Open aggregate

Often, architecture aims to create something definite, yet static design limits adaptability as societal demands shift at an unpredictable rate. The 2020 pandemic underscored the issues in this rigidity, exposing architecture’s inability to swiftly respond to changing needs. Similarly, the rapid expansion of highways and industry continues to carve through neighborhoods, severing communities and deepening social divides—disruptions that architecture, in its fixed state, struggles to reconcile. How can an adaptable architectural system promote a resilient and nuanced urban fabric in a context where disconnected and underserved neighborhoods and existing building stock require revitalization? This thesis investigates the potential of urban acupuncture by strategically stitching together the interstitial fabric of three different blocks along Grand Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut—a transect spanning from the urban core to the suburban periphery. Each block, shaped by distinct pressures, requires a tailored intervention in scale, density, and program, yet all executed by the same architectural system. Integrating an architectural kit-of-parts as an aggregate between existing infrastructure can soften rigid boundaries and promote neighborhood togetherness through connectivity and agency, all while adapting to evolving needs and strengthening local social and economic networks.