Roots & Routes
Abigail Rose Boussios
Co-Presenters: Heldreth Bautista Yu
College: Michael Graves College
Major: Architecture (M.Arch.)
Faculty Research Mentor: Venesa Alicea-Chuqui
Abstract:
Roots & Routes was focused around revitalizing Kean University’s underused spaces through interventions that were targeted to foster cultural identity, aid the campus ecosystem, and provide areas of wellness for students, faculty, and the broader community. We designed and researched models that ensured and strengthened the campus’s cultural and biodiversity identity.We created this initiative as a research and design platform to advance an equitable and sustainable future for the underutilized spaces at Kean, as well as adapt a new wayfinding system throughout the main campus in Union. The project will breathe new life into neglected areas and build the foundation for spatial interventions that will amplify the social and cultural influence of the university.Our proposal aims to create a new spatial network that will tap into these unused spaces and add new public gathering spaces in addition to expanding on the current community garden, recognizing the complex relationship between environmental health and human health and designing prototypes and guidelines that improve the well-being of the community.At the heart of our proposal lies the idea of multipurpose infrastructure: flexible interventions in the public realm that restore the surrounding ecosystems while enriching the social and health fabric of the campus. These Kinetic Landmarks will inspire new models of using public space, as well as inspire cultural identity of Kean, expand upon the vegetation, and create areas of shade/wellness for the students, faculty, and community that is fostered at Kean.