Week 06 // Individual Project One Statement

Handcrafted / Intimate / Colourful / Heart
image: Helen Ma

 

 

Setting the Scene

Leading in to 2040, population growth in the inner Brisbane city suburbs has lead to intense pressure on urban infrastructure, housing, and fuel supply. Continual expansion of suburbia in a sprawling, shapeless pattern is no longer a viable option to address housing shortage.  Fuel shortage also means cars are no longer an efficient mode of transport.  The city plan has been reinvented to encourage the flourishing of concentrated intense town centres connected via transport corridors intermingled with land conservation and agricultural fingers. Dense urban nodes with strategic location of varying economic and community activity within the node have become the model for sustainable growth.

An aging population coupled with longer life expectancy has lead to an older workforce.  Active and healthier lifestyles due to medical breakthroughs and an enlightened understanding of the importance of maintaining optimum health has led to the decrease in lifestyle diseases and the increase in therapeutic procedures for enhancing health. An older workforce remaining in employment for longer requires continual professional development and upskilling to maintain knowledge in rapidly changing technology and systems.

Technology is integral to every part of the daily lives of the population. Virtual reality has become firmly enmeshed with physical reality as an overlay of interconnected data systems and networks allowing smart technology to automate, predict and coordinate many of our daily actions.

Paddington Central

Paddington transformed into a dense suburban town centre is connected to a number of similarly dense civic nodes strategically located throughout the Brisbane area. Paddington Central has been adapted and reinvented as a vital place of transition, coordination, communication and open knowledge sharing vital to maintaining the area's link with the greater network of intense civic nodes. It is a place where the community can gather, where individuals can collaborate with others, a place for discovering and sharing ways to enhance and enrich life in the community, a place that embodies heart, humility, conversation, discovery and detail. Community facilitators assist in the process of knowledge sharing and information dissemination using advanced data networks to coordinate customised and individually tailored information.

 

The adaptation of existing built form coupled with new interventions, strategic subtractions and additions aim to add loosely integrated layers to the built environment in order for ease of manipulation of rapidly changing elements. Paddington Central is an open, permeable, yet intimate and experiential space consisting of layers of meaning and giving additional colour to the lives of the community.

 

Facetted dome folded to represent activity intensive civic nodes

Week 05 // Architectural Possibilities

Week 05 examined the architectual propositions that might be possible from having discussed in the previous weeks the various scenarios around the future, sustainability and lifestyles.  Based on research regarding projected average age of population, population growth, predicted growth in various employment sectors (including health, education, and construction), a number of possibilities emerged including -

 

1. Collaborative community education centre coordinating area wide education facilitation strategies utilising existing infrastructure. Facilities otherwise idle and underutilised yet suitable for education purposes can be part of a network of existing infrastructure given additional use for education at all levels.  There will no longer be a need to develop individual facilities at each educational institution as an overarching framework coordinates a local network of adaptable spaces overseen by one overarching education centre.
 
2. Health and wellness centre concentrating on maintaining health, youthfulness and vitality rather than illness and disease. Health giving therapies, physiotherpay, meditation and nutrition and dietetics are the key health services provided with a focus on holistic health and maintaining youth and vitality.
    
3. Experiential event-based retail centre where community events, activities and classes are held where retail products are used to produce an outcome or experienced for entertainment and/ or learning purposes.  Activities can include cooking classes, film nights, arts and craft classes, functions and events, all activities within which potential customers can experience a product in context.
 
4. Automated Kit-of-Parts storage, service and replacement facility that would serve the main employment sectors of the community providing fast turnaround of employment tool kits for construction workers, healthcare workers, teachers etc. Kits are tailored to a person's employment needs, broken tools are repaired or selected for replacement and stored efficiently in a time-share manner limiting the amount of material goods needed overall.

 

Outcome is to embody heart, humility, detail and conversation

 



The coordinating heart of Paddington can be found at Paddington "Homeroom"

Week 05 // Reading Reflection : Architecture Dissidence

“When you stop moving, space flattens.” Ric Scofidio

 

 

All original photos of the ICA by Helen Ma

 

I found the article regarding Diller Scofidio + Renfro's approach to practice very intriguing. Diller suggests to think of space in temporal terms: in the dimension of time and movement and to accept that there is more to architecture than spacemaking but to consider architecture as event-making where perception / space / use / choreography / setting / relationships are all interwoven.

The article suggests that the anomaly of DS+R within contemporary architectural practice is the way the firm has maintained its experimental character despite the growing scale of its interventions and commissions.

The studio has a strong basis in research rigeur with a consistently high level of inquiry maintained and which is then able to feed into their larger projects that have a client and a budget.  Their research takes on different forms including crossing into the realms of feature film, art installation, theatre and writing. There is a strong desire in their studio to keep this part of the practice alive despite it being a financial cost to the studio overall as the added value derived and able to be filtered into their daily work which pays the bills is considered invaluable.

I find this interdisciplinary outlook and approach to be something very worthwhile to aspire to. It's important to consider design in a holistic manner as being capable of influence, collaboration and exchange with other creative and artistic endeavours.

Furthermore, the article was of additional special interest as I visited one of the buildings by DS+R on a recent trip to Boston.

The Boston Institute of Centemporary Art was one of my favourite locations I visited during my trip. The art museum designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro opened in late 2006. Located at Fan Pier on the waterfront the museum is such a wonderful art space full of light and transparency. Furthermore, I love a good stair and you can probably tell from my photos that I was a fan of all the stairs at the ICA! I loved the public space extending out over the water with beautiful views back towards Boston city. 



All original photos of the ICA by Helen Ma

 

Week 04 // People & Lifestyles

Week 04 explores the possibilities of what future lifestyles might be for our citizens in our future scenario.  Having the Suburban theme we start with our location - Paddington Central.  How might our future citizens interact with this site? We attempt to identify the key characteristics of the site and its relation to the greater Paddington area and the City.  Based on our individual exploration of the site it was agreed that Paddington Central is at a junction between the sporting and nightlife portion of Paddington and the daytime retail and cafe portion. We identified the site as a point of transition between night and daytime activities.

 

Our future vision starts to be formed on the basis that future population growth in the inner city suburb would place undue pressure on urban infrastructure, housing and services. The sub-theme of urban sprawl was identified as a driving factor in how we would address the site within Paddington. Our desire to explore densification in a linear concentration model as proposed by Hugh Barton and to redefine suburbia provided thought direction. How would we propose a solution with the possibility of no additional built form, or zero architecture??

 

We identify based on research into future employment trends that the growth sectors are health, construction and education. This became a basis from which a series of possible characters and what their occupations might be emerged. We explored how these different characters would live their daily lives with the integration of technology part of every task they perform and the possibility that the site may become the vital coordinating link between everyone in the Paddington community.

 

  

Identifying Paddington Central as a transition between night and day activities 

 

 

 

Identifying what a typical day might be for our citizens in a technology driven future.

 

Week 04 // Reading Reflection : Politics & Situationist International

Situationist International exhibition flyer [1989] by Jamie Reid

http://www.jamiereid.org

Concepts that emerged as relevant to our thought direction from this reading and being particularly striking -

* Architects whose concerns are not with the buildings that might be constructed from their designs.

* 'Paper architecture' consists in works which are put forward as works of architecture but which are never intended to be built; and indeed in most cases they could not be built.

* The view is that architecture can accommodate works where the thought contained in the work is of an architectural nature.

* How far from the built form of an edifice can architectural thought stray, whilst, arguably, still being considered architecture?

* Architectural work that does not consist in building.

* In opposition to modernism, seek to rid the world of a static notion of what constitutes architecture; replacing that notion or extending it to include systems of communication and methods of production.

Week 03 // Lecture Reflection : Sustainability

Design Reasoning : Principles & Context

Reproduced from Murray Lane's Lecture Diagrams

 

 

The lecture outlined how well informed design reasoning can provide clarity in the design process and produce outcomes that are responsive to key humanitarian, environmental and sustainability issues.  Identifying and forming guiding principles, sub-principles and patterns can provide well-reasoned and generous design outcomes with universal benefits that are sustainable in a holistic manner.

 

The idea that a sense of spirit encompasses all the elements that make up the realm of sustainability is an enlightened concept.  That architects and designers must consider any architectural proposition with how the human spirit might be nurtured is something to aspire to.

 



Week 03 // Reading Reflection : Shearing Layers

Diagram of the Six 'S's 

 

 



A building conceived as several layers of longevity of built components -

1. SITE -  the geographical setting, the urban location: site is eternal
2. STRUCTURE - the foundation and load-bearing elements : change is perilous and expensive so rarely attempted
3. SKIN - exterior surfaces and external cladding: change often due to improved material / systems technology
4. SERVICES - the working parts of the building : when change is needed outdated systems need to be accessible
5. SPACE PLAN - the interior layout of walls / ceilings / floors / apertures : can be changed with relative ease
6. STUFF - furniture and decor : can be easily and often changed

* Legitimises the existence of different design skills : architects / service engineers / space planners / interior designers all with different agendas.

* Longevity of buildings is often determined by how well they can absorb new Services technology.

* Design imperative: An adaptive building has to allow for the differently paced systems of Site, Structure, Skin, Services, Space Plan, and Stuff or the slow systems will block the flow of the fast ones, and the fast ones tear up the slow ones with their constant change.

An interior by iconic interior designer Tony Duquette : I interpret his "more is more" approach as an embracing of "Stuff" http://tonyduquette.com   Having completed studies in interior design and working as an interior designer and space planner over the past 7 years, I very much related to this reading identifying how the various layers that make up our built environment is important and relates with each other. The proposition that one should not go too far in embedding the six identified systems together as this leads to rigidity and inability to adapt to changing technology, climate and cultural expectations is an important lesson to consider.

 

 

 

Week 03 // Design Charrette

Week 02 // Lecture Reflection: Future Visions

 

Film Fiction

 

The reference to the 1927 science fiction film Metropolis and the brief portion shown during the lecture is a reminder of our continuing fascination with predicting what the future holds for us. It seems that often humanity is depicted in these future visions as being enslaved by machines/ technology and that the morally corrupt yet privileged few rule the masses.

 

 

 





 http://metropolis1927.com/

Films about the distant future typically depicts the urban environment as a dense jungle of dominating and menacing concrete masses.  It is forever night time and the city is in various states of decay. The majority of the population is often struggling and desperate, being exploited by the powerful few.

The Metropolis sequence reminds me of one of my favourite films by Hong Kong Director, Wong Kar Wai. In this film the characters are on a mysterious never-ending journey upon a high speed train network trying to return to a place called 2046 where lost memories can be recaptured and where time stood still and nothing ever changed.

 

 



 



 

 

 

http://www.buf.com

 

The director poses to the audience a future vision of Hong Kong where the city is a mass of steel and glass lit up by the neon glow of the streets.  An extensive suspended rail super network snakes around the city connecting every place to each other.  However, no one seems to ever get off or on to the trains. The city is alight but there appears to be no one in the city except for the handful of lonely characters on the train who never meet.

 

I find the Director's vision of the future surreal and fascinating.  I interpret the film as ultimately suggesting that we tend to view the past with romantic nostalgia and no matter how fast modern life is or how technologically advanced society becomes people never let go of the desire to feel connected, be loved and to belong.



Week 02 // Reading Reflection : Urban Form & Locality

Strategic Neighbourhood Planning : Linear Concentration as a Framework

 

4 Key Spatial Issues 

1 // Dispersal v. Concentration

2 // High v. Low Density 

3 // Segregated v. Integrated Land Use Patterns, and

4 // Nucleated v. Linear Form

The Concentration Model

• The 'dispersed concentration' model can be equated with a polycentric city or cluster of linked towns.
• Dispersed concentrations should not be equated with amorphous suburban sprawl.
• Linear networks of water and public transport provide the framework upon which diverse urban land uses can be based.
• Mixed use town centres does not imply a dispersed pattern of activities. Rather it is to be highly structured at both the neighbourhood and the township level.
• Compact linear patterns for any necessary greenfield development rather than simple annular expansion complemented by extensive open space networks based on water courses
• Maintain/enhance green parkways and to maximise public transport accessibility.
• Experience of epanded/new town designs employing linear principles suggests that linearity should not ideally take the form of stellar or radial growth but adopt a tangential or loop pattern instead.
• It is not suburbia per se which is wrong - it is its lack of shape.

 Suburbia - Urban Sprawl without Shape?

Photo: Frank Maurer

Week 02 // Social & Cultural Design Charrette

Urban // Car-Free Environment

The possible future scenario of introducing a congestion charge to the Brisbane CBD is an intriguing concept.  Limiting the amount of vehicular traffic in the inner city would mean a move away from our current car dominated streets and a return of the public realm to be more pedestrian and cyclist focused.  The current CBD streets could be re-purposed as community minded spaces and adapted for a variety of uses that better serve the community. 

Possibilities include -

• Increased greenspace / collaborative space
• Increased street activity / markets / events
• Safer / initimate urban form / finer grained street level
• Active local lifestyles / greater amenity for pedestrians and cyclists
• Re-purposing of obsolete multistorey carparks
• Better air quality / cleaner streets and rainwater run-off
• Localised artisanal businesses / demise of large supermarkets

*As an inner city apartment dweller for almost 10 years, this possibility has special meaning for me. I can imagine myself in this scenario very easily.  I feel this would be a liberating future for all my fellow inner city neighbours around me and that I would have better opportunity to lead a more sustainable lifestyle with greater opportunity to connect with those living alongside me.
 

Suburban // Sustainable Retail Experiences

The traditional retail experience is already being challenged by the continual growth and success of online trading. To consider Paddington Central in a future where the customer experience in a physical retail space is of greater importance than selling the vendor's products is an exciting scenario.

Possibilities include -

• Event based retail spaces: each individual product is located in a lifestyle setting where customers are invited into the space for a learning or entertainment focused event.  Customers can experience the use and appreciate the qualities of each product in a suggested setting or proposed event.
• Increased real and/or percieved value of each product: Bulk display of products on shelves are no longer a strategy used in retail spaces. Products would appear more "precious" and possibly more desirable due to being viewed as one individual item rather than in mass numbers.
• Mass storage is concealed and located off-site in central automated distribution warehousing facilities. This would mean less overall transportation of stock and allow bulk distribution via courier and postage to various postcodes

*Paddington is one of my favourite inner city suburbs.  One of my favourite things to do on a sunny weekend is to have brunch at Anouk with friends and wander through Paddington visiting all the local shops lining Latrobe and Given Terrace. I love the sunny, laid-back community atmosphere, all the great restaurants and cafes, vintage op-shops, homeware stores, boutique food outlets and most of all the retaining of so many original Queenslander style cottages and grand homes.

 
Regional // Self-Sufficient Community

The Woodford site as a self-sufficient community poses a scenario where immediately Utopian concepts come to mind.  The possibility that the community would be able to produce its own food, build shelter using local materials and craftsmenship, generate its own energy needs and capture rainwater are the obvious considerations. Self-sufficiency would provide a host of challenges and opportunities. Possibilities include -

• An alternative economy to the current capitalist model / trading skills and labour between other like minded communities?
• Avoiding enclaves for the privileged few who can afford to live in "eco-villages".
• Built form that is derived from locally available materials/ resources managed in a sustainable framework of harvesting and replenishing.
• Built form that is a "living machine" able to provide resources/ sustenance and adaptable for a variety of uses.
• Open learning and knowledge sharing / collaboration without reservation of IP / Observe and Interact without fear.
• Permaculture Principles: Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback / Produce No Waste (Holmgren, 2002)

Week 02 Tutorial Mapping - Regional

 * An ongoing interest in Permaculture design principles meant that I immediately associated this scenario of self-sufficiency with Permaculture.  However, I also understand that the idea is to possibly move beyond Permaculture and consider additional concepts regarding what the meaning and definition of self-sufficiency could encompass in a technologically driven future with virtual integration.


Virtual // Strategies for All Regions

The World Wide Web has fundamentally changed how we go about our daily lives in a short extent of time.  Considering what the future might be like where the virtual world is somehow integral to the physical world is difficult to fathom when the pace of technological advancement appears to be moving at a much faster rate than our human ability to comprehend the possible ethical consequences. There are positive and negative arguments for an ever increasing virtual reality becoming enmeshed with our physical reality.  Possibilities include -

• Smart public transportation systems customised to user location and destinations with automated updates leading to greater transport efficiency
• Purchase of items without any type of transaction physical or otherwise required due to automated virtual recognition systems as a network overlay 
• Live data download and upload for continual information updates based on lifestyle needs and knowledge sharing
• Smart virtual selves able to legally perform pre-loaded virtual tasks
• Tension between greater efficiency allowing more to be achieved and the need to move away from a sedentary lifestyle leading to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and heart disease / virtual network accessible from any location and therefore renders the need to be at the desk obsolete?
• Instantaneous events and community mobilisation: the physical environment is adapted to become highly manoeuvrable.

 

 

Week 02 Tutorial Mapping - Virtual

Week 01 // Dystopian Future Visions

Quotes from 1984 by George Orwell

Future Vision and Architecture Fiction.  An intriguing juxtaposition of concepts and ideas.  The meeting of the architectural with the literary perhaps? Immediately George Orwell's iconic literary work Nineteen Eighty-Four comes to mind.  A dystopian view of a dark future by all means.

A Dystopian society is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian.

Dystopian societies feature different kinds of repressive social control systems, and various forms of active and passive coercion. Ideas and works about dystopian societies often explore the concept of humans abusing technology and humans individually and collectively coping, or not being able to properly cope with technology that has progressed far more rapidly than humanity's spiritual evolution. Dystopian societies are often imagined as police state with unlimited power over the citizens.