story

During my first year at Brown University, I became deeply involved with breakdance and the local breaking community. Breaking is all about an informal gathering from different directions and walks of life. Convergence towards a common center.

In breaking, this common center in physical space manifests itself as a cypher, which is formed when a group of dancers gather in a large circle, with one person at a time dancing in the center. This idea guides my design, through the spatial organization and flow of the house.

Meant to express, celebrate, and amplify the spirit of breaking culture, this project reminds me of the power of physical space to shape our connections to one another, as well as our communities.

overview

• goal: design a co-op house that brings together the breakdance community of Providence, RI

• design concepts:

  • shared central space: the dance studio

  • geometry guided by the idea of the “cypher”: a freestyle dance circle

  • embodying the culture of breaking, boundaries between public & private spaces are blurred

• design concepts informed by my analysis of the White U House, designed by architect Toyo Ito

• includes central dance studio + kitchen, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 storage closets

concepts

drawings