bike porch

This modus studio entry into the 2021 AIA Arkansas Architect as Artist Design/Build Competition focuses on mobility as a powerful tool for access to employment and community resources. Bicycles in particular are an essential vehicle for vulnerable low-income and homeless populations working to get on their feet.

With this understanding, modus has teamed up with New Beginnings NWA to assist in their mission to serve under-resourced, vulnerable, and exploited communities in Northwest Arkansas. New Beginnings operates a bridge housing community in Fayetteville that supports people experiencing long-term homelessness or facing complex barriers to regaining housing.

The "bike porch" is a multifunctional outdoor fixture designed to act as bike parking, seating, and placemaking for residents of the New Beginnings low-barrier housing community. The simple form is crafted from a bent 5' x 5' steel plate, powder coated, and topped with black locust hardwood. The perforated fold lines in the steel incorporate a mantra of renewal and pride from a resident that reads "just for today" in morse code. With the goal of creating one for each cabin, each bike porch will be a unique color to bring identity to each user while adding vibrancy and connectivity to the new campus. Placement near the cabin entry creates a de facto front porch, expanding the inhabitable boundary into the surrounding space and encouraging neighborly engagement.