Moira

DaVita Collective

Fall 2014 . Design Thinking . UCD

The DaVita Collective is an investigation in the adaptive reuse of office buildings. The DaVita Headquarters would provide transitional homes for newly homeless families and foster pets as well as job training for the current residents and DaVita employees.

The process began by making a "bug list", documenting every day annoyances, and once a list was compiled to then investigate solutions for these common annoyances.

My personal list specifically included homelessness in Denver, homeless pets, pet shelters, people needing to commute to work, parking in Denver, and the cost of glasses.

Starting with commuters, having more people work from home who job descriptions would allow it would reduce traffic, parking congestion, and even reduce emissions, all while allowing said employees to spend more time with family and pets. The downside of this proposal would be the increase in unused space in current office buildings.

But what if this unused space could actually be used as housing? Researching the Denver homeless population proved interesting, as most of the population, especially the newly homeless, are families. As current stigmas exist about the homeless community, a transitionary housing project that doubles as public education is an attractive option.

The ideal office building for the proof of concept project would be a highly visible and well known building and have a company ethos that would align with helping others, education, and health. The DaVita Headquarters proved a near perfect fit.

DaVita Common Area

The previous communal area for the office spaces would be redone as an intimate community park and recreation area. With the offices functioning as bedrooms, the park becomes the "living room" for current residents.

Existing DaVita Common Area

Repurposed Offices

The current office layout in the DaVita building provides privacy for the units from the community areas, making them ideal for bedroom spaces.

Existing Offices

Repurposed Cubicle Desk Area

Repurposing the cubicle desk areas as dog parks provides year-round safe and accessible exercise for residents and their furry friends. The grass is artificial and can be placed over the existing concrete. The artificial grass is inherently antibacterial meaning minimal smell and minimal chances of spreading disease. In addition the artificial grass is also "bug" resistant, meaning ticks, fleas, and other pests are minimized.

Current Cubicle Desk Area

Sustainability By Design

Fall 2013 . SUST 3010 . UCD

A final project was assigned for the class "The Non-sustainable Past" and the class was given creative license on the topic and presentation of their final project.

I chose to cover specific design projects that exemplified appropriate responses to surrounding context in a magazine format. The case studies of design solutions were those that heavily incorporated context in all three areas (environmental, social, and economical) and did so sustainably and effectively.

See the project here: SBD