Steve Vivar
Throughout my life, I have always been known as a shy and quiet kid and this has mostly been true at NJIT. Here, I saw myself be exposed to great friends and professors who helped me grow not only as an architect but as a person. HCAD helped me develop skills that I would not have imagined having prior to joining. Amongst other things, I truly believe HCAD has taught me the necessary skills needed to prosper in the field of architecture. With a variety of knowledge through different professors and exposure to works from other students, my time at NJIT will forever be memorable.
Retrofitting Springfield
The following project, Retrofitting Springfield, holds a special place among all the work I have done at NJIT. During this semester, we worked with the city of Newark to find ways to improve the livelihood for the residents and communities of Newark. Working with a fellow classmate, Merna Kamel, we found ways to improve the existing infrastructure of our wards, Belmont and West Side. Our neighborhoods are mainly pedestrian dominant, yet the overall infrastructure surrounding these neighborhoods are car oriented spaces. With minimal accessibility for pedestrians, we targeted Springfield as the place to improve infrastructure. Springfield consists of many retail spaces and drive thrus that negate the use for pedestrians. By improving the existing conditions found at Springfield, we are able to offer new public spaces for people to use freely.
