Study Architecture 
ProPEL 
Author(s): Alexandra Barker
This graduate architecture studio investigates a climate change mitigation strategy that scales down and localizes waste collection, situating it within the urban fabric at the scale of New York City community districts. In these proposals, infrastructural programming is combined with public amenities that take advantage of the byproducts ofthe waste treatment process. This mixed-use infrastructure proposes a model for urban densification that makes more strategic use of transportation infrastructure and urban land use by interweaving green manufacturing and industry within urban community environments. The project assumes the incorporation of the latest filtration technologies developed in places like Japan, Sweden and Denmark that are able to filter 95-99% of different types of emissions. This makes it possible to situate these facilities in dense urban environments where they can locally capture waste streams where they are generated. It is understood that the long-term solution to waste management is the elimination of the use of fossil fuels and the complete recycling of waste. Localizing the waste to energy facility eliminates the pollution issues associated with transportation. Waste to energy puts garbage to good use by converting it to steam for electricity production and has been proven to be environmentally preferable to landfill, which are known for their greenhouse gas emissions. Combining infrastructure with public programming that can take advantage of the heat and energy byproducts of the WTE process has the added benefit of bringing visibility to the issue of waste. When neighborhoods are constrained to effectively live with their waste they are incentivized to process it as efficiently as they can. The test sites for the project were waterfront locations chosen to align with proposed East River Ferry stops to bring more visibility and efficiency to the proposed system of localized waste processing. Site One is situated on Pier 36 in Manhattan and includes the Lower East Side and Chinatown. Site Two is adjacent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which includes the Hasidic community as well as other Williamsburg residents. This work has been presented at the Center for Architecture in collaboration with the Committee on the Environment (COTE) in a symposium featuring work from Pratt Institute and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. The studio format, combining design and technical faculty, was awarded special commendation by the NAAB in the program’s most recent accreditation. Several of these projects have been recognized in national student award competitions.
https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.110.44
Volume Editors
Robert Gonzalez, Milton Curry & Monica Ponce de Leon
ISBN
978-1-944214-40-1
