IKEA is about 300,000 square feet, can be two story and has maybe ten departments compared to ninety six for Walmart.  Each department sets the character of the square that it defines and provides a realistic setting for product development and marketing.  Bridges have been added to create the IKEA path through each department.  Ten two story departments for IKEA may be organized as shown below.

A Target Townlet may be similar to the Walmart idea, however, Target's emphasis on quality, affordable design presents interesting possibilities.  Target stores range in size from 55,000 to 175,000 square feet with some two story stores.  The two story City Target at 55,000 square feet could easily fit in a Townlet to serve as the General Store and provide an anchor for small entrepreneurs as shown below. 

Walmart Townlet

Walmart has practiced the art of creative destruction with great enthusiasm for decades to the detriment of small town culture.  Perhaps their business model can be adapted to small towns in a manner that might revive and strengthen the local population, their customers.  A Super Walmart has a one story building area of about 175,000 sf on 25 acres.  Most of the land is used for parking. The Townlet's ground floor area is about 200,000 sf on 11 acres.  Can Walmart be deployed in the Townlet?

Walmart can organize its 96 retail departments in a bit less space since the main circulation occurs on the Corso, Via and Square.  The General Store accommodates their 24 hour operation while specialties are spread throughout The Townlet on the ground floor of several Flexible Use Buildings.  Each Square has its own identity and function that coincides with Walmart's specialty retail units.  Music Square would be the obvious location for musical instruments, digital media and devices, Greenhouse Square - garden supplies, Startup Square – office supplies, books, etc., the Main Corso – clothes, jewelry, etc.

As scholars point out, the average life of a corporation is 45 years while cities are often immortal.  Walmart was founded in 1962, so it's 50.  The internet and the reluctance of cities to welcome Walmart are existential challenges that threaten Walmart's management.  The Walmart Townlet is an idea that merges a company with the immortal city to enhance the human ecosystem.   This may be a step in Walmart's sustainable future.

Farmers in Highrises?

I read recently that China is building millions of units of social housing in the near future, enough units to house the population of Germany.  Most of the population is moving from farms to the city. 

I don't know their strategy, but I suspect highrise buildings are being designed for most sites.  The Six  Story Townlet may be a good alternative to the repetitive thirty story apartment blocks included in news reports.  The Townlet has many advantages for modest income residents that are not affordable in highrise buildings.  One Six Story Townlet provides the same building area as two 29 story apartment buildings within the same land area. 

Recent studies have shown the majority of modest income families prefer low-rise apartments because:

·         Crime and fear of crime are lower.

·         Children have fewer behavioral problems when they are easy to supervise and have more opportunities to be outside.

·         Lowrise living is friendlier and provides more opportunities for community support.

The economic flexibility of the Townlet provides additional value that is unavailable in equivalent highrise structures.  The Flexible Use Buildings' dimensions and infrastucture encourage changes in use from residential to commercial to institutional as a community's demographics and economy change.

“Six Story Park Townlets”

The Six Story Townlet noted in a previous post increases the economic and social potential  of the Park Townlets by more than doubling the population without changes to the plan footprint.  Utility infrastructure grows in capacity with no changes in length.  Changes in area, population and parking are highlighted below.

Business opportunities grow dramatically with 73,000 feet on the streets since walking is the most comfortable, interesting and convenient way to move about.

So the range of possibility for the Park Townlets is a population 35,000 to 73,000 on the same footprint.  With proper planning and modular utilities incremental growth allows building area to be linked to need and economic conditions. Each Townlet is self sufficient with regard to daily needs.  Utilities are provided by efficient central  systems that serve all Townlets or by on-site "Net Zero" systems that require no outside utility connections other than wireless communication.

The appearance of Six Story Park Townlets is a bit stronger than the three story version.  Incremental growth will produce a variety of heights from three to six stories.

Each Townlet has a different layout and architectural vocabulary. 

“Like owning 1,000 Acres, only better”

We recently moved to a second floor condominium in a 200 unit highrise.  Bounded by an interstate highway, a large park and downtown, we can be on a ten mile park trail on a lake in two minutes.  We are able to walk to many of the best stores, restaurants and entertainment downtown in 10 to 30 minutes.  We have immediate access to condominium amenities: indoor/outdoor pools, sauna, hot tub, workout equipment, public spaces.  Driving is no longer a necessity.

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines luxury as “a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort: sumptuous environment” Our modest condo exists in a “sumptuous environment”.   It is surprising this relatively rare setting hasn't become standard planning practice. 

Access to the park alone is an incredible luxury.  It's much better than owning 1,000 acres in that we have 24/7 access to ten miles of well maintained, secure park trails that surround a lake.  With few exceptions the trail crosses under intersecting streets.  Rowing, kayaking and fishing are well established on the lake.

Our second story location with stairs directly to the exterior is similar to the Townlet pattern, however, we are across from a parking garage.  Oh well, nothing's perfect.

It's easy to visualize affordable luxury for the 99% by organizing 60 Townlets around a similar size public park and lake.  The sketch below accommodates a population of 35,000 with the all necessary public, institutional and commercial buildings.  Walking and biking dominate life because they are more pleasant and convenient.  Ironically, walking distances are about the same as those required if you shop at big box retailers, it's just a more pleasant experience and you don't have to drive.

The design requires 50% more pedestrian street and hike/bike trail length than vehicular streets to provide for 35,000 feet on the street.  Cars are mostly parked and serviced in garages located behind residences.

This compact plan provides developed, affordable luxury for 35,000 on 1/10th of the land area and infrastructure required for similar conventional towns.  The tallest building is three stories.  Pedestrian streets and paths that cross vehicular streets are minimized.  The Park Hike/Bike trail crosses under the bridges and has no vehicular street intersections.  The plan is compact enough to provide highly efficient electric, central heating and cooling plants.  The lake could serve as a potable water source, cooling source and recreation venue.

A detail plan of a typical group illustrates the separation of cars and people as well as

the parking garage enclosed by commercial and flexible use buildings.  The identical Townlets are for illustration only.  The reality would require a different design for each Townlet to adapt to the geography, culture, etc. 

The compact 3 story design promotes safety by residences that overlook the pedestrian streets and trails.  Self regulation is the most affordable and effective security.  

Public and commercial buildings adapt to market and functional needs.  Flexible Use Buildings adapt to a wide range of uses from residential to commercial to public as residents move through their life cycles.  Aging in place is simplified and economical.

This view from the Park side illustrates the immediate access for the 35,000 residents to the Park and Lake, a 5 minute walk maximum. 

A view from the Lake.  The maximum building height is three stories. Highrise construction and elevators are not required.  Affordable luxury for all with ground floor universal accessibility for all individuals with special needs.

Six Story Townlet

I keep thinking about the streets and squares in Zurich defined by well proportioned six story flexible use buildings.   Elegant human scaled accommodations for residents and businesses in about the same land area as an equivalent highrise development.

The highrise is often taken for granted as the most desirable and profitable model to serve large populations.  It often works well at the economic high end but becomes less and less successful as incomes diminish.  The highrise ground floor has less entrepreneurial potential due to the small number of ground floor entrances and large building depth.

A Six Story Townlet has great potential as an alternative to highrise development.  The drawings and charts below illustrate that their quantitative equivalence.  

Qualitatively, the Six Story Townlet is superior to the highrise in a number of ways that are rarely considered.  The social and entrepreneurial potential of The Townlet is considerately greater than the highrise due to the number of ground level entrances, The Six Story Townlet - 145 entrances vs. Highrise Equivalent - 30 entrances.  The real estate is more flexible in that The Townlet has an 60,000 square feet of flexible ground floor space  more than it's highrise equivalent.   Physical contact with nature is inherently stronger since all are closer to the ground.  The Townlet is technically simpler due to its lower height and smaller footprints, lighter structural loads, less critical vertical transportation, simpler mechanical and electrical distribution.  

European Ideas

Traveling with family in Europe recently, I found good ideas that can be used in the design of the Townlet.

Shepherd's Bush, London 02/26/12

The three story Flexible Use Buildings on Uxbridge Street remain viable today after having been adapted by at least four generations. These highly detailed small buildings provide important opportunities for the entrepreneur. Their level of detail may be important to their longevity.

Belfast 02/28/12

The Belfast Opera House is a great example of architecture that creates the right emotions for its place. Its exuberant, dramatic architecture sets the stage for its dramatic performances.

Zurich 03/01/12

Zurich's Main Street, the Bahnhofstrasse, limits traffic to streetcars and pedestrians so it has no curbs. Ironically, one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world is paved with asphalt. It works fine and looks great. Expensive materials aren't required, comfort and safety are.

Zurich's buildings are generally six stories tall. Buildings of this height create delightful streets and squares with a compact structure that supports a large population. The six story height is the upper limit for buildings in the Townlet.

Mannheim 03/03/12

The people of Mannheim celebrate their infrastructure and have erected a monumental water tower as the centerpiece of a large park on the edge of the city center. Celebrating infrastructure in public spaces is a great idea that builds community.

Reconnecting

The Townlet was originally intended to provide a place for people to reconnect by creating public spaces with strong Human Network Potential. What if architectural design could enhance the human connection with nature?

Science has shown that humans are biologically related to all living things, therefore, it is logical that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems. Health and a sense of well being are strengthened by the bond. The bond has been disrupted by modern life.

The Townlet design can be refined to strengthen the human connection with nature by employing ideas proposed by a variety of experts. The basic idea can be explained by the the photograph above. Given a choice in an open park, the majority will gather around the largest most protective tree since it provides the most shelter and sense of well being. The thinking is that the quality, sizes and distribution of tree elements, from main trunk to branches to stems to leaves is common to all organisms and therefore strengthens a sense of connection and well being.

The level of articulation for planning and architectural elements in The Townlet can be adjusted to levels appropriate to the function of the place.

The original architectural elements in the Townlet were very simple, many felt too simple. The number, size and distribution of elements in the original can be increased dramatically and expressed as surface articulation. I'd be interested in getting any reactions as to whether this approach strengthens the sense of well being in the Townlet.

The Architecture page in the website has been changed to contrast the original design with images of the transformed design.

A Unique Architecture for each Townlet

The Townlet's architecture is intentionally simple and diagrammatic since it is located in a generic small town. The American reality is a rich mix of cultures that rarely finds expression in contemporary architecture. The Townlet provides a platform for any number of unique architectures.

Examples of unique architectures are common in the third world and rare in the first. However there some important contemporary exceptions.

The architecture of Santorini evolved in a pre-industrial culture and was flexible enough to be adapted to a first world culture, from farm community to high end resort. A product of unique geography, climate and artistic traditions, the simple elements have been adapted to an endless variety of unique topography and uses to create an organic whole that continues to grow and improve.

Savannah has a rich mix of architectures that have been adapted to each generation's needs, from armory to college administration building in the example above.

The architecture of Sanaa provides strong identity with simple local materials.

Each Townlet will develop its special architecture. Our cultures are rich enough and diverse enough to generate an infinite number of unique expressions.

Flexible Use Buildings

Most residential design is single use with few possible options for change.  Location, structure and layout are rarely adaptable to anything other than small office functions.  Isolated in a field of houses, commercial potential is minimal. The future for most single family houses is at risk since future demographics don’t support growth in their resale market.  The Flexible Use Building provides the diversity of use, small scale individual ownership and adaptability required for the Townlet's economic health. 

The Flexible Use Building is built to change. A typical scenario would be that a young person could purchase a three story building and:

• Age In Place
• Single and Young Married No Childern
• Rent the ground floor to a retail tenant.
• Live on the second floor.
• Rent the third floor apartment.
• Married With Childern
• Rent the ground floor to a retail tenant.
• Live on the second and third floors.
• Empty Nest
• Rent the ground floor to a retail tenant.
• Live on the second floor.
• Rent the third floor apartment.
• Elderly
• Move to the ground floor.
• Rent the second and third floors as apartments

Aging in place has many advantages, however, it is just one of many possibilities that include:

• Apartment Rental All Floors
• Office Rental All Floors
• Ground and Second Floor Office Rental, Third Floor Apartment Rental
• Ground and Second Floor Retail Rental, Third Floor Apartment Rental
• Ground Floor Restaurant Rental, Second and Third Floor Apartment Rental
• Etc.

The Flexible Use Building is designed to accommodate the engineering and fire code requirements of most community uses while adjacent buildings within a connected group can expand into adjacent floors to allow flexible expansion. Central utilities and modular construction allow change with minimal disruption.

Age and Movement

Life is a major challenge for the young, old and poor who don’t have a car, can’t drive or don’t live close to public transportation. The U.S. population under 14 and over 65 will grow from 104 million in 2011 to 125 million in 2020. These groups would be well served if all their daily needs could be met with a short walk. Better yet, The Townlet makes it an interesting safe short walk.

When trips outside The Townlet are needed those without a car can use a vehicle from the car sharing program or take The Townlet super bus for longer trips. The Car Sharing program is part of a larger collaborative consumption program. The Superbus is an express bus that Townlet commuters use to travel to jobs in a nearby city. 

Many residents own cars but their daily use is minimized.