AUTONOMY
Redefining Space Ownership
The project is fighting against the common phenomenon of gentrification along the High Line. Â The unit system allows for the more flexible and economical ways of living and working. The building is made up of units without additional structural parts since one unit is both the space and the structure for circulation or infrastructure, which definitely works as an autonomous architecture system. Two or three units should depend on each other for structural support and sharing vertical circulation, therefore generating a kind of ownership between the upper level and the bottom level. Tenants can decide whether they want to rent the space below out or use it as a collective space like dining or cooking. There can be some partitions between different collective spaces below but all in all there is continuous openness at the bottom level. The circulation system here performs as a more private and exclusive role in the building, The existence of ownership here defines the borders of different spaces, creating a micro community which enables more possibilities of space customization of end-users.
The shape of the basic unit comes from the consideration of vertical pipes and circulation. Units depend on each other for structural support and circulation sharing. Different types of columns and aggregations of them will lead to different spatial experiences at the bottom level.
There are mainly two types of units, one is with a duct accommodating different pipes and the other one is with a staircase, serving as a more private access. The unit itself functions as the space and the structure as well, which can be easily fabricated and assembled on site.
Units can be constructed by the crane on site.  There are mainly three types of residential clusters: three bedrooms with dining sharing, two studios and four bedrooms with a toilet sharing. There is a large free market at the High Line Level which people can easily get access to. With no solid boundaries at the bottom level, divisions of public spaces are defined by the unit above, creating a kind of intangible ownership.
It is easy to recognize different unit clusters because of the service bar. Partition walls allow for more possibilities of space customizations. There exists a close relationship between the part above and the below. The structure, being a part of the unit, redefines borders between different open spaces.
