Commons: The Role of Public Space in Reinvention

Urban space is, at its most basic, composed of nodes of activity and the paths that connect them. These nodes and paths form a complex urban web. The success of this fabric is determined by increasing connections and avoiding the isolation of nodes. Access to nature and pedestrian spaces form the heart of the network. These spaces must be truly free for all and allow pedestrians a place to rest and co-create. Downtown Port Chester holds a population of mainly Hispanic ethnicity, which continues to increase. The heart of Port Chester lies at the intersection of Route 1 and Westchester Ave, both forming backbones of the urban area. There have been many attempts to revitalize the downtown, but it still struggles. Hispanic restaurants in the downtown thrive, serving as the few retail spaces that continually stay occupied. This reflects a larger cultural attitude, where food is the center of community. In addition, since Port Chester is the poorest of surrounding neighborhoods, public services like libraries are chronically underfunded. This thesis proposes placing a new library at the waterfront and creating a large public park for the community. The project turns a parking lot into a community amenity, including places to rest, interact, meet, and create. The building houses both a public library and a non-profit culinary school, developing a program-hybrid designed for the future and evolution of libraries. The manipulation of light throughout the building aims to create a unique experience, especially at various times of the day, establishing a sense of place. Light is treated as a tangible thing, one that can be manipulated in order to bring out special characteristics and define space. The amount of light entering is controlled through filters of bending and passing, controlled according to the activities happening in the space and the protection from harmful UV rays. The design reinforces the idea that architecture is made up of volumes defined by light and shadow. It places light as a primary actor in shaping space. Placing this hybrid-program library on the waterfront creates a catalyst for future development of the downtown area and reimagines what the identity of Port Chester can be.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Architecture

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Architecture

Department dc:contributor.department

Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Cruz, Naomi

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Linn, Andrew Pincus

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Lever, David G.
• Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C.

• commons
• civic
• library
• kitchen
• culinary
• park
• light
• prism
• food
• urban web
• waterfront
• community
• downtown

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:44629

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/141259