Towards a Permeable Preston Ave

Preston Avenue is a broken site. The wide street divides two very separate economic areas, and the sprawling, sporadic programs are not dense enough to draw in large crowds. The concept to make Preston Permeable came from the desire to densify the street fronts (creating walkable, enjoyable spaces for college students and Charlottesville residents alike) and create a slow gradient into single family homes with mixed residential/commercial buildings in between.

This strategy engages both the residents of Preston and those who venture from other parts of the city. To create this density, I used the implicit connections between existing buildings to create larger buildings along the street fronts, and then took away meaningful subtractions to create useful internal spaces within the buildings. This allows
for larger structures that contain shopping, dining, offices, and residences. The subtractions also allow for filtration within the block and between blocks. Creating a Permeable Preston will make the site more connected, walkable, productive, lively, fun, and safe.

WHAT

Housing Complex

WHERE

Charlottesville, VA

WHEN

Spring 2016