ARCH_318 Architecture Core Studio: ‘The Body Active: The Body Collective’

In 1844, 22-year-old George Williams, a young farmer turned department store clerk, organized the first Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) as a place of shelter and congregation for young men who had left their homes and migrated to London. Ideas of refuge and community were embedded in its foundation. Throughout its history, the YMCA has maintained an agenda of inclusivity, social responsibility, advocacy, and heathy living. However, while the institutional mission has remained intact, the specific program of the YMCA has evolved to accommodate cultural shifts. 

The earliest YMCAs included programs aimed at creating a supportive community for the thousands of young, displaced men, moving from their homes to urban areas. These included housing, recreation, and educational and surrogate cultural facilities. Progressive programs, such as the first English-as-a-second-language class in the United States, early vocational and liberal arts classes, and civil rights rallies, were all held at YMCAs. 

Through the years, the housing component of the YMCA became less relevant and programs focused on healthy living have increased. The societal issues that prevent the development of healthy communities today are more varied and pervasive than in previous generations. Civic fragmentation, social disintegration, and the continued legacy of economic disparity all contribute to a new brand of community instability.

This studio investigated the potential of this cultural institution’s typology to address the evolving agendas of the YMCA. As the YMCA’s program has transformed into one that is more wellness focused, could architecture leverage this to address something deeper in the institutional mission? Could the architecture support the broader agenda of community building while still supporting a program that is very much body-focused? As evident in the title, “The Body Active: The Body Collective,” this studio situated the agency of the designer as a choreographer, emphasizing issues of space and form tailored to both individual and collective movement.