Parental and Co-Dependent Structures - Wentz Research Fellowship

The purpose of this research is to investigate the observable effects on the built environment that arise from the unique urban situation found in a college town. In these areas, residential structures often undergo modifications to accommodate new functional needs, resulting in codependent structures that alter the original form. Stillwater provides clear evidence of single-family homes being altered from their initial state to accommodate new assemblages of function. As codependent structures are added onto the original parent structure, the form is both undermined and transformed into a new urban figure. These new figures could never exist without the parent structure, while the parent structure could exist without the added structures. Examples of such structures include mailboxes, patios, stairs, doors, walkways, parking, and entire rooms, which are added onto the existing parent structure. Sometimes, the codependent structures simply represent alterations that took place within the parent structure, such as houses being subdivided into multiple units. The resulting figures form the basis of a new typology, where the built environment has evolved to meet the needs of its users.

What’s intriguing is that these codependent structures are clearly not designed by architects, but rather by the people who either live in or own these buildings. They embody an agency on the part of the users to modify the built environment to better suit their needs. The structures showcase a stubborn honesty in response to their contextual and functional imperatives, without acknowledging the existence of architectural ideals for aesthetics, form, or code. These shameless compositions are a direct manifestation of the urban and economic conditions found in Stillwater, revealing how the built environment can adapt and evolve to meet the practical requirements of its users.

I received a grant and fellowship to explore this research from the Wentz Foundation at OSU. After a full year of conducting research I gathered my findings and presented to various stakeholders.