Towards a “Mall-Less” Suburb

The creation of suburbs has led to segregated functional spaces that once helped nourish their growth, including the shopping mall. However, as the shopping phenomenon evolves, it is crucial to reexamine this building type to accommodate changing needs and their effect on the surrounding area. Shopping malls have been important contributors to social life and through transformation, street and square life can be recreated for suburban communities. This thesis explores the formation of a square within a mixeduse neighbourhood that intertwines public and private spaces to create opportunities for social connectivity. This enhances the existing community and strengthens the relational benefits between public and private realms, and strives to establish a balanced growth. Architecture mediates public and private spaces, and redefines boundaries so that underutilized private space can be optimized and reintegrated into the suburban environment, reestablishing the social life in the suburbs.