Work Portfolio

2012-2015

Demos Designs
Daniel Plaat
 Major DownTown Project
Like many modern cities, downtowns have developed parking craters as some people move out, drive in, making
downtowns less desirable and blighted. after 20 years of process leading to the land of one of these areas in state
hands, a request for proposals for a master plan for a mix of homes, shops, maybe offices, with a requirement for
market rate housing. Thus the call was open ended after more spectific projects failing to move for lack of availble
money. The possibilities are endless due to the size, history, and context of the project site so I simply took all
the needs and disires listed my friends, neighbors and public opinion and developed basic ideas for what programs,
meaning use types and concepts filled all the needs without becoming another overblown boondoggle. My general
response is related to small is beautiful. This does not negatet the need for density which is not only energy and
resource effienct but also for effienct public services. The mindset leads us to smaller units and smaller businesses
made up of local owners that work for local people.
Downtown is a food desert, meaning there is a lack of availble markets and stores, as well as general facilities for
smaller food producers and processers. The answer is a food hub that provides indoor and outdoor market space
a small vertical farm, and its program would be similar to the Capital Roots complex, now being built in Troy;
no doubt in the future, every city should have one.
Based on market studies, a thrid want density while another thrid want what is cheaper;civic avocates talk of the
need for affordable/attainable housing, and units for families of varying sizes. My strategy to meet these issues
was to think about new housing types, dorms for adults, smaller units overall, and units that allow for many perhaps
non-related people to share space. Based on a coop house. To cut costs and provide for needs and not certain
expectations, new ways of living and building need to be explored.
Other features are that some less used streets are pedestraized and street connections,plazas and park are
retained and expanded. Smaller infill buildings add different scales of new architcture and the older industrial buildings
are prioritized for new crafting or maker industry to move in. Production that this more human scaled community
based or owned.
The fate of the site is likely to be more of what the downtown area doesnt need, but it is my goal that the ideas and
concepts displayed here can be put into practice in the near future for more diverse and sustanible, community
focused albany.
Ped/Closed Street
arl St

Open Space/Park
So Pe

Food Hub
Hudson
Broad

Open Ave Infill Buildings

Connection Housing Blocks
way

Stair ? Ecomm Buildings

Playground Old Bus Station is

outdoor market
Division and public program
St
Dallius St
Green St

These Stay
Hamilton St Commerical
? Movie Theater
Liberty St

or Park Garage
Bu
sS
tati Light Industry
on
Incubater
 Southeast View
Light and Air Well Air Stack Cooling

Commerical
Playground Day Care Commerical Resturant

Family and Coop Unit Blocks

Rooftop Solar Array
Garden

Growing Floor

Processing / Storage
Commerical Indoor Market

Micro Unit and Food Hub Block 0 50



28

Common Area

72

0 25 50

Terrace

5-6 20

10

26-9

12


Terrace

5-9 25-6

20