Designing for the Common Good​​

ArchDaily Topic

In Delirious New York, Rem Koolhaas vividly discusses the Downtown Athletic Club, a striking example of how an unassuming building exterior can conceal a vibrant mix of distinct, self-contained programs. Inside the uniform facade of this skyscraper, a private athletic club hosts an eclectic range of facilities—boxing gyms next to oyster bars and interior golf ranges below swimming pools—all segregated yet highly accessible. The Downtown Athletic Club epitomized the dynamism of New York's skyscrapers at the time, showcasing the thrill of capitalism through a selective, inward-focused world of leisure and privilege for the selected. This "machine of programs" operated independently of the external city as an isolated ecosystem within its walls. Yet, one might ask: could a similar model, designed for public use, create a more inclusive, lively community and neighborhood experience? This will activate the building within, instead of only serving the selected elites, and influence and transform the urban fabric and shapes around the building. In Hong Kong, a distant parallel can be drawn with the Municipal Services Buildings (MSBs)—publicly-funded structures that serve the community by integrating diverse functions within a singular vast building mass, much like the Downtown Athletic Club.

How do community centers emerge? Why do they often represent a need for the appropriation and development of society? In the pursuit of improving the quality of life in the most vulnerable communities, community centers present themselves as an alternative capable of providing healthcare, educational, cultural, and recreational services, along with spaces that contribute to the present and future development of communities. In Mexico, numerous community centers are created and supported by government institutions, civil foundations, or private companies, as well as co-management initiatives that aim to integrate children, youth, adults, and older adults into spaces for gathering, socializing, and recreation, where they can engage in activities from learning to developing individual and collective skills.

Architecture in children’s shelters serves a purpose beyond building physical spaces; it is about creating refuges that nurture healing, protection, and growth. For vulnerable children, designing these environments plays a vital role in their emotional recovery. Every aspect—from natural lighting to room layout—works together to create a secure and welcoming atmosphere, supporting their physical well-being and psychological and social development.

Prioritizing people and the planet, when it comes to building construction and real estate development, is being seen as more than an ethical mandate - it is a highly profitable approach. Changing market demands, city ordinances, and regulations, and an emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors are all influencing what successful development in the 21st century stands for.

Rural environments are often difficult to define in administrative and professional contexts and carry notable biases and complexities. Population and density thresholds are the most common determinants for drawing administrative boundaries, yet other factors, such as infrastructure, employment, and services, contribute to the characterization of rural environments. In the United States, the Census Bureau defines rurality, not by its characteristics or resources, but by absences, as "any population, housing, or territory not in an urban area." For the design and planning community, it is important to define the future of rural environments, not through the metrics of urban resources or infrastructure, but to design a new framework for flexibility, adaptation, and health.

Marie Combette and Daniel Moreno Flores founded La Cabina de la Curiosidad in 2019, a studio focused on architecture and territory based in Quito, Ecuador. Their architectural approach is based on extensive fieldwork, with an urban and territorial perspective that prioritizes the use of available resources, water management, and recycling. They use drawing and mapping as essential tools to materialize their ideas and transform them into spaces. The name of the studio evokes a "trunk" turned into a cabin full of curiosities that invite exploration of various possibilities. This trunk is nourished by everyday experiences, derived from simple interactions with the city or the environment, which triggers a creative process continually fed by experimentation and daily discovery, unafraid of the unknown.

In the year 2000, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awarded its prestigious Stirling Prize to Peckham Library, by architects Alsop and Stormer. Although it wasn't the first time for a library to win the prize, it was the first time a local library won it. It was an illustration of the times when public finances could conjure briefs with the intention to "create a building of architectural merit that will bring prestige to the borough." The library was commended for the public open space it created, its fun and colorful design, and its environmental credentials. It sits proudly in the heart of the community and it is interesting that its sign, projecting above the roof line, simply spells 'Library', an indication of the importance of this building's function to the area.

One of the biggest current challenges in large cities is the housing crisis and the lack of efficient solutions to mitigate its effects on citizens. This problem is exacerbated in cities where tourism and vacation or temporary housing dominate the market, distancing residents from the possibility of accessing affordable urban housing. Furthermore, gentrification, driven by rising rents and real estate speculation, contributes to the displacement of local communities, transforming traditional neighborhoods into areas exclusively oriented toward tourist consumption.