21 2 RECALIBRATING CENTERS AND MARGINS A Small Intervention Phase 1 of the Crossroads Project GRACE LA, Assistant Professor University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee La Dallman Architects JAMES DALLMAN, Principal La Dallman Architects Masterplan: La Dallman Architects with Crisman Petrus The thenie of this ,ear's conference raiies questions ahout \\hat unronqidered space. its impoxerished users. arid the immobi- is central and mhat is marginal to architecture toda!. Gi~enthe lized client create the fruitful medium through \z hich site ma! rapid and wholesale transfornlations currentl~affecting ud~an be exarnined and re-defined. Irorlicallj. it is pvrhaps because of and suburban landirapes. it is ine~itable that the field of design the unclai~riednature of wch site5 and their related 4tuations inyuirj ponders a funda~nentalshift in the concept of cite. One that design work ma! ultiniately be enabled. i1utco111e of thib re-elahation is that space\ preliouslj under- stood as marginal can no\$ be seen ai important sites with rich potential for engageir~er~tin public life. Furthermore. the notion NOTES of an architectural site can no\\ expand to include ambigu- ous/interstitial spaces not prelioubl! seen as falling under the ' Igrlasi de hlw-Rlorales Kublo. "Terrain Yagut.." Anyplrrcr (Cambridge: \11T Press. 1996). 123. punie\\ of design. This project examines the potential 01 the ambiguous and abandoned site as defined bj the smaller-scaled. leftoxer spaces buf-fering inhastructure <!stems found in the tjpical -Inierican landscape. Through the small interlention of a bus shelter design. located on a residual site in Alilwaukee. the project challenges ur to re-think the concept of public space. and to unlock the potential of this forgotten space through a series of framing rlementc made of concrete. wood and steel. The hui qhelter design seeks to illuniinate the features of the site \zithout obliterating the sitea\ essential qualities. asliirig a iirriilar question pod 11, Ignasi de Sola-)lorale* about hou a**r\.e,- ar( hitecture can "act in the terrain zapc without becoming an 5.; E,. z;;" ..'. *:a..* aggressix e instrumerit of pmer and abstract reason.'" Through the design of this small intenention. we find that the Bus Sh~lterplun. 91st ACSA ANNUAL MEETING LOUISVILLE KY MARCH 14-1 7, 2003 213 21 4 RECALIBRATING CENTERS AND MARGINS Bus Shelter ,frurn Brurl\. Str~rt.Construction sequence illustraring th(. ln!.erino of' mut~rialsand componmts. 9lst ACSA ANNUAL MEETING LOUISVILLE KY MARCH 14-17, 2003 21 5 Ahilr, pro1:idirzg protcctio~ifrom tl~eelemmtc. thr Bus Shpltrr nznintairls z'icual connrction on all sides. 2 16 RECALIBRATING CENTERS AND MARGINS Drta~lrof the hghh craftrtf hrnrhcs and thr, znteptlon of 14 ood rmrl stpel (ahr). 91 st ACSA ANNUAL MEETING LOUISVILLE KY MARCH 14-17, 2003 21 7 .