Architecture as Connection: A Fort Dupont Community Center

Abstract

Connection is a fundamental part of architecture; not only in the forming of spaces, rooms and buildings, but in how each extends further to the surrounding environment, the streets, the city, and to the world.

Connections are also made between the built environment and the people that experience it. The goal of an architect should be to improve the setting and the quality of life of the people that utilize its features. These settings enable people to connect with each other, strengthen the community, and connect the community with the surrounding environment.

As a thesis study, a community center for Fort Dupont Park in Washington D.C. provides a suitable model for testing this approach to architecture. A variety of existing features such as neighborhoods, schools, and recreational areas provide support for a venue which gives coherence and centrality to the community.