Capstone: Yuexin Liu, Chen Hong

Boxscape: A Strategy for Transforming Edge Spaces in the Neighborhood

Boxscape is a community-driven project designed to transform underutilized spaces within the Strawberry Mansion Community into vibrant public areas. Our project centers on modular, low-tech building blocks—movable boxes—that can be easily customized for various uses. These boxes can serve as benches, planters, display walls, play structures, or market stalls, providing flexible solutions for shaping spaces and fostering community engagement.

The core structure of Boxscape involves a steel frame and stackable boxes, allowing for endless configurations based on the needs of the community. The modularity of the design enables the creation of everything from gardens to informal theaters. These boxes are not only functional but also serve as personal canvases, with local children invited to leave their marks, transforming them into symbols of ownership and community pride.