Thursday, 15 November 2012
URBAN STITCHES
Inspired by the glimpses 2040 NY | AMSTERDAM series.
A series of interventions to retrofit the urban arena...conceptual masterplan for Paddington
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
PRELIM DESIGN
This was the version before my last model. Was trying to incorporate living/producing and working within the retail zoning.
Main issues - looks like buildings tacked together that don't really relate to each other
- the site contours weren't really explored/integrated properly
CURITIBA | SUSTAINABLE CITY
Key Theories in Practice
1. Mobility
2. Sustainability
3. Identity
The bus model. What a brilliant system! The car has been uprooted and told where to go. If only :)
But it works. No more than 2/5 minutes waiting time to get on said buses...The access to green space for people living and working around Curitiba would make for a happy day. It is hard to really grasp it without going there, and watching these videos makes you think it would be a nice place to live.
I like Jamie Lerner's theory about the turtle. He lives and works in that shell....and he would be a very sad turtle if you cut that shell off and put it somewhere else for him to have to go to each day. Decentalising the city would be advantageous.
Lerner also spoke about education and it's necessity for the future of good and happy cities in the future.
Just laying down some ideas from Curitiba method of thinking/applying
Urbanisme (from http://c-lab.columbia.edu/0135.html) ‘Things are not revolutionized by making revolutions. The real Revolution lies in the solution of existing problems.
this relates back to interview wtih diller scofidio + renfro - anti theorist notion.
this relates back to interview wtih diller scofidio + renfro - anti theorist notion.
READING | WEEK 6
ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTABILITY
I agree wtih the definition of 'flexibility' in design that Lynch has elaborated on in this reading. He defines three types of design flexibility. 1:variety of types within something (different styles of pots to choose from) 2: the plastic environment (a blank piece of paper,'plastic' design, the clay to mould the pot from) 3: which is the focus of this reading, generalized adjustability of environment (leave the clay in the ground for the future to mould how they want it, or a tent of which the user adjusts the environment to their comfort).
We don't know what the future holds. We can predict, or make educated guesses but you will never truly know. The 1st type of flexible doesnt take this into account, it offers variety for then and there with no concern for the future. The 2nd type is too ambiguos...in the end, it creates chaos because it is too blank and the lack of strucure than hinders future spaces. The 3rd type is based on the notion of adaptation. Lynch goes into the basis for this theory of design - the human body. Support and communication are fixed - these things do not change/slightly change where other parts are fluid and are relegated to growth and change. In building terms: cores and/or zones for the supporting actions and the rest remains fluid.
You could say that additive structures embody this theory, but in the end additive structures become too big and therefore not functional. (if you look at Brisbane as a prime example, or any city for that matter - whole areas need to be torn down in order to cater for the addition of more roads, more public transport, more 'things' to make it functional for the growing population.) The basic brick is a prime example of something that embodies the flexibility that Lynch is promoting. Its basic form is restrictive and highly rigid, but the complexity and variety of the layouts and structures that one can create from this form is endless.
We don't know what the future holds. We can predict, or make educated guesses but you will never truly know. The 1st type of flexible doesnt take this into account, it offers variety for then and there with no concern for the future. The 2nd type is too ambiguos...in the end, it creates chaos because it is too blank and the lack of strucure than hinders future spaces. The 3rd type is based on the notion of adaptation. Lynch goes into the basis for this theory of design - the human body. Support and communication are fixed - these things do not change/slightly change where other parts are fluid and are relegated to growth and change. In building terms: cores and/or zones for the supporting actions and the rest remains fluid.
You could say that additive structures embody this theory, but in the end additive structures become too big and therefore not functional. (if you look at Brisbane as a prime example, or any city for that matter - whole areas need to be torn down in order to cater for the addition of more roads, more public transport, more 'things' to make it functional for the growing population.) The basic brick is a prime example of something that embodies the flexibility that Lynch is promoting. Its basic form is restrictive and highly rigid, but the complexity and variety of the layouts and structures that one can create from this form is endless.
Lynch, K., 1990. Environmental Adaptability (1958). In T. Banerjee & M. Southworth, eds. City sense and city design: writings and projects of Kevin Lynch. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, pp. 380-395
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
URBANIZED | DOCUMENTARY
I watched this documentary and recommend it to all! Cities are big electrical circuits - many flows of various things - people, money, goods all unite and work with and against each other.
Urban design is multi disciplinary, architects developers, agencies, the general public and landmarks/historical groups also work with and against each other to create what they may (or may not) think is the best solution to problems.
I think it may have been Rem Koolhaas who said in this doco, that a good city is like a good party. Look at how many people are not walking to see who is staying and enjoying. The integration of something as simple as moveable chairs creates 'ownership' for people within this macrosized environment.
One of the points that stood out to me was from one of the NY planners. She looked at Robert Moses who was a planner in about the 50-70's who tore things down. He was a birds eye planner. Jane Jacobs was a journalist and resident/journalist of NY. She had her eyes on the street and wanted to help keep and also establish safer more comfortable spaces. Walkable and compact/connected spaces/suburbs create this safety net and that is something I am taking on board into this assignment.
The car.
I hate cars. They make people angry (case of road rage?), they pollute, they are anti-social tools that have many a number of disadvantages that outweigh the few advantages. In saying that, I am a car owner. If I lived in a city/town that had better connections ie public transport, safer walking paths, I don't think I would own a car. KEY WORD : THINK. I pretty much get around by walking everywhere during the day and sometimes at night too. But there are times when I need the car to get me from A to B. I know that the general concensus on cars from the general public is different though. For that reason, political parties will never move toward the ideal of a public transport oriented city. "We need votes" they say.Brett (my tutor) feels very strongly about design for people, not for yourself. He is actually quite passionate about it and I too agree. Therefore, the car still needs to be accomodated for in the future. If I had my way, we would all be to-ing and fro-ing in trains and trams and buses and city cats (my favourite), and maybe...in time, the general populous will be of the same attitude.
This means that cars do need to be accomodated for in my future scenario but I do feel like better integration of public transport should be a key feature of future Paddington. Not only for connection to place, but also to create a destination. For it to be a destination, it also needs to have supporting buildings to create vivacity, activity, place....e t c
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)