guildhall — noah adams

guildhall: an artists’ residency for change

Mixed-Use Residential

Undergraduate Thesis Proposal

Revit / Enscape / Lightroom / Illustrator / Photoshop

problem

Mass production of furniture has depleted designer and end-user connection with an unsustainable model based on quantity, not quality. Craftsmanship and connection are lost in these pieces, and many require replacement after a few years’ use and ship from across the world. With the U.S. “producing 12 million tons of furniture and furnishings waste in 2018, up from 2.2 million in 1960,” the time for change is now (Durable Goods).

research question

Can makers of sustainable furniture and interior objects connect with their local communities to provide a new model of consumerism?

thesis

Facing a mass-market of low-quality, unsustainable furniture, lighting, and interior objects, the artists’ residency proposed would allow for maker and end-user connection through an alternative consumerism model focused on the production of handmade, sustainable pieces for members of the community in which the residency is based. This model would be mutually beneficial to artists’ growth and the economy of the surrounding community, while counteracting the negative effects of interior design on the climate crisis.

concept background

Guild and Design Collective Timeline

From Guild Separation to Synergy

concept

The driver for the design concept is to create a stimulating environment that is rooted in history and community in order to attract artists and visitors alike. This will be achieved through layering different levels of visibility through materiality throughout the space, representing the transition from guild separation to synergy. This will provide insight and allure to maker spaces and is essential for education and design-and-end-user connection. The design will embrace the ideals and nuances of crafters throughout the centuries, with unique furniture solutions, highly crafted interior-architectural elements, and rich materiality in the historic warehouse.