October 27, 2023 | Voices.003

This semester at Kennesaw State University’s College of Architecture and Construction Management, 5th Year B.Arch students are exploring queerness in architecture through research and documentation of LGBTQ+ spaces in Atlanta, GA. Partnering with Shamrock+, an architectural imaging company, students are taking 3D scans of queer spaces to document their history and analyze the architectural features that make them queer. The students are then partnering with the City of Atlanta’s Division of LGBTQ+ Affairs to develop concepts and programs for an LGBTQ+ Center in Atlanta. In a special series for Pride By Design, we will be following the studio’s progress and telling their stories.

Le Corbusier’s modulor stands guard as the IDL pins up their final work

It’s finals day at the IDL. This semester, we have been working hard, exploring concepts and ideas around what makes queer space queer. We have come a long way, and we are excited to share our final designs with all of you. This month’s blog will be a celebration of the student’s work, showcasing their boards along with images from their final reviews. We attempted something new with the review format, creating exhibition spaces and trying to break out of the traditional architecture pedagogy. This may be the last time queerness in architecture is explicitly explored through a studio at Kennesaw State University, and we wanted to make sure the faculty, students, and administration knew we were here, and we were queer.

Defining Queerness in Architecture

As we refined our designs and ideas of what queer space looks and feels like, we re-examined our readings and research to create a series of definitions to help us understand queer space. These concepts represent just a small fraction of the ideas we discussed throughout the semester. They are also not the only concepts or the most important ones, just the ones we focused on. We are also still in the realm of defining and understanding queer space, which is an evolving and changing field of study. We will not get every definition or idea correct, and we may find out we are wrong in our theories or ideas. And that is the point of this studio and our research: to try, to start, to build upon the work already done and empower people to explore these issues by growing vocabulary and discourse.

The Closet: Often the darkest, and most central part of a home. Closets act as storehouses for our identities, holding the clothing, the documents, and the histories that define our identities. (1)

The Mirror: A reflection of ourselves, that is backwards and a little twisted. The mirror is also where we construct our identities that are stored in the closet. (1)
Orgasm: Space that evokes a bodily reaction, whether through pleasure or excitement or other powerful emotion. (1)
Fantasy: Queer space occupies a third space between comedy and tragedy, called fantasy. Queer space always moves toward fantasy, and often incorporates nature. (1)
Grotesque: Recognizing the body’s importance of queer space, we celebrate the fact that bodies are not perfect or ideal, and often are sweaty, smelly, and gross. (2)
Surgery: Surgical procedures are typically performed to move back to a previous state. However, in Architecture and Gender-Affirming Surgeries, the act of cutting and surgery is about moving towards a new whole, creating a new, affirming space or identity. (2)
Scraps: Queer space often inhabits the remnants of the city, occupying the left over or abandoned spaces in our urban fabric
Community: central to the queer space is the concept of found family and community. Queer spaces are places to build community and find other queer people
Joy: queer spaces are undergoing a redefinition as queerness becomes more accepted. No longer invisible or hidden, queer spaces are coming out and celebrating

These definitions are taking from our readings: Queer Space: Architecture and Same-Sex Desire by Aaron Betsky, Footprint, the Delft Architecture Theory Journal, and our own research and understandings.

Betsky Aaron. Queer Space : Architecture and Same-Sex Desire. First ed. William Morrow and Company 1997.
van den Heuvel, Dirk, and Robert Gorny. "Trans-Bodies/Queering Spaces." Footprint 11.2# 21 (2017).

Iterations of Queer

We have been updating our ideas and concepts, refining them into a final project. The following is a showcase, images from the final boards and review, documenting the progress, and celebrating the work. Enjoy!

Bits and Pieces | An Nguyen and Ashley Maloney

Queer space often inhabits the scraps of a city, creating a torn identity the spreads out into pockets and isolated gay-borhoods sprinkled throughout the urban fabric. And LGBTQIA+ Center is the opposite of that, a centralized hub of queerness that celebrates this mix of identity and diversity in one location, not as pieces thrown to the urban winds. Our exploration of queerness began with gathering these scraps of identity from across Atlanta, and creating a collage that begins to overlap these unique identities and force them to share the same space, on paper at least. Using this collage to influence our building form, we pulled shapes and mass from the images created and pieced them together to create a complex and unique building form.

Queer Joy | Isabel Hunt and Lucas Fernandez

For our project we wanted to focus on the aspect of queer joy and play within architectural forms. Our project has been designed to have unique elements of whimsy throughout as to create a less standardized floor plate form and a more unique exterior design. Queer people often experience struggles with their identity growing up, which can be related to their home life and environment, this then causes them to miss experiences in their childhood. Since many queer people do not get the support they need growing up, our building is designed to give a sense of belonging and childhood joy back to the adults while also assisting young people who will inhabit and use our space.

The House of Queer Living | Cason Lott and Hai Domino

Our multifaceted haven in Midtown Atlanta is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the queer community. Rooted in the principles of inclusivity, health, and community empowerment, our design concept seamlessly combines various elements that foster connection, well-being, and growth.

Circulation is at the core of our design, featuring carefully planned pathways that encourage movement and interaction. These pathways lead to nodes dedicated to specific functions, including art galleries, healthcare services, and community gardens, each designed to evoke euphoria and serve as hubs for community engagement.

Living spaces within our haven are vibrant and uniquely identified, creating areas for conversation, relaxation, and networking. Through our diverse range of programs, from the Queer Library to entrepreneurship initiatives, we empower our community to thrive professionally.

Our space is a dynamic hub in the heart of the city's queer scene, offering support, inclusivity, and empowerment through art, performance, work, healthcare, and housing. It's a welcoming and supportive environment for all, celebrating the rich fusion of the queer community in Midtown Atlanta.

Toppling The Straights | Tiffany Belmonte and Ty Lawrence

"Toppling the Straights" is Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community center in the heart of midtown. This groundbreaking building boldly challenges convention by playfully tipping the typical midtown mixed-use concept on its side. The building’s mass, therefore, reads as vertical walls verses the typical stacked horizontal floors in the neighborhood. The reflective pink and blue façade exudes a sense of joy and exuberance, embodying a vital element of the queer community, while also paying homage to the trans flag.

Each separate mass houses a distinct program with independent vertical circulation. However, the centralized courtyard, runway-like, horizontal circulation on the third level skillfully weaves together the separated various program masses, promoting unity and collaboration within the LGBTQ+ community.

Cruising Promenades | Nia Lankford and Yevguenni Marseille

Our concept sparked from our readings of queer culture and the ideas and concepts discussed within the texts. Something that stuck out to us was the concept of Nature & Fantasy suggesting queerness. The decision to take up a large amount of site’s square footage with an outdoor amphitheater solidified this idea of nature as our main concept. Along with our amphitheater we feature an area coined our “cruising courtyard.” This becomes a place to relax and reconnect with nature; kept partially hidden in the shadows to maintain a level of privacy.

The second big idea is the creation of a central promenade; once an old back road for occasional lost cars, now turned into a circulatory path primarily for foot traffic of the community center’s daily visitors. The promenade grows from the central axis to include multiple paths connecting our main access points. These secondary passages ways allow you to become lost in the nature surrounding you as you go back and forth from open areas to tight enclosed areas.

Shattered Identity | Ian Willis and Kayla Langston

Our architectural foundation is deeply rooted in Aaron Betsky's theory of self-discovery and the construction of one's identity through reflection. This philosophy not only manifests in the fracturing of physical mirrors but also challenges the conventional constraints of heteronormative space. Our building weaves shattered fragments of various programs through a central atrium and elevator cores, encouraging unexpected interactions and fostering a sense of community.

As we progress, our vision is to amplify the shattered mirror concept by incorporating glass screening systems within the primary atrium, alongside the incorporation of additional protruding shards in the structure's design. This evolution promises to be a testament to our commitment to reimagining architecture as a mirror to one's true self.

OUT: an LGBTQ+ Community Center | Abby Akridge and Jacob Powell

OUT envisions a new type of queer space that is un-apologetically queer and focuses on three key design principles: Grotesque space, Orgasmic space, and Trans space. Grotesque space is depicted through the out of scale proportion created by the caged rooftop experiences. Orgasmic space is depicted through the dynamic promenade as well as the caged atrium. Trans space is depicted through the sharp cuts and transitions in the base building form. The implementation of these design principles creates an unquestionably queer community center.

Thank you for joining us on this journey of discovery, inclusion, and queerness. Join us next month as we recap the studio and show off out in the wild an several exhibitions around the city! This studio would not be possible without the support of Kennesaw State University and the full support of the College of Architecture and Construction Management. We also want to thank our generous sponsor, Shamrock+, for providing us the technology and access to Matterport’s services. And thank you to our technology sponsor, Cooper Carry for lending us equipment to do this research.

Thank you to the contributions of our 5th B.Arch Students: Abby Akridge, Tiffany Belmonte, Hai Domino, Lucas Fernandez, Isabel Hunt, Kayla Langston, Nia Lankford, Ty Lawrence, Cason Lott, Ashley Maloney, Yevguenni Marseille, An Nguyen, Jacob Powell, and Ian Willis.

Follow our journey on Instagram @jg_designlab

Inclusive Design Lab: Final Final Final3.pdf