University of Notre Dame Architecture Thesis

1. “IF WE ARE TO TEACH REAL PEACE IN THIS WORLD, AND IF WE ARE TO CARRY
ON A REAL WAR AGAINST WAR, WE SHALL HAVE TO BEGIN WITH THE CHIL-
DREN.”
— MAHATMA GANDHI

2. HAND OF HELP
CHILDREN HOUSING VILLAGE
SUCEAVA ROMANIA
DIANA NEACSU

3. “There can be no keener revelation of a soci-
ety’s soul than the way in which it treats its
children.”
— Nelson Mandela

4. THESIS STATEMENT:
THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT IS INSEPERABLE FROM THE
QUALITY OF INDIVIDUAL FAMILY LIFE AND MUST BE
CONSIDERED WHEN DESIGNING FOR CHILDREN. IT IS
ONLY WHEN THE URBAN AND HOME ENVIRONMENT
ARE COHESIVELY LINKED THAT A HARMONIOUS FAMILY
LIFE CAN BE ACHIEVED

5. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
THIS PROJECT IS A COUNTERPROPOSAL/ACCOMODATION FOR THE HAND OF
HELP ORPHANAGE IN SUCEAVA, ROMANIA. DUE TO A RECENT MANDATE IN
ROMANIA OUTLAWING INSTITUTIONALIZED CARE FOR ORPHANS, MANY
ORPHANAGES ARE BEING FORCED TO CLOSE/ RENOVATE TO BE IN ACCOR-
DANCE WITH THIS NEW LAW. THE CURRENT HAND OF HELP ORPHANAGE
IN ROMANIA IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING RENOVATIONS DUE TO THIS
MANDATE. MY PROJECT IS A COUNTERPROPOSAL TO THIS RENOVATION IN
THE FORM OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS IN THE CENTER OF TOWN IN SUCE-
AVA, ROMANIA. IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE AND ENRICHING ENVIRONMENT
WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS, MARKETS,
AND PARKS, AND IS PROMOTING OF WALKABILITY AND TRADITIONAL CITY
PLANNING. MY SPECIFIC PLOT OF LAND IS WITHIN A BLOCK OF THE CITY
PARK AND TOWN SQUARE, AND INCLUDES 3 APARTMENT BUILDINGS, A
CHILDREN’S LIBRARY, CHAPEL, LOCAL DAYCARE, AFTER-SCHOOL CARE SPAC-
ES, MULTIPURPOSE CIVIC MEETING ROOMS, AND PUBLIC SQUARES. THE SPE-
CIFIC URBAN CLUSTERING IS MEANT TO BRING THE COMMUNITY INTO THE
RAISING OF THESE CHILDREN; IT REALLY DOES TAKE A VILLAGE TO RAISE A
CHILD.

6. ORPHANAGE PROBLEM IN ROMANIA:
THE COMMUNIST REGIME IN ROMANIA BROUGHT AN ECO-
NOMIC DOWNTURN AND A HORRID INSTITUTIONALIZED
CARE SYSTEM OF ORPHANAGES. BY 1989 OVER 100,000 CHIL-
DREN WERE LIVING IN THESE INSTITUTIONS, WHICH HAD A
TERRIBLE IMPACT ON THE HEALTH, MENTAL DEVELOPMENT,
AND HAPPINESS OF THE CHILDREN IN THESE SYSTEMS. AL-
MOST HALF OF THE CHILDREN IN THESE INSTITUTIONS
GREW TO HAVE DISABILITIES, WHETHER PHYSICAL OR PSY-
CHO-MOTOR.
SOMETHING NEEDED TO CHANGE, SO IN 2012 A MANDATE
WAS PASSED THAT BY 2020 ALL CARE WAS TO BE DECEN-
TRALIZED. ALL CARE WAS TO BE TURNED INTO APARTMENT
DWELLINGS, WITH PRIVATE DINING ROOMS, KITCHENS,
BEDROOMS, ETC, AS TO EMULATE ACTUAL FAMILY HOMES.

7. HAND OF HELP MINISTRIES
FROM THE WEBSITE: “HAND OF HELP IS A NONDENOMINATIONAL EVAN-
GELICAL CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION PROVIDING SPIRITUAL AND PHYS-
ICAL AID TO THE FORSAKEN OF SOCIETY THROUGHOUT EASTERN EU-
ROPE, BUT MAINLY ROMANIA. SINCE 1984 HAND OF HELP HAS HELPED
COUNTLESS ORPHANS, WIDOWS, AND FAMILIES, AS WELL AS MINISTER
TO SPIRITUAL NEEDS THROUGH BIBLICALLY BASED TEACHING ARTICLES,
RADIO PROGRAMS, TELEVISION PROGRAMS AND PROPHETIC WORDS.
WE EXIST TO SERVE THE BODY OF CHRIST AND PROMOTE THE GOSPEL OF
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WHEREVER AND WHENEVER WE ARE ABLE.”
HANDOFHELP.COM
THE MINISTRY WAS STARTED IN 1986 BY DUMITRU DUDUMAN. THE
MAIN ORPHANAGE IS LOCATED IN BOTOSANI, SUCEAVA, ROMANIA. IT
IS A SMALL EMPOVIRISHED TOWN WITH 90% UNEMPLOYMENT. DUE TO
THIS, MANY FAMILIES ARE SIMPLY UNABLE TO CARE FOR THEIR KIDS.
OVER HALF OF THE CHILDREN AT THE ORPHANAGE ARE THERE SIMPLY
BECAUSE THEIR FAMILY DOES NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO TAKE CARE OF
THEM. 90 CHILDREN CURRENTLY RESIDE AT THE ORPHANAGE.

8. OFFICIAL NAME: ROMÂNIA
TOTAL AREA: 238,397 KM^2
POPULATION: 19,401,658 (2019 ESTI-
MATE)
RELIGION: 81% ROMANIAN ORTHO-
DOX
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 76 YEARS
GDP PER CAPITA: $10,763 (UN 2017)
PROJECT LOCATION

9. SUCEAVA, ROMANIA
SUCEAVA IS THE LARGEST CITY AND THE COUNTY SEAT
OF SUCEAVA, IN NORTHEASTERN ROMANIA. FROM 1388
TO 1564 IT WAS THE CAPITAL OF MOLDAVIA, AND A MAIN
TOURIST ATTRACTION IS THE CASTLE OF STEPHEN THE
GREAT IN THE REGION. FROM 1775 TO THE UNIFICATION
OF ROMANIA IN 1918, IT WAS UNDER AUSTRIAN RULE,
WHICH IS EVIDENT IN THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLES OF
THE REGION.
THE CITY NOW HAS A POPULATION OF 124,181 WITH THE
METRO AREA HAVING 176,016
1/15/20, 7 50 PM
Suceava city • map2web
100 m
500 ft

10. PROJECT METHODOLOGY

11. I AM PROPOSING A MASTERPLAN INCORPORATING THE HAND OF HELP PROGRAM, ON A CURRENT-
LY EMPTY PLOT OF LAND IN THE CENTER OF THE URBAN CORE. THIS MASTERPLAN WILL INCLUDE 3
SEPERATE APARTMENT BUILDINGS THAT WILL HAVE 20 APARTMENTS HOUSING FAMILIES OF 5-6 EACH,
AND THIRTY-SIX 2-BEDROOM APARTMENTS FOR EITHER SMALLER FAMILIES OR TO ACCOMODATE CHIL-
DREN WHO HAVE RECENTLY AGED OUT OF THE FOSTER-CASE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO TEMPORARILY HELP
THEM GET ON THEIR FEET.
IN ADDITION TO THE HOMES, I HAVE DESIGNED A CHILDREN’S LIBRARY TO SERVE AS A CIVIC SPACE TO
BRING THE COMMUNITY IN; WITH A COMPUTER LAB, READING ROOMS, AND EVENT SPACE. DUE TO
ROMANIA BEING AN ORTHODOX COUNTRY, AND SINCE THE HAND OF HELP MINISTRY IS CHRISTIAN, I
HAVE ALSO INCLUDED A SMALL CHAPEL IN THE STYLE OF THE PAINTED BUCOVINAN MONASTRIES OF
THE AREA AS AN ADDITIONAL CIVIC SPACE. NEXT TO THE PLAYGROUND, I ALSO PROPOSE A SMALL DAY-
CARE TO ACCOMODATE BOTH THE WORKING FOSTER FAMILIES, AND THE FAMILIES OF THE SURROUND-
ING EXISTING HOUSING IN THE CITY.
I ALSO HAVE INCORPORATED VARIOUS OUTDOOR SPACES FOR THE COMMUNITY; A GARDEN BY THE
CHAPEL, A PLAYGROUND NEXT TO THE DAYCARE, A SMALL PUBLIC AREA IN FRONT OF THE LIBRARY,
AND A COURTYARD/PLACE SPACE IN THE MAIN APRTMENT BUILDING. THE MAIN APARTMENT BUILD-
ING ALSO ACCOMODATES PUBLIC RECEPTIONS AND MEETING AREAS ON THE GROUND FLOOR. THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE GROUND FLOOR HAS AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT SPACE FOR CHILDREN, WITH A
HOMEWORK AREA, A MUSIC ROOM INCLUDING INSTRUMENTS THEY CAM RENT OUT, AND AN ACTIVI-
TY GAME ROOM. I AM ALSO INCLUDING A FOOD PANTRY/SOUP KITCHEN OFFERING FOOD DONATIONS
FOR LOCAL FAMILIES IN NEED. LIKE MOST MIXED USE BUILDINGS, THE NEXT TWO FLOORS HOST THE
APARTMENTS FOR THE FAMILIES.

12. URBAN CONTEXT
47.6635° N, 26.2732° E

13. SITE EXISTING CONDITIONS

14. FIGURE GROUND OF EXISTING CONDI-
TIONS:
PURPLE: CIVIC
ORANGE: MIXED USE
PINK: RESIDENTIAL
GREEN: COMMERCIAL

15. TRADITIONAL RESIDENTIAL
ARCHITECTURAL STYLES

16. PUBLIC/COMMERCIAL
BUILDINGS
HOTEL BUCO-
VINA
CATHOLIC CHURCH
CITY HALL
BUCOVINA MUSEUM
CULTURAL CENTER

17. BRUTALISM STYLE

19. SITE PHOTOS

20. ELEVATION PRECEDENT

21. SITE PRECEDENT

22. URBAN SCHEME DEVELOPMENT

24. FINAL DESIGN

25. SITE PLAN

26. SITE SECTION

27. AERIAL PERSPECTIVE

28. AERIAL PERSPECTIVE

29. BUILDING ELEVATIONS
SOUTHERN FACADE

30. B. NORTHERN FACADE
A. WESTERN/EASTERN
FACADE

31. BUILDING PLANS: GROUND FLOOR
HOMEWORK ROOM
MUSIC ROOM
GAME ROOM
KITCHEN
OFFICE
MAIL ROOM
MULTIPURPOSE
MEETING SPACE
MECHANICAL

32. BUILDING PLANS: SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS

33. TYPICAL APARTMENT
BEDROOM
LIVING ROOM
KITCHEN
BEDROOM
RR
BEDROOM
DINING

34. BUILDING SECTIONS

35. YOUNG ADULT APARTMENT FACADE

36. BUILDING PLANS: TYPICAL FLOOR

37. TYPICAL APARTMENT PLANS
LIVING
KITCHEN
BEDROOM
BEDROOM
RR
VESTIBULE

38. VIGNETTES OF INTERIOR OF APARTMENT

39. VIGNETTES OF MUSIC/ GAME ROOM

40. CHILDREN’S LIBRARY DESIGN
GROUND FOOR
SECOND FLOOR

41. CHILDREN’S LIBRARY DESIGN
COMPUTER LAB
READING ROOM
MEETING ROOM
STUDY SPACE
STACKS/READING
STUDY SPACE
STACKS/READING
STACKS/READING
MEETING SPACE

42. LIBRARY PERSPECTIVES

43. CHAPEL DESIGN