(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010)
Thompson, Claire; Combs, Jason; Johnson, Louis; Wilkinson, Luke; King, Ben
Three overlapping systems exist within the context of the
East Village site:
The Geologic Setting is the most fundamental of systems
San Diego sits atop the seam of two vast tectonic plates, the
jagged movements of which have created the broken line of
faults that lie beneath East Village.
The Urban Framework was established unaware of the
forces below. William Heath Davis and Alonzo Horton laid
out the orthogonal grid of New Town San Diego in the latter
half of the 19th century. It survives intact. Though such
a grid of streets and blocks is a boon to city growth and
flexible development, in some places its pattern is at odds
with the geologic faults beneath it. One of these places is East Village.
The Temporal Order is the ever-changing pattern of human
inhabitants, their structures, and their activities, all of which
fill the gridiron and make it their own. "The Market" is the
expression of this pattern in the here and now. The time is
ripe for human activity to re-inhabit East Village more fully, and change it once again to suite its needs.
Not an obstacle, but an opportunity
Yes, the geologic faults must be heeded in regards to future
development. In some places streets and blocks cannot be
used in the way that was originally intended. However, this does not mean a loss of utility. Instead, the trace of the faults
becomes a framework upon which to build a system of open
spaces. These open spaces, when designed correctly and surrounded with the proper uses, can be a catalyst to the
revitalization of East Village.
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009)
Branum, Cassie; Finkelstein, Aria; Kovacheva, Maria; King, Ben; Lawrence, Nathan
Denver has fared better than most American
cities in the recent global economic downturn.
Over the past decade, Denver’s real
estate market has not expanded as rapidly
as in other fast-growing U.S. cities. The city
enjoys a diverse industrial base, including the
booming alternative energy and bioscience
sectors. On the office front, Denver’s low vacancy
rate has changed little in the past year
while lease rates have continued to increase.
2007 marked Denver’s biggest year in tourism,
adding fuel to an economy which should
emerge from the global financial crisis poised
for continued growth and prosperity.