Jim Santos

Advisor: Eduardo Aquino 

Aerial view of an architectural concept showing a green-roofed building with winding paths.
Collage of artistic experiments with light patterns, abstract sketches, and geometric wooden models. The tone is creative and exploratory.
The creation of the movement models from light photography.
A grayscale collage shows three images: an aerial view of a neighborhood with architectural models, detailed wooden model pieces, and a landscape plan overlaid on a city map. The tone is analytical and creative.
Situating the movement models on the site to shape the project’s architecture and landscape.
Aerial schematic of a community area showing baseball fields, soccer field, basketball court, hockey rink, playground, and community center. Streets in grid.
A diagram of the existing pathways on the site, points of entry, and connected existing programs. The entry points are linked, and the shortest possible route between each point is identified. This analysis serves as the basis for shaping the project moving forward. The site’s form, entry points, and connections are integral to designing the project.
Aerial view of a modern urban park design with curving pathways, recreational fields, and green roofs, set amidst a suburban neighborhood of houses.
An isometric drawing of the project.
Four architectural elevations display modern buildings set among trees. Structures have glass walls and flat roofs, conveying a sleek, open design.
Elevation Views.
Architectural renderings depict a public park with pathways, trees, and seating areas. People gather, walk, and socialize in a relaxed atmosphere.
Perspective Images.
Site plan of a park with winding pathways, green spaces, and structural elements. Nearby streets and abstract building outlines are visible.
The drawing shows the site’s circulation, and it depicts the models that inspired each structure in the project.

Movement Grounds:
Utilizing Architecture to Minimize 
Sedentary Lifestyle and Encourage Movement

In the contemporary world, sedentary behavior has become predominant. In Canada, it significantly contributes to the economic burden of illness.1 Sedentary behavior is any behavior that revolves around sitting, reclining, or lying posture.2  Canadians have an average of nine to ten hours engaging in sedentary behaviors daily.3 Any Adult who engages in sedentary behavior for more than eight hours per day is excessively sedentary time according to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults, and two of the most prevalent and expensive diseases due to sedentary behavior are cardiovascular lar disease and type 2 diabetes.4

The total costs of excessive sedentary behavior in Canada in 2021 were 2.2 billion dollars for people who spent eight hours sedentary, while for people who spent about nine hours of sedentary behavior cost Canada 1.8 billion dollars.5  According to Chaput, “It was found that 87.7% of Canadian adults accumulate eight hours per day of sedentary behavior (85.3% in men and 90.0% in women) and that 69.8% accumulate nine hours per day (70.4% in men and 69.2% in women)”.6 A reduction of excessive sedentary behavior by ten percent would have saved Canada 219 million dollars per year.7  Multiple factors cause lack of a physical activity participation. For instance, environmental factors such as traffic congestion, air pollution, shortage of parks or pedestrian walkways, or a lack of sports or leisure facilities.8 Behaviors such as watching television and cellphone use correspond to a growing sedentary lifestyle.9

The project aims to improve physical health and minimize the growing sedentary behavior. Through architecture, it encourages movement and exercise, shaping a culture of physically healthy individuals. Additionally, the project promotes a learning environment and develops a sense of community and togetherness that will persist for many generations.

The designed public space accommodates and improves the fundamental human movements; however, understanding these movements is important because it informs the suitable design for the project. The movements include squatting, hinging, lunging, pushing, pulling, carrying, jumping, running, walking, rotating, and lateral movements. The project provides programs that promote learning for people of all ages through movement and seeing, and it also offers engaging activities that bring people together. Through photographing, drawing, and modeling, the fundamental human movements are observed, which shapes the project’s architecture and design process.

Notes
1 Jean- Philippe Chaput, Ian Janssen, Justin Lang, Hugues Sampasa-Kanyinga, “Economic Burden of Excessive Sedentary Behaviour in Canada,” Can J Public Health (April 2023):165- 174, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9875753.
2 Jean- Philippe Chaput et al., “Economic burden of excessive sedentary behaviour in Canada”.
3 Jean- Philippe Chaput et al., “Economic burden of excessive sedentary behaviour in Canada”.
4 Jean- Philippe Chaput et al., “Economic burden of excessive sedentary behaviour in Canada”.
5 Jean- Philippe Chaput et al., “Economic burden of excessive sedentary behaviour in Canada”.
6 Jean- Philippe Chaput et al., “Economic burden of excessive sedentary behaviour in Canada”.
7 Jean- Philippe Chaput et al., “Economic burden of excessive sedentary behaviour in Canada”.
8 Jung Ha Park, Ji Hyun Moon, Hyeon Ju Kim, Mi Hee Kong, and Yun Hwan Oh, “Sedentary Lifestyle: Overview of Updated Evidence of Potential Health Risks,” Korean journal of family medicine (November 2020): 365–373, https://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.20.0165.
9 Jung Ha Park et al., “Sedentary Lifestyle: Overview of Updated Evidence of Potential Health Risks”.