Jillian Blakey

This thesis, The Place Between, is an architectural investigation of the vernacular language of Highbridge, Bronx. Highbridge is home to a large Dominican and Puerto Rican immigrant population. The Place Between proposes construction of a public structure on the Bronx side of the neighborhood's namesake—the High Bridge viaduct and pedestrian bridge. A series of interwoven pavilions floating above the cascading landscape would stand boldly as a symbol of social justice in an otherwise overlooked community. The pavilions provide a venue for music and dancing, raised planters for farming, a greenhouse for species native to residents’ homeland, and a shelter for grilling and cooking. This is a place for cultural and social exchange between people from both sides of the bridge.