GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS
- ROLE: DESIGNER
- FOR: HARVARD GSD M.ARCH I
- STATUS: COMPLETED
In 2010, Harvard GSD purchased 9 Ash Street—formerly known as the Philip Johnson’s Thesis House, with the promise of using it for educating students. However, similar to how closed-off the house had been since its completion, it was not made accessible to students but for faculty dinners and school receptions.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors asks how 9 Ash Street can offer something to its neighbors. The house’s present design should not be sacrosanct. In fact, Johnson’s connection to the Harvard GSD and construction of the house both served the disturbing purpose of whitewashing his past involvement with the Nazi party. As a result, I invite the visitor to use this periscope to see above the house’s perimeter wall to the courtyard within and imagine how the house might be reimagined as a community resource.