Ross Myren

The creation of Mundane Materials and Their Many Lives: A Community Clubhouse for the Lower East Side was motivated by an ambition to build with care and a desire to better understand how minor spatial alterations can produce healthier, more enjoyable social environments. I explore adaptive reuse in common practice, imagining a postcarbon future in which existing structures are valued and serve as springboards for new architectural ideas. Built on the former site of the Boys' Club of New York (the corner of 10th Street and Avenue A), this project opens the doors to a new afterschool program accessible to all. My project centers three operations—slicing, boring, and carving—to make critical spatial revisions that allow for new ways of experiencing the building. Slicing openings along the length of the structure to create archways at ground level draws people off the street and up the new ramped path through the entrance. Boring through the slabs makes room for an elevator, something the building never had. Carving out the back wall of the landings creates spots for rest, socializing, and doing homework, ensuring that the stairs become a site not just of play but of lively connection between spaces. This project involves an investment in the material and systems of the clubhouse interior. My plan calls for the use of low-carbon and recycled materials—chosen not just for their low ecological impact but for the spatial opportunities they afford and the tactile experiences they offer. rossmyren.com @scatter.practice