A New Age for Strip Malls
Thesis Project
How would the SARS CoV-2 Virus reshape our society and our lives in the days, weeks, months, years, and even decades to come?
In a research study done by Samuel Brannen, they posed the question, "what will the future looks like after the pandemic?"
"...think systematically how Covid-19 fundamentally changed major global breadlines out by 2050." (1, Brannen) The economy, population, societial norms and most importantly health and safety all have different terms now amidst the pandemic. Even though we see it come to an end, what has it changed and how will this effect future designs? With the expansion of the online world, a lot of the tasks we used to do in person are now done from our fingertips across all devices. "Urban planners are reorganizing public spaces to emphasize green space, outdoor recreational areas, and pedestrian zones." (3, Brannen) Urbanization and mass gatherings have a new meaning as more people are working from home and buying all their clothes and essentials online.
To re-iterate, my thesis design has been INSPIRED by the events of the pandemic but will not fully be designed for another pandemic in the future. I will keep in mind all the activities people did during that time to keep them busy and hopefully implement those ideas in the redesign but will not be shifting or catering to design for the future viruses.
As we stayed at home and practiced social distancing, there was a very limited amount of things to do. After the world started to open back up again, I saw that a lot of those businesses and places that we went too in our free time - including malls and cinemas - were starting to have a tough time staying alive.
What are we doing with the spaces that are now vacant and how do we utilize those spaces for a better and long lasting purpose?
Panorama View of Redesign
Proposed Site - Sheridan Centre
Address
2225 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga, ON L5K 1T9
Hours of Operations
Mon - Fri | 11AM - 7PM
Saturday | 11AM - 6PM
Sunday | 12PM - 5PM
Total GLA
548, 267 sq ft
Demographics (5KM)
Total Population: 150, 368
Total Households: 47,806
Household Average Income: $111,153
Site Plan of Sheridan Centre Redesign
Sun Path Diagram
Traffic Nodes
Population Analysis
Postal Code Diagram
Physical Site Model
Thesis Statement
Since the expansion of online shopping, it became the start of the decline of in-person shopping at malls and outlets. Now that these spaces are starting to becoming vacant, what do we do with them? The focus of my thesis will be to transform the exiting foundation of the strip malls into a sustainable and local way of farming for the community members in Ward 8 of Mississauga. It will also give a chance for the people who are unemployed to have a chance to work and network within their own community. The population of unemployment in that location is roughly 22,000 people, ages 15 and older. By adding sustainable practices in an urbanized space, it helps the community become aware of the benefits of learning sustainably and help continue this cycle in the future. It is revolutionizing the idea of farming by becoming as local as possible while allowing members of the community to participate while developing skills.
This sketch represents an idea of what to do in these spaces. Sheridan Centre is not a large space height wise but it is length wise. To add even 3 steps or a ramp that lead you onto another level creates heiarchy and spaces for new programs to occur, new things for people to look at and new events for visitors to experiance. Between each level or section, a ramp, bridge, a set of stairs, or even an elevator is the connection.
What happens on these new levels and heights are still undecided but are colour coded to indicate program changes and include new ideas and designs take place wherever a visitor looks.
The Cycle
1. Locally grown produce in the greenhouse.
2. Produce gets transferred over to the culinary school to be cooked through different cultural and culinary practices while also including a generational cooking experience.
3. Food and baked goods get passed over to the bakery/cafe to be handed out to the members of the community.
4. Any extra produce can be given to the farmers market for people to buy fresh and local produce. The farmers market also gives an opportunity for small businesses to sell their items.
5. People are then able to spend time with family and friends while eating their food on the rooftop patio and taking a walk through the community garden.
Isometric Diagram
Renderings
Final Statement
This process doesn't stop at the urban farm but continues when the information and knowledge is taken home. Being able to lower carbon emissions by reducing the distance travelled to import the produce helps to create the farm to table experience as close to home as possible. This establishment creates a continuous flow of information sharing both in the form of farming and cooking while allowing the users to experience the urban farm, gather knowledge and apply it in their own homes and backyards. It helps create a new cycle of sustainable practices and revolutionize the idea of farming by becoming as local as possible while also allowing those members to develop new skills in farming, cooking, and taking care of our planet one postal code at a time.
Completed: April 2022