Andrea Kalfas

Prime Location

My idea for this project centers on the irony in the demand for property that comes with both the city life and a naturalistic environment. People in the city tend to flock to areas that have a mix of these two things and yet in doing so, their numbers cause expansion of buildings and houses which end up doing away with the trees and the whole nature end of the deal. “Prime Location” refers to this dilemma. How can one live in a city and keep a connection to trees and the environment when their expanding presence there and their need for housing will eliminate that natural environment? It’s a question that’s hard to answer I think. This is an issue I’ve always found difficult, and it comes from just such observations I’ve made in Colorado. There, people wanting to escape the lack of trees in the city, which is the issue of this project, move to the mountains to live in a very undeveloped natural environment. It becomes so popular however, that right in the middle of that natural environment suburbs get developed and gold courses start popping up where there used to be fields of prairie dogs. What’s necessary, I think, is a balance. It’d be great if cities didn’t choke out the environment they’re built upon, but because they pretty much already have, it’s important to reintroduce trees into the area to not only improve the quality of living here, but to keep the balance between the space we take up and the space that’s kept for the natural environment.

Location: Area E | Charles Village