STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY THE PRESIDENTIAL STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

RESPONDENT INFORMATION

PROJECT AUTHOR AND TEAM LEADER Rafi Segal, PhD, M.Sc, B.Arch

PROJECT TEAM Jesse Catalano, M.Arch Candidate ‘16, BA Steve Chappell, M.Arch Candidate ‘15, BFA Chelsea Hyduk, LEED AP, M.Arch Candidate ‘15, BS Arch Stephanie Jones, M.Arch Candidate ‘15, BS Arch Harrison Ratcliff-Bush, M.Arch Candidate ‘16, BS Arch

CONTACT Rafi Segal Architecture Urbanism LLC 880 Lawrenceville Road Princeton, NJ 08540 +1 609 430 4257 +1 609 357 8355 Mobile www.rafisegal.com [email protected]

2 3 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

CONTENTS

Project Proposal 07

Description of Stations:

Station 01, Honolulu, HI 31 Station 02, City, NY 39 Station 03, Cambridge, MA 47 Station 04, , IL 55 Station 05, Washington D.C. 63

Team Commitment and Strategy 73

4 5 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

THE PROPOSAL ONE LIBRARY, FIVE CITIES

We propose Barack Obama’s Presidential Socially and urbanistically each station Library to be a series of structures, is situated in a site of interaction and stations of community programs and meeting, between an urban neighborhood activities, distributed among the places and the library’s host institution. Five cities that shaped Barack Obama’s legacy. participate in forming a single presidential Each station represents part of President library system both specific and particular Obama’s singular story, a chapter in his to the communities they serve while also political and intellectual development, but operating on the national scale as a single at the same time stands for a shared core cohesive institution. principle, a democratic ideal of our society.

6 7 8 THE U.S. PRESIDENTS’ LEGACY PRESIDENTS’ U.S. THE STATIONS OFDEMOCRACY

1789 18TH &19THCENTURY =DISTRIBUTED MODEL

1797 1801

1809

1817

1825 1829

1837 1841 1845 James K. Polk 1849 1850 1853 1857 1861 1865 1869 Ulysses S. Grant

1877 Rutherford B. Hays James A. Garfield 1881 Chester Arthur 1885 1889 1893 Grover Cleveland

1897 William McKinley 1901

1909 1913

1921 Warren G. Harding IS MORE THAN A LIBRARY A THAN MORE IS 1923 is nor Foundation, Obama Barack the by described the objectives serves best longer no single model presidential current the structure, centralized a of typology building from century 20th Following disconnected context. urban the objects isolated as designed been have presidential in Since their inception the century mid-20th

1929 20TH CENTURY =CENTRALIZED MODEL 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt

1945 Harry S. Truman

COMBINE MODELS 1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower RELATING TORELATING PAST TRADITIONS OF BUILDINGLEGACY 1961 John F. Kennedy 1963 Lyndon B. Johnson

1969

1974 1977 1981

1989 George H.W. Bush type. century 21st new a construct better to centralized model distributed the the and model both building combining of legacy, tradition incorporate longer a library from century ideas 21st a that propose We age. and digital our records in of documents nature the of reflective it 1993

2001 George W. Bush

2009 Barack Obama 21ST CENTURY STATIONS OFDEMOCRACY 9 10 STATIONS OFDEMOCRACY EXPANDING MONUMENTS EXPANDING HOW BIG . . . IS TOO BIG? TOO IS . . . BIG HOW stand for? Or how do we assure that we are are we that assure we do how Or for? stand real the it should what is And building? this of purpose what becomes: question The to space. intend physical less and less they occupy house records actual the bigger, get to continue libraries presidential While

DEDICATED 1940 The Franklin D. Roosevelt 108,750 SF Library &

DEDICATED 1952 The Dwight D. Eisenhower 109,254 SF Library & Museum

DEDICATED 1957 The Harry S. Truman 96,612 SF Library & Museum

DEDICATED 1962 The Herbert Hoover 47,169 SF Library & Museum the project’s scale and programmatic links links programmatic and scale can project’s the reevaluate that must We contribution communities? impact significant a monument but hollowed-out a designing not to guide the design. the guide to Barack Foundation the Obama of objectives true the allow to

DEDICATED 1971 The Lyndon B. Johnson 139,267 SF Library & Museum

DEDICATED 1979 The John F. Kennedy 134,293 SF Library & Museum

DEDICATED 1981 The Gerald R. Ford 104,764 SF Library & Museum

DEDICATED 1986 The Jimmy Carter 85,592 SF Library & Museum

DEDICATED 1990 The Ronald Reagan 55,373 SF Library & Museum

DEDICATED 1991 The Richard Nixon 147,400 SF Library & Museum

DEDICATED 1997 The George Bush 116,527 SF Library & Museum

DEDICATED 2004 The William J. Clinton 152,122 SF Library & Museum

DEDICATED 2013 The George W. Bush Library & Museum

210,864 SF STATIONS OFDEMOCRACY

2020 11 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

LIBRARY IN THE DIGITAL AGE INFORMATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE: FROM ‘CONTAINER OF KNOWLEDGE’ TO NETWORK, FROM BUILDING TO CLOUD

What should the library be in the digital of meeting and learning and as a symbol age when the building is no longer needed of democratic values and principles. In our to house original documents and public society, democracy needs to constantly records are mainly digitized? What is be maintained, nourished and invested then the primary purpose of a physical in through the process of ‘making things structure? Two-fold: as a communal place public.’

12 13 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY BATTLE OVER

Illinois shelving $100 million “gift to Obama library ” THE SITE -USA Today

WHO WINS, WHO LOSES? While at Law School, Obama pio- “ neered a new brand of activism for students who hoped to ensure that Harvard adhered to a standard of diversity and equality.” -The Harvard Crimson Three South Side groups bid “ for Obama library ” -The Chicago Maroon

Mayor de Blasio wants “ Obama to bring his library to Columbia University” -New York Daily News Hawaii Makes Its Case for Obama’s “ Library: Why Not Bring It to the Beach? ” -

President Obama promised us change, which doesn’t happen overnight, but “ change he has delivered and will Hawaii Overshadowed by Chicago for continue to do so ” “ Obama Library ” -The Washington Times -The

14 15 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

born August 4 1

6 3

9 6

1 9

1

HON 44th president of . O 7 .C LU 6 the D L 9 N U 1 O t T iden N I G res oe N N P la D I S n O U S i

H a E N

S n le

5 t E

0 e o m Barack Sr. visits

0 A t S 2 a F e W n ra n I from Kenya e t A POLITICAL n S a s r 1 S is y 97 1 B k U e u H

s s P O u A u elected to the k n N i s a US Senate S i s O h d c i o n h L u a o U l l S e o

t a L l c a G h

U

n

o &

e

l o

l S

i l

NARRATIVE

o

h

e

t g

n

r

a a

t

a

c

i

S B

h

,

r

s

C

i

e

f

o

n

i

o

n

i

l

M

y

l

t ,

I

t

i

s

i

c

s

r v

e

j

a

e

o

v

D

r

i

OBAMA’S MANY “HOMES”

p

P

n

u

s

U o

w

e

r

O i

r

e

t

i

G i

e

L

n c

r

v

h

u

D u

c

c

m . e

e

r

t

N

v

m B

A

e a i

o

c 1 l

C o

Y

R

p

g

i

e n

d

u

e

9

s

P

s

e

L

u 7 e

.

R

i b

w

C

t

n l

i s 9 c

. e

r I

n e n t

e

a

p

s

o

r

s

L

o t

I

C l

n

a l Presidents Obama’s legacy does not inspiration which engages its community t

a

u e

r n d

n o

i a t

r

l

m

a

C

v

N

r

b

o

a

i

a H l

O Y

l

e

U

belong in a single place. In fact, his unique while re-telling the story of how a young

1

C

g

G

n

9 e

i

v

A

8 e

l

r

s

C 1 o

i

I

t

o y

h

H story is exactly the opposite. His political boy in Hawaii made his way to the White c

S

C

w

a

L

d

E

r

a

v

r

a

H

G

C

elected to the D

H

I narrative and leadership was shaped by key House. Such a concept expresses our

I

R graduates from 1 C B

A G M A O

State Senate 9 C high school

9 1 1 9 stations of his intellectual and personal age of network nodes – the same spatial 8 1 5 9

8 life. The library should be present in these mechanism which aided Barack Obama in 8 key stations, as a place of learning and his elections.

graduates from Columbia University elected president of the Harvard Law Review

16 17 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

05 Ethic of Citizenship

COMMUNITY + ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP 01 | HONOLULU, HI ETHIC OF FIVE CITIZENSHIP HEALTH + 05 | WASHINGTON DC WELLNES 02 | NEW YORK, NY PUBLIC STATIONS EDUCATION FIVE CONCEPTS PUBLIC EDUCATION Ideals which represent the guiding symbolic and programmatic functions of SOCIAL principles and future aspirations of the each of the five proposed library projects. 04 | CHICAGO, IL JUSTICE Barack Obama Foundation become the Symbolically each is a station in Obama’s 03 | CAMBRIDGE, MA architectural urban themes that define the legacy.

18 19 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

DEFINEDDEFINED LIBRARYLIBRARY PROGRAMPROGRAM 5 SITES 5 SITES PROPOSEDPROPOSED SHARED 01 | HONOLULU01 | HONOLULU 02 | CAMBRIDGE02 | CAMBRIDGE 03 | WASHINGTON03 | WASHINGTON PROGRAM 04 | NEW04 YORK| NEW YORK DISPERSED IN FIVE CITIES

The current centralized model stands that is more attuned to what he represents. in opposition to the president’s ideals, A series of projects that grow from within 05 | CHICAGO05 | CHICAGO choosing one site and therefore turning their sites, accessible, open, interactive, one city into a ‘winner’ while the others and responding directly to the community lose. President Obama stands for fairness, that houses them. Portals of knowledge, equal opportunity, public education, Stations of ideals, principles and ‘lessons community and economic impact. We to be learned’ for a better community, and propose an architectural urban scheme for a better democracy.

20 21 00 | LIBRARY PROGRAM 120,00 SF

STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

01 | HONOLULU, HI COMMUNITY + ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP 108,000 SF 12,000 SF

02 | NEW YORK, NY HEALTH + WELLNESS 86,000 SF 34,000 SF NEW PUBLIC

03 | CAMBRIDGE, MA SOCIAL JUSTICE SPACE 116,000 SF 4,000 SF ENGAGING A COMMUNITY 04 | CHICAGO, IL PUBLIC EDUCATION The places that shaped Barack Obama structure. A component of the original as a leader should become integrated library program acts as a catalyst to create 60,000 SF 60,000 SF into their communities rather than tightly and enlarge public programs in response wrapped up and secured in a monumental to the needs of each site and community.

05 | WASHINGTON DC ETHIC OF CITIZENSHIP 110,000 SF 10,000 SF

22 23 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC SPACE INTERVENTION INSTITUTION

01 | HONOLULU, HI COMMUNITY + ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP INTERVENTION

02 | NEW YORK, NY HEALTH + WELLNESS INTERVENTION SITES 03 | CAMBRIDGE, MA SOCIAL JUSTICE INTERVENTION INSTITUTION AND NEIGHBORHOOD MEET AT A SHARED SPACE

Each of the participating cities includes mediator to transform them into places of 04 | CHICAGO, IL a variety of urban sites which sit at the interaction, meeting and urban negotiation. PUBLIC EDUCATION border of an academic or public institution The selected sites in this proposal are

INTERVENTION and its adjacent neighborhood. These exemplary of such conditions. Located sites in many cases become negative along the line where the institution meets urban edge conditions as they fall in the neighborhood, they serve and benefit between responsibilities. We propose to both as they transform an urban edge identify such sites and use the library as a condition to a center. 05 | WASHINGTON DC ETHIC OF CITIZENSHIP INTERVENTION

24 25 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

HONOLULU, HI OPEN , NY STRUCTURE FIVE WALLS COMPOSE EACH STATION. SYMBOLICALLY CAMBRIDGE, MA EACH WALL REPRESENTS ONE OF THE CORE CONCEPTS, PROGRAMMATICALLY, EACH DEFINES A ZONE OF ACTIVITY – PART INTERIOR, PART EXTERIOR

The zones are strips used to organize the allows particular urban intervention as CHICAGO, IL diverse programs taking place within each the wall can integrate with, and negotiate individual station. They are a consistent between open and closed spaces. In each architectural element which reappears site, one wall is designated as a semi- in all five library sites. This architectural transparent ‘data wall,’ illuminated nightly strategy, common to all the Stations, with projected text from Obama’s .

WASHINGTON, D.C.

26 27 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

THE DATA WALL A CONSISTENT ARCHITECTURAL FEATURE

The data wall becomes a typical station, relevant words – those associated architectural feature of the library that with the concept or theme of that station appears in each station. The walls display a – are highlighted within that stream to constant, shared stream of text taken from reinforce each one’s larger agenda. the documents of public records. At each

28 29 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

HI DC NY STATION 01 COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENTAL IL MA STEWARDSHIP

30 31 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

THE LEGACY – HONOLULU

Instilled with familial values, President for education and learned to admire the Obama’s childhood can be defined through peer to peer respect embodied in Hawaiian a lens of tolerance. Coming from all walks culture and tradition. His attendance at of life, from all over the globe, his family is Punahou School, and engagement with a testament to diversity. At a young age, the local community provided him with the while spending most of his time with his footwork necessary to expand his mind, mother and maternal grandparents, he and envision his future. was taught to appreciate the opportunity

32 33 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

THE INSTITUTION MEETS THE CITY

Located on the Mamala Bay in Honolulu, would allow it to remain a partially public the site represents both the president’s location. In the absence of an urban center, history and his continued commitment to the library can react to a landscape which environmental stewardship. The University reflects the values of the local people and of Hawaii, the meeting place of Obama’s institutions, intervening minimally and parents, would have ownership over the allowing the scenery and vegetation to site, but its adjacency to the Kakaako Park remain untouched.

34 35 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Pla ygr ound

Data

Galler Learningy

Auditorium

36 37 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY HEALTH & WELLNESS

HI DC NY STATION 02 HEALTH & WELLNESS IL MA

38 39 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY HEALTH & WELLNESS

THE LEGACY – NEW YORK CITY

In the fall of 1981 Barack Obama transferred defining his major as Political Science with to Columbia University in the pursuit of a concentration in international relations. engaging in New York City’s rich urban Similar to his academic history in Hawaii, culture and diversity. During his time there, Columbia University became an incubator he would be drawn toward his passions for intellectual pursuits, setting the stage of writing and politics, exercising his skill for his future political endeavors, while set through participation in student-led mobilizing his path towards Presidency. journals and organizations, ultimately

40 41 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY HEALTH & WELLNESS

THE INSTITUTION MEETS THE CITY

During his time in New York City, Obama two dramatically different demographics. engaged with many neighborhoods around Filled with university students and families the University, but became particularly from the Upper West Side and Harlem, the interested in the rich history surrounding park is a microcosm of New York City’s Harlem. Living in a walk-up on West 109th diversity that can begin to bring together street, Obama resided on the border of people of different race, economic class, Morningside Heights and Central Harlem, and educational upbringing. Expanding frequently wandering into the historically the existing programs for recreation black neighborhood. Today Morningside and leisure, this station could serve to Park remains as a border between the address these converging paradigms University Campus and Central Harlem, but while promoting Obama’s commitment to while appealing to both nearby students and the health and well-being of the American local residents, creates a tension between people.

42 43 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY HEALTH & WELLNESS

Well nes s C en Ex te hib r it io F n itne ss

N

u

t

r

i

t

i

o n

44 45 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY SOCIAL JUSTICE

HI DC NY STATION 03 SOCIAL JUSTICE IL MA

46 47 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE LEGACY – CAMBRIDGE

Although his attendance at our country’s 1990. Given his ability to reach across the oldest continuously operating law school aisle, he was elected to the position where is rarely discussed or publicized, President he presided, gaining practice mediating Obama joins a list of just seven presidents between the liberals and conservatives. with Harvard degrees, graduating as the Concerned with equal rights, he made only with a JD from Harvard Law School. the Law Review’s primary focus social During his attendance from 1988-1991, problems, calling to expand the power of Obama was elected to his first political women, African-Americans, and the elderly position to become the first black president and choosing to publish key articles of the Harvard Law Review in February relating to these topics.

48 49 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE INSTITUTION MEETS THE CITY

Harvard University’s international Harvard’s campus meets the surrounding presence and student body reflect the community at many moments creating diverse path of President Obama’s past. opportunity for intervention. The third Today, the institution provides a platform Station capitalizes on one specific meeting for many nations’ outstanding youth to point along Avenue--the develop promising futures as leaders and border between Harvard Law School and researchers, promoting the same lively Cambridge Common Park--which could debate and intellectual stimulus Obama increase public access from surrounding engaged in during his years at Harvard areas. The park at this border looks to Law School. The institution itself is Harvard Law School, providing spaces of embedded in Cambridge, Massachusetts’ recreation and civic engagement to over Harvard Square, a historic urban center 10,000 pedestrians and cyclists a day. minutes from downtown .

50 51 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY SOCIAL JUSTICE

Garden

Exhibition

Justice Walk Justice Free Speech Zone Speech Free

52 53 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY PUBLIC EDUCATION

HI DC NY STATION 04 PUBLIC EDUCATION IL MA

54 55 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY PUBLIC EDUCATION

THE LEGACY – CHICAGO

Obama’s time spent in Chicago was the return from Cambridge, he began to teach most formative period of his political constitutional law at the University of development. Before being elected to Chicago while continuing to work toward the Senate he was deeply involved as a civil rights and neighborhood improvement. community organizer, developing programs His election to the Illinois State Senate to help improve education, housing, brought confidence and stability to a jobs, and other public needs . Taking historically shaky organization. up residence in Hyde Park following his

56 57 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY PUBLIC EDUCATION

THE INSTITUTION MEETS THE CITY

The Southside, an area to which Obama between the declining community and the and his family have strong ties, shares a thriving institution, providing amenities boundary between a community in need of to both in order to mediate current and intervention and an institution capable of future issues. Carrying on the narrative of hosting change. Despite his work, and the Obama’s educational efforts, this station work of like-minded officials, there is still will serve primarily as an environment for room for improvement. Vacancies on the learning to be accessed by both university southern edge of the scholars and the neighborhood residents. campus could be filled to serve as a bridge

58 59 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY PUBLIC EDUCATION

Education

Employment

Archive

Urban Community

60 61 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY ETHIC OF CITIZENSHIP

HI DC NY STATION 05 ETHIC OF CITIZENSHIP IL MA

62 63 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY ETHIC OF CITIZENSHIP

THE LEGACY – WASHINGTON DC

Becoming the first African American relations, environmental issues, and president of the United States, Barack economic reform, continues to perform Obama took his seat in the Oval Office in across a global spectrum. Therefore, the January, 2009. Although viewed by many Washington D.C. station will focus on the as a dark horse with little experience, future of the Obama Foundation and its and faced with national crisis, Obama continued impact across the nation and has guided our country through difficult the globe. The case for Obama’s legacy times with integrity and steadfast, here is clear, but moreover, as a city built fearless commitment to leadership. His upon a history of diversity, is an epicenter policy-making, which has improved our for innovation and diplomacy. health care systems, U.S. international

64 65 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY ETHIC OF CITIZENSHIP

THE INSTITUTION MEETS THE CITY

With George Washington University as a but a part of the constant motion of host, the site for this station will be situated the city, people, and ideas. Centrally along Avenue, blocks from situated within the urban context, it is Dupont Circle and the White House. The close to both amenities for tourists and location along boulevard affixes to the far residents alike, yet is also adjacent to the reaching network inherent to L’Enfant’s quiet, contemplative atmosphere of the original city plan while still serving as university. Here the Foundation offices intimate public space for its immediate could reside while providing additional surroundings. The library’s site in this space for community and educational instance is not a point of termination, pursuits.

66 67 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY ETHIC OF CITIZENSHIP

Dignity

Respect

Diplomacy Equality

68 69 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

HONOLULU, HI

NEW YORK CITY, NY

CAMBRIDGE, MA

CHICAGO, IL

WASHINGTON, D.C.

70 71 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

TEAM COMMITMENT, STRATEGY AND FUTURE STEPS

Our Team proposes to further develop a 1) To undertake a close reading and design and program strategy that would analysis of the potential urban sites that allow the library To be rethought of as five can house the library. stations, located in five sites. We would 2) To develop a brief designated specifically like to further develop a design approach for each site. Based on a broader understanding of the role of the & Museum, 3) The design the architecture of the ‘ Data which will lead to a building type conceived wall’ as an art-educational element to specifically for this task. As architects and appear in all the projects. designers our understanding of the urban 4) To construct a compelling urban context and the impact of the individual narrative, presented visually in diagrams building within it can aid to better and images, outlining and explaining The appropriate the library to its future sites, uses, significance and impact of the library while also representing its importance to station on its immediate surroundings and the public. we therefor offer the following: within the larger context.

72 73 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

BIOS

MIT, ’s Graduate School Rafi Segal of Design, at the Cooper Union School of Architecture and at Columbia University’s Architect, urbanist and scholar, Rafi Segal Graduate School of Architecture. received his PhD from , and his M.Sc and B.Arch from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. His practice Jesse Catalano encompasses design and research on both the architectural and urban scale. Segal’s Jesse Catalano is currently a Master architectural work has gained international of Architecture candidate at Columbia recognition, most recently by winning University’s GSAPP and a designer at the competition for the Solomonoff Architecture Studio. He holds of Israel in Jerusalem. His writings and a BA from Middlebury College and has been exhibitions, among them Cities of Dispersal a visiting student at both the Universita (2008), Territories — Islands, Camps and degli Studi di Ferrara in Italy and Parsons Other States of Utopia (2003), and A Civilian in New York and Paris. Catalano grew up in Occupation (2003) have been extremely the Hudson Valley and moved to New York influential in the social- political discourse in 2011 to work for Dlandstudio, developing of contemporary urbanism. Segal has waterfront urban design proposals, taught architecture and urban design at and infrastructural and architectural

74 75 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

projects in the City. He has collaborated challenging notions of space, boundaries, on projects with offices in New York and Chelsea Hyduk Stephanie Jones and building. , and held a leading design role A Detroit native, Chelsea Hyduk is currently Stephanie Jones, a Master of Architecture in the award-winning Middlebury College a Master of Architecture Candidate at candidate at Columbia University’s Solar Decathlon 2011 entry. Catalano is a Harrison Ratcliff-Bush Columbia University’s GSAPP. Similar Graduate School of Architecture, founding member of two community non- to Obama’s narrative, Chelsea originally Planning, and Preservation received her Harrison Ratcliff-Bush is currently a profits, Friends of Fulton and the Bedford moved to New York City to experience B.S. Architecture from The State Master of Architecture candidate at 2020 Coalition, and continues to focus his the rich urban culture and diversity. She University in 2012. A Pennsylvania Columbia University’s GSAPP. He received work on the overlap between infrastructure, received her Bachelor of Science from native, she has worked at several firms a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from urbanism and community development. the University of , minoring in within the Pittsburgh area on residential the University of Utah in Salt Lake City Environmental Studies. Since then she and commercial projects focused on where he was raised. He has consulted for Steve Chappell has worked at residential and commercial sustainable, healthy buildings for the numerous practices in Salt Lake City and architectural design firms in New York, betterment of community development. New York. Harrison is currently researching Steve Chappell is currently a Master Massachusetts and Michigan. Her work Her personal designs focus toward an the political and sociological components of Architecture candidate at Columbia and recent international travels aim to ongoing investigation into the way the to architectural aesthetics. His interest in University’s GSAPP where he serves as understand how architecture can better environments we create can improve the the Obama Presidential Library RFQ stems a representative in student government. serve and engage our communities. The lives of those who live, work, learn, and from an interest in the condition of the He holds a BFA in Architecture from the Obama Presidential Library provided play in them while engaging with changing monument in late-Capitalism, the resultant Savannah College of Art and Design. His Chelsea with an opportunity to challenge urban constructs. Presenting a wide forms and types it adapts to, and what work explores and reconfigures building the conventional library typology and its range of potential design problems, the meaning it retains in late-Capitalism in typologies to create new, exciting, and fun role in civic space, not as a monument but Obama Presidential library demands the relation to the society it represents. forms of urban environments. He currently as an active urban ingredient engaging not reinvestigation of existing library models lives in South Harlem and works for an just one, but many communities across and forces a reinterpretation of the way we international design firm in New York City. the United States. can represent our political past and future,

76 77 STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY STATIONS OF DEMOCRACY

Rafi Segal Architecture Urbanism LLC

880 Lawrenceville Road Princeton, NJ 08540 +1 609 430 4257 +1 609 357 8355 Mobile www.rafisegal.com [email protected]

78 79