Rumy Demir

Advisor: Mercedes Garcia Holguera

Panoramic urban scene with a vintage tone. Streets lined with red-leaved trees, parked cars, and historic buildings, creating a nostalgic city atmosphere.
The collage showcases various views of the downtown Winnipeg site, highlighting key areas such as vacant spaces, nearby heritage buildings, and the surrounding urban environment.
Four architectural sketches in blue tones show varying perspectives of urban buildings, blending precision and abstract lines, conveying a sense of creative exploration.
A dynamic passageway activating with movement, where past, present, and future converge.
Architectural design image showing a building with a large, textured facade featuring abstract patterns in gray and red. Includes detailed technical drawings.
Facade design illustrating architectural features and integration of wind turbulence elements for environmental.
A vibrant abstract painting depicting a colorful café with scattered chairs and tables. Bold red, yellow, and blue shapes, and splatters create dynamic energy.
Artistic painting depicting the coffee shop, capturing its atmosphere and design intent.
Split image of an open-concept cafe with large windows and a detailed floor plan for a multi-level apartment, showcasing room layouts and dimensions.
Unit design layout illustrating spatial organization, functional zones, and adaptability for diverse resident needs.
Vibrant spaces with glowing neon hues. Top: Pink-lit room with geometric screens. Bottom left: Colorful lounge with dynamic lighting. Right: Multi-level building with a neon-lit pool. Surreal and futuristic atmosphere.
Interior view looking toward the front entry, showcasing the welcoming atmosphere, material transitions, and spatial flow from entrance to interior spaces.
Outdoor gathering in an urban garden setting with numerous people socializing on green lawns. A multi-story, glass-front building is in the background.
Rendering from rooftop illustrating public interaction and communal gathering spaces.

Cooperative Housing for Artists – Revitalizing Downtown Winnipeg

A study of cooperative housing's potential as a tool for urban renewal in downtown Winnipeg is presented in this thesis. The proposal reimagines an underutilized parking lot at Notre Dame Avenue and Hargrave Street as a mixed-use development that supports affordability, sustainability, and cultural vibrancy. Inspire by European cooperative models, the project offers inclusive and adaptable living spaces for artists, students, newcomers, and low-income residents.

Within a 120'x120' building footprint, modular 20'x20'x9' steel-framed cubic units are arranged. Across 12 stories, these units are rotated and interlocked, creating dynamic forms and generous voids for communal use. On the ground floor, there is a 120'x240' commercial area with profitable art galleries, restaurants, a coffee shop, and a pop-up shop for resident-designed products. To attract visitors and stimulate economic activity, this level serves as an accessible cultural hub.

In the end, a self-sustaining vertical neighborhood promotes shared living and creative exchange. On every residential floor, there are communal kitchens and studio spaces dedicated to visual arts, music, jewelry-making, and children's activities. Residents and the broader community can interact on public patios and terraces. A rooftop garden, relaxation area, and barbecue area are designed on the roof, while underground parking maximizes land use and keeps the streetscape pedestrian-friendly. As the building rotates, light, shadow, and spatial variety are introduced while maintaining a strong visual identity. As well as providing affordable housing, the proposal creates opportunities for cultural production, public engagement, and urban resilience. This thesis envisions cooperative housing as a people-centered, strategic solution to downtown Winnipeg's social and spatial challenges.