is a creative workshop incubator for vacant building reuse.
Cincinnati, Ohio is known for its historic architecture and older building stock. Yet, many of these unique and storied buildings sit vacant. A 2019 study estimated there were 231 vacant buildings in the city’s historic West End neighborhood alone. Public knowledge, appreciation, and maintenance of the city’s vacant building stock can lay the groundwork for imaginative building reuse that meets community needs.
Our research lab, located at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP), builds and shares knowledge on vacant building reuse to create community agency in the process. Beneath the surface, plans are in motion for many vacant buildings in Cincinnati, involving city agencies, builders, community development corporations, non-profits, developers, community organizers, material salvage operations, and skilled craftspeople. We see great potential in cultivating this collective culture of maintenance, repair, and creative reuse.
Workshop
We are currently designing and organizing a public workshop series in fall of 2024 on vacant building reuse in Cincinnati. The workshop will introduce the process of vacant building reuse through a hands-on and collaborative board game, and allow participants to temporarily inhabit and activate the inside of a vacant building. Funding for the workshop is supported by a University of Cincinnati Collaborative for Change grant and a University of Michigan TVLab grant.
Read more about a previous workshop we organized for residents renovating houses in Detroit here.
Our research lab, located at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP), builds and shares knowledge on vacant building reuse to create community agency in the process. Beneath the surface, plans are in motion for many vacant buildings in Cincinnati, involving city agencies, builders, community development corporations, non-profits, developers, community organizers, material salvage operations, and skilled craftspeople. We see great potential in cultivating this collective culture of maintenance, repair, and creative reuse.
Workshop
We are currently designing and organizing a public workshop series in fall of 2024 on vacant building reuse in Cincinnati. The workshop will introduce the process of vacant building reuse through a hands-on and collaborative board game, and allow participants to temporarily inhabit and activate the inside of a vacant building. Funding for the workshop is supported by a University of Cincinnati Collaborative for Change grant and a University of Michigan TVLab grant. Read more about a previous workshop we organized for residents renovating houses in Detroit here.
Holding Pattern
Holding Pattern is a game that invites players to learn about vacant building reuse through a fun and collaborative format. Players embody different actors to bring different vacant buildings through phases of reuse, including acquiring ownership, determining use, securing finances, and completing construction. Actors are inspired by the network of organizations and individuals working on vacant building reuse in Cincinnati, including city agencies, builders, community development corporations, non-profits, developers, community organizers, businesses, material salvage operations, and skilled craftspeople. We aim to bring this game to neighborhoods and organizations across Cincinnati as a learning and engagement tool.
Team
De Peter Yi, Assistant Professor, University of CincinnatiCyrus Peñarroyo, Assistant Professor, University of Michigan
Wendy Hahn, Research Assistant
Xuanshu Lin, Research Assistant
James Hummeldorf, Design Assistant
Zachary Lewis, Design Assistant
Liv Adkins, Design Assistant
Anneke Hoskins, Research Assistant