Final Presentation Reflection

During our poster presentation we had an interesting conversation with Peter and the other tutors that explored the idea of 'generous' architecture in relation to the Gift Wall idea in our concept. The idea of altruistic giving is a philosophy with the power to bind citizens together through a sense of community and is a notion that should inform architectural design.

I was responsible for the Future Scenarios panel which was to communicate the foundation of our idea along with a possible solution to the future projection. On the face of it the gentrification of Paddington may appear to be a good thing as it seen many positive developments that have created a bustling food and retail culture along the Given and Latrobe Terraces. As might be expected with an inner city suburb the real estate prices have increased significantly, making the housing unaffordable for many. When researching the area I couldn't help but notice the contradiction between the array of thrift shops and the apparently affluent residents. Were these second hand shops residual establishments from when the local population was more reliant on thrift and somehow managed to survive large rental increases due to gentrification?

While looking at other posters during the final presentation I begun to notice patterns that reflected upon social media ands it's influence on society.

WK05 Project One Individual Development:

This week I wanted to explore possible solutions to the problems of cultural erosion, gentrification and housing affordability. A singular development in Paddington is clearly not a smoking gun solution to these issues however it can act as an exemplary manifestation of the ideas of community, diversity and cultural heritage.

Before forming architectural ideas I wanted to research the developers themselves as these are the people who are envisioning and building suburban shopping centers throughout Australia. Westfield's latest development at Carindale was an interesting case study for analyzing retail centre trends and the kinds of spaces that respond to contemporary communities.

Individual Project One Statement

Investigation into the suburb of Paddington revealed someunique conditions and concerns that became the foundation for our future scenario. Paddington's rich history paints apicture of cultural diversity including early catholic migrants, students,musicians and 'alternative' citizens migrating to the area in the later part ofthe 20th century.  Paddington's ecliticmix of retail shops are a manifestation of cultural heritage concerned withthrift, arts and crafts, music, and alternative fashion. the independent,humble, retrospective, domestic and underground are themes that permeated throughthe youthful culture and are ideas that have been diluted through mechanisms ofgentrification and real estate.

With median house prices exceding one million dollars the questionis whether Paddington can someone how foster cultural diversity and heritagealong with residents who are not at upper end of the socio-economic spectrum?  What will become of Paddington's heritageonce the Antique Centre becomes a set of luxury units? Is this naturalprogression or a disservice to the local and broader community?

In our future scenario we envision Paddington in 2027 duringa period of cultural revitilisation. the Paddington Central Site has presentedan opportunity to reintroduce displaced citizens along with cultural heritagelost to forces of gentrification. A sustainable framework has been establishedand is concerned with integrating community  into a taylored mixed use retail development .

WK05 Tutorial Reflection: Architectural Possibilities

The image above depicts the architectural possibility we developed during the design charette. We explored the concept of a multi use tower with a residential focus  on the upper levels and a retail and public focus on the ground and lower levels. As a response to increased gentrification we wanted to integrate affordable housing into the tower to encourage cultural diversity.

We also explored an underground component that might house low cost residential units or a hydroponic farming complex that would contribute to local produce outlets. After discussion with the tutor we decided that any underground component would be limited to several stories as the arguement to build underground was not strong enough to justify the outcome.

WK05 Lecture Reflection: Strategic New York

New York had a problem in the form of a derelict rail way line that ran like a scar through the streets and between buildings. In the case of the High Line the problem was converted quite directly into an architectural opportunity. Perhaps the effect that the High Line has had on development in the area is the most significant

Strategic Paddington..

What is the problem/opportunity?

The Paddington problem may not be as obvious a decaying railway track, however, issues may present as social disconnection or cultural dilution.

WK04 Project 01 Development

Summary

Through group discussions and individual research I have begun to formulate a fictional framework that focuses on Paddington's gentrification and the negative social implications associated with future displacement of low income residents. Paddington's character may be diluted and distorted as the residents that make up this rich urban fabric are forced out by high real estate prices. My future scenario is an investigation into possible solutions to gentrification that erodes cultural heritage.

Key Question:

How do we maintain cultural diversity in the suburb of
Paddington when high rent prices are forcing the traditional
population of students, musicians and 'artistic types' out of the
area.

Secondary Question: 

How can the Paddington Central site be
reconfigured to foster Paddington's cultural character whilst
stimulating a sense of community?

Future Scenario:

Brisbane City Council has become concerned with the
unaffordability of Paddington and the unfeasibility of introducing
medium residential unit blocks to the hilly terrain. The median house
price has reached 5 million dollars resulting in a purely affluent
suburb with only high end boutique retail remaining. After researching
international underground cities the council has come up with a scheme
for an underground community that will reside under the existing
Paddington Central Site in a state of the art sustainable complex.
This new community will be house 10,000 people and will boast a sky
periscope that will project an image of the sky onto the roof of the
underground complex. Fiber optic technology will bring daylighting
into the complex and hydoponic farms will produce food for a local
market on the site of the old Paddington Central building.
Paddington Central has been reconfigured as a retail community market
with a flexible stall arrangement that gives a market feel while
making retail rents affordable for all potential vendors. The
traditional 'vibe' of Paddington is back with the injection of a
youthful student community and a music culture which culminates on a
community stage at Paddington Central.


Main Issue: Social Sustainability

Sub Issues:  Urban density, Affordable housing, Cultural diversity,
Community, Retail centre design, Food production

Technologies: Underground excavation, Solar capture, Geothermal
energy, Hydroponic farming,

Paddington Site Investigation + Photo study

Paddington profile

Location
















(Photo: State Library of Queensland and John Oxley Library; #73407)
This is the Paddington Central site in 1942 (the roof on the far right
is the old Tram Depot the burnt down and is now the site for 
Paddington Central Shopping centre.

2km north west of CBD
very hilly topography

Main roads: Caxton st, Given tce(lower paddo), Latrobe tce (upper paddo)

Boardered by Bardon(west), Milton(south), Red Hill (north), Auchenflower (south west)

(Photo: State Library of Queensland and John Oxley Library; #19326)
Paddington Water Tower to the left, too hard to get water up the slopes
by the look of it.


Nearby

Park road cafe and restaurant precinct

History

originally settled in 1860s
part of town of Ithica
Early gentrification
Large Queenslander housing stock

(Photo: Brisbane - Our Town, Helen Dash; UQ Press)

Demographic

young demographic
student population (share house, older Queenslander homes)
artist, musician, writers
young professionals

Education

UQ 5km

QUT KG 1km

QUT GP 2km

Red Hill Tafe 1km

Business

Paddington Tavern
Sit Down Comedy Club
Iceworks

Specialty shops (homes wares, fine foods, crafts)
Second hand shops
Paddington Antique Centre
Absence of large chain stores

Culture

Coffee Culture (1980s)
Food culture (rest, cafes, eateries, small bars)
Art culture
'hipster'

WK04 Reading: Architectural Weaponry

The conversation between Mark Wigley and BLD BLOG author Geoff Manaugh has been the most enlightening and thought provoking pieces of literature I've come across. The clarity with which the complex concepts are discussed makes the conversation all the more stimulating. The collaborative process between the Volume authors is a refreshing format as it embraces misinterpretation and contradiction while rejecting the comfortable and familiar. I'm attracted to the process of sampling ideas from just about any area of life as the resourse pool becomes much infinatly deeper and broader. The example of a dog trainer contributing to architectural discourse resonated with me as I recently watched an episode of the Dog Whisperer and learnt something new about the contribution a dog owner makes to the local community when they introduce a well trained pet to the local dog park. The host stated that the (dog)community 'needs' a dog like rex(?) as he influences the behaviour and experience of the other dogs and owners. On the face of it this has nothing to do with architecture, however, the narrative can provoke a discussion about communal learning, social dynamics and the public spaces that facilitate.




free ranging conversation
unsynched collaboration

idea pools and mass collaboration
dog trainer contributing to architectural discourse
format for communicating experience?

school as a laborartory
experimentation
Lean Startup

unsolicited architecure- architect as idea sampler/composer/producer?
which architect is more valuable? the constrained or the fluid?
reductions of freedom
absolute freedom is paralyse

science fiction vs theory

"build, don't talk"

which story gets published? which building gets built?
is architectural optimism useful or deluded?

WK04 Reading: Politics and the Situationist International

This reading had me thinking about the distinction between architecture and architectural thinking.
I am most interested in this subject as it is relevant to my current architectural education which often has me questioning the relevance and pragmatism of some of the curriculum presented to us. At this point of my education I can comfortably separate the practice of architecture from architectural philosophy with the intent of aligning the two with an architectural response.

I am particularly interested in T.J Clark's notion of architecture as a physical creation ensuing an artistic endeavour. The artistic implication suggests an open endedness to architecture as it starts as a discussion about life and ends as manifested way of life.

WK04 Tutorial Reflection: People + Lifestyles

Our discussion this week centered around the activities and rituals of people local to Paddington. Through this analysis we tried to identify the unique needs and wants of locals and visitors and look for ways to integrate these into the Paddington Central development.

It was suggested that there is a spiritual element to the local culture that was not necessarily associated with the catholic heritage of the area.
How could we respond to the spiritual needs of a community through a mixed use development?

As part of my own investigation of the spiritual element I thought about notions of community spirit and individual spirit and the kinds of places that would foster the 'practice' of both. A contemplative garden may serve the individual needs utilizing nature's reflective calm whereas as an interactive element such as a gift wall may evoke a sense of community spirit.

WK04 Lecture Reflection: People + Lifestyles

img ref - http://artofthenet.blogspot.com.au/2007/12/2007-12-31.html

It seems to me that an interesting character is the most vital ingredient in a fictional scenario. It is the character that the audience responds to as well as the situation they find themselves in. The rich emotional detail comes from the main character and is the way they respond to the context that forms the backbone of the story. The image of the street hairdresser at the end of the lecture was one of the most potent for me as narrows the focus of the human experience. The informal and humble nature of the scene cuts through any programmed and idealistic notions of urban life and exposes the reality of how people socialise and interact at street level. The scene depicts small scale entrepreneurship catering for basic human needs within an informal setting. This alternative and unplanned use of space is a very interesting challenge for designers it should influence the design process and encourage them to carefully examine the socio-cultural context in which they are working.

WK03 Reading: Shearing Layers

I have been thinking about the morphology of cities and the buildings that form them, however, I had not given much thought to the lifecycle of internal layers until this reading. The story of the Cliff House was fascinating in the way the building changed form and character along with the ideas of the each new owner.

It seems superficial sustainability is most often applied to the internal layers of a building though I'm curious to what sustainability actually means in terms of building the structure in the first place. Is it the embodied energy in the materials that are most important or the actual building type and the socio-cultural purpose it serves over time?

WK03 Reading: The Aspatial City

The aspatial experience of a city has direct implications for architects and designers in every field. Having only begun to think about the future of computational networks and their urban applications I naturally have many questions about the possibilities at hand. I am particularly interested in how an informational layer can impact our experience of a city. With the use of digital networks integrated into the urban fabric we will not only share information but be able to interact with the city physically and digitally. Having a 'connection with place' will be taken to another level where we will be intrinsically connected with place. With the utilisation of digital networks a 'place' will consist of an abundance of informational layers controlled by users who will interact with and alter the 'place'.

collaborative redevelopment

Can cities be formed with the aid of large scale collaborative networks?

Can urban designers learn from web Collabs such as Wikipedia and transfer these methods across into architectural outcomes?

WK03 Tutorial Reflection: Sustainable Future

Heirachy of Needs

Our discussion started with the basic human needs and moved toward wants that are harder to define such as 'retail therapy'. The exercise had me thinking about our built environment as a product that caters for our needs and wants and draws attention to the 'selfishness' of humans. Retail malls are then temples of human consumption that represent the spectrum of human needs and desires. These retail malls are also socio-cultural centres that are responsible for social reproduction and communal adhesion which are fundamental principles that are critical to design outcomes.

Urban Layering

Our group envisioned Paddington Central in a future scenario and used the heirachy of human needs to inform an architectural concept. When considering future time frames we were conscious of cultural change driven by shifts in human needs and wants and wanted our architectural concept to respond to these shifts. We wanted our shopping centre design to remain flexible in its program so that it could be reconfigured for future scenarios. We envisioned a ring form that had clear layers vertically and horizontally that represented uses such as retail, residential and service spaces. The centre of the mall is a large open community space that prioritises community and social experience above all else.

WK03 Lecture Reflection: Measuring Sustainability

Design Reasoning: Principals and Patterns

The thinking tools presented in the lecture have helped me to frame my understanding of design and the contexts in which architectural outcomes are sought. I would like to further explore the principals of 'generous' architecture in an attempt to move towards design that is fundamentally universal. Without having a clear understanding of what universal architecture might look like I think the idea that it considers a global, 'big picture' perspective is critical if we are to have a sustainable future.

Sustainability as a principle

I think it is useful to think of certain principles ,such as sustainability, as trajectories rather than end goals as cynicism can arise when a goal seems unattainable or the language surrounding it becomes ambiguous. One doesn't have to look far to find someone who is cynical of sustainability. Perhaps the word has little or no meaning for them or the road towards it disappears over the horizon to a place they can't even imagine.

Rethinking the Triple Bottom Line

The sheer complexity of the sustainability problem makes it difficult to untangle the elements and clump them into a neat diagram.

WK03 Investigation: Historical Layering

The week two tsunami reading had me thinking about our connection with historical information about place

WK02 Reading: Tsunami Warnings, written in stone

history repeating itself

augmented history

I love the tsunami story and am would like to further investigate the notion of history repeating itself along with what communities learn or don't learn from these historical events. The story conjures up a tension between historical tragedy and modern apathy.

We live in the information age so I am curious about how we learn from history with the technology available to us today. With personal devices offering us instant access to information there is no need for us to pick up a library book in order to learn about a subject or historical event.

future scenario: imagine in the year 2057 hiking through a bush trail and coming to a clearing with what appears to be ruins of an old building. Your Iphone automatically detects the ruins and at your voice command 'history' projects a holographic image of what the buildings used to look like along with detailed information about the history of the structure along with the violent event that saw its destruction.
This scenario offers a us a richer connection to place and it's historical significance which in turn enriches our experience.

WK02 Reading: Greenwashing

corporate fiction
separating fiction from fact
paradox of corporate progress: free markets create sustainable innovations to reduce the emissions they produce

WK03 Research: Megalopoli(tic)s

The idea introduced by this video of cities as manifestations of globalisation is something I would like to explore more from an architectural perspective. It seems that if one is too produce 'appropriate' architecture the more one knows about global contexts the better. A better understanding of political and corporate forces may lead to better design thinking with the objective of efficiently generating solid ideas whilst discarding other with less potential.

http://vimeo.com/43952360

OMA partner Reinier de Graaf explores the relationship between the megalopolis and politics at the Berlage Institute, where he conducted a one-week masters class devoted to the concept of Megalopoli(tic)s – “a very large ambitious political structure dealing especially with the act of governing complex metropolitan areas”.

De Graaf begins by stating we must “think globally”. In 1950, New York and London were the only cities with more than 8 million inhabitants. Currently, there are 26 cities of over 8 million people and by 2020 there will be 37. In terms of population and GDP, countries have been surpassed by cities and cities have been surpassed by corporations. De Graaf states that the city is the physical manifestation of globalization, and as cities continue to rapidly grow, it is imperative that we question the logistics that go into governing them.

Imagine Doxiadis’ global Ecumenopolis city (1967) that depicts the city as no longer a product of nations but rather a international product, which he envisioned as a conglomerate of urbanized regions straddling the world.

http://www.archdaily.com/259830/omas-reinier-de-graaf-talks-megalopolitics/

WK02 Theme: Social and Cultural Contexts

social media
social technology (iphone, ipad, face time, skype)
social connectivity
social networks
social trends
global socialisation

culture and technology
cultural values and behaviours
cultural trends

WK02 Research: Brisbane Transport Data

The data tells a story of its own so I wanted to begin with some Brisbane transport statistics in order to understand the problem quantitatively.

WK02 Musings: Rethinking Rail Networks

My experience with working for Queensland Rail along with my research into urban transport systems has led me to investigate existing rail networks and their future evolution. I am curious about the rail corridor itself and in rethinking it's current role.

Transport Network or Urban Service Network? Retail services? Food service? Food Production?



The rail corridor occupies a significant amount of urban space which can easily go unnoticed due to the linear nature of its form and the fact it is often hidden from view underground and behind buildings.

http://www.thegreencorridor.org/tag/rail-corridor/

I stumbled across this image which had me thinking about people reclaiming the rail corridor as public space. Can the rail corridor coexist as a transport network and urban park?

WK02 Research: Quantum Levitation

How can a super-thin 3-inch disk levitate something 70,000 times its own weight? In a riveting demonstration, Boaz Almog shows how a phenomenon known as quantum locking allows a superconductor disk to float over a magnetic rail -- completely frictionlessly and with zero energy loss.


Ref - http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/boaz_almog_levitates_a_superconductor.html




This amazing demonstration of quantum levitation gets the imagination flowing as well as making scenes of levitating cars in movies like minority report seem less far fetched. I wonder this technology would change Brisbane transport modes along with the infrastructure that enables it. It is not hard to imagine the demise of the traditional rail sleeper in the advent of this technology which could result in the traditional rail corridor being rethought.


I would like to investigate a future scenario that involves alternative uses of the existing rail corridor and station infrastructure. 

WK02 Musings: The problem of Infrastructure

After researching ideas and designs for future transport I have begun to make distinctions between the plans that require significant infrastructure expenditure and those that use existing infrastructure or inexpensive additions.

A sustainable transport future should involve technologies that minimise infrastructure investment while providing a flexible and efficient system. Building thousands of kilometers of highways whilst using an abundance of material resources is unsustainable due to the finite nature of raw materials and must be met with an alternative solution at some stage.

ref - http://www.jpods.com/

At first I really liked the idea of the Jpods but then I thought about the problem of infrastructure. The above ground rail system is akin to the old telegraph pole used for electricity infrastructure. The system requires massive expenditure in order to install and maintain the structure which is unsightly to say the least. I am also concerned about the limitations of the design which doesn't seem to cater for large freight which may require traditional rail infrastructure.

WK02 Research: Speedway Transport System

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9isV-rX4YMo&feature=related

Designs similar to this personal rapid transit vehicle and road induction technology represent a popular and believable vision of future transport systems. 

My investigation into the future of rail networks has me considering the idea that large train carriages will be replaced by smaller, more flexible alternatives such as these personal vehicles. 

The horizontal and vertical movement of the vehicles depicted in the video demonstrates the flexibility of a small scale transport system and is perhaps more sustainable in terms of the infrastructure needed to support it. Current rail infrastructure is very inflexible, expensive and takes up large parcels of land.

Case Study: Transbay Transit Terminal

My previous post about the future of Queensland Rail explored the idea of a transport system that integrates all modes of transport. The Transbay project centralises nine transport systems under the one roof and is an exemplar urban hub combining multiple transport systems with retail, residential and green space. 

Aside from the success of T.O.D's I'm interested in the efficiency of the transport mode once it leaves the central hub and joins the rest of the system. Do the buses get caught up in traffic congestion after they leave the transit hub? 

Does the future involve a transport system that is not just integrated at central locations but along the entire network length?

San Francisco’s newest transit hub will centralize all the transportation in the city by accomodating nine systems under one roof.   Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects have designed a new terminal, a 1.3 mile extension of the Caltrain rail line, and the redevelopment of the surrounding area which will add 2,600 new homes, a 5.4 acre park roof and a retail street. Once completed in 2014, the terminal will include wind turbines, geothermal heating methods and a graywater recycling system.  The hub will be a strong message that green technology can successfully be combined with modern transportation.

http://www.archdaily.com/48181/transbay-transit-terminal-pelli-clarke-pelli-architects/

WK02 Research: Learning from London

My interest in rail networks and their role within an urban system has led me to investigate exemplar systems with large capacities. London's rail system is generally considered as one of the best in the world and conveys 2.5 million passengers in 500 trains through 260 stations.

London tube network map

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g186338-d187536-Reviews-London_Tube-London_England.html

Scalable Transport Modes

Future of Rail Networks

Network vs Mode

Will trains occupy networks

Case Study: D-Cube City

Case Study: Moscow City Agglomeration Competition

Moscow City Agglomeration Competition

Phase 1 Submission - Courtesy of OMA

The Architectural Department of Moscow City Government (MosComArhitectura) has announced the shortlisted teams competing to design the strategy that will be used to double the size of Moscow. With an uneven distribution of working places throughout the Russian Federation capital, millions of residents are forced to commute each day to the over-populated, historic city center, thus causing serious transportation, ecological and social problems within the region.

The Moscow City Agglomeration Development Concept will see the city annex 150,316 hectares to its south-west in order to overcome its chronic space problems. OMA, Diller Scofidio & Renfro and McAdam Architects, lead by the well-known Russian architects Andrey Chernihov and Alexei Ginsburg,  are a few names that appear among the ten shortlisted teams. Continue reading for more competition details and the entire shortlist.

Reference - http://www.archdaily.com/tag/moscow-region/