Yev Stepanyuk
Cambridge Commons
Yev Stepanyuk
Cambridge Commons
Cambridge Commons
→ ARCH 292
About
Cambridge Commons is an intimate infill project in the heart of downtown Cambridge. Designed as a transition home for struggling women, children, and young families, it focuses on the experience of moving through the shifting common spaces within the building, each with varying degrees of privacy, flexibility, and programs. These spaces draw inspiration from “Khrushchyovkas” (also known as “Commie Blocs”), a social housing typology from the Soviet era built around expansive courtyards with numerous amenities and programs, and they aim to offer tenants the opportunity to connect to their community, both within the apartment’s walls and beyond. Located on Dickson Street, the building is adjacent to the headquarters of the Young Women’s Christian Association, a nonprofit organization that offers accommodations for women and children, daycare services, youth engagement initiatives, public events, and more. Previously, these services were scattered throughout the city, but now, with Cambridge Commons’ various amenities, including daycare and counseling services, as well as adaptable public spaces, the building can serve as an extension of the YWCA’s programming.
About
Cambridge Commons is an intimate infill project in the heart of downtown Cambridge. Designed as a transition home for struggling women, children, and young families, it focuses on the experience of moving through the shifting common spaces within the building, each with varying degrees of privacy, flexibility, and programs. These spaces draw inspiration from “Khrushchyovkas” (also known as “Commie Blocs”), a social housing typology from the Soviet era built around expansive courtyards with numerous amenities and programs, and they aim to offer tenants the opportunity to connect to their community, both within the apartment’s walls and beyond. Located on Dickson Street, the building is adjacent to the headquarters of the Young Women’s Christian Association, a nonprofit organization that offers accommodations for women and children, daycare services, youth engagement initiatives, public events, and more. Previously, these services were scattered throughout the city, but now, with Cambridge Commons’ various amenities, including daycare and counseling services, as well as adaptable public spaces, the building can serve as an extension of the YWCA’s programming.
