The Hybrid: East Austin Community Center

Abstract

"The architect's role is to fight for a better world, where he/she can produce an architecture that serves everyone and not just a group of privileged people." - Oscar Niemeyer. Architecture should be inclusive, for all ages and backgrounds. Socially inclusive spaces that support all age groups and backgrounds are important in every architectural building, but specifically in civic buildings. Community centers are a prime example of the need for inclusive architecture as they serve a variety of people, from children to adults, from unable to abled, from the poor to the rich. A community space has the ability to bring together a wide range of ages and backgrounds to interact and communicate as one. Through the study of hybridization in architecture and a proposition of architecture and a proposition of architectural tectonics, the hybrid community center serves as a space of interaction, connection, identity, and belonging for everyone in East Downtown Austin.