Studio B - Cluster thinking

from EMPTY to PLENTY ALBERT CHONG Cluster Thinking | MUD Studio B / MArch Studio CDE / MUD Thesis | Semester 1 2015

CBD HEIDELBERG

PRESTON

SITE CONTEXT

MAP 18 - EMERGING LA TROBE EMPLOYMENT CLUSTER

DUNDAS

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EN

PL

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3

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LA TROBE PRIVATE HOSPITAL

1 HEIDELBERG

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LA TROBE UNIVERSITY BUNDOORA CAMPUS

The logo must appear with the Vic Gov logo (black only) somewhere on the same layout.

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NOTE 1: INVESTIGATION AREA AND POTENTIAL BOUNDARY TO BE DEVELOPED BY THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING AUTHORITY IN CONSULTATION WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

WAIORA R D

The logo can appear with www.planmelbourne.vic.gov.au only as shown here.

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NOTE 2: DESIGNATION OF THIS AREA AS A NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT CLUSTER DOES NOT CHANGE THE STATUS OF PARKLAND, OPEN SPACE OR RESIDENTIALLY ZONED LAND.

MACLEOD

3

WATERDAL

sion, while creating opportunities for people to Note: Investigation area and recognised potential boundary to be developed by sure that the city maintains its globally the Metropolitan Planning Authority in consultation with local government. edge economy, tourism destination, freight and

ST

[MAP 18, PAGE 57 FROM PLAN MELBOURNE]

METROPOLITAN PLANNING STRATEGY PLAN MELBOURNE

To RMIT Bundoora/ University Hill

ST

Road network Rail network (including stations) bus route that make a connected businesses andKey institutions Tram network city.

Key bicycle route Health node to, provide high job concentrations in suburban Austin Hospital/Mercy Hospital for Women complex h levels of employment. Three are designated as Warringal Private Hospital Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital Education node Northern College of Arts and Technology Activity centre Research & commercial node a La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science ional Victorian Agribiosciences La Trobe Research & Development Park Industrial land Olympia Housing Initiative – housing e of the city, along with the expanded Central City and renewal area Urban renewal area Open space/parkland Waterway

ALBERT

SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT, PLANNING AND LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE, 2014 Designation of this area as a National Employment Cluster does not change the status of parkland, open space or residentially zoned land.

nt to the es), and growing land

UP HEIDEL

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NE@DTPLI.VIC.GOV.AU | VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT CONTACT CENTRE 1300 366 356 | TRANSLATION SERVICE 131 450 | erging cluster

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T 1 w a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au It is a condition of this Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence that you must give credit to the original author who is the State of Victoria. Authorised and publishedL by N E the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury rge print or audio, Translation Service 131 450. MAPS AND DATA DISCLAIMER © The State of Victoria, Department of Transport, ng Centre and please telephone Victorian Government Contact Centre on 1300 366 356, or email planmelbourne@dtpli.vic.gov.au.

PL Planning & Local Infrastructure, 2014.

NORTHLAND n such information does so on the basis that the State of Victoria shall bear no responsibility or liability defects or omissions in the information.

MUwhatsoever for any errors, faults,

icant employment

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mmercial and retail obs in the cluster.

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n the subregion. economy. wing student g precinct has a e Melbourne Brain ion in some health area providing ented development

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y Council,

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BELL ST

NMIT HEIDELBERG

SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT, PLANNING

© The State of Victoria. of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure, 2014.

ANDDepartment LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE, 2014 The State of Victoria does not warrant the accuracy or completeness in this publication and any person Designation of this area as a National Employment Cluster does not using or relying upon such information does so on the basis that the State of Victoria shall bear no change the status oferrors, parkland, or residentially zoned land. responsibility or liability whatsoever for any faults open defectsspace or omissions in the information.

Road network Rail network (including stations) Key bus route Tram network Key bicycle route Health node Austin Hospital/Mercy Hospital for Women complex Warringal Private Hospital Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital Education node

UPPE HEIDELB R ERG RD

65 0 9 0

METROPOLITAN PLANNING STRATEGY PLAN MELBOURNE LOGO.

MAP 18 - EMERGING LA TROBE EMPLOYMENT CLUSTER

commitment to the e biosciences), and es. There is growing d the Northland

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HEIDELBERG

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

The logo must appear with the Vic Gov logo (black only) somewhere on the same layout.

The wo must a

The Emerging Cluster Identified as an emerging cluster of Melbourne’s Northern Subregion, the emerging La Trobe Employment Cluster is a hub focused in education, research, health and retail. It includes several major institutions and retail anchors: La Trobe University, Northland Shopping Centre and Austin Hospital .

Currently the cluster offers 25,700 jobs.

Image: Emerging La Trobe Employment Cluster Fact Sheet, Plan Melbourne

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

EXAMINING THE CLUSTER Exercise 01A

Image: “Patchwork Metropolis”, Jan Neutelings 1989

To Epping

To Epping

Northern

Settlement

Kaon Park

Ring Rd

Northern

Grimshaw

Rd

Grimshaw

Rd

Greensborough

Reservoir

Rd

nty

Ple

La Trobe University

La Trobe University nty

r Ple

Preston

Macleod

Rd

nty

r Ple

Station St

Lowe

Waterdale Rd

Station St

Lowe

Open/Green Spaces

Murray Rd

Water Course

Rd

Macleod

Preston Murray Rd

Water Course

Train Line

Rd

Waterdale Rd

nty

Ple

Train Line

TRAM

Bell St

TRAIN

Bell St

Tram Line

Major Roads

Major Roads Heidelberg

Heidelberg

To CBD

To CBD

0

.25

.5

N

To Epping 1km

0

Northern

Settlement

Kaon Park

To Epping 1km

Northern

Settlement

Kaon Park

Rd

Rd

Ring Rd

Rd

Grimshaw

Greensborough

Reservoir

Rd

Greensborough

Reservoir

ty

n Ple

Rd

nty

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La Trobe University

nty

r Ple

Open/Green Spaces

Murray Rd

nty

r Ple

Lowe

Rd Waterdale

Station St

Preston

Preston

Rd

Murray Rd

Water Course

e

Macleod

Rd

Station St

Lowe

Course

Rd

La Trobe University

Macleod

Green Spaces

ne

.5

Ring Rd

Grimshaw

ne

.25

Rd

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Waterdale

Tram Line

Rd

Greensborough

Reservoir

Open/Green Spaces

Settlement

Kaon Park

Rd

Ring Rd

Metropolitan Ring Road

Roads

Massive Transit Road

Bell St

BUS

Bell St

ROAD

Major Road Train Line Heidelberg To CBD

Heidelberg To CBD

Major Connectors The La Trobe Cluster is connected to the wider network via various transport networks: >> Two train lines: South Morang and Hurstbridge. >> Tram route 86 (from Waterfront City Docklands to Bundoora RMIT). >> Various east-west bus links Critically assessing the site, there are major north south routes as all lead to the CBD, but there is a distinct lack of east west connections across the site.

en/Green Spaces

ter Course

n Line

m Line

or Roads

chment Area 00 m radius

N Walkability of stops 0

.25

.5

1km

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Open Space and Green Corridors Green spaces throughout the La Trobe cluster are linked by a vast river network. The Darebin Creek corridor is a major expanse of open space as it forms a physical link between La Trobe University, Northlands Shopping Centre and the industrial hub south of Northlands.

n Spaces

se

s

N 0

.25

.5

1km

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Land Use As identified by Plan Melbourne, the cluster’s strengths are based around retail, industrial, education and health.

All these land use patches are linked through identified major transit corridors and green spaces.

Major institutions:

n Spaces

se

>> La Trobe University >> Bundoora RMIT >> Austin Hospital/Repatriation

s

al

Major retail hubs: >> Preston Market >> Northland Shopping Centre >> Bell Street Mall

Venue

rt Galleries

Area ius

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

INCLUSIVE CITIES SUSTAINABLE CITIES KNOWLEDGE CITIES CONNECTED CITIES CREATIVE CITIES HEALTHY CITIES

VISION

CONCEPTUAL PLATFORMS

Exercise 02

HEALTHY CITY

CityFARM - MIT “How do we take a horizontal greenhouse and make it vertical?”

At MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Caleb Harper’s CityFARM demonstrates the future of food production. He grows plants through hydroponics, a system that produces plants without soil. Plants are hooked up to servers and misting mechanisms. (The Verge) An evolutionary technological approach could allow for greater accessibility for a new age of fresh produce. A new age of farmers is growing to combat food security and food deserts.

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Image: CityFARM hydroponics lab, MIT

Active Design Guidelines - NYC Obesity and with it type 2 diabetes are now epidemic in New York City, and both problems are growing worse rapidly. Today, architectural and urban design too often support unhealthy rather than healthy diets rather than active daily lifestyles.

The Active Design Guidelines aim to reverse these trends, by providing architects and urban designers with a manual for creating healthier buildings, streets, and urban spaces. Put simply, active design is environmental design that encourages stair climbing, walking, bicycling, transit use, active recreation, and healthy eating.

Image: Cycle Sharing, New York City Urban Design Guidelines Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

CREATIVE CITY

Creative Cities - Maurizio Carta A theoretical based approach.

The network of creative cities is a powerful new configuration of dynamic, innovative and action-oriented cities, able to transform the space using their cultural armature. It is a vision in which the city is a generator of creativity and presents itself as a powerful incubator of economies based on creativity, culture, research and artistic production.

Carta’s Creativity City revolved around 3 c’s: culture, communication and cooperation. It is the transformation of a city from one merely capable of attracting the creative class to one able to a new identity, new economy and new geology on the basis of culture, art, knowledge, communication and cooperation.

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Image: Three C’s from Maurizio Carta’s Creative Cities

2

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Spontaneous City 1. Zoom in: Zooming in means embracing a development process simultaneously at the disposal of many initiators in various locations.

2. Supervise open developments: Urban functions, architecture, density and lifestyle are constantly changing factors. Sustained development means that a city must be able to adapt according to these changes: housing and employment functionality.

3

3. Create collective values: Defining shared ambition is an integral factor. Common values make it possible to dare dream about the environment of tomorrow.

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4. Be user-oriented: Innovation and fresh approaches are needed in order to meet future challenges.

Image: Four Principles, Urhahn Urban Design Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Renew Newcastle It is not what the city is but how it behaves - Marcus Westbury A city with empty spaces is perhaps not a hardware problem, but rather a software problem. In the sense that the space exists but developers and/or interested parties have no accessibility. Westbury highlights that rather viewing empty spaces as capitalist and investment problem, it should be addressed as a blockage of passion and energy. Passion as a transformative force brings people to the city and is not about money.

Image: Area identified for revitalisation, Renew Newcastle

As cities age, the challenge is not always to rebuild them physically but to re-imagine how they might function and adapt.

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

CREATIVITY WITHIN THE CLUSTER

Business Incubators

Research & Innovation

Arts and Culture Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Typology

Attributes

Within a creative city, there are three dominant typologies that permeate throughout different land uses and influence building form. These forms may overlap and interweave to create a complex urban fabric.

Collaboration, flexibility and diversity are characteristics of the creative city that vital to fostering an environment where innovation and research is pursued. Collaboration can be seen as knowledge sharing, the exchanging of ideas and concepts to improve productivity and advance concepts.

Spaces for creativity will have to be flexible to accommodate a wide range of needs from a simple teaching space, to a workshop experimentation environment. Finally, for creativity to occur, there needs to be a wide range of activities and cultures. Every individual possesses their own unique thoughts and can contribute to the knowledge economy of the creative city.

Business incubators encompass areas that may be home to start-up companies and can often include shared office spaces.

Research and innovation are central nodes of creativity. These areas are often at the forefront of technology and partnered with a major institution.

Arts and culture is the social aspect of the creative city. Creativity and inspiration can often come from chance encounters or programs that promote cultural activities within a city as multicultural as Melbourne.

Collaboration

Flexibility

Diversity

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Connecting FLINDERS Creativity STREET RAILWAY STATION

NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA ARTS CENTER MELBOURNE STATE THEATRE HAMMER HALL

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ARTS PRECINCT

Linking Opportunities Isolated opportunities pose as a limitation. However, if these isolated nodes were to be linked together to form a diverse physical precinct, the opportunities for the public and city on a larger scale are endless.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

RMIT UNIVERSITY STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA

An example of a string of pearls effect can be seen in the Swanston Street corridor. A tram corridor links major education institution, retail hubs and Melbourne’s prominent arts and culture hubs along one spine.

This golden thread concept is key to generating a connected creative cluster.

FEDERATION SQUARE

FLINDERS STREET RAILWAY STATION

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ARTS PRECINCT National Gallery of Victoria Arts Centre Melbourne State Theatre Hamer Hall Melbourne Recital Centre Victoria College of Arts

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY Exercise 03: International Benchmarking

Airport University Open space Medical/hospital Commercial hub Watercourses Collector road Arterial road Motorway Railway line Railway station

10km square analysis Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

London

N

History and Statistics The University occupies buildings throughout town, many of which are of historical importance.

Cambridge is a member of many associations and forms part of the “golden triangle” of leading English universities and Cambridge University Health Partners, an academic health science centre.

The university is closely linked with the development of the high-tech business cluster known as “Silicon Fen”.

Infrastructure Funding Research Capital Investment Funding RCIF2 (2011-15) Learning and Teaching Capital Investment Funding TCIF2 (2011-13) UK Research partnership investment fund UKRPIF (2013-15) Net assignable space (April 2013) m2 Arts and Humanities 18,739 Humanities/Social Sciences 28,765 Physical Sciences 71,192 Technology 47,181 Biological Sciences 72,823 Clinical Medicine 32,962 Administration 34,351 Central Libraries 46,363 Other 23,685 Total 376,061

£M 45 0.7 21 Full Time Equivalent students (2012-13) Arts and Humanities 3,359 Humanities/Social Sciences 4,984 Physical Sciences 3,564 Technology 2,989 Biological Sciences 2,554 Clinical Medicine 972 Others 289 Continuing Education 9,101 Total student FTE 18,812 Total staff 9,823

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

1km square analysis Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Carpark

Pedestrian path

University

Railway line

Open space

Railway station

Commercial/retail

Bus route

Public pool

Bus stop

Church Collector road

N

Local road

>> Informal pedestrian network through back alleys. >> Walkable commercial strips which are serviced by a bus network connected to the train station. >> No defined edge between the university and the public realm.

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Street Comparison Collage

ISSUES & OPPORTUNITIES

Exercise 04

Creativity

Place Identity

Connectivity

Encouraging innovation and arts through businesses and local opportunities allows for the fostering of a creative community. Programming spaces and bringing communities and institutions into a collaborative space.

Plenty Road corridor links a range of nodes along its spine. There are many areas with distinct characters and some may be reinforced through reprogramming of voids or the creation of new spaces.

Increasing route speed and frequency to get people where they want to go efficiently. Partnerships with public transport providers to improve route efficiency in an area that is identified for future population growth.

This area has been identified as a potential knowledge economy.

With knowledge comes a degree of creativity, but there is a current lack of space for experimentation.

Currently much of these spaces are empty voids, devoid of activity and lacking in identity.

The site is currently serviced by an infrequent tram route with poor quality stops.

Issues Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Routing

Transformation

Local Economy

>> Improve stop quality

>> Reprogramming large volumes of empty underutilised spaces

>> The engine for integrated area development is ultimately economy

>> Re-purposing large open car park areas for public use

>> Knowledge sharing, where money is not the only form of economy within the area

>> Accessible stop locations

>> New urban typology associated with densification and mixed use development

Making Place

Densification

>> Introducing high quality public space

>> New building typology

>> Improve accessibility to these spaces >> Diverse range of programs to attract community and institutions

>> Social economy - providing a wide of accessible opportunities to a diverse community

>> Gradual density changes >> High intensity in areas where high density is unlikely to occur

>> Provide a space where community can gather

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Transforming Australian Cities Rob Adams suggests that a simple act of densifying along Melbourne’s extensive tram corridors is enough to accommodate a growing population.

Idealistically, it is an interesting theory.

Critically, it can be expanded to be utilised in a more sensitive approach: densifying areas of intense activity along tram corridors and gradually decrease density from stops.

Donnybrook Quarter - London This area is an example of a low density high intensity building typology that can be applied to the site as part of the densification strategy.

Precedents Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Renew Newcastle With the large number of empty spaces to reprogram, a system will be required to facilitate change. Renew Newcastle is an imitative that addressed the city as software, where the issue was not physical or hardware based, but rather a software issue. A program bug where in the context of the city meant that people we’re having trouble accessing spaces that were physically and potentially available.

Such a community collaboration with local councils and institutions is ideal for the cluster, where innovation, creativity and experimentation are central to the knowledge economy.

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

from EMPTY

to PLENTY

Cluster Thinking | Student Name

Bundoora RMIT Town Centre Left: Google Earth overview of cluster Right: Plenty Road Corridor

Bundoora Square

Bundoora Park High Rise

La Trobe University Town Summerhill Village Tyler Street Junction

Bell Street Junction Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

TYLER STREET JUNCTION

EXISTING LAND USE 0

25

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Commercial/retail School Church Residential

100m

PROPOSED LAND USE 0

25

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Commercial/retail School Church Residential Mixed use Open space New residential typology

EXISTING CONDITION 0

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Voids Food/restaurant Workshop Commercial/retail School Church Residential Health

100m

PROPOSED DESIGN 0

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Voids Food/restaurant Workshop Commercial/retail School Church Residential Health Proposed residential Community facility/library Shared office space

Tyler Street Junction This junction was heavily inspired by the ‘Renew Newcastle’ project which looked at reprogramming empty buildings and revitalising an area through creativity and community input. Tyler Street has been identified

by Plan Melbourne and Darebin City Council as a future activity node. The design response aims to transform the around Tyler Street into a community focused creativity hub which would allow the public to pursue creative passions and foster innovation and early age exploration through collaborations with the nearby primary school, proposed workshops and a newly introduced community centre.

Image: Imaging the area transformed Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

SUMMERHILL VILLAGE

PROPOSED LAND USE 0 0

25 2550

Health Aged care Commercial/retail School Residential

50 100m

100m

PROPOSED LAND USE 0 0

25 2550

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Health Mixed use Commercial/retail School Residential Proposed residential Public space Aged care

100m

EXISTING CONDITION 00

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Voids Commercial/retail Health School Residential Community sporting facilities

Cluster Thinking | Student Name

100m

PROPOSED DESIGN 0 0

25 2550

50 100m

Shared office space Health/clinic/pharmacy Commercial/retail School Residential Proposed residential Community sporting facilities

100m

Summerhill Village Previously commercial and retail focused, the design proposition aims to transform this site into an area that responds to the surrounding demographic through a wider spectrum of programs. By becoming health and family centric, the design response aims to cater to small family needs whilst reinforcing, expanding and upgrading existing health facilities from a small family clinic to one that accommodates neighbouring aged care and child care. Additionally, due to the site’s proximity to La Trobe University and adhering to the design guidelines set for by Darebin City Council, high density tower temporary accommodation has been introduced.

Image: Imaging the area transformed

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Link to La Trobe University MGS Architects have also established a masterplan for the university. Summerhill Village’s proximity to La Trobe University allows for additional community links to the local institution. Neighbouring residents are able to utilise perimeter community facilities as proposed by the masterplan. Proposed site circulation has been designed to provide a connection with Darebin Creek and the sporting facilities of La Trobe University.

With new facilities at both sites linked by an improved tram corridor and pedestrian network, neighbouring communities will have improved accessibility to new public amenities.

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

DETACHED HOUSING

TYLER STREET

SUMMERHILL

1-2 storeys

2-3 storeys

1-2 storeys retail

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

NEW HOUSING TYPOLOGY

TYLER STREET JUNCTION

SUMMERHILL VILLAGE

2-3 storeys high intensity

max. 8 storeys (with setback)

max. 12 storeys

Cluster Thinking | Albert Chong

Image: Poster on Tyler Street

Albert Chong 541366 MUD 2015