Into the Void

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RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Research activity in the architectural disciplines takes place both within and without the academy. Speculative design competitions, are an important platform to engage with the discourse and practice of architecture, where ideas and positions are contested. It facilitates an advanced level of experimentation and venturous practice, that supports other poles of material, spatial and socio-cultural research. The Center for Public Interest Design (CPID) is a research and action centre at Portland State University that aims to investigate, promote, and engage in inclusive design practices that address the growing needs of underserved communities worldwid¬¬e. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION: 'reGENERATION' was an ideas competition intended to facilitate a dialogue on the subject of intergenerational housing. Rather than consider multi-generational housing as an isolated entity, the entry 'Into the Void' considered the provision of housing as an opportunity to explore a new typology of urban development, one that actively learns from and engages with the contemporary city and its pluralistic architecture and urbanism. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: The project was a winning entry and awarded third place by an international panel of experts including Tim Carpenter, Teddy Cruz, Margarette Leite, Dan Pitera, Belinda Tato, and Jose Vallejo. The research places itself in a discourse of ageing population, that is set to a global challenge for cities. This no longer solely limited to demographics but central to the wider debate around social inclusion, employment, economics, education and health. In prototyping urban form, articulating a clear architectural position through testing social interactions and demographic interplays at multiple resolutions and scales, the research aims to address a more inclusive strategy for ageing in place. Weblink: https://www.pdx.edu/public-interest-design/cpid-competition-results