M.Arch Core Design Studio IV

Developed in collaboration with Seh Eun (Emily) Hong at Cornell University (Spring 2025) in ARCH 5114: Core Integrative Design Practices — Building (for) Reuse, under the guidance of Felix Heisel and Margaret Kirk.

Pull Up a Chair reimagines the Ithaca ReUse Center and Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services as a five-story, 55,000-square-foot adaptive reuse project combining 51 affordable housing units with 21,000 square feet of retail and community space. The design envisions a reciprocal relationship between shopper and resident—where those who live on site may also work at Ithaca ReUse, and vice versa—fostering a circular economy of care and shared authorship.

Guided by Ithaca ReUse CEO Diane Cohen’s notion of a “self-empowerment arc,” the project emphasizes ownership, comfort, and resilience through flexible shared spaces. Developed to permit-level resolution, it integrates detailed wall sections, life-cycle assessment, flood resilience, and building code compliance, positioning reuse not as preservation but as an evolving framework for belonging.