Norris Square Youth Center

A Vacant Lot: Youth center Developed for the Norris Square Neighborhood Project.

The NSNP is a youth focused community center in Philadelphia. My project focused on creating more open social spaces while still maintaining both a level of privacy and respect for the historic row house architecture of the neighborhood. The ‘vacant lot’ comes from the NSNP’s history of converting abandoned lots into community gardens. In my project I used the form of a vacant lot (an open space flanked by a pair of row-houses) to create my community spaces. The large slat-work themed auditorium bridges the two block units. Then, on top, is a very large urban garden where the center could grow its teaching gardens, as well as hold its cooking classes.