This was our third day examining the Metro Tech area. As expected, we acquired information that gave us more insight on the architectural differences in buildings and how the change in time has allowed building construction to evolve over the years. We examined an older building near the Fulton Mall area, which by all appearances was constructed in the 1800’s. This building stood out because of its construction. It was clearly built in a time when zoning laws were much more rigid since it wasn’t nearly as tall as the high rise buildings going up in the surrounding area. The attention to detail and design also indicated that a lot of time was spent laboring to build it. It was constructed out of bricks which is also a more predated practice. We learned that buildings like these are referred to as Romanesque Architecture and we also saw some Floral Gothic Architecture which featured more engravings of naturalistic forms.

 Much of the surrounding buildings are made out a more metallic or glass looking material. These more modern buildings take less time to be constructed and are used for various purposes whether a residential or commercial sometimes both . We learned about how the architecture impacts the surrounding community. The scale of the buildings; how big they are and how they relate to the ones surrounding them are determined by the developers.  Building developers often seek uniformity for the buildings on one block as they want the city to have a more consistent/sterile look and feel.

The new high rise buildings which are now under construction are catering to a particular section  of the population; the ones who can afford such “luxuries.” This will eventually affect the cost of living in the community which will become significantly higher than it was before. Thereby forcing out the current inhabitants and making way for new ones. 

Wednesday’s tour through Metrotech center was extremely informative and at the same time interesting. Taking a look at the different building structures around the metrotech area had me really thinking in depth about the importance of historical buildings, and the vast change in the architecture of buildings in Downtown Brooklyn. The most interesting of the buildings in my opinion was the Offerman building on Albee Square. The building design was quite marvelous and extravagant. The patterns and materials used to build the building were really beautiful. If I had passed by this building on a regular day, I would’ve never thought to stop and embrace the beauty of this design. The Offerman building in contrast to the tall newer building directly across the street were extremely different in structure. With the Offerman building it is clear that both artists and architects worked together in order to design the beautiful arches. With the newer residential building it looks pretty dull, there aren’t really any unique artistic designs.

My partner and I used the last portion of the class to gather pictures and notes on the Metrotech area. I went around and took various pictures of buildings, and areas that stood out to me. My partner Basant took voice memos of our observations of the surrounding area. When we came together we discussed the different building structures mainly the mixed-use buildings around the Metrotech center.

My walk around the Metro-tech area was very informative.  I noticed that there was quite alot of changes of streets, Avenues, as well as, the buildings.  As we moved further into our walk I was trying to get an idea of what was there before what I was now seeing. I had some glimpse of memories as I stood across the street from Flatbush Extension and Myrtle Ave.  I remembered riding the B54 Myrtle Ave Bus straight through what is now the start of Metro tech Center.  Myrtle Avenue has been cut off and has ended from this point.  As I circled the area I noticed  high rise buildings, a supermarket that just look so tiny and minute to the luxury tower buildings, and a set of silver benches that’s dead center, ( no Pun intended) in the middle of Flatbush ext.  and Myrtle Ave.  It look so out of place to me with all the busy traffic going pass it.

I had to think about what is the goal here?  As I observed the present construction going on around me of what most likely will be luxury high tower buildings, I couldn’t help but to ask myself why is this happening now? Who is this benefiting? And at what further cost and expense will be made as this continues? I’m interested in having some concrete and in depth answers for this as I move further into my research.

Metro-Tech: Urban Structure

       Our walk around Jay Street, Metro-Tech was very informative and enlightening. We spend so much time in school but never take the time to explore our surroundings. As it turns out, this area is extremely rich in history and has been a bustling neighborhood as long as it has existed; however its many changes throughout the decades have molded it into a whole new form. Looking at a 1924 map, attempting to walk the streets as they would’ve been used almost 100 years ago, has given us great perspective and shown us that how you plan, design and execute buildings and construction, will define what the area becomes and how it will be utilized.

       Metro-Tech’s layout has multiple buildings facing one public square, on one side is Jay Street and on the opposite side, Flatbush Ave. Extension. This allowed for all the backs of the buildings to be designated as loading and delivery entrances along one service road, Gold Street. This strategic layout created physical boundaries enclosing Metro-Tech from the surrounding established neighborhoods and their respective reputations, in order to attract the “right” companies to headquarter here. Observing it as it is today, we can easily identify things that might not be working as well as they could’ve in Metro-Tech, for the flow of foot traffic as well as best use of space in general.

On today’s walking tour, we were shown the many differences in the architecture of the buildings in MetroTech. MetroTech was built from the late 1980s to the early 1990s and shows some modern traits of buildings built today. There windows are plentiful in the buildings. They are built considerably tall for office buildings of today, but during their time period, I’m sure they were considered the tallest office buildings in the area. Each building was designed with different materials – one building was built with stone whereas another building was built with granite. Three buildings incorporated a shielded passageway, which I assume is to protect people from weather – if it rains, people can stay relatively dry.

We also walked Bridge Street and looked at a building that seemed to be from 1821. We compared it to a neighboring high-rise residential building. The older building had attention to detail – its arches, the curved brickwork – compared to the newer high-rise; uniform and repetitive in design all the way up.

In the Commence itself we noticed the different heights of the neighboring buildings and its similar scaling. The ground floors were all retail with the exception of the NYU buildings. The commons allows for open space, however, though there are no obstructions it does limit interaction between the underpasses. Each building in this area had a different designer but we can tell after close observation that they must have been giving a specific guideline as they all have a similar structure and design to compliments one another.

On September 25, 2019, our class took a tour of the MetroTech area, throughout Jay Street and Willoughby. We focused on the Urban layout of MetroTech and its changes between 1924 and its present setup. We engaged in discussions, highlighting how residential areas were moved to create bigger roads, highways, and buildings; A few project buildings were put in place as well. They also downsized recreational spaces to make streets wider and made extensions to connect the bridges too. We were observing the area and its current uses; how it may be beneficial as well as its negative aspects.  

From the map of 1924, we were able to note that this area of Downtown Brooklyn was much more of a residential space versus now where its buildings are mainly mixed use. The change has somewhat improved the area, but it also has its way of separating the surrounding communities. The entrances to the buildings are located within the MetroTech commons area. The back of the buildings faced the projects. For people who want to get into MetroTech, at least from the projects, they would have to walk down Myrtle and into the commons area. The seating in the MetroTech commons area is also unique. The benches face outward to the walking portions. The chairs where people can sit back and take naps, if they wanted to, are scattered under the trees in a random setup. There are also little tables for people to have snacks while shaded by the trees. 

The tour on Wednesday gave me a better chance to understand the streets and the changes between the blocks compared to the map of 1924. Using the two maps for comparison helped me to see what and where is the actual change is. There was some major change to the streets and it was surprising to see how some of street are completely wiped out of the map and some street is now used for another purpose. Professor Montgomery gave the class a very informative tour and leaded the class to all the streets and alley. Some street used to be the front of the street on the 1924 map and now became the service side of the building which is considered to be the back. Some street is now restricted for security and government purposes, enter only with a permit. It was a great observation to see where exactly the changes to the streets and alley are.

Our assignment was to explore the MetroTech District of Brooklyn and do a comparison between 1924 and 2019 to show how the area has transformed over time and how it influenced the existing changes occurring today in Downtown Brooklyn. MetroTech lies between Jay Street and Flatbush Avenue, north of the Fulton Street Mall and south of Tillary Street. Before we started exploring, Professor Montgomery provided us with two maps of the MetroTech District showing both the past and the present from 1924 to 2019. The fact that we were able to have both maps side by side made it very easy to see how the area has changed over time. During our tour around Metrotech District, we have noticed that how gentrification reshaped the whole composition of the neighborhood. Some interesting things that we have discovered was zoning changes that brought high rise buildings, government buildings, communal spaces, green streets, and natural circulation paths that was made by pedestrians and a revamped infrastructure that connected Downtown Brooklyn to major highways and bridges. Throughout our trip, we walked on Myrtle Ave to see how it has changed today and discussed how the development of MetroTech have influenced the development of Flatbush Ave. Overall the changes seem good, the development of this area is an ongoing process and far from being complete.

The tour the class went on Wednesday, we had the chance to better our skills on observations. We got to see the major changes in the Metro Tech area and a little bit of the future changes in the area. The tour to me was really eye-opening especially for someone who is not in an architecture major, I got to fully understand how these changes can affect the people living in a community. I’ve never fully understood how these changes can impact a community but getting a tour from someone who is experienced and able to explain and show the past and the present was very educational. Something that stood out to me was how a street that used to be so important that led directly to Borough Hall was blocked off by a hotel. Changes like these show me that instead of the City making the commute to an important place easier they rather build hotels and places that will put money in their pockets. Overall the tour experience helped me improve my skills in observations as well as making voice memos for our bigger project.