Faculty of Design
Environmental Design
Jocelyn Hernandez
A Neighbourhood Not For You
Environmental Design
My thesis is a speculative critique of the neighbourhood placed atop Toronto’s most socio-economically exclusive hotels. Having stayed briefly in these kinds of hotels during the pandemic, I became aware of, and thus fascinated with the idea of Toronto’s upper class living vertically separated from the city, in the condos above said hotels. I’ve directed my research scope from the top down, finally zeroing in on the absurd penthouses of 3 five star residential hotels: The Ritz Carlton, Shangri-La, and The St. Regis. My research has shown me that this typology functions as a figurehead for Toronto’s self-destructive housing market bubble, as well as a protective barrier for the upper class, to further class division.
“My final three presentation drawings take these penthouses and exaggerate them to suit three wealthy character types. The Ritz Carlton is extended horizontally for “Old Money”. The Shangri-La takes the interior of the building and extends underground for “Recluse”. The St. Regis extends upwards to double the height of the building to serve as a party house for “Crypto-Billionaire”.”
Work by
Jocelyn Hernandez
Architecture
“My thesis is a speculative critique of the neighbourhood placed atop Toronto’s most socio-economically exclusive hotels. Having stayed briefly in these kinds of hotels during the pandemic, I became...” [More]
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