architecture soup

Architecture Soup is a design tool created with XYC Design to enhance and preserve neighborhood character when introducing new developments into established communities. It was developed for a project in an established inner-city community with diverse architectural expressions. The goal was to maintain the community's unique look and feel, shaped by the residents themselves, the actual characters of the neighbourhood.

To thoughtfully integrate our new development into the existing community, we began by documenting existing character elements such as roof type, cladding, window type, porch design, wall-to-roof ratio, coplanar material changes, and chimneys. We identified common features among houses and developments, or "character staples," such as hip roofs and dormers, and rarer "character anomalies," such as intricate porch details and one-off window designs.

Using the data we collected from our study we then printed individual 3D models of the character staples and anomalies, we color-coded them to match our context maps, and placed them in respective bowls. This is the physical manifestation of Architecture Soup, which we then used as a design tool by taking a scoop out of the familiar, character staples bowl, and another scoop of the unique, character anomalies bowl. By applying these design elements to our project and assessing the feasibility from a construction costs and neighborhood preservation perspective, we were able to determine the most successful architectural solution for our project.