The hive

tl;dr

what if workplace skyscrapers were abandoned for the safety of work-from-home? The hive envisions the encroachment of these skyscrapers, transforming into vertical automated fulfillment centers, becoming the key source of sustenance for their communities.

Q. How can we tell a story about the vision of the future of New York City through the lens of the pandemic?

Professor Aleks Mergold, 2020, Cornell University
Daisy Dai,
Jenny Yi
I pulled together our initial research including references and concepts, and I was responsible for 3D modelling and creating renders and vignettes

people abandon offices

people work from home

fulfillment is critical

what if?

what if?

Developing the idea:

Alignment of typologies, the fulfillment center and the office skyscraper

programmatic variation

vertical circulation

large gross floor area

central to network

Analyzing strengths:

How can the typology of the skyscraper serve the purpose of fulfillment delivery services? What similarities and differences do the typologies share?

receiving inventory

optimizing storage

assembling orders

packaging

delivery

Analyzing program:

What stages are required for the process? What equipment and what architecture? These questions are answers on closer look at fulfillment centers

amazon drone tower

archigram’s walking city

Multi-track vertical elevator facade

Finding inspiration:

Looking at fulfillment patents and speculative architecture to drive ideas

Mikhail

Aleks

Grace

Auri

Ami

Group exercise:

‘Exquisite corpse’ drawing exercise (each person draws a section of the building without seeing the other portions) these sketches informed the final design