Unity Village Reflection

Community interaction is stimulated when members share common characteristics. The criteria for residence in Unity Village provide many of these characteristics. Residents must be above the age of 50, posses some sort of disability as well as financial need. These characteristics govern the daily lives of the residents and therefore provide a natural basis for interaction. Many of these relations are brought on by the building’s problematic design as little is done to cater to the mentioned disabilities. During our brief visit a lady waiting in the bottom floor rear exit aided a lady in a wheelchair when she couldn’t pull her cart with her through the elevator doors. Rolling herself and her cart out of the narrow elevator doors would have been impossible without help. This is one example of how the faulty design works to build the friendly relations of the residents.

Sketches of the rear exit by the elevators

Sketch of classmates sitting around the community room

My area of focus was the laundry room on the bottom floor. Sitting in this one room perhaps gave me the best glimpse into the inner workings of the complex. One elderly lady in the laundry room spoke cynically about death nearing. She claimed she would wait till summer to die! This lighthearted cynicism was spoken among friends such as the wheelchair lady mentioned earlier. These community aspects lie in the functions of the complex in that rooms with a specific function are where interaction occurs.

Sketch of the laundry room and waiting area.

It is surprising that there are little to no handicap amenities. Doors to the co-op market, and the laundry room among others lack the push-button entry the rear exit doors have. The space is economical in that many washers and dryers are packed into the small room, however the aisle of the laundry room was too narrow for the lady in the wheelchair as it was crowded with small carts. If some of these carts were removed handicapped residents could maneuver much better.

As the building’s faulty design does much to create helpful relations among the residents, perhaps new designs could preserve and improve this interaction. An intercom system could be placed in key locations. Intercoms could be placed outside of elevators so that residents can call to neighboring rooms if they need aid from nearby residents. An intercom would have been helpful to the mentioned wheelchair lady in calling neighbors in the laundry room.

As discussed there is virtually no way finding in Unity Plaza. Rooms with very important functions have no indicator other than a small label posted on the face of the door. The interior is almost completely devoid of color. Few colored floor tiles and partitions were seen (see below). It would be nice to redesign so that the few moments of color are put to use. Since there is so much white space perhaps the floor could be used to direct. Floor markings could be used as waypoints to identify rooms or one’s proximity to an important location. Floor markings could also identify floor level by color. Though areas of carpet exist hard white tile flooring dominates the entire structure. Perhaps in rooms and areas of concentrated gathering, cork flooring or alternative flooring that is easier on the feet could be installed. Residents would also enjoy a better floor grip, as tile floors can be very slippery.

Few areas of color exist

Cinder brick stained white walls; low ceilings and narrow passages produce a “barricaded” atmosphere. It seems as if the structure is its own island. The views from the apartments provide glimpses to the outside world whereas to get there one must take the bus (as many of the residents do). Perhaps the hallways could be given some identity and personality. Residents could post grand children’s artwork or their own artwork on these walls. An event could be held where one day residents are gathered and an illustrator draws caricatures of residents, which are then posted on their doors. The sterile apartment doors would then gain some personal identity along with a face to the person within.

Dark "barricaded" hallways

The residents in being over 50 years of age (many well over 50) come from a period of intense racial aggression. Many of them may have grown up with those values instilled within. However from their interactions with one another, one can see how any racist aggression has dissolved into a symbiotic friendship. Within this complex they are all equals and they must all live off of each other.