Juwan Palmer

My thesis examines the way architecture can bridge communities divided by industrial infrastructure and the negative impacts of mass residential development plans, such as overdensification and gentrification. It focuses on a proposed 140-acre trainyard overbuild in Sunnyside, Queens, which gives new residential developments priority access to amenities over existing neighborhoods already in need of resources. I explored an architectural typology that supports the existing neighborhoods and connects them to adjacent developments by facilitating adaptation to Sunnyside Yards. I also proposed a program that brings together recycling, farming, education, and culinary experiences with shopping, based on a holistic concept of "integrated eating." The integrated eating system operates on the belief that the workings of the food system are intentionally obscured, leaving people unaware of their role in it. This new marketplace typology is designed to unveil what is hidden by consolidating all the elements of the system under one roof, helping community members understand their place in the system and enabling them to make informed choices. At the Sunnyside Market, a circular aquaponics system transforms waste into fish feed and compost, which is used to grow nutrient-rich produce. Connecting Sunnyside and Sunnyside Yards are pedestrian bridges housing market and social eating programs for residents traversing the trainyard. These bridges intersect at an atrium with a monumental roof, which serves as a gathering space for sharing food, culture, and knowledge. Interlocking mass timber column grids are positioned between the food system components, fostering interaction between residents. The market becomes a remarkable showcase of food, cooking, and culture, bridging two neighborhoods competing for resources and bringing them together around the kitchen table. It breaks from traditional grocery store layouts, adopting kiosk-based pavilions for produce, fish, bakeries, shelves, and eateries, encouraging mindful movement, an informed and thoughtful attitude toward food, and a shift away from mass consumption.