As of this very moment, the focus of my thesis is this question: how can we (architects) foster sustainable behavior through design? This has been a question I have been asking myself for a very long time and I came to the conclusion that no matter how great the architecture, if the people inhabiting it or experiencing it do not change, everything will continue to be the same. Therefore the architecture must somehow entice people to change their habits for a more sustainable future.
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The site I have chosen is the parking lot located across from the Lloyd Center Mall and Holladay Park, due to the fact that it is the “entrance” to the Portland City Center and the architecture designed there could help create an identity for the Lloyd district, which it is in desperate need of. This site has the potential to become an innovator for sustainable behavior, can be seen as the “good kid” everyone can look up to, and is a great location for denser urbanization. Typically Lloyd has been an area that people go to for work and recreation such as shopping, with only 5% of the area being residential. With more condensation in the Lloyd, there is a great possibility of people changing the single habit of driving to work each day to taking the light rail line (for example), which would mean less carbon emissions. Therefore a program option that is possible for this site is mixed-use residential. Since many things would be in a more convenient area, there could be a higher likelihood that other forms of transportation would be taken (especially if there is an incentive, like spending less money). As for another possible program, this site could become an institutional center for sustainable living, which could educate people on green/new technologies or maybe an experimental institution that gathers data on prototypical green/new technologies. One can also change peoples’ habits by making information and education available to them. Below is a link to sources about this thesis.